Affiliations: Phoenix Clubhouse, Department of Psychiatry, Queen
Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China | Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Chetwyn C.H. Chan, Ph.D., Department
of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom,
Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. Tel.: +852 2766 6727; Fax: +852 2774 5131; E-mail:
chetwyn.chan@inet.polyu.edu.hk
Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the changes in work-related
abilities of members after attending the Clubhouse program for 12 weeks. The
extent to which the changes would contribute to members' performance on
simulated work tasks was also investigated. A total of 39 people with mental
illnesses, primarily schizophrenia, attending Phoenix Clubhouse participated in
the study. Seventeen were newly recruited members to the Clubhouse. The other
22, who served as the control group, were existing members who had been
attending the Clubhouse for more than three months. All the participants were
assessed by the McCarron-dial System (Observational Emotional
Inventory-Revised, McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development),
Cognistat, Chinese Work Personality Profile, WHO Disability Assessment Schedule
and WHOQOL-Bref-HK at the baseline and 12 weeks after attending the Clubhouse
program. They were required to complete a set of simulated work tasks after 12
weeks. New members showed significant improvement in emotional-coping abilities
(impulsive-frustration and depression-withdrawal) and work personality (task
orientation, social skills, and team work) after attending the Clubhouse
program for 12 weeks. The increase in emotional-coping skills
(depression-withdrawal) was found to contribute to better performance on typing
tasks, whereas emotional coping (anxiety) contributed to better performance on
cleansing tasks. Three months' participation in the Clubhouse program appears
to have positive effects on emotional-coping abilities and work personality.
The emotional-coping abilities were found to predict good performance in
simulated clerical and maintenance jobs. Recommendations and suggestions for
further research are discussed.
Keywords: Clubhouse model, work ability, work adjustment, emotional coping, work personality
