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  • An Intentional Wholeness Fo...
    Cunningham, Stacey B.; Montgomery, Susanne B; Distelberg, Brian J.; Alemi, Qais

    Journal of occupational therapy education, 01/2023, Volume: 7, Issue: 1
    Journal Article

    Rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout for university students are concerning. As in other competitive professional fields, graduate students in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech language pathology face many performance pressures. Creating supportive learning and wholeness climates along with individual grit, resilience, and healthy spirituality have the potential to positively impact these pressures. The study’s purpose was to examine factors related to burnout within an institution committed to creating supportive learning and wholeness environments. Three hundred and fifty-three graduate students from occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech language pathology graduate programs were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional survey exploring student functioning using primarily validated measures. Hierarchical multiple regressions were utilized to test the unique contributions of perceived learning and wholeness climates, demographics, mental health factors, and potential coping factors to better understand burnout/disengagement and burnout/exhaustion. All models accounted for a significant amount of the variance in both burnout/disengagement (38.2%) and burnout/exhaustion (46.9%). Higher student perceptions of positive wholeness and learning climates, grit, and personal spirituality/peace suggested lower burnout/disengagement, but spirituality/meaning had an unexpected negative outcome. Burnout/exhaustion was negatively associated with anxiety, depression, and spirituality/faith while positively with spirituality/peace. Overall, students’ views of the university providing a supportive wholeness and learning climate as well as their personal grit was associated with lower burnout. Depression and anxiety were negatively associated with burnout/exhaustion. Spirituality was more complicated with variation in risk versus supportive factors. Results may help guide future studies, provide suggestions for specific programming, and promote supportive university environments.