Everyday Problem Solving among Four Groups of Individuals with Cognitive Impairments: Examination of the Discriminant Validity of the Observed Tasks of Daily Living—Revised

To examine the discriminant validity of the Observed Tasks of Daily Living—Revised (OTDL-R) assessment test, performance was compared across four groups of participants (N = 140) expected to have different problem-solving skills and everyday competencies (community-dwelling older adults, older adults living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, individuals with schizophrenia, and individuals with brain injuries). Analysis of variance with covariates (age and education) was used to examine differences in total OTDL-R scores across the four groups. OTDL-R performance was significantly better for community-dwelling older adults and significantly worse for participants with schizophrenia than for all other groups. No statistically significant differences were found for older adults living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities or participants with brain injuries after controlling for age and education. The OTDL-R was found to be a sensitive performance-based assessment tool of potential importance for occupational therapists in assessing instrumental activities of daily living and problem-solving skills. Additional research is needed to more fully characterize the psychometric value of the OTDL-R for appropriate use by clinicians and researchers.