Perspectives on paid work among men and women with schizophrenia: The results of a two study comparison in Ireland.

BACKGROUND: While research indicates that people with serious mental health conditions want to work, few studies have examined motivation and concerns associated with employment. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the work attitudes among two samples of Irish people with psychotic conditions, primarily schizophrenia. METHODS: Data gathered through two work related research projects was used. A self-report instrument, the work motivation scale (WMS), gathered data in two separate studies. It was possible to examine participants' motives and concerns due to the two factor structure, positive and negative, of this scale. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted for each of the two samples individually. A sub-analysis by gender was also conducted. RESULTS: Across the two samples, analysis showed the consistent motivators were increased coping ability, improved self-identity, and enhanced self-worth. Men particularly wanted others to see them as good workers. On the other hand, women regarded a job as a means to forget about having a mental illness. A sizeable minority in both samples expressed apprehensions such as work being boring and an expectation from others that they should work rather than them being personally motivated to do so. CONCLUSIONS: While caution must be exercised in interpreting the results due to the small sample size, this study has extended our understanding in this under-researched but important topic.

The hidden stories within census data.

Census data plays an important role in informing a Government's policies and priorities. In the Republic of Ireland census data from 1986 onwards is available online. For this article variables pertaining to work, specifically the non-labour force variable, were analysed. While we found a linear decline from 47.16% in 1986 to 38.14% in 2011 this had not occurred in all categories of non-labour force work; the "unable to work due to permanent sickness or disability" group increased from 6.84% to 11.41%, a 66% rise. This occurred in spite of legislation and services being put in place to assist people with disabilities to re-enter the workforce. US data also indicates a rise in the number of people with disabilities in the non-labour force work category. Why this is occurring is a complex question, determining if similar trends are evident within census data in other countries would assist in answering it.

An exploratory study of the extent of social inclusion among people with psychosis and psychotic-related conditions.

BACKGROUND: Understanding social inclusion among at-risk populations will deepen our understanding of their specific needs. AIM: This study explored the level of social inclusion among people with psychotic-related conditions using a standardised interview. METHOD: The Social Inclusion Interview Schedule was used in two research projects. People with psychosis participated in both studies and had been recruited as part of an Irish programme of research on psychotic conditions. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify participants' level of social exclusion. RESULTS: Data from 71 participants were available, 38 in one cohort and 33 in the other. The smaller cohort had a shorter mean duration of illness. Participants' mean age was 40. The majority lived in the community and were satisfied with their living arrangements. In each cohort, the same two areas of community integration emerged as problematic - having something productive to do and being close to someone in the community. There was a higher level of perceived stigma among the cohort with the longer duration of illness. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: While evidence of social inclusion was found among participants, there were areas of concern particularly with regard to integration into work and social connectedness.