Citation
Becker, Deborah, Whitley, Rob, Bailey, Edward, & Drake, Robert. (2007). Long-Term Employment Trajectories Among Participants With Severe Mental Illness in Supported Employment. Psychiatric Services, 58, 922-928.
Highlights
- This exploratory study reinterviewed 38 participants in two supported employment studies 8 to 12 years later to examine their long-term employment trajectories. Both groups were adults with psychiatric disabilities who had participated in one of the earlier studies of individual placement and support services.
- Quantitative and qualitative analyses of data from the semistructured surveys were conducted, using a grounded theory approach.
- The study found positive employment trajectories; all 38 participants worked at least one job during the follow-up period, a great majority in competitive jobs, and 71 percent worked for more than half of the follow-up years. A great majority also continued to receive benefits at the time of the follow-up: 34 (89 percent) were receiving Social Security, 10 (26 percent) received Supplemental Security Insurance, and 28 (74 percent) received Social Security Disability Income.
- Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (1) the persistent and pervasive nature of participants’ psychiatric problems, the importance of successful management of symptoms, and the deployment of appropriate coping skills in finding and maintaining work; (2) a strong preference by participants for part-time work because of the lesser demands and the ability to maintain Social Security and health care entitlements; and (3) the importance expressed by participants of ongoing individual placement and support services.
Reviewed by CLEAR
November 2014