Investigating the concept of rest for research and practice.

Aims: To report an analysis of the concept of rest; to determine the conceptual maturity (consistent use and meaning) of rest in the current scientific literature and to present a theoretical definition of rest, providing a strong basis for research and practice.

Background: Rest is a physical, mental and spiritual human need, common to all humanity, and is frequently prescribed around the world as a treatment for many maladies. Yet the concept of rest remains subjective, is vaguely defined and is often confused with sleep, limiting its utility for research and practice. Without a clear definition and understanding of rest and its parameters, its restorative benefits may not be realized and the advice to rest, based on little evidence, has limited usefulness and unknown risks.

Design: Concept analysis.

Data Sources: The scientific, peer-reviewed literature of five healthcare disciplines whose practitioners recommend rest for their patients were queried: nursing, medicine, physical therapy, psychology and occupational therapy. Twenty-seven articles published between 1970-2015 were included.

Methods: The Morse criterion-based method of concept investigation was used.

Results: The epistemological, pragmatic, linguistic and logical descriptions of rest found in the literature revealed that the concept of rest remains immature, poorly defined, rarely operationalized and inconsistently used. Nevertheless, a cross-contextual definition of rest based on antecedents, attributes, boundaries and outcomes is emerging.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, a rudimentary understanding of rest emerged. Further research is necessary to develop an operational, evidence-based, definition of rest so it can be effectively studied and prescribed.