Mapping Occupational Therapy Practice with Postsecondary Students: A Scoping Review

Background: Legislation supports a role for occupational therapy in postsecondary settings, but this area is not a common practice area and the practice area is not well understood. This scoping review maps current literature of occupational therapists working with students in postsecondary settings in order to inform future research and practice. Method: After identifying included articles, a narrative description of the quantitative studies along with a concept map were completed. A qualitative thematic analysis of the articles was also conducted. Results: Twenty-five articles met the inclusion criteria. Quantitative results describe occupational therapy services as both a direct and indirect service provided through offices of disability services, assistive technology, and supported education programs, among others. The primary population with whom occupational therapists engage with are students with mental illness. Three qualitative themes emerged from the scoping review, including the focus on occupation and skills needed for success, using the campus environment, and campus collaboration. Conclusion: The structure of occupational therapy services varies from location to location and occupational therapists work with various populations of students. Future research needs to support the distinct value of occupational therapy in this practice area, including the scope and outcomes of occupational therapy services with different populations of students

Mixed Methods Design: A Beginner\u27s Guide

Mixed Method Design: Principles and Procedures by Janice M. Morse and Linda Niehaus (2009) is a how-to book for conducting mixed method research. Morse and Niehaus go step-by-step through mixed method research and provide clear explanation for combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. They also provide examples of what is not mixed method design. The book is easy to read. It could be an invaluable reference for anyone who conducts research in health and social sciences, seasoned researchers and students alike

Collaborative Learning in a Faculty-led Occupational Therapy Level I Fieldwork: A Case Study

Fieldwork experiences in occupational therapy are meant to bridge the gap between academic learning and clinical practice. Various formats for fieldwork experiences have been encouraged as sites become harder to find. A faculty-led fieldwork experience is one suggested format. Faculty-led initiatives using a collaborative learning model (CLM) allow faculty to supervise a group of students at one time. In order to understand more about using a CLM within Level I fieldwork, a case study approach was used to describe the experience of nine occupational therapy students. Results suggest that the students involved in this faculty-led Level I fieldwork experience in a CLM were self-directed and reflective in practice as they were stretched outside their comfort zone. Under a faculty-led collaborative student supervision model, the occupational therapy students increased their confidence and learned clinical reasoning skills through peer collaboration. These results suggest that CLM can provide adequate structure for faculty-led fieldwork initiatives. Occupational therapy programs should provide opportunities to develop goals and be reflective and self-directed in practice during faculty-led Level I fieldwork experiences. Other considerations for OT programs wishing to develop such experiences are discussed

Cultural Competence with Humility Using Interprofessional Multicultural Learning Activities: Student Perceptions

This study examined students’ perceptions of interprofessional multicultural learning activities used to develop cultural competence with humility (CCH). Limited research exists on student perceptions of learning activities for CCH in entry-level occupational therapy educational programs. This exploratory, mixed methods study used an anonymous online survey, the Learning Activities Survey (LAS), to collect student quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback about CCH learning activities and their experience within the Counselors and Occupational Therapists Professionally Engaged in the Community (COPE) program. A deductive thematic approach was used by two investigators for qualitative analyses of COPE learning activities by alignment in four a priori CCH constructs: cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skills, and cultural desire. Consensus was gained through discussion. Nineteen of 29 (65.5%) students completed the survey. The mean score on the LAS for 6 of 12 activities (50%) was at least Moderately important (mean ≥ 3.0) to student learning. Twelve of 19 students (63%) rated 11 of 12 learning activities as Moderately important (mean ≥ 3.0). Qualitatively, cognitive knowledge was the strongest reported CCH learning construct within the COPE program with a frequency of 32. The combined quantitative and qualitative responses indicated the learning activities positively influenced students’ learning of CCH. This study may inform occupational therapy curricular activities that satisfy accreditation requirements and expectations of the profession to meet the cultural needs of society. It also provides support for revisions to occupational therapy educational program standards to better align with recent literature

Disruption of academic occupations during COVID-19: impact on mental health and the role of occupational therapy in tertiary education

Education is a social determinant of health and higher education can promote inclusion in society. Inclusion in higher education during social distancing can limit engagement in academic occupations. Lack of engagement can lead to mental health concerns. Populations that are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic may also see a disproportionate rise in mental health issues. Occupational therapists can advocate for a role with students using Wilcock’s concepts of doing, being, belonging, and becoming. They can address not only individual-level factors among students, but population-level factors that can promote both mental health and occupational justice in the educational spaces of students, both online and face to face. This case study provides a review of the role that occupational therapy can play on and off campuses amid the pandemic to address the mental health needs of students in higher education

The transition from high school to university: Correlates of occupational performance and satisfaction to adjustment to university

The transition from high school to university can be an exciting time, but some students may have difficulty with the new context of university. Students who do not adapt well to university may be at risk for mental health concerns and/or dropping out of school; both of which can impact their lifetime earning potential and quality of life. University support services are overwhelmed and unable to provide services for all the needs that are found on campus. As a result, students may find excessive wait times for services or may not seek services at all. A student’s occupational performance (OP) may impact their adaptation to university, but little research looks at the occupations of university students or how it relates to their adaptation to university. In addition, most of the research on the OP of students looks at those with an identified disability. This study looks at the OP and performance satisfaction (PS) of a general population of university students and correlates it to adaptation to university. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) were administered to a sample of students who attend a Midwestern, public university to explore OP and PS and their adaptation to university. The overall mean self-perceived OP score was 30.23 (SD=7.19) and PS score was 27.51 (SD =7.79) among the sample. Descriptive statistics indicated that time management (n=51), making new friends (n=43), and sleep (n=39) were the three most commonly reported OP deficits among this sample. Productivity had the most reported deficits (175 mentions over 34 deficits). Preliminary exploratory analysis uncovered that students who had higher scores in OP had higher scores that were statistically significant in social adjustment (r= 0.25, p=0.02) and personal emotional adjustment (r=0.25, p=0.02). Also, higher scores in PS demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with higher scores in academic adjustment (r=0.24, p=0.02), social adjustment (r=0.23, p=0.03), and personal emotional adjustment (r=0.30, p=.01). This study can provide a foundation for the exploration of occupation as it relates to the adaptation of university students to university and into adulthood. The impact of a poor transition on the life trajectory of a student should not be underestimated and further exploration of the OP and PS of transitioning university students can inform screening systems and services for individuals who are “at risk” of dropping out of school and/or who may experience mental health concerns