The Development of an Instrument to Measure the Work Capability of People with Limited Work Capacity (LWC)

Assessing Continued Employability among People with Mental Illnesses: Development of a Scale in Japan

Continued employment enables people with mental illnesses to maintain and improve their mental health, and its mutual understanding between them and their workplaces can help provide specific support and improve the work environment. Hence, this study developed a Continued Employability Scale to provide people with mental illnesses solutions for achieving continued employment and examined the scale's reliability and validity. It is based on a conceptual analysis of the skills necessary for continued employment and comprises items related to continued employability and the consequences of continued employment. We performed conceptual analyses to prepare the item list, conducted the study using a questionnaire survey, and examined its content validity and reliability using factor analyses. The results showed that the developed scale, which can determine self-management, dedication to work, environmental adjustments, and expression of sincerity necessary for continued employment, was reliable and valid. This can be a potentially helpful tool for assessing the ability to continue working and help people with mental illnesses visualise their continued employability, clarify what is being assessed, and improve the self-management ability necessary for continued employment. Further, it can help people who support them at work and enable existing support and programs to function effectively.

The Work Ability of People with Mental Illnesses: A Conceptual Analysis

Continuous employment is an important goal for many people with mental illnesses. However, job retention and absenteeism remain significant problems that deter their attempts at gaining financial independence, expanding interpersonal relationships, and developing self-esteem. Although there is consensus on the necessity of their proactive treatment and social participation, such support is currently underwhelming. Therefore, this study analyzes the conceptual framework for work ability of people with mental illnesses. We performed our investigations using Rodgers' evolutionary conceptual analysis, targeting literature published from 1978 to 2020. Our search yielded 1420 articles in the Scopus inventory and 199 in PubMed. After exclusions, 13 articles remained. Using the same keywords in Google Scholar, we included 31 articles in our analysis. The attributes of work ability included the ability to self-manage, adaptability, the ability to dedicate oneself to work, and the ability to formulate plans. These were developed through a reiterative process. This study notes the importance of adjusting the work environment according to the patients' condition. Therefore, the ability to cope with stress and workload, as well as active self-adjustment, are crucial skills that nurses can help develop after assessing the patient's daily life. Furthermore, they can foster multidisciplinary collaboration and follow-up systems after employment.

Predicting and Assessing Work Performance of People with Limited Work Capacity (LWC): A Multi-Wave, Multi-Source Study

Purpose Occupational integration is vital for the health of all people, also for people with Limited Work Capacity (LWC). Therefore, participation in regular work is a legal right for people that are restricted in their work capacity due to a disability and/or lack sufficient education. Full and effective integration is dependent on the person-job fit, and adequate vocational support should focus on meeting performance standards, as is common practice in traditional personnel selection and development programmes. Despite the huge amount of valid instruments for personnel selection and development, these tests are not suitable people with LWC. Recently, an instrument was developed for assessment and development purposes specifically for this target group. That study provided evidence for reliability and dimensionality this instrument. In our study, we add criterion-related measures to this instrument to demonstrate that assessment at T1 predict performance at T2, thus validating the instrument. Method We conducted a four-source data study, two sources for independent and two for outcome variables, to test the predictive validity of this instrument in a multi-wave setup. Results This study largely supports the validity of the instrument in predicting work behaviour and task performance of people with LWC. More specific, when measures are tailored to this target group, this group is able to predict their work behaviour and task performance accurately just like the general population. Conclusion We conclude that this instrument contributes to science, vocational support practices, and the personal and professional development of people with LWC, which is required for sustainable work.

The value of competitive employment: In-depth accounts of people with intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND

Increasing the societal participation of people with intellectual disabilities via competitive employment requires a full understanding of what this means to them. This paper aims to provide an in-depth examination of the lived experiences of people with intellectual disabilities in competitive employment.

METHOD

Interviews were conducted with six participants with mild intellectual disability or borderline functioning and good verbal communication skills. Interviews were analysed according to the guidelines of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Member checks were conducted.

RESULTS

Analysis yielded three main themes: (a) Building on my life experiences, (b) My place at work and (c) Being a valuable member of society, like everyone else.

CONCLUSIONS

Competitive employment could make a substantial contribution to the sense of belonging to society and quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities. Nevertheless, they must cope with stigma-related obstacles and feelings of being dependent on others in the work environment.