Vocational Benefits Research Articles

Predictors of work and education among people with severe mental illness who participated in the Danish individual placement and support study: findings from a randomized clinical trial.

People with severe mental illness experience disproportionately high rates of unemployment. Nonetheless, a substantial amount of research has demonstrated vocational benefits of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model and IPS supplemented with cognitive remediation (IPSE). The present study sought to examine demographic and clinical predictors of employment or education among people with severe mental illness and to investigate if IPS or IPSE can compensate for risk factors for unemployment. Seven hundred twenty participants were randomly assigned to IPS, IPSE or Service as Usual. During the 18-month follow-up period participants in the two experimental groups obtained significantly more work or education. A series of univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the predictive power of demographic and clinical factors for the total population and for the three groups individually. The strongest predictor for vocational recovery, besides treatment allocation, was previous work history (OR = 1.78; 95% CI = 1.28-2.47). Men had a lower probability for vocational recovery compared to women (OR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.50-0.99) and higher age was also negatively associated with work or education (OR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.67-0.93). Moreover, vocational recovery was predicted by higher readiness for change, measured on the readiness for change scale (OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.19-1.70). Participation in IPS or IPSE could not compensate for negative risk factors such as low cognitive function or negative symptoms. In a multiple logistic regression analysis age, previous work history and motivation for change were statistically significant predictors of obtaining work or education among people with severe mental illness who participated in the Danish IPS trial.

Mentoring Counselor Education Students: A Delphi Study with Leaders in the Field

ABSTRACTMentoring is a professional leadership contribution of counselor educators resulting in personal and vocational benefits for students. A need to understand research-informed mentoring from the mentor perspective exists as much of the literature is informed by the mentee perspective. In this study, an expert panel of counselor educator mentoring award recipients completed three questionnaire rounds for the purpose of identifying mentoring components. Consensus was reached on 141 items. Recommendations for implementation and training are discussed.

School Counsellors’ and Students’ Perceptions of the Benefits of School Guidance and Counselling Services in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools

The study sought to establish the benefits of school guidance and counselling (SGC) services in Zimbabwe secondary schools as perceived by students and school counsellors. The study is a part of a larger study on an assessment of the effectiveness of school guidance and counselling services in Zimbabwean secondary schools. The survey design was used in this study. The sample comprised of 950 participants of which three hundred and fourteen (165 males and 149 females) were school counsellors while 636 (314 boys and 322 girls) were students. Data were collected using questionnaires in this study. The SAS/SAT statistical package version 9.1 was used to analyze the data. The analysis included tabulation and computation of chi-square test, frequencies, percentages and ratios. The study found that both school counsellors and students believed that the services resulted in personal-social, career and vocational benefits. Overall, both school counsellors and students rated the Zimbabwean SGC services fairly.

Can Older People With Schizophrenia Benefit From Work Rehabilitation?

To determine whether older people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder can benefit from work therapy as has been shown with their younger counterparts, 41 older patients (50+) were compared with 104 younger patients on their clinical and vocational outcomes while participating in a 6-month work therapy program. In an intent-to-treat analysis, both groups showed significant improvements in symptoms and quality of life at the conclusion of the active intervention, but there were no significant differences between age groups. In comparisons of biweekly Work Behavior Inventory scores for completers, older workers improved more than younger workers, particularly during the second half of the program. Results are in accord with previous evidence for the clinical and vocational benefits of work therapy and indicate that older people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder can perform at least as well as their younger counterparts and respond similarly with improved symptoms and quality of life.

Therapists' Benefits from Conducting Psychotherapy: The Case of Social Workers

Objective: This study examines social workers' benefits from conducting psychotherapy Method: The Therapist's Psychological Benefit Questionnaire (TPBQ), which includes six dimensions of benefits, was administered to 114 clinical social workers. Results: Participants were found to benefit most from Vocational Benefits and Self-Improvement, followed by Narcissistic Gains and Improved Relationships. Benefits related to Object Relations were ranked third, and those related to Fulfillment of Needs were ranked last. These results are discussed in light of the various theoretical-qualitative descriptions of therapists' gains from psychotherapy. Also discussed are the rankings of specific items included in the different dimensions. Conclusions: The participants are clearly not “selfless givers,” thereby confirming the claim of many theoreticians that therapists benefit psychologically from their helping role.

Paediatric cochlear implantation: prosthetic hearing and language development.

Cochlear implantation offers hearing and vocational benefits to children and adults who lose their hearing after acquiring speech and language. But such implantations in prelingually deaf children are controversial, with concerns about diagnosis in very young children, safety, and durability. Implantation of children under age 2 years is potentially associated with higher surgical and anaesthesia risks, and with more challenging preoperative and postoperative management. Although only a small number of children implanted before age 2 have sufficient maturity and implant experience to undergo adult-type speech recognition tests, surgical series show that these children may be implanted safely and that their subsequent speech perception is at least as good as children implanted at an older age. The Nottingham, UK, group recently reported on a consecutive sample of 12 children aged under 2 years at implantation (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002; 128: 11-14). S S Hehar and colleagues show satisfactory perioperative and postoperative surgical outcomes. 2 years after the implantation, mean scores on the Listening Progress Profile had increased from 1 to 42. Median scores of Categories of Auditory Performance increased from 0 to 5. There were no significant differences compared with a historical control group of deaf children implanted at ages 3-5. WHERE NEXT? Early results from parental observation of auditory behaviours show that children who receive a cochlear implant at an early age perform at least as well as those implanted later. These data, combined with more rigorous speech recognition results in older children, merit a gradual reduction in the age of implantation, although the uncertainties inherent in audiometric assessment and measurement of hearing-aid benefit in infants must be borne in mind. Cochlear implants in prelingually deafened children permit improved development of speech reception, language acquisition, and reading comprehension.

What Do School Counsellors Gain from Their Role as Psychotherapists?

The present study examines school counsellors' benefits from conducting psychotherapy. Following five in-depth interviews, the Counsellor's Psychological Benefit Questionnaire (CPBQ) was constructed. Content analysis resulted in six factors of benefits: 'Narcissistic Gains'; 'Vocational Benefits'; 'Improved Relationships'; 'Self-improvement'; 'Object Relations'; and 'Fulfillment of Needs'. The results obtained from 74 Israeli high-school counsellors clearly indicate that therapists are not 'selfless givers'. In fact, ranking of benefits was above the median score for all six factors. More specifically, our results show that therapists benefit most from 'Narcissistic Gains', 'Vocational Benefits' and 'Improved Relationships'. Second in ranking were benefits related to 'Self-improvement' and 'Object Relations' and last to 'Fulfillment of Needs'. These rankings were found to be statistically significant. Also revealing were the rankings of specific items included in the different factors. These results validate, to a large degree, the various theoretical-qualitative descriptions of therapists' gains from psychotherapy.

What Do School Counsellors Gain from Their Role as Psychotherapists?

The present study examines school counsellors' benefits from conducting psychotherapy. Following five in-depth interviews, the Counsellor's Psychological Benefit Questionnaire (CPBQ) was constructed. Content analysis resulted in six factors of benefits: 'Narcissistic Gains'; 'Vocational Benefits'; 'Improved Relationships'; 'Self-improvement'; 'Object Relations'; and 'Fulfillment of Needs'. The results obtained from 74 Israeli high-school counsellors clearly indicate that therapists are not 'selfless givers'. In fact, ranking of benefits was above the median score for all six factors. More specifically, our results show that therapists benefit most from 'Narcissistic Gains', 'Vocational Benefits' and 'Improved Relationships'. Second in ranking were benefits related to 'Self-improvement' and 'Object Relations' and last to 'Fulfillment of Needs'. These rankings were found to be statistically significant. Also revealing were the rankings of specific items included in the different factors. These results validate, to a large degree, the various theoretical-qualitative descriptions of therapists' gains from psychotherapy.