Affiliations: [a] Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| [b] Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| [c] Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| [d] Department of Education and Pedagogy – Career Counseling, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| [e] Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Geneviève Sauvé, Department of Education and Pedagogy –Career Counseling, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QB, H3C 3P8, Canada. E-mail: sauve.genevieve@uqam.ca.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Results from past research on the association between work outcomes and self-esteem were inconsistent. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to review and quantify the correlation between employment variables and self-esteem in people with severe mental illness. METHOD:The first electronic database search was performed between November 5 and November 12, 2021. A second search update was completed in September 2023. Studies that reported a correlation between at least one employment-related variable and self-esteem were subsequently verified. Pooled effect sizes were calculated with random-effects models by aggregating Fisher’s Z-to-Pearson r transformed correlations. RESULTS:The database search generated 3,547 reports. Thirteen and seven reports were included in the qualitative review and the meta-analyses, respectively. Meta-analyses results based on data from 1,065 participants suggested a positive albeit small correlation between employment variables and self-esteem in people with severe mental illness (r = 0.26, p = .002 for global self-esteem; r = 0.21, p < 0.001 for total self-esteem). It was found through systematic review that greater confidence in personal capacity, more opportunities on novel activities, and positive affirmation from coworkers were some potential mechanisms underlying self-esteem improvement following work. CONCLUSION:Future research on employment in severe mental illness would benefit from including adapted self-esteem measures and can build on this work by examining the relationships between specific employment variables (e.g., job acquisition, job tenure) and self-esteem.
