Resonating relationships: an interview study with participants in an individual placement and support programme in Denmark

ABSTRACT

This study examines how the experiences of participants in an Individual Placement and Support programme differ compared to their previous experiences with the psychiatric treatment system and employment services. The article is based on a qualitative study of 19 IPS participants’ experiences in a Danish context. The study was designed as a participatory research project involving two co-researchers with personal experience of IPS. The study shows that the participants emphasised time and flexibility as central to the development of a helpful relationship with the employment specialist. This contrasts with their previous experiences, where they often met with professionals who lacked the time to develop a resonating relationship. Based on Hartmut Rosa’s critical theory of late modern temporality, it is discussed how increasing acceleration is experienced individually, but also systematically, in today’s society. It raises questions about how time and flexibility affect the potential for people with mental health problems to enter a working life and thus strengthen their recovery process.

RESUMÉ

Denne artikel handler om deltagernes erfaringer med et beskæftigelsesrettet program målrettet mennesker med svær psykisk lidelse, ’Individuelt planlagt job med støtte’ (IPS) i Danmark. Studiet er baseret på en interviewundersøgelse med 19 IPS-deltagere. Studiet viser, at deltagerne danner deres erfaringer med IPS-programmet i en sammenligning med andre indsatser på velfærdsområdet, primært fra psykiatrien og beskæftigelsesindsatser. De fremhævede tid og fleksibilitet som centrale faktorer for deres positive oplevelse af relationen til deres IPS-konsulent. Dette står i kontrast til deres tidligere erfaringer, hvor de ofte er blevet mødt af professionelle i kortvarige tidsafgrænsede indsatser, hvor relationen har været karakteriseret af fravær af nærvær og mindre fleksibilitet. Med inspiration fra Hartmut Rosas teorier om det senmoderne samfund diskuteres det, hvordan stigende acceleration erfares individuelt og systematisk i samtidens velfærdssamfund i Danmark. Det rejser spørgsmål om, hvordan tid og fleksibilitet influerer på muligheden for at hjælpe mennesker med svære psykiske lidelser videre i deres arbejdsliv på deres egne præmisser.

KEYWORDS:

• Resonating relationship
• individual placement and support
• participant’s perspective and involvement
• qualitative studies

NØGLEORD:

• Relationer og resonans
• individuelt planlagt job med støtte
• brugerperspektiver og brugerinddragelse
• kvalitative studier

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Jesper Egholm Andersen and Sidse Rubens Le Fevre for their assistance in this research project.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical Declaration

The project is registered in the information security system of University College Copenhagen. ID number: 18-005 IPS.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Danish Health Authority [grant number 4-1613-58/1].

Notes on contributors

Julie Rahbæk Møller

Julie Rahbæk Møller is associate professor in social work at University College Copenhagen (UCC), Denmark, and holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Copenhagen. Her research fields are psychiatry, social work, bureaucracy and welfare state and her methods are qualitative, mainly participant observation and interviews.

Inge Storgaard Bonfils

Inge Storgaard Bonfils is a senior associate professor in social work at University College Copenhagen (UCC), Denmark, and holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Copenhagen. Her research focuses on social work and work rehabilitation for people with mental health problems and people with disabilities, qualitative methods, and case-studies.