Employment status, aspirations and perceptions of support amongst psychiatric service users in Pavia, Italy.
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.
Cirillo
Irene
I
School of Specialisation in Psychiatry, University of Pavia, Pavia.
Politi
Pierluigi
P
Rampi
Elisa
E
Secker
Jenny
J
Brasia
Franca
F
Severino
Anna
A
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