Career planning and development for occupational therapists working in mental health: A scoping review

The recent UK Royal College of Occupational Therapists survey found a significant proportion of respondents expressed an intention to leave the profession despite the majority agreeing that occupational therapy is a rewarding career. This scoping review aimed to synthesize the literature on enablers and barriers to career planning and development for occupational therapists working in mental health.

We searched Embase, CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, TROVE, Research Direct and websites of relevant professional organizations.

Twenty-six papers were included. Most of the articles were set exclusively in Australia and can be categorized into: career planning and development, workforce planning, onboarding, recruitment and retention. Resource shortages, gender, age, unmet expectations, organizational demands and the lack of a career pathway framework were identified as barriers. Enablers of career success include undergraduate mental health practice placements, early career programmes, personal motivation, greater flexibility, professional resilience, leadership training and research opportunities.

A better understanding of the factors that influence career development can facilitate focused recruitment and help retention.