Changes in flow experience among occupational therapy students: a 1-year longitudinal study

PURPOSE: The purpose of this 1-year longitudinal study is to investigate the change in flow experience among occupational therapy students (OTS). METHODS: In December 2012, we prospectively recruited 97 OTS from the Department of Occupational Therapy, Kibi International University. To assess flow experience in daily life, we used the Flow Experience Checklist. RESULTS: The dataset included 87 OTS, of which 75 participated in the assessment at 1 year (follow-up rate, 86.2%). The mean age at baseline of 45 male and 30 female OTS was 19.59±1.1 years (range, 18 to 24 years). A comparison of the ‘frequency of flow experience’ showed significant differences between baseline values and those after 1 year (December 2013) among male OTS (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that, for male OTS, the frequency of flow was significantly reduced after 1 year compared with baseline values. This finding suggests the need for further education to increase the frequency of flow among male OTS.