Health, Wellness, and Well-Being of a Non-Traditional Occupational Therapy Student: A Case Study

Abstract

This qualitative, instrumental case study describes the health, wellness, and well-being of a nontraditional entry-level occupational therapy doctoral student. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview and participant observation. Five themes emerged: (1) making active choices; (2) having a supportive network to use when needed; (3) having an established sense of self that comes with current life stage; (4) desiring to perform roles well; and (5) using strategies for time management. Academic programs are encouraged to embed opportunities for addressing student health promotion generally within their curriculums as well as to provide mechanisms to identify and address specific student needs.

Keywords:

• Health
• wellness
• well-being
• nontraditional student
• occupational therapy education