Abstract
The purpose of this study was to consider factors influencing the professional identity development of young psychiatric occupational therapists. The survey was mailed to 202 occupational therapists under the age of 35 working at psychiatric occupational therapy facilities in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures. The survey questionnaire was comprised of three sections:(a) individual attributes;(b) employment environments;and (c) the professional identity scale. The response rate was 36% (72 respondents). We examined the relationship between the professional identity scale and individual attributes or employment environments. Results indicate a weak correlation among age, the number of years of clinical experience, and the professional identity scale. The professional identity scales of occupational therapists who have experience instructing their subordinates, participating in multi-job conferences, and no target number of patient to treat were significantly higher than those of other OTs. According to multiple regression analysis, it was found that the number of years of clinical experience, not having a target number of patients to treat, and participation in multi-job conference mostly affected the professional identity scale.
