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Abstract
Background: UK social firms are under-researched but are a potentially important vocational option for people with mental health problems.
Aims: To describe the clinical profile, satisfaction levels and experiences of social firms employees with mental health problems.
Method: Clinical, work and service use characteristics were collected from social firms’ employees with mental health problems in England and Wales. Workplace experience and satisfaction were explored qualitatively.
Results: Predominantly, social firms’ employees (N = 80) report that they have a diagnosis of depression (56%) and anxiety (41%). People with schizophrenia (20%) or bipolar disorder (5%) were a minority. Respondents had low symptom and disability levels, high quality of life and job satisfaction and experienced reductions in secondary mental health service use over time. High-workplace satisfaction was related to flexibility, manager and colleague support and workplace accommodations.
Conclusions: The clinical profile, quality of life and job satisfaction level of employees with mental health problems suggest social firms could be a useful addition to UK vocational services for some people. Current employees mainly have common mental disorders, and social firms will need to shift their focus if they are to form a substantial pathway for the vocational recovery of people currently using community mental health teams.
Declaration of interest
This report represents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) PB-PG-0609-19079; Research for Patient Benefit Programme. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. Di Cunliffe is an employee of Social Firms UK, an organization promoting Social Firms in the UK. All other authors declare there are no conflicts of interest.