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Document Type (Journals)

Original Research

Abstract

This study examined the impact of psychosocial and behavioral health fieldwork experiences on occupational therapy assistant students’ attitudes toward individuals with serious mental illness and their confidence in working with this population. The study compared different fieldwork experiences among 30 occupational therapy assistant students from multiple cohorts to assess potential changes in stigmatizing attitudes and confidence across four different measures: the Attribution Questionnaire – 9, the Mental Illness Clinician’s Attitudes Scale v 4, the Knowledge Test of Mental Illness, and the Student Confidence Questionnaire. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a statistically significant reduction in stigma from pre- to post-placement (p=0.04) on one of the four measures for both groups, while no other significant changes were observed. There were no significant effects of group or group-by-time interactions. Overall, findings were inconsistent, with evidence of a reduction in stigma on one measure but not others. Although the study was limited by low statistical power resulting from the small sample, the findings highlight important considerations for occupational therapy assistant education. Fieldwork continues to serve as a vital avenue for professional development, offering students opportunities to engage with clients, apply theoretical knowledge, and build confidence. The results underscore the necessity of intentionally designing fieldwork experiences that include meaningful client contact, reflective activities, structured supervision, and alignment with didactic coursework, rather than relying solely on exposure to influence attitudes or confidence. Ongoing research is needed to identify which components of fieldwork most effectively promote positive attitudes and confidence in students preparing to work with individuals with psychosocial needs.

Biography

Dr. Tiffany L. Benaroya, OTD, OTR serves as the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and an Assistant Professor for the Rutgers, Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.  Her research focuses on fieldwork education, pedagogy, and mental health.

Dr. Ann A. Murphy, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Director in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, School of Health Professions. Dr. Murphy conducts research on interventions to improve the lives of people with mental illnesses, teaches within the Department’s graduate programs, and previously provided psychiatric rehabilitation services.

Dr. Michelle Zechner, PhD, LSW, CPRP is faculty at Rutgers, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Programs where she conducts inter-professional health research about people diagnosed with severe mental health conditions. Her research includes health provider attitudes, multi-dimensional wellness, aging well with psychiatric conditions, and oral health quality of life.

Dr. Meredith Cimmino, PT, DPT, PhD is an adjunct instructor in the Physical Therapy and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs at Rutgers University. Dr. Cimmino is interested in interdisciplinary care. Her research focuses on the impact of physical rehabilitation on persons with serious mental illness. 

Dr. Peggy Swarbrick, PhD, OTR, FAOTA is the Rutgers ScarletWell Director, Research Professor in the Applied Department Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey Wellness Institute Director. She developed a strength based wellness model and co-created self-care wellness programs for caregiver’s, families, youth, and professionals.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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