Effect of a Vocationally‐Focused Brief Cognitive Behavioural Intervention on Employment‐Related Outcomes for Individuals with Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Despite an increasing emphasis on the importance of vocational success to the quality of life of individuals with mental illness (Bond, Drake, & Becker, 2008), minimal work has examined the impact of cognitive behavioural interventions that focus on vocational stressors. Vocational stressors commonly faced by persons with mental illness include difficulties with work task completion, obtaining employment, and coping with interpersonal stressors (Becker et al., 1998). The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of a brief cognitive behavioural therapy group intervention that targets vocational stressors for individuals whose vocational functioning had been significantly impacted by mental illness. Participants included 16 individuals with mood and anxiety disorder diagnoses. After this intervention, it was found that employed persons reported an improved sense of mastery in the completion of work tasks, improved satisfaction with work supervision, and decreased satisfaction with advancement and job security. Unemployed participants reported improved expectancy for employment success.