Relationship Between Stress Factors and Occupational Engagement Among Occupational Therapy Graduate Students

Abstract

Date Presented 3/31/2017 This study showed that approximately 20% of occupational therapy graduates experienced severe stress that prohibited them from engaging in meaningful activities in daily life. Advisors and educators may need to consider including stress management training to help students develop better stress management skills. Primary Author and Speaker: Megan Chang Additional Authors and Speakers: Megan Moreno, Jessica Pham, Jennafer Hope, Alrice Lai, Kristine Young

Exploring Occupational Therapy Student Stress: Professor and Student Perspectives

“…The findings illustrated the need for action to address the problem of student stress. Chang et al (2017) suggested decreasing workload, prioritizing leisure, and using stress management techniques to improve occupational balance and overall enjoyment of college life.…”

“…However, stress imposed by graduate curricula can prevent full participation in these important life pursuits. In a study conducted by Chang et al (2017), it was noted that 79% of occupational therapy students felt stressed and indicated they did not participate fully in meaningful occupations. Engagement in meaningful non-academic occupations is often precluded due to time-consuming educational requirements, including class attendance and numerous reading, writing, and research assignments.…”

Developing a personalized self‐care curriculum for graduate students in the health sciences

“…Research on medical students suggest higher rates of anxiety and depression than those found in the general population (Halperin et al, 2021). Other studies find similar rates of emotional distress in nursing students (Labrague et al, 2017;Michalec et al, 2013), psychology graduate students (Bacchi & Licinio, 2017), occupational therapy students (Chang et al, 2017), and physical therapy students (Williams et al, 2018).…”

“…Research suggests that self‐care interventions effectively reduce perceived stress in graduate student populations; students who actively participate in a self‐care practice were more likely to perform at required standards while thwarting the onset of burnout or exhaustion (Bamonti et al, 2014). Self‐care interventions have been found to be effective when integrated into a variety of healthcare profession educational programs, including nursing (Frogeli et al, 2016), audiology (Beck & Verticchio, 2014a, 2014b), counseling (Dye et al, 2020), occupational therapy (Chang et al, 2017; Reid, 2013), physical therapy (Kindel & Rafoth, 2020; Williams et al, 2018), physician assistant (Hoover et al, 2020), and speech and language pathology (Ellis & Briley, 2018). Outcomes of self‐care interventions included reductions in perceived stress, increased personal well‐being, and increased coping skills (Beck & Verticchio, 2014a, 2014b; Dye et al, 2020; Frogeli et al, 2016; Kindel & Rafoth, 2020).…”

Immersive virtual reality: An effective strategy for reducing stress in young adults

“…Psychological stress can also negatively impact academic performance and social engagement (Hamaideh, 2011) and can result in maladaptive coping strategies such as smoking and substance misuse (Salzer, 2012). Additionally, stress can impact the level of engagement young adults have in meaningful activities and their ability to achieve occupational balance (Chang et al, 2017).…”