Ebuenyi Ikenna D, Regeer Barbara J, Aguocha Chinyere, Bunders-Aelen Joske F G, Guxens Mònica
1Athena Institute, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Int J Ment Health Syst. 2020 Mar 30;14:26. doi: 10.1186/s13033-020-00354-x. eCollection 2020.
Mental disorders affect employment and the ability to work, and mental healthcare providers are important in the promotion of health and employment for affected individuals. The objective of this study is to explore the perspectives of mental healthcare providers on pathways to improved employment for persons with mental disorders in two lower middle-income countries.
Our study participants included mental healthcare providers (psychiatrists, occupational physicians, psychologists, and social care workers) from Kenya and Nigeria. Qualitative interviews and a focus group discussion were conducted with 15 professionals in Kenya and online questionnaires were completed by 80 professionals from Nigeria.
The study participants suggested that work is important for the recovery and wellbeing of persons with mental disorders. A complex interplay of factors related to the health of persons with mental disorders and the socioeconomic system in their setting were identified as barriers to their work ability and employment. Participants proposed four pathways to improved employment: including information on reducing stigma, better healthcare, policy advocacy in employment, and government commitment to healthcare and social welfare. Public education to reduce stigma and better healthcare were the highest reported facilitators of employment.
Persons with mental disorders require multilevel support and care in obtaining and retaining employment. A better mental healthcare system is essential for the employment of persons with mental disorders.
精神障碍会影响就业和工作能力，精神卫生保健提供者在促进受影响个体的健康和就业方面至关重要。本研究的目的是探讨在两个中低收入国家，精神卫生保健提供者对改善精神障碍患者就业途径的看法。
我们的研究参与者包括来自肯尼亚和尼日利亚的精神卫生保健提供者（精神科医生、职业医生、心理学家和社会护理工作者）。对肯尼亚的15名专业人员进行了定性访谈和焦点小组讨论，尼日利亚的80名专业人员完成了在线问卷调查。
研究参与者认为工作对精神障碍患者的康复和福祉很重要。与精神障碍患者的健康及其所在环境中的社会经济系统相关的多种因素的复杂相互作用被确定为其工作能力和就业的障碍。参与者提出了四条改善就业的途径：包括减少污名化的信息、更好的医疗保健、就业政策倡导以及政府对医疗保健和社会福利的承诺。减少污名化的公众教育和更好的医疗保健是报告中就业促进作用最高的因素。
精神障碍患者在获得和维持就业方面需要多层次的支持和护理。更好的精神卫生保健系统对精神障碍患者的就业至关重要。
