Attitudes of mental health occupational therapists toward evidence-based practice

Background. Evidence-based practice is an important driver in modern health care and has become a priority in mental health occupational therapy in recent years. Purpose. The aim of this study was to measure the attitudes of a cohort of mental health occupational therapists toward evidence-based practice. Method. Forty-one mental health occupational therapists were surveyed using the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS). Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman's rho were used to analyze the data. Findings. The occupational therapy respondents had generally positive attitudes toward evidence-based practices comparable to established norms. Respondents with further qualifications beyond their professional degree were significantly more likely to try new interventions (p = .31). Significant negative correlations were found also for the subscales of Appeal and Openness in relation to years of occupational therapy practice (rho = -.354, p = .023; rho = -.344, p = 0.28) and mental health experience (rho = -.390, p = 0.12; rho = -.386, p = .013). Implications. Therapist factors can significantly impact attitudes toward evidence-based practice.