Leufstadius Christel, Eklund Mona, Erlandsson Lena-Karin
Department of Health Sciences, Division of Occupational Therapy and Gerontology, Lund University, Sweden.
Work. 2009;34(1):21-32. doi: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0899.
The aim of the present study was to investigate how people with persistent mental illness, with various types of work and employment conditions, experience and describe the meaningfulness of work. The study had a qualitative approach and twelve informants living in the community were purposefully selected and interviewed according to overarching themes. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis, and all of the authors were involved in the analysis process. The findings resulted in four main themes: 1) work per se has certain characteristics, 2) participation in different contexts gives a feeling of normality, acceptance, belonging and fulfilment of norms and values, 3) work affords structure, energy and a balanced daily life, and 4) work increases well-being and strengthens one's identity. A tentative model is described concerning perceived meaningfulness in work among individuals with persistent mental illness, in which the first three aspects of meaning are a prerequisite for meaning in terms of increased well-being and strengthened identity. Furthermore, it seems important that work has to bring the just right challenge to the individual in order for him or her to perceive the identified aspects of meaningfulness.
本研究的目的是调查患有持续性精神疾病的人，在不同类型的工作和就业条件下，如何体验和描述工作的意义。该研究采用定性研究方法，根据总体主题有目的地选择了12名居住在社区中的受访者并进行访谈。访谈采用定性内容分析法进行分析，所有作者都参与了分析过程。研究结果产生了四个主要主题：1）工作本身具有某些特征，2）参与不同情境会带来正常感、被接纳感、归属感以及规范和价值观的实现，3）工作提供结构、活力和平衡的日常生活，4）工作增进幸福感并强化个人身份认同。文中描述了一个关于患有持续性精神疾病的个体对工作意义的感知的初步模型，其中意义的前三个方面是幸福感增强和身份认同强化方面意义的先决条件。此外，工作必须给个体带来恰到好处的挑战，以便他或她能够感知到所确定的意义方面，这一点似乎很重要。
