Affiliations: Department of Health Sciences, Division of
Occupational Therapy and Gerontology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Elisabeth Argentzell, Department of Health Sciences,
Division of Occupational Therapy and Gerontology, Lund University, Box 157, 221
00 Lund, Sweden. Tel.: +46 46 222 1954; E-mail:
Elisabeth.Argentzell@med.lu.se
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate how subjective perceptions of everyday
occupations, activity level, day centre attendance, social interaction,
self-mastery and clinical factors were related to how unemployed people with
psychiatric disabilities (PD) envision a future worker role, also controlling
for socio-demographic variables. PARTICIPANTS: 175 people with PD; 93 attended a day centre and 82
did not. Of the 93 day centre attendees 39 visited meeting place-oriented day
centres and 54 attended work-oriented ones. METHODS: Self-ratings and interview-based instruments were used to
assess the view of the worker role, social interaction, subjective perceptions
of everyday occupations, activity level, self-mastery, and socio-demographic
and clinical factors. Non-parametric statistics were used when analysing the
data. RESULTS: A few aspects of the worker role seemed positively
influenced by attending a day centre, in particular a work-oriented one. High
levels of activity (p=0.009) and self-mastery (p=0.024), being younger
(p=0.004) and having less depression (p=0.008) were also associated with a more
positive view of the worker role. CONCLUSION: In order to enhance a future worker role the
individual's feeling of control in the rehabilitation process should be
highlighted and possibilities for general activity engagement be offered. Since
the findings indicate that most aspects of the worker role were not enhanced by
day centre attendance community-based care should further concentrate on
promoting this future role for people with PD.
Keywords: Activities of daily living, mental illness, work
