Beliefs, Perspectives, and Activities of Psychosocial Occupational Therapy Educators

Abstract

Abstract This article reports on a descriptive survey study designed to provide information on the content of psychosocial occupational therapy courses, the professional beliefs of instructors, and relationships between their beliefs and decisions regarding course content. All currently accredited professional programs were surveyed; the data analysis was based on 64% of these programs. The survey found that despite a prevalent endorsement of occupational behavior theory, teaching practices were eclectic in terms of theoretical and skill emphases. This eclecticism appeared inconsistent with educators’ perceptions that a major problem facing practice in mental health is a lack of a unifying theory to define the direction of occupational therapy practice.