Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
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Title: An analysis of employers’ views on disability policy
and the employment of people with enduring mental health
problems.
John SG Wells, PhD; MSc.; BA(Hons); PGDip(Ed); RNT; RPN
Head of Department of Nursing, Waterford Institute of Technology,
Ireland
Jennifer Cunningham, BSc (Hons); RPN
Research Assistant and Post-graduate Student, Department of
Nursing, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland
David Heffernan, MSc; BSc (Hons)
South East Regional Manager, Vocational Training, Health Service
Executive (South), Ireland
Address for correspondence: Ms. Jennifer Cunningham, Research
Assistant, Department of Nursing, Waterford Institute of
Technology, Cork Rd., Waterford, Ireland.
Email: jcunningham@wit.ie
Phone: + 353 (0) 87 6601568
Background and context: The Mental Health Commission (2006)
proposes that all mental health services adopt a recovery model in
which open employment is a central focus in the rehabilitation of
people with enduring mental illness. As yet there is a lack of
published research on employers and people with mental health
problems in an Irish context. The European Commission recently
issued a Green Paper on Mental Health indicating that people with
mental health problems have the highest rates of unemployment
amongst all people with disabilities and called for more research in
this area.
Aim of review: This ongoing research project aims to investigate
employers’ views on Irish disability and equal opportunities policy
with specific reference to the employment of people with mental
health problems.
Methodology including research design and sampling: Research
design consists of a mixed method approach, utilising surveys,
individual depth interviews and focus groups as methods of data
collection. Data will be collected and analysed from a random
sample (n=145) of the local business population in the south east of
Ireland.
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