Belonging in Graduate Health Professions Education- Implications for Occupational Therapy Education: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Individuals who report a high sense of belonging with their academic institution demonstrate increased levels of academic success, as measured by greater class attendance, increased appropriate classroom behaviors, and better mental health and self-concept. The available literature on this topic focuses minimally on sense of belonging in graduate health professions education and available evidence is even more sparse specific to occupational therapy education. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review to gather foundational knowledge regarding barriers and facilitators to belonging in graduate health professions education to determine implications for occupational therapy education. A total of 202 studies were identified; 70 remained after the title and abstract review and removal of duplicates. After reading the full text, 61 articles were removed due to their limited exploration of belonging or inability to answer the proposed research question regarding barriers and facilitators to belonging. The final sample of 9 articles provided information about barriers and facilitators to a sense of belonging across health professions (occupational therapy, physical therapy, & medicine) graduate education. Qualitative content analysis of these articles revealed three themes that contributed both barriers and facilitators to belonging in graduate health professions education: (1) environment, (2) relationships, and (3) personal factors. As the call to diversify the profession brings in a greater number of students from historically minoritized identities, it is essential that all students experience belonging in their academic programs to increase success in their education and, as a result, in their future healthcare professions.

Keywords

• belonging
• scoping review
• occupational therapy education
• graduate health professions education