The Influence of Mental Illnesses on Work Potential and Career Development

Despite the recent focus on work in community mental health, there has been little discussion about how consumers come to think about their future for work and careers. Little is known about how the experience of mental illnesses affects career development. Using a grounded theory approach, this study explores how consumers come to understand their potential for work. The findings confirm the importance of work and career development and the need to address these issues in community mental health services. Specifically, the analysis highlights how the experience of living with mental illnesses results in feelings of uncertainty about the future and doubt about one's capacity for work. This paper explores how mental illnesses interrupt and disrupt career development, and analyzes the process of how consumers begin to consider possibilities for the future and rebuild their identities as workers.