How consumers of mental health services come to understand their potential for work: doing and becoming revisited.
BACKGROUND
Doing and becoming are fundamental constructs in occupational therapy. However, we have little understanding of how these concepts apply to the way that individuals develop ideas about their future in the realm of work.


OBJECTIVE
This paper examines the doing-becoming interaction and applies it to our understanding of work potential among consumers of community mental health services.


METHODS
Using a grounded theory approach, 10 consumers were interviewed about their experiences with paid and unpaid work. Data were analyzed inductively according to the constant comparative approach.


RESULTS
The findings reveal that doing and becoming are essential to the process of how consumers develop ideas about their potential for work. Through doing work, consumers gain insight into their capacity for future work participation and become persons with possible work futures.


CONCLUSIONS
An occupational perspective on career development challenges occupational therapists to create opportunities for doing and becoming among consumers.
Gewurtz
Rebecca
R
Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Toronto. rebecca.gewurtz@utoronto.ca
Kirsh
Bonnie
B
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*