[Occupational stress and decreased performance of psychiatric patients]

After a short summary of the state of research on problems of work performance and job strains of psychiatric patients, a pilot study in job and task analysis is presented which examines job strains and impairment of work performance of psychiatric patients in various vocational rehabilitation facilities, based on the interactive theory of subjective job analysis. Together with semi-structured interviews and self-developed rating scales for measuring impairment of work performance, standardized questionnaires in job analysis (SAA, Martin et al. 1980; ABB, Neuberger & Allerbeck 1978) are used. On comparison of the patients in the various rehabilitation facilities, differences in work performance and appraisal of job strains and work conditions were found. By discriminant analysis two types of facilities could be differentiated especially by features like work performance and prehospital vocational integration. The results of multiple regression analysis show that the impairment of work performance is influenced in particular by previous vocational integration and by the patients' appraisal of future vocational perspective. The results are discussed in comparison with other research studies in psychiatric rehabilitation. Further studies are suggested, inter alia, to record the present psychiatric state in a systematic manner and to include long-term criteria for success in vocational rehabilitation.