Affiliations: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park,
PA, USA | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign,
IL, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Deirdre O'Sullivan, Assistant
Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special
Education, Counseling Psychology and Rehabilitation Services, 312 CEDAR Bldg,
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Tel.: +1 814
863 4594; E-mail: dmo11@psu.edu
Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the
differences in levels of work personality for persons with psychiatric
disabilities compared to persons with other types of disabilities. Participants: Seventy one adults eligible to receive Vocational Rehabilitation
services participated; 30 reported a physical disability, 26 reported a
psychiatric disability, and 15 reported a learning disability. Methods: Eligible participants were recruited through VR offices and volunteered to
participate. Results: Results indicate that persons with psychiatric
disabilities scored significantly lower on the Work Task and Social
Skills subscales of the Developmental Work Personality Scale (DWPS) when
compared to individuals with physical disabilities, but scored higher than
individuals with physical and learning disabilities on the Role Model
subscale. Conclusions: The results of this study provide some initial
clarity regarding developmental work personality differences among three broad
categories of disability. Recommendations for future research are provided.
Keywords: Developmental process, work outcomes, work personality, disability categories
