Job satisfaction and creativity at work among occupational therapy practitioners: A mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND: Creativity is essential to the work of occupational therapy practitioners. Nonetheless, little is known about the way it influences their work satisfaction. OBJECTIVE: This study explores several internal and external factors related to organizational, personal, and socio-relational sources of creativity. Our main hypothesis was that occupational therapy practitioners are more satisfied when creative. METHODS: A mixed-methods study included a qualitative (n = 22) and a quantitative (n = 250) phase. Data were gathered using focus group interviews and an online survey, where a novel assessment instrument –the Creativity in Occupational Therapy Questionnaire –was administered. RESULTS: The synthesis of the results revealed that factors connected with the client, the practitioner’s personal characteristics, the work environment, relationships with colleagues and relationships with superiors all influenced the creativity of occupational therapy practitioners, in negative or positive ways. Professional autonomy and a supportive work environment were found to be important for the creativity of occupational therapy practitioners. Creativity at work had a statistically significant influence on work satisfaction of occupational therapy practitioners (B = 0.575, t = 6.267, p < 0.01) CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the importance of creativity for job satisfaction of occupational therapy practitioners and suggest a dynamic reciprocal relationship between different factors and circumstances that should be considered when fostering creativity at work.