abstract: 'BACKGROUND: Employment often has a defining role that shapes a person''s

  identity. The aim of this study was to generate a rich description of

  the meaning of employment for people with mental illness and identify

  the facilitators and barriers they experience in gaining and sustaining

  employment. Low workforce participation rates exist for people with

  mental illness despite their ability to both benefit from, and

  contribute through, employment.

  OBJECTIVE: Individual in-depth interviews were used to gather

  information about participants'' lived experiences of mental illness,

  what employment meant to them, their vocational aspirations, and the

  facilitators and barriers encountered while engaging in employment

  activities.

  METHODS: Focus groups (N = 3) and individual in-depth interviews (N = 9)

  were used to gather information about participants'' lived experiences of

  mental illness, what vocation meant to them, their vocational

  aspirations, and the facilitators and barriers encountered while

  engaging in or pursuing employment. An inclusive research approach was

  employed in conducting interpretive phenomenological analysis.

  RESULTS: Four themes and nine subthemes described the meaning of

  employment, aspirations, and personal choices. Personal barriers to

  vocation included loss of valued roles, challenges of the vocational

  environment, and restrictions in opportunities. Examples of facilitators

  of employment were mental health services providers, family, and

  friends. Participants pursued paid employment because they wanted

  outcomes that would lead to work satisfaction such as making money,

  having financial security, socialising, and having a sense of

  achievement.

  CONCLUSION: Engaging in meaningful vocation allowed people with mental

  illness to establish and re-establish their identities and valued life

  roles.'
affiliation: 'Netto, JA (Corresponding Author), Curtin Univ, Sch Occupat Therapy \&
  Social Work, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.

  Netto, Julie Ann; Cocks, Errol; McNamara, Beverley, Curtin Univ, Sch Occupat Therapy
  \& Social Work, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.

  Yeung, Polly, Massey Univ, Sch Social Work, Palmerston North, New Zealand.'
author: Netto, Julie Ann and Yeung, Polly and Cocks, Errol and McNamara, Beverley
author-email: j.netto@curtin.edu.au
author_list:
- family: Netto
  given: Julie Ann
- family: Yeung
  given: Polly
- family: Cocks
  given: Errol
- family: McNamara
  given: Beverley
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.3233/JVR-150780
eissn: 1878-6316
files: []
issn: 1052-2263
journal: JOURNAL OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
keywords: 'Mental illness; vocation; employment; interpretive phenomenological

  analysis'
keywords-plus: META-SYNTHESIS; WORK; DISCLOSURE; DISORDERS; BENEFITS
language: English
number: '1'
number-of-cited-references: '43'
orcid-numbers: 'Netto, Julie/0000-0002-7770-2428

  Yeung, Polly/0000-0002-6584-7515'
pages: 61-72
papis_id: 1e38da5896af4f1bc1a8220bddf5ccc1
ref: Netto2016facilitatorsbarriers
times-cited: '21'
title: 'Facilitators and barriers to employment for people with mental illness: A
  qualitative study'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000387572700005
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '8'
volume: '44'
web-of-science-categories: Rehabilitation
year: '2016'