ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Many psychiatric patients undergoing vocational training do not achieve successful transition to regular work. In this study, we evaluated the barriers for discharge from day care center to actual work place. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional study at a government-run day-care center at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, we studied 76 patients who were undergoing vocational training for more than 1 year. We did a semi-structured interview with patients, their family members, and instructors of various occupational sections. We used a questionnaire of 17 different barriers to assess the obstacles in their discharge from day-care center to actual work place. RESULTS: The majority of them had a diagnosis of mental retardation (n=47) followed by schizophrenia (n=29), and bipolar disorder (n=9). The mean (SD) age and duration of illness was 33.6 (9.7) years and 12.5 (9.3) years, respectively. Patients had more than one diagnosis. The median duration of stay in day-care center was 5.9 years. Doubts regarding performance at a new work place (n=60), fear of performance at new work place (n=65), and the fear of transition to regular work (n=64) were the most common barriers reported by patients, their family members and instructors of various occupational sections, respectively. DISCUSSION: Educating patients and their family members, gradual exposure to new working environment, and increased community level vocational opportunities may potentially overcome above barriers. Getting them to the actual job early in their course of treatment will improve their adjustment to a new work place and overall outcome.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/rehabilitation , Day Care, Medical , Intellectual Disability/rehabilitation , Patient Discharge , Psychiatric Rehabilitation , Rehabilitation, Vocational , Schizophrenia/rehabilitation , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Fear , Female , Hospitals, Public , Humans , India , Length of Stay , Male , Mental Disorders/rehabilitation , Rehabilitation Centers , United States , Work Performance , Young AdultABSTRACT
Every 30 years or so, there is an increase of approximately 10-20 points in the population IQ; this appears to be a universal finding. Known as the Flynn effect, it is regarded as a largely artefactual situation because there is no evidence for a true transgenerational increase in intelligence. The Flynn effect makes problematic, the use of IQ tests to compare individuals across generations and the use of IQ tests, the norms of which were obtained in previous decades. The Flynn effect is important to India because IQ test results have many legal and financial implications. Regrettably, most tests that have been standardized for use in India have norms that are decidedly outdated. Restandardization of important IQ tests is urgently required.
