Experiences of engagement in occupations and assertive outreach services

<b>Aim: </b>The purpose of this study was to describe the experience and meaning of engagement for staff and clients of assertive outreach teams.<br /><b>Method:</b> Interpretative phenomenological analysis was selected for its flexibility and transparency. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews from a sample of five client and five staff participants (n = 10). The interviews were analysed idiographically, inductively and interrogatively.<br /><b>Findings:</b> Four themes identified by both staff and client participants emerged: engagement as an interpersonal relationship, engagement in and through time, enabling and disabling factors and engagement in occupation. In addition, clients developed a theme around engagement as a means to self-actualisation. Staff also raised a specific theme around the role of engagement in mental health services.<br /><b>Conclusion: </b>Staff and clients experienced engagement in broadly similar ways, but with differing emphases. Although all participants described it as both an invisible 'means' and a visible 'end', the staff related engagement only to mental health services whereas the clients experienced it in the context of both mental health services and occupations.<br /><b>Relevance:</b> This study is relevant to all occupational therapists who work with people experiencing mental health problems. <br />