Concurrent Feelings of Power and Dependency in a Sheltered Workshop for Chronic Neuropsychiatrics

Abstract

The present study investigated the reported feelings of power and dependency of chronic neuropsychiatric patients in a sheltered workshop. Self-evaluations of dependency were assessed in relation to one real-life role (i.e. disabled welfare recipient), and evaluations of power feelings were assessed in relation to another real life role (i.e. worker in a sheltered workshop), with a complementary work-related performance measure. While dependency and power feelings were independent of each other, it was also found that: 1) dependency feelings positively predicted the number of mental hospital admissions; and 2) feelings of power in the workshop negatively predicted work performance. These results provide direct evidence that feelings of dependency and power can be role specific and not indicative of generalized behaviours. They also provide indirect evidence of a role theory interpretation of learned helplessnesslike phenomena.