Traditionally, occupational therapists, like most other disciplines in the mental health field, have undertaken very little research. Reasons for this phenomenon are complex, numerous, and difficult. They include small numbers of doctoral level occupational therapists, the psychobehavioral versus biochemical split and confusion in psychiatry, the lack of a theoretical framework in occupational therapy, the level of research instruction in occupational therapy curricula, the impact of being a predominantly female profession, and the attitudes of institutions. Recommendations for stimulating research in occupational therapy are reviewed.
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