Introduction / Rationale: Occupational therapy (OT) students and practitioners worldwide experience elevated levels of stress and burnout. Resilience, conceptualized as a dynamic process involving both internal assets and external resources, is a protective factor against these challenges, leading higher education institutions and healthcare organizations to implement resilience programming.
Objectives: Attendees will describe the value and components of a multifaceted resilience program for OT graduate students and identify action steps to support student/practitioner resilience.
Methods / Approach:
A multifaceted resilience program within a U.S.-based OT department has evolved over the past 5 years to support students academically and prepare them for future practice. The program began with student-led co-curricular events including social gatherings and self-compassion workshops and has expanded to on-demand resilience resources (resilience resource website and social media), resilience training for OT faculty, and curricular integration through well-being check-ins and required resilience courses. The department has named resilience within its strategic plan and mission/vision and has designated physical spaces and protected time for rest and connection.
Results / Practice Implications:
Program data reveal positive impacts on student well-being, peer and faculty connection, and coping with stress and anxiety. Data illuminate the value of embedding resilience strategies curricularly to maximize accessibility for all students. Future directions include strengthening curricular integration, expanding cross-cohort community building, and sustaining student-led resilience initiatives.
Conclusion / Contribution to the Occupational Therapy Profession:
This program is a promising model that inspires OT educators to support student resilience and capacity to thrive as future practitioners amidst evolving healthcare challenges worldwide. Resilience will ground their ability to powerfully contribute innovation and creativity to the profession and society.