At the University of the Witwatersrand, occupational therapy undergraduate students perceived their programme to be more stressful than similar health science education programmes, resulting in students experiencing mental health issues. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the level of resilience and stress and health behaviours of students registered in the undergraduate Occupational Therapy programme. A descriptive quantitative cross-sectional on-line survey design was used, replicating an American study of nursing students by Ahern. Permission was obtained from Ahern to use the same battery of data collection tools: demographic questionnaire, the resiliency scale; the perceived stress visual analogue scale and the health behaviours questionnaire. Once ethical clearance was obtained, the data collection battery plus an information sheet was mailed electronically to 205 students. The three questionnaires were scored as prescribed and all other data were analysed descriptively. The Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was used to test the significant difference between the variables and Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient to determine associations between the questionnaires as well as the subtests. One hundred and seventeen questionnaires were analysed. Results indicated high stress levels within this cohort, with the major stressor being academic. Most students reported a medium level of resilience and the health behaviour questionnaire revealed a low risk. There was no significant difference between the different years and the only variables found to have a significant association was stress over the year increasing risk-taking behaviours. It was concluded that all students could benefit from some resilience training. Those who lived away from home and had poor social support were the most vulnerable.

A survey of occupational therapists' involvement in facilitating selfemployment for people with disabilities Luther Lebogang Monareng, BSc OT (Wits), DHT (UP)

INTRODUCTION: Persons with disabilities experience difficulties entering the formal South African labour market despite progressive legislation to enhance their economic participation. Consequently, self-employment becomes a work placement consideration for occupational therapy clients. However, self-employment requires certain volitional attributes, and the identification of such attributes would greatly enhance the outcome of vocational rehabilitation efforts. The aim of the study was to describe the level of creative ability of self-employed business owners in informal microenterprises METHOD: A descriptive, quantitative non-experimental research design was used. Sixteen self-employed business owners of informal microenterprises were interviewed and observed completing work tasks using the eight domains of the Activity Participation Outcome Measure (ApOM) based on the Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdTMoCA RESULTS: Participants were between 27 and 50 years of age. Their education levels ranged from no-education (6%) to tertiary education (19%) with the majority (38%) having a high school education. Based on the APOM scores, participants functioned on three levels of creative ability namely: Passive Participation, Imitative Participation and Active Participation. Most participants functioned at the Imitative patient-directed level with the highest APOM domain scores for all participants being Communication Skills, Affect and Role Performance CONCLUSION: To be successfully self-employed in an informal microenterprise, the required level of creative ability ranging from Passive to Active Participation, was identified. This provides occupational therapists with an understanding of these requirements when considering self-employment as work placement option Key words: Self-employment, informal, microenterprise, Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdTMoCA), Activity Participation Outcome Measure (APOM), work, vocational rehabilitation, placement.