Occupational Balance and Quality of Life of OT Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE: When a crisis or disaster occurs, it limits an individual’s ability to participate in meaningful occupations (Scaffa, Gerardi, Herzberg, & McColl, 2006). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) was officially a global pandemic. The pandemic caused disruptions in the lives of Americans with Nationwide restrictions and stay-at-home orders impacting normal routines, potentially affecting health and quality of life as well as occupational balance. For graduate students, the pandemic required remote learning. The purpose of the study was to describe the occupational balance, health, and quality of life of occupational therapy students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it sought to understand whether the pandemic may enhance occupational therapy students’ understanding of occupational balance and impact on their future practice.

DESIGN: A descriptive survey design with convenience sampling was used. All MOT students enrolled at Messiah College during the COVID-19 pandemic (58 students) were invited to participate.

METHOD: An online survey was created consisting of the Occupational Balance Questionnaire 11 (OBQ-11E), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF), and researcher-developed Likert-scale questions. The OBQ-11 (Håkansson, Wagman & Hagell, 2019) consists of 11 statements with four response categories, ranging from ‘strongly disagree’ [0] to ‘strongly agree’ [3]. The (total sum score 0-33) shows the level of occupational balance, from low to high (Håkansson, Wagman & Hagell, 2019). The WHOQOL-BREF contains 26 items measured on five-step ordinal scales in the domains of physical, psychological, social relationships, and environment. The research-developed Likert-scale questions asked students about the impact the pandemic may have on their understanding of occupational balance and how it may impact future practice.

RESULTS: Of the 58 questionnaires distributed, 40 were completed (response rate 69%). The summed OBQ-11 varied from 3 to 24 (median 15). Separating the students by cohort demonstrated that the 19 students enrolled in their first Level II fieldwork experience had a higher median score (median 18) compared to the 21 students completing their first year of graduate occupational therapy courses (median 14). Students reported positive results across the following domains of the WHOQOL-BREF: overall quality of life and general health, physical health, social relationships, and environment. Although students largely rated their quality of life as ‘good’ within the Quality of Life Domain, many students reported in the Psychological Domain that they have had negative feelings (depression, anxiety, etc.) ‘quite often’ within the two weeks prior to completing the questionnaire. Students reported that their experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic has influenced their understanding of occupational balance and its importance for overall health. Students also reported that they will be more likely to address occupational balance with a future client and to be more empathetic towards a client experiencing occupational imbalance due to their experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

CONCLUSION: Although the overall quality of life of OT students appears to have been largely unaffected by this pandemic, occupational balance appears to have been affected across multiple student cohorts and will alter the process and practice of future occupational therapy practitioners. These results should provide insight into the distinct struggles of OT students in order for educators to provide the most effective support during this continued crisis and any future crisis or disaster.

References

Håkansson, C., Wagman, P., & Hagell, P. (2019). Construct validity of a revised version of the Occupational Balance Questionnaire. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1–9. https://doi-org.ezproxy.messiah.edu/10.1080/11038128.2019.1660801

Scaffa, M. E., Reitz, S. M., Smith, T. M., & DeLany, J. V. (2011). The Role of Occupational Therapy in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, S11–S25. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2011.65S11