BACKGROUND

A substantial number of COVID-19 recoverees are working-aged individuals, which makes return-towork (RTW) an essential part of rehabilitation. Many COVID-19 recoverees must deal with physical and mental symptoms of post-COVID conditions such as fatigue, dyspnea, difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and anxiety. These symptoms coupled with often insufficient support from employers and the government can make the RTW process complicated. Although research related to RTW after COVID-19 has begun to emerge over the years, few primary studies have come out from developing countries.

This exploratory study aims to describe perceived work ability and health-related quality of life, lived experiences of the RTW process, and role of rehabilitation in a limited sample of Filipino COVID-19 recoverees. 

Using purposive sampling and a convergent parallel mixed-method design, the study draws on an online survey and group interviews to understand expectations, experiences, and self-rated work ability of working-age adults with post-COVID condition. We report the findings of the questionnaire data using descriptive statistics. From the questionnaire respondents, eight participants were interviewed to explore the RTW experiences from multiple perspectives. The group interview was conducted online, and narrative analysis was used to explore the data. This analytic process involved an iterative and inductive process between data gathering and data analysis.

Findings from our narrative analysis are reported under four themes: 1) The period of liminality; 2) A ‘positive’ problem; 3) Health as a psychosocial and justice issue; and 4) The reimagination of paid work. The narratives gathered document an overview of how selected Filipinos overcame the COVID-19 infection and their recovery and RTW process.

Results call for a re-examination of the concept of health and paid work for individuals undergoing rehabilitation and recovery.

PURPOSE: This purpose of study was to describe the adaptation process in the workplace in Korean adults with alcohol use disorder. METHODS: Twelve participants were recruited at hospital outpatients, Alcoholic Anonymous, and addiction treatment centers from October 2016 to January 2017. Inclusion criteria were Korean adults aged 18 and older who were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and had a job for at least one year. Data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory method. RESULTS: From open coding, 74 final concepts, 18 sub-categories, and 10 categories were identified. Results showed that the central phenomenon was ‘struggling to stand confidently’. The core categories were ‘withstanding life by embracing reality as an addict’, and the adaptation process appeared ‘selection stage’, ‘determination stage’, and ‘management stage’. The adaptation process of Korean adults with alcohol use disorder in the workplace was compared to ‘pearl in oyster’, which can be a process of breaking through pain. CONCLUSION: Our study findings provide an in-depth understanding of the experiences of an alcoholic's job life. Mental health nurses need to be actively involved in developing vocational rehabilitation programs for addicts.
Adult ; Alcoholics ; Anonyms and Pseudonyms ; Clinical Coding ; Grounded Theory ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Methods ; Occupations ; Outpatients ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Social Adjustment

OBJECTIVES: There has been long lasting trend of deinstitutionalization and public health centered care in management of individuals with disabling mental illness. We aimed to investigate current vocational rehabilitation state and effectiveness of system in korea. METHODS: We carried basic survey via telephone and e-mail beforehand to figure out how many and which institutions are operating vocational rehabilitation programs to psychiatric patients. A questionnaire packages were sent to total of 108 institutions in Korea which were operating occupation rehabilitation program. RESULTS: Of 108 institutions, 40.74% were returned with answers. The person in charge of vocational rehabilitation at each institution was mainly mental health social worker(48.8%), and the budget under \1,000,000 was the majority(61.5%) among surveyed institutions. The most commonly used vocational rehabilitation programs was case management(23.1%), followed by psychosocial rehabilitation program(21.2%), and on-the-job training(17.9%). The most effective program was case management(27.4%), followed by psychosocial rehabilitation program(19.8%), on-the-job training(17.9%). The main barrier of occupation rehabilitation to be conducted widely was ‘worries about being excluded from beneficiary of National Basic livelihood Protection Act’. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that, in spite of high demand in vocational rehabilitation programs, government financial support is still lacking.
Budgets ; Deinstitutionalization ; Electronic Mail ; Financial Support ; Government Programs ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Disorders ; Mental Health ; Occupations ; Psychiatric Rehabilitation ; Public Health ; Rehabilitation ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Schizophrenia ; Telephone

Employment ; Employment, Supported ; methods ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; rehabilitation ; Prejudice ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; methods ; Return to Work ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Social Stigma ; Unemployment ; statistics & numerical data

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to identify the factors influencing the existential spiritual well-being in the patients with alcohol dependence. METHODS: The research design was a descriptive survey research with self-report questionnaire about existential spiritual well-being, self-esteem, trait anger, depression, family function, and interpersonal relations scale. Participants in the study were 240 patients with dependence who were collected randomly from 10 mental hospitals and 5 alcoholic centers and 1 alcoholics anonymous in Busan, Deagu city and Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do region. RESULTS: The forecasting regression model of existential spiritual well-bing appeared to be significant, the order of influencing factor was self-esteem (beta=.36, p<.001), depression (beta=-.38, p<.001), interpersonal relations (beta=.18, p=.001), and not being employed for last one year (beta=-.11, p=.007). CONCLUSION: The development of program which vitalizes the vocational rehabilitation and intervention is needed to increase the existential spiritual well-being of the patients with alcohol dependence by increasing the self-esteem and interpersonal relations and decreasing depression which are the major influencing factors.
Alcoholics ; Alcoholics Anonymous ; Alcoholism* ; Anger* ; Busan ; Daegu ; Depression* ; Forecasting ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Research Design ; Spirituality

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to analyze and clarify the concept of 'motivation for vocational rehabilitation in persons with mental disabilities'. METHODS: A hybrid model was used to analyze the concept of motivation for vocational rehabilitation in persons with mental disabilities. The model included a comprehensive literature review and field study. Field study was conducted through in-depth interviews with 5 persons with mental disabilities who had employment experience and participant observation in rehabilitation facilities. RESULTS: The concept of motivation for vocational rehabilitation in persons with mental disabilities was found to be a complex phenomenon having meaning in two dimensions: Goal-oriented and cognitive dimensions. Five attributes and fourteen indicators were defined. Motivation for vocational rehabilitation in these persons was defined as a recognition of the need to get a job, and the willingness and confidence to get and keep a job in order to achieve normal life, happiness, economic stability, and their value. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study will contribute to the development of assessment tools and nursing interventions to reinforce the motivation for vocational rehabilitation in persons with mental disabilities.
Employment ; Happiness ; Humans ; Mentally Disabled Persons ; Motivation* ; Nursing ; Occupations ; Rehabilitation ; Rehabilitation, Vocational*

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate associated factors including the physician and the employer of successful return to work (RTW) in occupationally injured workers. METHODS: This study is based on the first panel study of workers' compensation insurance (PSWCI), published in June 2014. The PSWCI is a sample survey of occupationally injured workers who completed medical care in 2012 (89,921 people). A total of 2000 subjects were sampled based on sex, age, nine metropolitan-based regions, disability ratings, duration of rehabilitation, and whether vocational rehabilitation service was used. We divided the study population into two groups: return to work (RTW) group (job retention, reemployment, unpaid family worker, and self-employment), and non-RTW group (joblessness and economical inactivity). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) related to differences in basic characteristics, part of physician and employer-related factors between those who succeeded to RTW and those who did not were measured using multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: The success of RTW is 70.6 % (n = 1412) among participants. The ORs (95 % CI) of the participants belonging to RTW who received periodic recovery assessment from the medical care institution and the physician are 1.51 (1.07-2.13). The ORs (95 % CI) are 1.68 (1.05-2.69) for the RTW group who received work ability assessment and referral for vocational return. When the employer maintains the relationship with the occupationally injured worker, the worker has 1.39 times higher odds (95 % CI: 1.41-2.26) of the RTW group compared to the non-RTW group. CONCLUSIONS: The physician and the employer have a significant impact on the RTW.
Accidents, Occupational ; Humans ; Insurance* ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Occupations ; Odds Ratio ; Referral and Consultation ; Rehabilitation ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Return to Work* ; Workers' Compensation*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate employment status after spinal cord injury (SCI) and identify personal, family, and injury characteristics those affect their employment in South Korea. METHODS: Participants were 334 community-dwelling persons 20-64 years of age who had sustained SCI for more than one year. Investigators visited each participant's home to carry out the survey. Bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify personal, family, and injury characteristics that influenced employment after SCI. RESULTS: Employment rate decreased significantly from 82.5% to 27.5% after SCI. Logistic regression showed that the probability of employment was higher in men than women, and in individuals older than 45 years at the time of injury than those aged 31-45 years of age. Moreover, employment was higher in individuals injured for longer than 20 years than those injured for 1-5 years and in individuals with incomplete tetraplegia than those with complete paraplegia. Employment was lower in individuals with SCI caused by industrial accidents than those injured in non-industrial accidents. CONCLUSION: Injury characteristics are the most important predictors of employment in persons with SCI. For persons with lower employment rate, individualized vocational rehabilitation and employment-support systems are required.
Accidents, Occupational ; Employment* ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Paraplegia ; Quadriplegia ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Republic of Korea* ; Research Personnel ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify turnover intentions in workers with mentally disabilities working in manufacturing industry. METHODS: Participants were 147 workers with mentally disabled living in B-city and Y-city. The data were collected from September 1st to November 30th, 2011 using self-report questionnaires including measurements of turnover intentions, family support, work volition, working environment, job satisfaction and internalized stigma. Data analysis was done using the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. RESULTS: The average score for turnover intention was 2.9+/-0.7. Turnover intention was related to job satisfaction, working environment, family support and internalized stigma. The predicting factors for turnover intention were job satisfaction, internalized stigma and gender. Those factors accounted for 41.9% of turnover intention. CONCLUSION: The results imply that workers with mentally disabled need to reduce internalized stigma as well as to increase job satisfaction in order to decrease turnover intention.
Humans ; Intention ; Job Satisfaction ; Mentally Disabled Persons ; Personnel Turnover ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Statistics as Topic ; Volition

This study examined the association between return-to-work and impairment type. Database of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service was used to identify disabled persons; and return-to-work information was obtained from the Korea Employment Information Services database. The study participants were 79,328 persons who received Workers' compensation and who were confirmed as disabled during 2009-2011. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between return-to-work and impairment type, adjusted by age, sex, impairment severity, pre-injury businesses size, and pre-injury occupational category. Compared to injuries of the upper limbs, the odds ratio of return-to-work was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.60-0.65) for injuries involving the lower limbs, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.59-0.66) for the spine, 0.75 (95% CI, 0.66-0.86) for the eyes, 0.98 (95% CI, 0.77-1.25) for the oral cavity, 0.44 (95% CI, 0.37-0.53) for the ears, 1.02 (95% CI, 0.83-1.25) for the figure, 0.75 (95% CI, 0.72-0.79) for pain, and 0.36 (95% CI, 0.32-0.41) for neuropsychiatric impairment. These findings indicate that impairment type influences return-to-work rates.
Adult ; Disability Evaluation ; Disabled Persons/*rehabilitation ; Employment ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Injuries/*rehabilitation ; Occupations ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Republic of Korea ; Return to Work/*statistics & numerical data ; Workers' Compensation/statistics & numerical data