title: Exploring the work lives of adults with serious mental illness from a vocational psychology perspective.
abstract: Current vocational services for adults with serious mental illness remain largely atheoretical and disconnected from mainstream vocational psychology research and practice. This study explored the perspectives on work of adults with serious mental illness, compared perspectives of young and older adults, and assessed these perspectives for the applicability of a well-established theory of vocational psychology. A national sample of 76 individuals with mental illness engaged in the workforce completed a semistructured questionnaire. We applied the principles of a participatory approach to consensual qualitative research methodology in the study design and data analysis. Results yielded a large number of categories, which clustered under domains representative of the primary constructs of social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent, 2013). These domains included the antecedents of self-efficacy, namely, personal accomplishments, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and physical or emotional states as well as additional constructs of outcome expectations, personal goals, and contextual barriers. The SCCT model will likely provide a useful framework to bridge the gap between career development theory and vocational services for individuals with mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University.
authors.forename: Uma Chandrika
authors.initials: UC
authors.lastname: Millner
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University.
authors.forename: Erna Sally
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pritchett
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014830:Vocational Guidance / Q000379:methods*; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult