I Feel Frozen: Client Perceptions of How Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Impacts Employment

TY - JOUR

T1 - I Feel Frozen

T2 - Client Perceptions of How Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Impacts Employment

AU - Lu, Weili

AU - Bates, Francine M.

AU - Waynor, William R.

AU - Bazan, Carolyn

AU - Gao, Carol E.

AU - Yanos, Philip T.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by NIDILRR Field Initiated Grant # HHSAdministration for Community Living number 90IF0074. We wish to thank the following individuals for their assistance with this project: Audra Schulman, Gabrielle Crisafulli, Crystal Socha, Arlean Campbell, Maria Lambarski, Alexis Pugh, Christina Fidanza, Lindsay Little, Laurie Vite, Jordan Horowitz, Anneke Habersaat, Susan Jagoditch, and Alicia McNeil Publisher Copyright: © 2021. American Psychological Association

PY - 2021/8/5

Y1 - 2021/8/5

N2 - Objective: There is evidence that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a hidden barrier to employment among individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI) among whom PTSD is highly prevalent. This study aimed to explore how PTSD interferes with achieving employment outcomes among persons with SMI. Methods: Participants included 119 individuals with SMI and co-occurring PTSD receiving Supported Employment services. Responses to the question, “In what ways are PTSD symptoms interfering with your work during the past month?” were analyzed. Results: Six themes emerged: (a) I don’t like being around people, (b) I feel frozen and unable to get started, (c) troubling negative affect, (d) mind is scattered and all over the place, (e) feeling fatigued all the time, and (f) flashbacks and triggers can happen whenever.

AB - Objective: There is evidence that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a hidden barrier to employment among individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI) among whom PTSD is highly prevalent. This study aimed to explore how PTSD interferes with achieving employment outcomes among persons with SMI. Methods: Participants included 119 individuals with SMI and co-occurring PTSD receiving Supported Employment services. Responses to the question, “In what ways are PTSD symptoms interfering with your work during the past month?” were analyzed. Results: Six themes emerged: (a) I don’t like being around people, (b) I feel frozen and unable to get started, (c) troubling negative affect, (d) mind is scattered and all over the place, (e) feeling fatigued all the time, and (f) flashbacks and triggers can happen whenever.

KW - Employment

KW - Ptsd

KW - Qualitative analysis

KW - Trauma

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132278476&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85132278476&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000477

DO - https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000477

M3 - Article

SN - 1095-158X

VL - 45

SP - 136

EP - 143

JO - Psychiatric rehabilitation journal

JF - Psychiatric rehabilitation journal

IS - 2

ER -