Self-care: Promoting mental health for occupational therapy students and new graduates

Mental health is a vital yet often underemphasized aspect of professional development for occupational therapy students and recent graduates. The transition from the classroom setting to clinical practice is marked by new responsibilities and stressors that can significantly impact well-being. Grab and colleagues (2021) highlight that students in health care fields commonly experience elevated levels of stress across academic and personal domains, underscoring the importance of proactive mental health support. For occupational therapy students to effectively serve others, they must first be equipped to manage their stress through evidence-based coping strategies (Poleshuck et al., 2020).