RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Inclusion in work and education remains problematic for many people with a mental illness. We describe a structured programme - the Health Optimisation Program for Employment - that supported people with a mental illness to gain employment or commence studies. METHOD: Twenty hours of the Health Optimisation Program for Employment were delivered to 600 individuals. Participants were asked to complete an evaluation survey encompassing vocational status and ratings of self-efficacy. RESULTS: Of the 364 participants who completed the baseline assessment, 168 responded to the evaluation survey 6 months after the delivery of the Health Optimisation Program for Employment. Of these, 21.5% had started a new job, while a further 42.8% were either volunteering or studying. Satisfaction with the programme was high and self-efficacy ratings improved significantly over the short term only. CONCLUSIONS: The Health Optimisation Program for Employment requires further evaluation using rigorous scientific methodology but these initial results are encouraging in terms of vocational attainment for people with a mental illness, in the Australian context.
Assuntos
Readaptação ao Emprego/métodos , Transtornos Mentais/psicologia , Transtornos Mentais/reabilitação , Adulto , Austrália , Feminino , Promoção da Saúde/métodos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Autoeficácia , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Background: People with severe mental illness (SMI) can enhance their occupational outcomes by engaging with a comprehensive support team, which might include both cognitive and vocational support. To date, there have been no reports of the personal experience of individuals undertaking such interventions. Aims: This study aimed to explore the subjective experience of participating in cognitive remediation (CR), as an adjunctive treatment to illness-self management psycho-education for jobseekers (HOPE). Methods: Thirteen jobseekers with SMI, who had completed a CR program of 20hours duration, in addition to a 20hours of the HOPE program, responded to an individual semi-structured interview concerning their experience of the program. Data were analysed using content analysis. Results: Feedback was predominantly positive. Participants described CR as a beneficial experience in improving their intrinsic (e.g. self-efficacy, motivation), cognitive and social functioning. It also revealed aspects to be addressed. Conclusions: This study highlights the positive potential of this type of intervention, but also reveals the barriers that people with SMI may confront including the lack of CR availability and vocational/personal support. It is hoped that this study will assist in generating evidence on effective ways to improve the current CR approach
Introducción: Personas con enfermedades mentales severas (SMI) pueden mejorar su funcionamiento laboral participando en programas de intervención integral, los cuales pueden ofrecer apoyo cognitivo y vocacional. Hasta la fecha, no existen reportes de la experiencia personal de individuos participando de tales intervenciones. Objetivos: Esta investigación buscó explorar la experiencia subjetiva de personas diagnosticadas con SMI, tras haber participado de un entrenamiento de rehabilitación cognitiva (CR) en conjunto a HOPE, un programa psicoeducativo destinado al auto manejo de la enfermedad. Métodos: Trece buscadores de empleo diagnosticados con SMI completaron un programa que incluyó 20 h de CR, además de 20 h de HOPE. Tras la intervención, todos los participantes respondieron a una entrevista individual semiestructurada, diseñada para indagar sobre su experiencia tras el programa. Los datos se analizaron mediante análisis de contenidos. Resultados: El feedback fue predominantemente positivo. Los participantes describieron la CR como una experiencia beneficiosa en el mejoramiento de su funcionamiento intrínseco (por ejemplo, autoeficacia, motivación), cognitivo y social. El análisis además reveló aspectos a mejorar. Conclusiones: Este estudio destaca el potencial de este tipo de intervención. También revela los obstáculos que personas con SMI pueden llegar a enfrentar, como son la falta de disponibilidad de CR y el escaso apoyo profesional/personal. Se espera que este tipo de investigación favorezca el generar nueva evidencia sobre maneras efectivas para mejorar el actual modelo de CR