ERIC Number: EJ1471702
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2573-1378
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Self-Care: An Occupational Therapy Student Perspective
Isabelle Laposha; Stacy Smallfield
Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, v6 n1 Article 5 2022
Health professional students, including occupational therapy students, report increasing rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout while completing their academic programs of study. Self-care is one potential solution to this crisis, as engagement in evidence-based self-care practices has been found to improve the health and well-being of various student populations; however, the self-care practices of occupational therapy students have not been well studied. Therefore, this study explored how occupational therapy students understand and practice self-care, and how self-care correlates to perceived stress. Twenty participants engaged in a focus group and completed a 72-hour time diary. Focus group results indicated that participants highly valued their self-care practices, reporting that self-care improves their well-being, is a skill that must be developed, and plays a critical role in occupational therapy practice. Time diaries revealed that the most frequently recorded self-care occupations were sleeping/napping, meal preparation/eating, and watching television and other streaming services. Total time spent in self-care practices ranged from 9-55 hours, and duration of self-care was not found to correlate with perceived stress or demographic variables. Results demonstrate that the type of self-care activities in which students engage may be more beneficial than duration of self-care alone. Students may benefit from further skill development in self-care to improve their current and future well-being. Occupational therapy educators have the opportunity to assist in developing this skill through intentional programming.
Descriptors: Occupational Therapy, Allied Health Occupations Education, Mental Health, Burnout, Stress Variables, Evidence Based Practice, Self Management, Well Being, Correlation, Student Attitudes, Sleep, Eating Habits, Leisure Time, Recreational Activities, Time, College Students
Journal of Occupational Therapy Education. 521 Lancaster Avenue, Richmond, KY 40475. e-mail: jote@eku.edu; Web site: https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A