Yip Kam-Shing, Ng Yat-Nam
Department of Applied Social Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon.
Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2002 Fall;26(2):197-202. doi: 10.2975/26.2002.197.202.
Work and employment has long been regarded as crucial for the mental health of human beings. Unemployment may lead to deterioration of physical and mental health. Nevertheless, for adults with psychiatric disabilities, discontinuity of employment is common. They may have various reasons to discontinue their employment. In Hong Kong, only 2.5% of people with psychiatric disabilities discharged from sheltered workshops are able to seek open employment. By means of illustration, the authors will show that traditional Chinese work culture tends to reinforce the discontinuity of employment of adult males with psychiatric disabilities. In Chinese culture, work is a means to occupy time, control misbehavior, show consistency of words and deeds, and to glorify parents and ancestors. All these factors contribute to the fulfillment of an adult male role and identity in traditional Chinese culture. In this case history, instead of finding realistic employment, a male adult with psychiatric disability tried to indulge himself in what he felt was his ideal job to fulfill all requirement as an adult male in Chinese culture. The imaginative ideal job gave him excuses to discontinue open employment. Its implications to vocational rehabilitation with male adults with psychiatric disability are also discussed.
长期以来，工作和就业一直被视为对人类心理健康至关重要。失业可能导致身心健康恶化。然而，对于患有精神疾病的成年人来说，就业中断很常见。他们可能有各种理由中断就业。在香港，从庇护工场出院的患有精神疾病的人中，只有2.5%能够找到公开就业机会。通过举例，作者将表明，中国传统工作文化往往会加剧患有精神疾病的成年男性就业的中断。在中国文化中，工作是一种打发时间、控制不当行为、言行一致以及荣耀父母和祖先的方式。所有这些因素都有助于在传统中国文化中实现成年男性的角色和身份。在这个案例中，一名患有精神疾病的成年男性没有寻找现实的工作，而是试图沉迷于他认为是理想的工作，以满足中国文化中成年男性的所有要求。这种想象中的理想工作给了他中断公开就业的借口。本文还讨论了其对患有精神疾病的成年男性职业康复的影响。
