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Dissertation Abstract


The Incidence of Clinical Depression Among Directors of Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Educational Programs in the United States and It's Relationship to Preferred Leadership Styles

William Matthew Marcil
Regent University

This study examined the incidence of clinical depression among directors of entry-level occupational therapy education programs in the United States and its relationship to preferred leadership styles. All 148 program directors were contacted by electronic mail and encouraged to participate in an on-line survey comprised of the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), which contains three self-typing paragraphs describing leadership styles as being either democratic, autocratic, or laissez-faire, and a 14 item demographic survey. A total of 62 people participated in the actual study, and another 10 responded directly to the researcher as to why they would not participate. Seven (11%) of the participants had SDS scores indicating clinical depression. All participants, save one, chose the democratic leadership style and there was no difference between the two groups.