title: Employment status, aspirations and perceptions of support amongst psychiatric service users in Pavia, Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the employment status of people using mental health service in Pavia, Italy; to explore their employment aspirations and perceptions of support to achieve these; and to test the feasibility of working with service users as researchers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Face to face interviews carried out by two service user researchers with a consecutive sample of 200 service users attending the local psychiatric outpatient department using a translated version of a questionnaire developed for previous UK surveys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher proportion of survey participants (42.5%) were in paid work compared to the UK, but 62.4% of those in work were dissatisfied with their employment. Amongst unemployed participants, 65.2% were interested in gaining employment but only 29.3% were receiving support to do so. Support was mainly limited to referral on to a generic disability organisation. The service user researchers carried out the survey to a high standard and reported benefits from undertaking the work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate a need in Pavia for specialist employment support using the Individual Placement and Support approach. Further development of service user involvement in research is indicated.
authors.affiliation: School of Specialisation in Psychiatry, University of Pavia, Pavia.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Politi
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rampi
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Secker
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brasia
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Severino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult