Perceptions of the worker role among people with psychiatric disabilities: description and investigation of associated factors.

OBJECTIVE To investigate how subjective perceptions of everyday occupations, activity level, day centre attendance, social interaction, self-mastery and clinical factors were related to how unemployed people with psychiatric disabilities (PD) envision a future worker role, also controlling for socio-demographic variables. PARTICIPANTS 175 people with PD; 93 attended a day centre and 82 did not. Of the 93 day centre attendees 39 visited meeting place-oriented day centres and 54 attended work-oriented ones. METHODS Self-ratings and interview-based instruments were used to assess the view of the worker role, social interaction, subjective perceptions of everyday occupations, activity level, self-mastery, and socio-demographic and clinical factors. Non-parametric statistics were used when analysing the data. RESULTS A few aspects of the worker role seemed positively influenced by attending a day centre, in particular a work-oriented one. High levels of activity (p=0.009) and self-mastery (p=0.024), being younger (p=0.004) and having less depression (p=0.008) were also associated with a more positive view of the worker role. CONCLUSION In order to enhance a future worker role the individual's feeling of control in the rehabilitation process should be highlighted and possibilities for general activity engagement be offered. Since the findings indicate that most aspects of the worker role were not enhanced by day centre attendance community-based care should further concentrate on promoting this future role for people with PD.