Being candidates in a transitional vocational course: experiences of self, everyday life and work potentials

Abstract

Most people with mental health problems want a paid job, but experience difficulties in obtaining one. In‐depth knowledge from service users is needed about what supports their work capacity and potentials. This qualitative study aimed to explore the occupational history of people with severe mental‐health problems and experiences of being candidates in a transitional employment course. Two in‐depth interviews with five candidates of this course were conducted. Four themes were developed: ‘all it takes to have a life’, ‘being on the right track’, ‘asking for feedback’, and ‘candidates – for what’? The participants in this study experienced this course as a possibility for exploring themselves, their everyday lives and work potentials. However, they perceived some of the program’s philosophy as unhelpful which highlights the significance of listening to the service users’ preferences. These findings suggest that further standardization of vocational‐rehabilitation programs in mental health may be counter‐productive.

Keywords:

• vocational rehabilitation
• train‐and‐place
• users’ perspectives
• phenomenology

Acknowledgements

Grateful thanks to the five participants of the study, and to Bergen University College and MoodNet Research Network, Western Norway Regional Health Authority, the latter for their financial support.