The use of the concept of transition in different disciplines within health and social welfare: An integrative literature review

Abstract

Abstract Aims To continuing the quest of the concept of transition in nursing research and to explore how the concept of transition is used in occupational therapy, oral health and social work as well as in interdisciplinary studies in health and welfare, between 2003–2013. Design An integrative literature review. Methods PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, DOSS, SocIndex, Social Science Citation Index and AMED databases from 2003–2013 were used. Identification of 350 articles including the concept of transition in relation to disciplines included. Assessment of articles are in accordance to Meleis' typologies of transition by experts in each discipline. Chosen key factors were entered into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results Meleis' four typologies were found in all studied disciplines, except development in oral health. The health‐illness type was the most commonly explored, whereas in social work and in occupation therapy, situational transitions dominated.

Keywords

• literature review
• nursing theory
• occupational therapy
• oral health
• social welfare
• social work