Occupational Therapy Students’ Self-Efficacy for Therapeutic Use of Self: Development and Associated Factors

Abstract

Occupational therapy students need to develop self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self in practice. This longitudinal study examined Norwegian occupational therapy students' self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self over a 16-month period and investigated predictors of their end-point self-efficacy. One hundred and eleven students from two universities completed a self-efficacy questionnaire related to the use of self after a workshop, and at 3-month, 10-month, and 16-month follow-up. The students' self-efficacy development was analyzed with linear mixed effect models, while factors associated with self-efficacy were investigated with linear regressions. The students from both universities showed a linear increase in self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use (p < 0.001), recognizing clients' interpersonal characteristics (p < 0.001), and managing interpersonal events (p < 0.001). However, for the students from University 1 the largest increase occurred in an early phase, whereas for the students from University 2 the largest increase occurred in a late phase. Only baseline scores were associated with the end-point measure at 16-month follow-up. The study indicates that students' self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self increased during the follow-up period and adds to the knowledge about occupational therapy students' self-efficacy development related to understanding and managing client-therapist interactions. ABSTRACTOccupational therapy students need to develop self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self in practice. This longitudinal study examined Norwegian occupational therapy students' self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self over a 16-month period and investigated predictors of their end-point self-efficacy. One hundred and eleven students from two universities completed a self-efficacy questionnaire related to the use of self after a workshop, and at 3-month, 10-month, and 16-month follow-up. The students' selfefficacy development was analyzed with linear mixed effect models, while factors associated with self-efficacy were investigated with linear regressions. The students from both universities showed a linear increase in self-efficacy for therapeutic mode use (p < 0.001), recognizing clients' interpersonal characteristics (p < 0.001), and managing interpersonal events (p < 0.001). However, for the students from University 1 the largest increase occurred in an early phase, whereas for the students from University 2 the largest increase occurred in a late phase. Only baseline scores were associated with the end-point measure at 16-month follow-up. The study indicates that students' selfefficacy for therapeutic use of self increased during the follow-up period and adds to the knowledge about occupational therapy students' self-efficacy development related to understanding and managing client-therapist interactions.

The self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self-questionnaire (SETUS): psychometric properties of the English version

“…The findings of this psychometric analysis are generally consistent with the literature. Fan et al (2020b) using item-response theory on the Norwegian version of SETUS questionnaire indicated that each of the three scales represented one latent trait of self-efficacy. Also, the studies using classical test theory on the Norwegian versions of the SETMU, SERIC and SEMIE, confirmed their unidimensionality (Bonsaksen and Carstensen, 2018; Bonsaksen et al , 2018; Ritter et al , 2018).…”

“…Psychometric studies that measure other types of validity and reliability are needed. Research on the SETUS questionnaire using an item-response theory approach (Rasch analysis), reflecting what was conducted with the Norwegian version (Fan et al , 2020b), is suggested. Assessing self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self in relation to different levels of occupational therapists’ experience would be helpful.…”

“…Other studies have been conducted using the Norwegian version of the SETUS questionnaire. Opseth et al (2017), Ritter et al (2017), Schwank et al (2018), Hussain et al (2018), Fan et al (2020a), and Fan et al (2020b) used this questionnaire in their studies to assess self-efficacy for therapeutic use of self in Norwegian occupational therapy students.…”

A propensity to thrive: Understanding individual difference, resilience and entrepreneurship in developing competence and professional identity

“…Development theories explore how personality develops through interaction with our environment, allowing for learning and insight, with motivation driving this through self-regulatory processes. Self-efficacy, a concept within personality theory, argued by Bandura (2012) as a personal resource is evidenced as pertinent for students by Fan et al (2020). This self-belief allows the effective use of personal attributes to achieve a desired outcome and to pursue challenging tasks.…”

Qualitative Analysis of Occupational Therapists’ Reflective Notes on Practicing Their Skills in Building and Maintaining Therapeutic Relationships

“…Vax and colleagues (2012) found that having more education was associated with higher workrelated self-efficacy in occupational therapists working with patients with mental health diagnoses. Schwank et al (2018) and Fan et al (2020) found that students may enhance their self-efficacy for using their 'self' therapeutically when skills were learned and practiced for 10 months and 16 months, respectively. The experience of learning therapeutic relationship skills, however, remains under-studied.…”