Date Presented 4/20/2018
This mixed methods study explored the meaning and outcomes of a 4-month virtual building capacity process aimed at promoting knowledge translation and implementation of a public health approach to mental health among Level II fieldwork students across the United States in school settings.
Primary Author and Speaker: Susan Bazyk
Additional Authors and Speakers: Kristen Pataki, and Kelle DeBoth
PURPOSE: Completion of a Level II fieldwork experience in a mental health setting has long been viewed as essential in preparing occupational therapy students to apply specialized knowledge and skills in mental health across practice areas (Hartmann et al., 2013). With the decline in practitioners working in mental health settings (2.4%), fewer opportunities to complete a mental health Level II fieldwork have resulted in the need for innovative strategies that prepare students to purposely address mental health in diverse settings (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning and outcomes of a virtual building capacity process designed to promote knowledge translation and implementation of a public health approach to mental health by occupational therapy Level II fieldwork students in school settings. The research questions were as follows: Does participation in the building capacity process result in enhanced knowledge, beliefs, and actions in applying a public health approach to mental health during a school-based Level II fieldwork experience? What are the meaning and outcomes of the building capacity process?
METHOD: This one-group mixed methods design study used pretest–posttest surveys to address the first research question and qualitative phenomenological methods to address the second. U.S. academic fieldwork coordinators were sent an email during Fall 2016 inviting students scheduled to complete a school-based Level II fieldwork experience to participate. Interested students contacted the principal investigator.
The building capacity process involved a variety of active learning strategies and practice reflection. Participants engaged in a virtual, shortened (4-mo) version of the building capacity process described by Bazyk et al. (2015) that involved attending two 2-hr online webinars, reading three chapters (Bazyk, 2011), and engaging in three online discussions fostering reflection and application.
A 20-question survey using a 5-point Likert scale examined participants’ knowledge (four categories), beliefs (three categories), and actions (two categories) related to addressing mental health in schools. Pretest–posttest scores of the clustered items were compared using a matched pair t test (.05 significance level) using IBM SPSS Statistics (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Phenomenological analysis of participants’ online responses by multiple analysts involved clustering relevant statements into themes, exploring relationships between themes, and identifying verbatim quotes to reflect the core meaning of the building capacity process.
RESULTS: Nineteen occupational therapy students from ten U.S. universities completed the building capacity process (September–December 2016). Significant improvements (p < .00) were found in scores reflecting knowledge, beliefs, and actions related to addressing mental health in seven of the nine categories. Four qualitative themes emerged from the data: (1) New knowledge resulted in a change of thinking about mental health and a broader view of occupational therapy’s role to include promotion and prevention, (2) online reflections led to the generation of ideas and actual plans for implementing mental health strategies, (3) planning resulted in implementation of embedded mental health strategies, and (4) the building capacity process was meaningful, enjoyable, and empowering.
CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the virtual building capacity process fostered knowledge translation and implementation of a public health approach to mental health by Level II fieldwork students in school settings.
IMPACT STATEMENT: Study findings suggest that specialized mental health knowledge and skills can be developed outside of traditional mental health fieldwork experiences by strategically building capacity of occupational therapy students to actively apply mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention strategies in all settings.
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2015). Surveying the profession: The 2015 AOTA salary and workforce survey. OT Practice, 20(11), 7–11.
Bazyk, S. (Ed.). (2011). Mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention with children and youth: A guiding framework for occupational therapy. Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.
Bazyk, S., Demirjian, L., LaGuardia, T., Thompson-Repas, K., Conway, C., & Michaud, P. (2015). Building capacity of occupational therapy practitioners to address the mental health needs of children and youth: A mixed-methods study of knowledge translation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 6906180060. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2015.019182
Hartmann, K. D., Nadeau, B., & Tufano, R. (2013). Clinical experiences to promote student education of psychological and social aspects of mental health: A case report. Work, 44, 329–335. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-121509
