Aušra Adomavičienė, Ieva Eglė Jamontaitė, Juozas Bernatavicius, Lina Būtėnaitė
Abstract
Gainful employment is important part of life of persons after SCI. In addition to providing financial security, it also provides an environment for social interaction, associated with a higher quality of life, better health or self-confidence. Rates of labor force participation among persons with SCI typically not a high percentage, as different factors influencing their employment status. People after spinal cord injury can‘t choose or claim for traditional workplaces, as potential employers without situation analysis refuse employ such workers. Employment opportunities of people after spinal cord injury are limited, that policy of integration disabled in labour market do not ensure and not receive enough support. Due to this fact disabled people try to integrate in labour market and during this they bristle with various barries (lack of environment adaptation and available professions, transportation problems or negative attitude of empoyers). It is very important to evaluate the main individual factors influencing employment and country employment peculiarities.
Thesis objective: Evaluate employment peculiarities of persons after spinal cord injury.
Materials and methods: Research object – employment peculiarities of persons after spinal cord injury. Research subject –101 persons after spinal cord injury. Research methods – questionnaire and evaluation of functional state with FIM, Barthel index and ICF. Statistical analysis and graphics of empirical data were performed in SPSS for Windows 13 version.
Main results and conclusions: During study 30 (29,7%) respondents were employed and 59 (58,9%) had tried to find a job. Main employment barriers are these: 19 (18,8%) respondents named lack of environment adaptation, 17 (16,8%) – negative attitude of empoyers, 12 (11,9%) – lack of available professions, 10 (9,9%) – transportation problems, 9 (8,9%) of respondents stated psychological problems, 12 (11,9%) – lack of motivation to work and 21 (20,8%) – health, self-care and mobility problems. Functional independence score of working persons after spinal cord injury was higher compared with not working persons (respectively FIM 104,4 ±17,7 points and 84,8 ±26,40 points, p>0,05; Barthel index 80±20 points, and 70±25 points). But 10(9,9%) working respondents with tetraplegia have a low score of functional independence (80,2 ±26,4 points). Functional independence as internal factor less influence employment posibilities than motivation, confidence and initiative. ICF results have a strong correlation with scores of FIM and Barthel index, as ICF is very usefull to identify and evaluate problems and needs in participation and working people after SCI.
doi:10.5200/sm-hs.2012.048
Keyword(s): employment; factors influencing employment; persons after spinal cord injury
DOI: 10.5200/289
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