abstract: 'Context/Objective Prolonged unemployment is common for people living

  with a spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D) and can impact negatively

  on quality of life. The present study examines stakeholder perspectives

  and experiences with the job search process in order to identify service

  gaps and return-to-work solutions. Design In-depth semi-structured

  interviews were thematically analysed, with questions focused on factors

  that can help or hinder efforts to gain employment. Generated themes

  were then applied to the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) systems

  model of participation. Setting Community-based disability service

  provider in South Australia. Participants Purposive sample of persons

  with SCI/D (n = 8) and rehabilitation professionals (n = 4). Results

  Person-centred themes were strongly endorsed by both groups and focused

  on incentives of, and motivation for, employment. Equally important to

  the job search process were individual expectations and attitudes,

  particularly job readiness. Environmental facilitators included

  employers'' positive attitude, although workplace discrimination remained

  a concern. Occupation-based barriers, rather than opportunities, were

  identified - namely, difficulties in SCI/D self-management, the need for

  timely functional assessments, and more opportunities for education,

  upskilling and retraining. Conclusions The PEO model provides a broad

  framework to better understand the complex return-to-work process for

  people with a SCI/D and, potentially, uncover tangible solutions. The

  suggestion is that vocational rehabilitation should go beyond skills

  training and include motivational support to enhance job readiness. This

  must be done on a case-by-case basis. There is also a need for active

  and covert discrimination to be addressed through employment policies.

  The findings will be used to develop intervention targets for a newly

  established vocational rehabilitation service.'
affiliation: 'Dorstyn, DS (Corresponding Author), Univ Adelaide, Sch Psychol, Level
  5,Hughes Bldg,North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.

  Dorstyn, Diana S.; Chur-Hansen, Anna; Mansell, Ella; Roberts, Rachel M.; Potter,
  Elizabeth, Univ Adelaide, Sch Psychol, Fac Hlth \& Med Sci, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

  Murphy, Gregory, La Trobe Univ, Sch Psychol \& Publ Hlth, Bundoora, Vic, Australia.

  Stewart, Peter, Parapleg \& Quadripleg Assoc South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

  Kneebone, Ian, Univ Technol Sydney, Grad Sch Hlth, Discipline Clin Psychol, Ultimo,
  Australia.

  Craig, Ashley, Univ Sydney, Kolling Inst Med Res, Fac Med \& Hlth, Northern Clin
  Sch, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.'
author: Dorstyn, Diana S. and Chur-Hansen, Anna and Mansell, Ella and Murphy, Gregory
  and Roberts, Rachel M. and Stewart, Peter and Potter, Elizabeth and Kneebone, Ian
  and Craig, Ashley
author-email: diana.dorstyn@adelaide.edu.au
author_list:
- family: Dorstyn
  given: Diana S.
- family: Chur-Hansen
  given: Anna
- family: Mansell
  given: Ella
- family: Murphy
  given: Gregory
- family: Roberts
  given: Rachel M.
- family: Stewart
  given: Peter
- family: Potter
  given: Elizabeth
- family: Kneebone
  given: Ian
- family: Craig
  given: Ashley
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1080/10790268.2021.1922231
earlyaccessdate: MAY 2021
eissn: 2045-7723
files: []
issn: 1079-0268
journal: JOURNAL OF SPINAL CORD MEDICINE
keywords: 'Spinal cord injury; Employment; Unemployment; Return to work;

  Rehabilitation'
keywords-plus: VOCATIONAL-REHABILITATION; EARLY ACCESS; WORK; PATHWAYS; RETURN
language: English
month: MAR 4
number: '2'
number-of-cited-references: '37'
orcid-numbers: 'Dorstyn, Diana/0000-0002-7799-8177

  Chur-Hansen, Anna/0000-0002-2935-2689

  Roberts, Rachel/0000-0002-9547-9995

  Craig, Ashley/0000-0001-7647-7604

  Potter, Elizabeth/0000-0002-1019-6233'
pages: 246-255
papis_id: 0d09645abad33002dd8477bb3efbf2e8
ref: Dorstyn2023facilitatorsbarriers
researcherid-numbers: 'Dorstyn, Diana/M-5707-2019

  '
times-cited: '1'
title: 'Facilitators and barriers to employment for persons with chronic spinal cord
  injury or disorder: A qualitative study framed by the person-environment-occupation
  model'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000654812600001
usage-count-last-180-days: '5'
usage-count-since-2013: '9'
volume: '46'
web-of-science-categories: Clinical Neurology
year: '2023'