Living a satisfying life is an important goal for people with substance use disorder (SUD). However, making decisions about the future, imagining future scenarios, and setting and attaining goals related to that future after treatment is a complex task. As several studies have shown, people with SUD experience multiple barriers to designing their future life at the individual, program, and social support levels. Using a life design approach, the aim of this study was to investigate the role career adaptability and self-determination play in life satisfaction for adults with SUD. More specifically, a partial mediation model focused on career adaptability and life satisfaction through enhanced self-determination was tested in a sample (n = 134) of people with SUD. Findings suggest that career adaptability is indirectly related to life satisfaction, mediated by self-determination. These results have important implications for practice in vocational rehabilitation and career counseling for people with SUD.
AkaikeH. (1973). Maximum likelihood identification of Gaussian autoregressive moving average models. Biometrika, 60, 255–265. doi:10.1093/biomet/60.2.255
2.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). Arlington, VA: Author.
3.
AndersonJ. C.GerbingD. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 411–423. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.411
4.
AssariS.JafariM. (2010). Quality of life and drug abuse. In PreedyV. R.WatsonR. R. (Eds.), Handbook of disease burdens and quality of life measures (pp. 3691–3704). New York, NY: Springer.
5.
BernardiL.BollmannG.PotarcaG.RossierJ. (2017). Multidimensionality of well-being and spillover effects across life domains: How do parenthood and personality affect changes in domain-specific satisfaction?Research in Human Development, 14, 26–51. doi:10.1080/15427609.2016.1268893
6.
BroglyS.MercierC.BruneauJ.PalepuA.FrancoE. (2003). Towards more effective public health programming for injection drug users: Development and evaluation of the Injection Drug User Quality of Life Scale. Substance Use & Misuse, 38, 965–992. doi:10.1081/JA-120017619
7.
BryantJ.EllardJ. (2015). Hope as a form of agency in the future thinking of disenfranchised young people. Journal of Youth Studies, 18, 485–499. doi:10.1080/13676261.2014.992310
8.
ChanS. H. J.MaiX. (2015). The relation of career adaptability to satisfaction and turnover intentions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 89, 130–139. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2015.05.005
9.
De VausD. (2002). Analyzing social science data. London, England: Sage.
10.
De VellisR. F.DancerL. S. (1991). Scale development: Theory and applications. Journal of Educational Measurement, 31, 79–82. Retrieved fromhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/1435099
11.
DienerE. D.EmmonsR. A.LarsenR. J.GriffinS. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
12.
Di MaggioI. (2014, April). Nuove dimensioni e nuovi strumenti per l’orientamento precoce[New constructs and new instruments for the vocational prevention]. Paper presented at the seminar Insegnare a pensare al futuro e al lavoro nella scuola dell’obbligo, Padova, Italy.
13.
Di MaggioI. (2016, October). Progettazione professionale e vulnerabilità: Il ruolo di alcune risorse di Life Design in persone con Disturbo da Uso di Sostanza[Life design and vulnerability: The role of some life design resources in people with substance use disorder]. Paper presented at the conference XVI Convegno SIO-Società Italiana Orientamento, Milano, Italy.
DuffyR. D.DouglassR. P.AutinK. L. (2015). Career adaptability and academic satisfaction: Examining work volition and self efficacy as mediators. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 90, 46–54. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2015.07.007
17.
EarnshawV. A.SmithL. R.ChaudoirS. R.AmicoK. R.CopenhaverM. M. (2013). HIV stigma mechanisms and well-being among PLWH: A test of the HIV stigma framework. AIDS and Behavior, 17, 1785–1795. doi:10.1007/s10461-013-0437-9
FerrariL.NotaL.SoresiS. (2004). Autodeterminazione e scelte scolastico-professionali: Uno strumento per l’assessment—Indicazioni per l’intervento [Self-determination and career choice. An instrument for assessment—Implications for practice]. Giornale Italiano di Psicologia dell’Orientamento, 5, 30–49.
21.
FerrariL.NotaL.SoresiS. (2008). Conceptions of work in Italian adults with intellectual disability. Journal of Career Development, 34(4), 438–464. doi:10.1177/0894845308316295
22.
FornellC.LarckerD. F. (1981). Structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error: Algebra and statistics. Journal of Marketing Research, 18, 382–388. Retrieved fromhttp://www.jstor.org/stable/3150980
23.
FosterJ. H.MarshallE. J.PetersT. J. (2000). Application of a quality of life measure, the life situation survey (LSS), to alcohol-dependent subjects in relapse and remission. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 24, 1687–1692. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2000.tb01970.x
24.
FrazierP. A.TixA. P.BarronK. E. (2004). Testing moderator and mediator effects in counseling psychology research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 115–134. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.51.1.115
25.
GinevraM. C.Di MaggioI. (2013, June). Adaptability, optimism and hope in a group of adults with drug addiction. Poster session presented at International conference Life Design e Career Counseling: Building Hope and Resilience, Padova, Italy.
26.
GinevraM. C.Di MaggioI.NotaL.SoresiS. (2017). Stimulating resources to cope with challenging times and new realities: Effectiveness of a career intervention. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 17, 77–96. doi:10.1007/s10775-016-9331
27.
GinevraM. C.Di MaggioI.SantilliS.SgaramellaT. M.NotaL.SoresiS. (2017). Career adaptability, resilience, and life satisfaction: A mediational analysis in a sample of parents of children with mild intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 1–10. doi:10.3109/13668250.2017.1293236
28.
GrahamM. D. (2006). Addiction, the addict, and career: Considerations for the employment counselor. Journal of Employment Counseling, 43, 168–178. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1920.2006.tb00016.x
29.
GuichardJ. (2015). From vocational guidance and career counselling to life design dialogues. In NotaL.RossierJ. (Eds.), Life design handbook (pp. 27–39). Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.
30.
HairJ. F.RingleC. M.SarstedtM. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed a silver bullet. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19, 139–152. doi:10.2753/MTP1069-6679190202
31.
HavassyB. E.ArnsP. G. (1998). Relationship of cocaine and other substance dependence to well-being of high-risk psychiatric patients. Psychiatric Services, 49, 935–940. doi:10.1176/ps.49.7.935
32.
HirschiA.DauwalderJ. P. (2015). Dynamics in career development—Personal and organizational perspectives. In NotaL.RossierJ. (Eds.), Life design handbook (pp. 103–116). Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.
33.
HoyleR. H.PanterA. T. (1995). The analysis of covariance structures: Goodness of fit indices. Sociological Methods and Research, 11, 325–344. doi:10.2753/MTP1069-6679190202
34.
HuL. T.BentlerP. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6, 1–55. doi:10.1080/10705519909540118
35.
KishtonJ. M.WidamanK. F. (1994). Unidimensional versus domain representative parceling of questionnaire items: An empirical example. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 54, 757–765. doi:10.1177/0013164494054003022
36.
KoenJ.KleheU. C.Van VianenA. E. (2012). Training career adaptability to facilitate a successful school-to-work transition. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 81, 395–408. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2012.10.003
37.
KoenJ.KleheU. C.Van VianenA. E.ZikicJ.NautaA. (2010). Job-search strategies and reemployment quality: The impact of career adaptability. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77, 126–139. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2010.02.004
38.
KonstamV.Celen-DemirtasS.TomekS.SweeneyK. (2015). Career adaptability and subjective well-being in unemployed emerging adults: A promising and cautionary tale. Journal of Career Development, 42, 463–477. doi:10.1177/0894845315575151
39.
LachapelleY.WehmeyerM. L.HaelewyckM. C.CourboisY.KeithK. D.SchalockR.…WalshP. N. (2005). The relationship between quality of life and self-determination: An international study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 49, 740–744. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00743.x
40.
LaudetA. B. (2011). The case for considering quality of life in addiction research and clinical practice. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 6, 44–45.
41.
LaudetA. B.MorgenK.WhiteW. L. (2006). The role of social supports, spirituality, religiousness, life meaning and affiliation with 12-step fellowships in quality of life satisfaction among individuals in recovery from alcohol and drug problems. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 24, 33–73. doi:10.1300/J020v24n01_04
42.
LaudetA. B.SavageR.MahmoodD. (2002). Pathways to long-term recovery: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 34, 305–311. doi:10.1080/02791072.2002.10399968
43.
LittleT. D.CunninghamW. A.ShaharG.WidamanK. F. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 151–173. doi:10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_1
44.
MacKinnonD. P.FritzM. S.WilliamsJ.LockwoodC. M. (2007). Distribution of the product confidence limits for the indirect effect: Program PRODCLIN. Behavior Research Methods, 39, 384–389. doi:10.3758/BF03193007
45.
MartinK. D.Paul HillR. (2011). Life satisfaction, self-determination, and consumption adequacy at the bottom of the pyramid. Journal of Consumer Research, 38, 1155–1168. doi:10.1086/661528
46.
NotaL.FerrariL.SoresiS.WehmeyerM. (2007). Self-determination, social abilities and the quality of life of people with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51, 850–865. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00939.x
47.
NotaL.RossierJ. (2015). Handbook of life design: From practice to theory and from theory to practice. Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.
48.
NotaL.SoresiS.FerrariL.WehmeyerM. L. (2011). A multivariate analysis of the self-determination of adolescents. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 245–266. doi:10.1007/s10902-010-9191-0
49.
NunnallyJ. C.BernsteinI. H. (1994). Psychological theory. New York, NY: MacGraw-Hill.
50.
PavotW.DienerE. D.ColvinC. R.SandvikE. (1991). Further validation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale: Evidence for the cross-method convergence of well-being measures. Journal of Personality Assessment, 57, 149–161. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa5701_17
51.
PigottT. D. (2001). A review of methods for missing data. Educational Research and Evaluation, 7, 353–383. doi:10.1076/edre.7.4.353.8937
52.
PlattJ. J. (1995). Vocational rehabilitation of drug abusers. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 416–433. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.416
53.
PouyaudJ. (2015). Vocational trajectories and people’s multiple identities: A life design. In NotaL.RossierJ. (Eds.), Life design handbook (pp. 59–74). Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.
54.
PrestaA. (2009). Il Disturbo da Uso di Sostanze: rilievi clinici ed epidemiologici in due Ser.T. di Genova [Substance use disorder: Clinical and epidemiological findings in two Ser.T. of Genoa]. The Italian on Line Psychiatric Magazine. Retrieved fromhttp://priory.com/ital/dipendenze/andrea2009.htm
55.
QuintanaS. M.MaxwellS. E. (1999). Implications of recent developments in structural equation modeling for counseling psychology. The Counseling Psychologist, 27, 485–527.
56.
RichardsonL.WoodE.MontanerJ.KerrT. (2012). Addiction treatment-related employment barriers: The impact of methadone maintenance. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 43, 276–284. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2011.12.008
57.
RudolfH.WattsJ. (2002). Quality of life in substance abuse and dependency. International Review of Psychiatry, 14, 190–197. doi:10.1080/09540260220144975
58.
RudolphC. W.LavigneK. N.ZacherH. (2017). Career adaptability: A meta-analysis of relationships with measures of adaptivity, adapting responses, and adaptation results. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 98, 17–34. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2012.01.009
59.
RyanR. M.DeciE. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
60.
SantilliS.NotaL.GinevraM. C.SoresiS. (2014). Career adaptability, hope and life satisfaction in workers with intellectual disability. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85, 67–74. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2014.02.011
61.
SavickasM. L. (2005). The theory and practice of career construction. In BrownS. D.LentR. W. (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 42–60). New York, NY: Wiley & Sons.
62.
SavickasM. L. (2011). Contracting careers: Actor, agent and author. Journal of Employment Counseling, 48, 179–181. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1920.2011.tb01109.x
63.
SavickasM. L.NotaL.RossierJ.DauwalderJ. P.DuarteM. E.GuichardJ.…van VianenA. E. (2009). Life designing: A paradigm for career construction in the 21st century. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75, 239–250. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2009.04.004
64.
SavickasM. L.PorfeliE. J. (2012). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale: Construction, reliability, and measurement equivalence across 13 countries. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 661–673. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2012.01.011
65.
SgaramellaT. M.FerrariL.GinevraM. C. (2015). Qualitative career assessment of vulnerable individuals. In McMahonM.WatsonM. (Eds.), Career assessment (pp. 231–238). Rotterdam, the Netherlands: Sense.
66.
ShepardD.ReifS. (2004). The value of vocational rehabilitation in substance user treatment: A cost-effectiveness framework. Substance Use Misuse, 39, 2581–2609. doi:10.1081/JA-200034732
67.
ShogrenK. A.LopezS. J.WehmeyerM. L.LittleT. D.PressgroveC. L. (2006). The role of positive psychology constructs in predicting life satisfaction in adolescents with and without cognitive disabilities: An exploratory study. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1, 37–52. doi:10.1080/17439760500373174
68.
ShogrenK. A.WehmeyerM. L.PalmerS. B.Forber-PrattA.LittleT.LopezS. (2015). Causal agency theory: Reconceptualizing a functional model of self-determination. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 50, 251–263.
69.
SmithK. W.LarsonM. J. (2003). Quality of life assessments by adult substance abusers receiving publicly funded treatment in Massachusetts. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 29, 323–335. doi:10.1081/ADA-120020517
70.
SoresiS.NotaL.FerrariL. (2004). Autodeterminazione e scelte scolastico-professionali: Uno strumento per l’assessment [Self-determination and career choice. An instrument for assessment]. Giornale Italiano di Psicologia dell’Orientamento, 5, 26–42.
71.
SoresiS.NotaL.FerrariL. (2012). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Italian Form: Psychometric properties and relationships to breadth of interests, quality of life, and perceived barriers. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 705–711. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2012.01.020
72.
SpurkD.KauffeldS.MeineckeA. L.EbnerK. (2016). Why do adaptable people feel less insecure? Indirect effects of career adaptability on job and career insecurity via two types of perceived marketability. Journal of Career Assessment, 24, 289–306. doi:10.1177/1069072715580415
73.
ThomasK. A.RickwoodD. J. (2016). Facilitators of recovery for step-up and step-down clients of a sub-acute residential mental health service. Journal of Mental Health, 25, 343–349. doi:10.3109/09638237.2016.1139066
VentegodtS.MerrickJ. (2003). Psychoactive drugs and quality of life. The Scientific World Journal, 3, 694–706. doi:10.1100/tsw.2003.57
76.
VilhjálmsdóttirG. (2015). V career counseling and the uniqueness of the individual adolescent. In NotaL.RossierJ. (Eds.), Life design handbook (pp. 103–116). Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.
77.
WehmeyerM. L. (2001). Self-determination and mental retardation. In GliddenL. M. (Ed.), International review of research in mental retardation (pp. 1–48). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
78.
WehmeyerM. L. (2005). Self-determination and individuals with severe disabilities: Re-examining meanings and misinterpretations. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 30, 113–120. doi:10.2511/rpsd.30.3.113
79.
WehmeyerM. L.NotaL.SoresiS.ShogrenK. A.MorningstarM.FerrariL.…Di MaggioI. (2018). A crisis in career development: Life designing and implications for transition. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals. doi:2165143417750092
