Counseling and psychometric signs as determinants in the vocational success of discharged psychiatric patients

✍ Scribed by Peter F. Briggs; Allan C. Yater

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1966
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 393 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9762
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-4679(196601)22:1<100::aid-jclp2270220129>3.0.co;2-8

✦ Synopsis

The purpose of this paper is (a) to report on the effectiveness of vocational counseling with a group of chronic psychiatric patients, (b) to report the factors that seem to describe the more successful members of the group, and (c) to offer a tentative combination of psychometric signs to predict vocational success. The criteria of vocational success employed in the present analysis are derived from a study(') reported elsewhere.

PILOT STUDY

The main experimental treatment program was developed in an attempt to devise and provide optimal service for each S. Before embarking upon the experimental study, a pilot study was conducted to establish procedures. During a sixmonth period a demi-treatment program was conducted to give the staff experience, to develop administrative procedures, to establish community contacts, and to test out the experimental procedures (e.g., interview records, test materials, and followup procedures).

The active treatment staff included vocational counselors and prevocational therapists. Consultation and supervision was offered the treatment staff by a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist.

Twenty-seven Ss were processed in the pilot study. The majority of the group were psychotics with a long history of hospitalization, and who had been chronically unemployed. For each S, a plan of rehabilitation counseling and other services (prevocational work evaluation, sheltered workshop placement, and group therapy) was devised.

After planning each S was started on his program. Six months after the end of the program, 15 of these Ss were at work or in school. Six were unemployed, five had returned to the hospital, and one had rejected service and chosen to retire.