Work and Quality of Life for Individuals with SMI: A Systematic Review

This systematic review looks at the quality of life outcomes employment gives individuals with severe mental illnesses. Fourteen studies conducted between 1991 and 2016 were included for the final review. Studies that examined health and functioning generally found connections between work and improvements in both functioning and symptoms. Studies that investigated interpersonal aspects of quality of life found connections between work and the size of social networks, but also noted the dual nature work played regarding interpersonal relationships. Half of the studies discussed outcomes related to self-views, with some making the connection between work and identity formation and others noting the connection between work and self-esteem. Finally, studies that looked at how work affected participants’ outlooks on life were mixed between whether they found a connection between work and life satisfaction. Limitations of this study and future suggestions for research are also discussed

Work and Quality of Life for Individuals with SMI: A Systematic Review

This systematic review looks at the quality of life outcomes employment gives individuals with severe mental illnesses. Fourteen studies conducted between 1991 and 2016 were included for the final review. Studies that examined health and functioning generally found connections between work and improvements in both functioning and symptoms. Studies that investigated interpersonal aspects of quality of life found connections between work and the size of social networks, but also noted the dual nature work played regarding interpersonal relationships. Half of the studies discussed outcomes related to self-views, with some making the connection between work and identity formation and others noting the connection between work and self-esteem. Finally, studies that looked at how work affected participants’ outlooks on life were mixed between whether they found a connection between work and life satisfaction. Limitations of this study and future suggestions for research are also discussed

Noticing and Attending to Relational Process: A Dialogical Analysis of MSW Student Competency Development in Relational Therapy

We explored Masters of Social Work (MSW) student discourses of learning experiences related to Noticing and Attending to Relational Process (NARP) in a course devoted to clinical practice with families and couples. Within two to three weeks after completing recorded peer role-play assignments and receiving audio-recorded feedback from the instructor, five randomly selected students participated in an unstructured interpersonal process recall (IPR) interview. The instructor/first author queried students about specific role-play moments and reactions to instructor-produced, audio-recorded feedback regarding NARP competencies. We used dialogical analysis to identify discourses and rhetorical features of interview data. Five primary themes emerged. Based on our Bahktinian interpretation of interview data with students, our findings also demonstrated multi-voiced discourses, indicating students’ internal struggle to make sense of NARP and respond to instructor feedback. Educators and practitioners can more intentionally attune themselves to these discourses, potentially opening avenues for stronger social work service provision