People with health problems who have gained new jobs needed for UQ study

People who have been injured or endured a chronic illness but have gained new employment are needed for a University of Queensland study.

Occupational Therapy Department lecturer Shelley Allen is seeking 13 people who fit two criteria: they have changed employment because injury or chronic illness reduced their capacity to perform their former work; and they have been in their new job for more than three months.

The study is entitled Successful Employment Change: The experiences of people who change employment due to chronic illness or disability. Subjects will be interviewed at a place convenient for them about their experience of changing employment. The study is for Ms Allen's research master of occupational therapy degree.

'The interview transcript is returned to the participant for editing and confirmation of emerging themes. I am particularly interested in how they changed - what they did and how they regarded themselves - throughout the experience. All the usual ethical care is taken to protect the person. For example, the information will be collated and the general themes extracted before publication,' Ms Allen said.

'They may have changed employment on the advice of a medical practitioner, health professional, friend or family member. They may have made their own judgment that they could no longer perform the work they were doing. They may have used their own resources, an occupational or vocational rehabilitation provider, a career counsellor or other service to aid their transition.'

She said the study aimed to improve rehabilitation and career counselling services for people in similar situations.

For more information, contact Ms Allen (telephone 07 3365 3451 or email Shelley.Allen@mailbox.uq.edu.au).