ABSTRACT
In this context, ‘vocation’ covers a spectrum of activities, including: study, voluntary work and paid employment; activities that benefit those involved by providing regular structure and tasks that can be achieved (Williams et al, 2010). Their health-enhancing effects have been attributed to their obligatory nature, which supports commitment and responsibility, and leads to increased self-worth (Iannelli and Wilding, 2007), thereby providing a vehicle for promoting and maintaining mental health. So much so that ‘being employed’ has been recognised as one of the indicators for a favourable long-term outcome in the treatment of schizophrenia (Carter et al, 2011). This may be because people who find work are functioning at a higher level but it could also be because employed people with long-term mental illness are more satisfied with their daily occupations (Eklund et al, 2004).
