Success Beyond the Desk: Effectiveness of an Occupational Therapy Educator Workshop to Enhance Student Wellness within the Classroom

Abstract

Background: Graduate occupational therapy students experience high stress, anxiety, and occupational imbalance due to intensive academic and clinical demands. Faculty are well positioned to foster shared humanity and interconnectedness within learning environments, and targeted educational workshops may provide practical strategies for integrating wellness into teaching. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an evidence- and student-informed educational workshop developed to increase occupational therapy faculty awareness, knowledge, and confidence in supporting student wellness within academic settings. Methodology: Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, occupational therapy students participated in a series of three focus groups that informed workshop development. Occupational therapy faculty and academic occupational therapy Capstone students completed a pre- and post-workshop survey assessing changes associated with participation in the educational workshop. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling through email. Findings: Seventeen occupational therapy students participated in the focus groups, yielding three themes: self-care as occupation, occupational therapy student burnout, and program culture. Thirteen occupational therapy faculty members and four academic Capstone students participated in the workshop. Pre- and post-workshop survey findings showed significant improvements in selected measures of awareness, confidence, and plans to integrate wellness strategies into the classroom environment and curricula (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Findings suggest that student well-being is influenced by individual and program-level factors and that faculty play an important role in shaping graduate learning experiences. A targeted educational workshop was associated with short-term improvements in several self-reported outcomes. Integrating wellness-supportive strategies into occupational therapy education may promote occupational balance, enhance learning, and address burnout amongst occupational therapy students.