Work and Well-being in Mental Health Disease

Numerous studies show the benefits of employment for people with mental health problems (ie. Casper et al., 2002). But does work always have a 'therapeutic' effect on the lives and well-being of these people? Part of a larger study by the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (Italian National Research Council) involving 26 mental health day centres that from 2005 to 2008 promoted the employment of 111 users, the research performed and analysed 12 in-depth interviews with service users inserted into paid employment. Integrated into a wider course of treatment, employment for most respondents seemed to constitute a demarcation line between a past condition, that of a 'sick person' and the present one, that of a 'worker', contributing to a re-positioning of the person in society. We will present elements that make work a positive experience, highlighting differences between different jobs and workplaces.