An Investigation of the Professional Resilience Strategies Used by Experienced Occupational Therapists.
Samantha Ashby, Katrina Watkins, Kylie Wales
PMID 38491752WHAT IT FOUND
Experienced therapists reported using supportive home environments, taking breaks, and maintaining professional boundaries to manage workplace stress.
Over half considered leaving the profession, with those in early and mid-career most likely to do so. Supervision was valued by some but not universally used.
Key findings
01Over half of respondents had considered leaving the occupational therapy profession.
02The most common strategies for professional resilience included a supportive home environment, using breaks and leave, and professional socialization.
03Less than half of respondents agreed that formal supervision was a professional resilience strategy that mediated work-related stressors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The survey used a study-specific instrument that had not been standardized, limiting its psychometric properties and validity. Convenience sampling via social media and English-only distribution may have introduced bias and limited the representation of non-English-speaking practitioners. The findings are skewed towards practice issues in English-speaking countries, particularly Australia, the UK, and the US. The study is exploratory and cross-sectional, so it cannot establish causal relationships between strategies and resilience.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high percentage of therapists considering leaving the profession as evidence that specific resilience strategies like supervision or time management will prevent this. The study is cross-sectional and cannot prove that these strategies cause better retention or reduced stress. Additionally, the sample is limited to English-speaking countries and self-selected respondents, so the findings may not apply to therapists in other cultural or linguistic contexts.