Using service-learning to teach mental health and research skills

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Mental health research
• Service-learning pedagogy

Background:

• Integrating mental health and research curriculum content is crucial for occupational therapy education.
• Service-learning offers a practical approach to bridge academic learning with real-world application.
• Graduate occupational therapy students require clinical experience with diverse populations, including those with mental illness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a service-learning program designed to enhance occupational therapy students' mental health and research competencies.
• To assess the program's impact on students' comfort levels and skills in working with individuals diagnosed with mental illness.
• To provide a clinical training component within a research curriculum for entry-level graduate occupational therapy students.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a service-learning program over four academic years involving 78 occupational therapy students.
• Students served as mentors for participants diagnosed with mental illness, supporting their higher education and related goals.
• The program integrated mental health and research curriculum objectives, providing clinical experience.

Main Results:

• Occupational therapy students reported increased comfort in working with the mental health population.
• Students demonstrated enhanced competence in both clinical skills and research methodologies.
• The service-learning model successfully facilitated the integration of academic learning and practical application.

Conclusions:

• Service-learning is an effective pedagogical strategy for occupational therapy programs to develop mental health and research skills.
• Mentorship within a service-learning framework improves graduate students' confidence and abilities when working with individuals with mental illness.
• This program model supports the development of well-rounded occupational therapy practitioners prepared for diverse clinical and research settings.