Perceived stressors and coping strategies of occupational therapy students.
OBJECTIVE
Occupational therapy students often perceive their curriculum to be stressful. Anecdotal reports have described occupational therapy students' stress and coping strategies during their academic education; this study quantifies students' perceptions.


METHODS
A questionnaire was used to survey 1,095 occupational therapy students representing the major geographical regions of the United States about perceived stress and coping strategies. The data were analyzed to determine patterns and frequencies of subjects' stress and coping strategies.


RESULTS
At least 86% of the subjects reported their top stressors to be examinations, amount of class work, lack of free time, long hours of study, and grades. Sixty-two percent of subjects said that the stress they experienced strengthened their commitment to their professional education.


CONCLUSIONS
Academic issues and time pressures were more stressful than nonschool issues for occupational therapy students. Subjects' strategies for coping with these stressors usually included perseverance and rarely involved drugs, sex, or alcohol.
Indiana University School of Medicine, School of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Indianapolis 46202-5119.
J S
JS
Everly
D W
DW
Poff
N
N
Lamport
C
C
Hamant
G
G
Alvey
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000193:education*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States