Exploring Occupational Therapy Student and Entry-Level Practitioner Perceptions of Mental Health Accommodations

Abstract

Mental health concerns are prevalent among occupational therapy graduate students and entry-level practitioners entering the workforce. Prior research has highlighted that the rise in mental health concerns and the high-achieving nature of occupational therapy students impacts their success in the classroom and the clinic. While formal and informal mental health accommodations are beneficial, obtaining and implementing such accommodations has been cited as a challenging process plagued with negative stigma. This study aimed to understand the perceived effectiveness of common academic and work-related mental health accommodations for meeting the role demands that occupational therapy students and practitioners encounter in the classroom, during fieldwork and capstone, and in entry-level practice. Data were gathered from 218 occupational therapy students and entry-level practitioners who completed an electronic survey, including checklists and Likert scale items. Results include the prevalence of mental health concerns, the use of formal and informal mental health accommodations, and the perceived effectiveness of mental health accommodations in meeting the role demands of occupational therapy students and entry-level practitioners. Participants reported that the commonly prescribed mental health accommodations effectively met role demands in academic and work settings. Qualitative responses to the survey provided a deeper understanding of these perceptions and the barriers students encountered when attaining or implementing such accommodations in the classroom and clinical settings. Implications for occupational therapy education address the prevalence of mental health concerns and the barriers occupational therapy students face when attaining and implementing mental health accommodations.

Keywords

• academia
• workplace
• mental health accommodations