Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Involving Individuals with Developmental Language Disorder and Their Parents/Carers in Research Priority Setting
Published on: June 6, 2020
Empowerment in supported employment research and practice: is it relevant?
Ulrika Bejerholm1, Tommy Björkman
1The Vårdal Institute, The Swedish Institute for Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. ulrika.bejerholm@med.lu.se
Background:
This cross-sectional study is aimed at describing and investigating empowerment and its relationships with level of engagement in daily activities and community life, experienced stigma, psychopathology, and quality of life among people with mental illness entering supported employment.
Method:
The following scales were administered to 120 persons: Empowerment Scale, Profiles of Occupational Engagement Scale, Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life Scale, Rejection Experience Scale and Brief Psychiatric and Rating Scale.
Results:
Higher scores of empowerment were associated with fewer symptoms and experienced stigma, a higher level of engagement in daily activities and community life, better quality of life and having work rehabilitation. Self-efficacy and self-esteem were in particular significantly correlated to depressive symptoms. Descriptive statistics enveloped the group of participants that said 'Yes I want to work' with a somewhat high mean score for empowerment, level of engagement and quality of life, but a low mean score with regard to both symptoms and experienced stigma.
Conclusions:
This study advocates the importance of evaluating empowerment in supported employment research and practice. The findings suggest the importance of taking into account not only monetary aspects of having a job but also social and psychological aspects such as empowerment, reduction in experienced stigma and community integration.
Related Concept Videos
Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Self-Efficacy
Elements Crucial for Effective Psychotherapy
The Therapeutic Alliance
The therapeutic alliance refers to the relationship between the therapist and the client. The alliance strengthens when the therapist and the client engage in a nurturing, supportive, trusting, empathetic, and respectful relationship, improving therapeutic outcomes. Therapists must monitor this relationship...