Soeker Mogammad Shaheed, Truter Tamarin, Van Wilgen Nicole, Khumalo Polly, Smith Heather, Bezuidenhout Simone
University of the Western Cape South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa.
Work. 2019;62(2):221-231. doi: 10.3233/WOR-192857.
There is limited research available regarding the coping skills of individuals living with schizophrenia and the strategies used in the open labor market, particularly from a South African context.
The aim of the study was to explore and describe the barriers, facilitators and coping strategies that individuals with schizophrenia use when returning to the open labor market after participating in a vocational rehabilitation program to improve work skills.
Four individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and two key informants (occupational therapists) participated in the study.
The research study was positioned within the interpretive paradigm, specifically utilizing an exploratory and descriptive design. Semi-structured interviews were used in order to gather data from the participants.
Theme one reflects the barriers related to returning to work (i.e. society's acceptance of an individual's work potential). The second theme relates to the enabling factors related to returning to work (i.e. the usefulness of work preparation programs to enhance open labor market employability). Theme three relates to the coping skills that individuals with schizophrenia utilize (i.e. holistic support enhances participation in the worker role).
In conclusion, the findings indicate individuals with schizophrenia experience barriers that prevent them from being able to adapt to their work environments. However, with the support of the occupational therapist, family, and employer, together with improvements to the vocational rehabilitation program, these barriers may be alleviated, and there could be an improvement in the reintegration of individuals with schizophrenia into the open labor market. The findings suggest that the disclosure of an individual's medical diagnosis, in order to facilitate the return to work of an individual diagnosed with schizophrenia, could be viewed as a barrier and a facilitator.
关于精神分裂症患者的应对技能以及他们在开放劳动力市场中所采用的策略的研究有限，尤其是在南非背景下。
本研究的目的是探讨和描述精神分裂症患者在参加职业康复计划以提高工作技能后重返开放劳动力市场时所面临的障碍、促进因素和应对策略。
四名被诊断患有精神分裂症的个体和两名关键信息提供者（职业治疗师）参与了该研究。
本研究采用解释性范式，具体采用探索性和描述性设计。使用半结构化访谈从参与者那里收集数据。
第一个主题反映了与重返工作相关的障碍（即社会对个人工作潜力的接受度）。第二个主题涉及与重返工作相关的促成因素（即工作准备计划对提高开放劳动力市场就业能力的有用性）。第三个主题涉及精神分裂症患者所采用的应对技能（即全面支持增强对工人角色的参与）。
总之，研究结果表明，精神分裂症患者面临着阻碍他们适应工作环境的障碍。然而，如果有职业治疗师、家庭和雇主的支持，再加上职业康复计划的改进，这些障碍可能会得到缓解，精神分裂症患者重返开放劳动力市场的情况可能会有所改善。研究结果表明，为了促进被诊断患有精神分裂症的个体重返工作而披露其医疗诊断，既可能被视为一种障碍也可能被视为一种促进因素。
