title: Seeking and securing work: Individual-level predictors of employment of psychiatric survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For people with mental illness (psychiatric survivors), seeking and securing employment involves personal, social, and environmental factors. In Canada, psychiatric survivors are under-represented in the workforce, and services can help by tailoring their supports to help make the most gains in employment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Determine whether individual socio-demographic and health factors predict seeking and securing employment among psychiatric survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community sample of psychiatric survivors from a Southwestern Ontario region participated in this study. Stepwise logistic regression was used to analyze data from 363 participants who had completed a variety of questionnaires to ascertain individual characteristics and employment outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Health service utilization, living circumstances, homelessness, substance use issues, general health, social integration, ethnicity, having children under 18, and being a student emerged as significant predictors of seeking and securing work. Other commonly accepted human capital indicators, such as education and age, were not predictive of employment search behavior and outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individual characteristics that predict employment search and success outcomes for psychiatric survivors include aspects related to treatment and living circumstances, which stands in contrast to predictors of employment for the general population, suggesting that employment support services may need to be tailored to psychiatric survivors specifically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Studies, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davie
authors.affiliation: WOTCH Community Mental Health Services, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dickins
authors.affiliation: Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada.|Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Forchuk
authors.affiliation: Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada.|Neighbourhood, Children and Fire Services Department, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Momodou S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.affiliation: Ontario Disability Support Program, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kersey
authors.affiliation: Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.|Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work, Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lahey
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Island Medical Program and Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics, University of British Columbia, Victoria, BC, Canada.|Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Vancouver Island Health Authority, Victoria, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rudnick
authors.affiliation: CONNECT for Mental Health, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.affiliation: Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Warner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D058992:Social Participation; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Employment; Ontario; employment outcomes; labour market; psychiatric survivors