Reclaiming the worker role: Perceptions of people with mental illness participating in IPS

Abstract

Objective: People with severe mental illness are often successful in gaining work when participating in the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach. Little evidence exists on how starting work is perceived by IPS participants. This qualitative study aimed to explore how IPS participants perceived working and the work environment to impact on their work performance. Methods: Nineteen participants starting work in mainstream work settings were interviewed. Questions from the Work Environment Impact Scale were used and data was analysed by content analysis. The participants strove to fit in by coping with environmental demands and adapting to their worker role. Results: Work was perceived as having a positive impact on their daily life, although starting work was perceived as a challenge and the mental illness affected work performance. Personal strategies were needed in order to cope. They perceived both supportive and demanding factors in their work environments, such as the employer's support and the social atmosphere among colleagues. Conclusion: The study showed that it is vital to focus on the individual's own strategies for adapting to the worker role when designing the support, as well as to develop collaborative relationships with employers and to optimize the match between the individual and the demands of the work environment.

Key words::

• vocational rehabilitation
• supported employment
• psychiatric disability
• occupational therapy
• individual placement and support

Acknowledgements

We would especially like to thank the participants who were interviewed in this study, the employment specialists, and research assistants who were helpful in the data collection process. This study was funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, Vårdalinstitutet, The Swedish Institute for Health Sciences at Lund University, and FINSAM.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.