Professionals' perceptions of and views about vocational rehabilitation for people with psychiatric disabilities

Abstract

One of the challenges agencies and professionals face is to enable people on sick leave to be successful in their vocational rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to explore and analyze some professionals' perceptions of and views about vocational rehabilitation among people with psychiatric disabilities. Eight professionals from four different agencies (social services, the employment service, the social insurance office, and a psychiatric outpatient setting) working in the area of vocational rehabilitation for people with psychiatric disabilities. Eight in-depth interviews were conducted. The data collected was analyzed using qualitative content analysis together with an interpretive approach. The results suggested the respondents were in consensus regarding that which they considered to facilitate or enable successful vocational rehabilitation. Intensive support over a long period of time and a holistic view that takes into account the habits and routines of daily life outside of work as well as the social and psychological aspects of individuals during their rehabilitation processes were considered to be just as crucial to the vocational rehabilitation process as training in the workplace. These professionals dealt with a complex vocational rehabilitation system; they felt that their organizations' directives and inability to collaborate successfully with other authorities restricted their scope of action and hindered their exercise of good practice.