A Comparison of Perceptions among Employed and Unemployed Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities regarding Factors Affecting Employment

Abstract

This study compared the perspectives of employed and unemployed individuals with psychiatric disabilities regarding factors influencing employment. Ninety-six employed and 113 unemployed individuals completed questionnaires assessing the importance of several factors in successfully maintaining employment. These factors included psychiatric symptoms; the person's ability, work habits, and attitudes; and environmental factors. Exploratory factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure for each of the four subscales, with high internal consistency estimates across all subscales (coefficient alpha values ranging from 0.84 to 0.95). The results indicated no significant differences between the two groups in mean ratings for the items and subscales. Employed people perceived psychiatric symptoms as being more important than the other three subscales; however, in comparison, unemployed people gave the highest mean rating to environmental factors (e.g., employer's acceptance, absence of stigma, working in a safe environment, and supportive family). Overall, the two groups had moderate agreement on the most important influences on employment. Implications for services are discussed.