Work assets and drains: Employment experiences of women with serious mental illness

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mizock, Lauren^{; *} | Aitken, David | LaMar, Kat

Affiliations: Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Lauren Mizock, Fielding Graduate University, 3610 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA, USA. Tel.: +1 415 890 5804; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: BACKGROUND:While considerable research has been conducted on employment of people with serious mental illness (SMI), there is a dearth of research in this area focused on the work experiences of women with SMI. OBJECTIVE:This article fills a gap in the research by presenting the results from a study exploring the work experiences of women with SMI. METHODS:Grounded theory methodology was used to analyze the qualitative data. Several qualitative validity strategies were employed to enhance data quality. RESULTS:Six themes relating to work emerged from analysis of the qualitative data: (1) work drain; (2) symptom visibility; (3) work disclosure; (4) inconsistent work; (5) nontraditional work; and (6) work assets. CONCLUSIONS:Vocational rehabilitation practitioners can tailor rehabilitation plans to support the unique needs of women with SMI and leverage their strengths to help them gain greater satisfaction and meaning from work.

Keywords: Women, serious mental illness, SMI, work, employment

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-181000

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 193-205, 2019