Predictors of employment intention for mentally disabled persons

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the predictors of employment intention for mentally disabled persons. Methods: Mentally disabled persons who had participated in rehabilitation programs in one of 16 mental health centers and 9 community rehabilitation centers located in Seoul and Kyunggi province were recruited for this study. A random sampling method was used and 414 respondents were used for final analysis. Data was analyzed by Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression using the SPSS Win 14.0. Results: The predictors influencing employment intention of the mentally disabled person were observed as employment desire (beta=.48), guardian's expectation (beta=.26), professional's support (beta=.23), financial management (beta=.10), eating habits (beta=.07), and quality of life (beta=-.01). Six factors explained 61.1% of employment intention of mentally disabled persons. Conclusion: The employment intention of a mentally disabled person was influenced by employment desire, diet self-efficacy, guardian's expectation, professional's support, quality of life, financial management and eating habits.