Self-Reported Stress and Coping Strategies of Occupational Therapy Faculty Employed at or Graduated from a Large Midwestern United States University

Purpose: As occupational therapy programs grow, both in number of students and level of education provided, occupational therapy faculty face increasing workload expectations. Though the literature shows an increase in faculty workload across higher education, there is little research on how that increase is impacting faculty performance. This study explores current stress levels, how faculty use coping mechanisms to manage their stress levels, and what steps are still needed to support faculty at this time. Method: Occupational therapy faculty were surveyed using a combination of the Perceived Stress Scale 10 item questionnaire, the Brief COPE, and short answer and multiple-choice questions about faculty mentorship, coping mechanisms, and current institutional support levels. Results: This study informs occupational therapy programs on the current stress levels of faculty members and potential methods programs can use to reduce those levels. The participants reported moderate stress levels as well as a wide range of generally healthy coping mechanisms. Increased institutional support in stress management as a faculty development tool should be a priority as healthcare higher education expands.