Factors Influencing Motivation to Work Among People Living With Psychosis

Clinicians generally recognize that psychotic disorders have a primary impact on motivation, including to engage in employment. However, secondary impacts of psychotic disorder as well as broader psychosocial factors may also be important determinants of work motivation (Hampson, Hicks, & Watt, 2016). This article explores determinants of job motivation among people living with psychotic disorders, drawing on the results of a qualitative study of 137 participants from 6 different stakeholder groups (clients, caregivers, employers, health professionals, community members, and employment service providers). NVivo 10 was used to explore participant responses relating to work motivation. In addition to primary impacts of the psychotic condition on work motivation, this study found that systemic factors, individual differences in personal attributes, and interpersonal factors influenced motivation to work. Findings indicate that the determinants of employment motivation among people living with psychosis are complex and dynamic, and suggest that appropriate individual and systemic interventions may increase their work motivation.