Occupational Balance of Occupational Therapy Students Before and After Occupational Disruption Caused by COVID-19

Credentials Display

Juan Pablo Saa, PhD, OTD, MPH, and BSc (OT); Georgia King, MOTPrac, BAppSc; Kylee Lockwood, PhD, MPH, BOT' Tamara Tse, PhD, MGer, BOT

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing restrictions have caused occupational disruption, yet little is known about their relationship with occupational balance, student satisfaction, and stress. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the occupational balance of occupational therapy students in the state of Victoria, Australia, and its association with measures of life satisfaction and distress.

Method: Participants completed the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ-11) twice (once rating their occupational balance before COVID-19 social distancing restrictions and again during the time these restrictions were in place); the Global Life Satisfaction Questionnaire; and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). Wilcoxon-Pratt and Pearson’s correlation were used to analyze the data.

Results: Fifty-one participants revealed significant decreases in total scores on the OBQ-11 (Z = 3.0, 95% C.I. = 1 to 4.5; p

Conclusion: COVID-19 restrictions have impacted students’ occupational balance. Occupational therapy students may not have the necessary knowledge of occupational therapy philosophies to maintain occupational balance.

Comments

The authors declare that they have no competing financial, professional, or personal interest that might have influenced the performance or presentation of the work described in this manuscript.

Recommended Citation

Saa, J., King, G., Lockwood, K., & Tse, T. (2025). Occupational Balance of Occupational Therapy Students Before and After Occupational Disruption Caused by COVID-19. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 13(4), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.2356