The results showed that the WHOQOL-BREF has sound psychometric properties and can be used to measure QOL in Singapore.

Purpose: The current study was undertaken to understand and describe the meaning of work as well as the barriers and facilitators perceived by young people with mental health conditions for gaining and maintaining employment. Materials and Methods: Employing a purposive and maximum variation sampling, 30 young people were recruited and interviewed. The respondents were Singapore residents with a mean age of 26.8 years (SD ¼ 4.5, range 20-34 years); the majority were males (56.7%), of Chinese ethnicity (63.3%), and employed (73.3%), at the time of the interview. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three global themes emerged from the analyses of the narratives, which included (i) the meaning of employment, (ii) barriers to employment comprising individual, interpersonal and systemic difficulties and challenges participants faced while seeking and sustaining employment and (iii) facilitators of employment that consisted of individual and interpersonal factors that had helped the young persons to gain and maintain employment. Conclusions: Stigma and discrimination emerged as one of the most frequently mentioned employment barriers. These barriers are not insurmountable and can be overcome both through legislation as well as through the training and support of young people with mental health conditions. ä IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Employment offers several benefits to people with mental health conditions, including improvement in economic status, self-efficacy, and empowerment. Stigma is a significant barrier to employment for young people with mental health conditions; remaining optimistic about career prospects and getting support from peers is vital to employment success. Disclosure of the mental health condition at the place of work is beneficial to the person's own recovery and helpful to others; however, young people must be empowered to choose when and what they want to disclose and under what circumstances. Families help young people with mental health conditions in achieving their employment goals by offering emotional and instrumental support, as well as motivating them to accomplish more.

Purpose The present study aimed to understand the roles, effective strategies and facilitators, and challenges of employment support specialists (ESS) in assisting young people with mental health conditions (MHCs) gain and sustain employment in Singapore. Methods An interpretative qualitative design using an inductive approach was adopted for this study. Using a semi-structured interview guide, in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty ESS employed with mental health service providers or other community-based centers. Verbatim transcripts of the interviews were thematically analyzed using inductive methods. ESS were broadly classified as “any professionals providing employment-related support to people with MHCs”. Results Majority of the ESS were employed at a tertiary psychiatric institute. Participants included vocational and occupational specialists, case managers and other clinical professionals. Three key themes emerged from the data: (i) descriptions of roles undertaken by the ESS depicting a wide range of services and requisite skillsets; (ii) facilitators that benefit young people with MHCs’ in terms of job placement, for example, ESS’ attitudes and attributes, and their clients’ disposition; and (iii) challenges that deter effective job placements, such as factors pertaining to the ESS themselves, their clients, and clients’ employers. Under this theme, ESS also proposed ways to improve employment opportunities of people with MHCs. Conclusions This study provided insight into a range of tasks performed and challenges faced by ESS in Singapore while assisting their clients. There is a need to address ESS’ challenges and expectations in order to enhance their efficiency and aid reintegration of young people with MHCs into the workforce and the society.

Objective: Informal caregivers are often placed in a better position to understand and advocate for the vocational needs of young persons with mental health conditions. However, their opinions are largely ignored in the planning of vocational outcomes. This qualitative study had two broad aims: to explore (1) the perceptions of caregivers of young adults with mental health conditions on issues of paid employment and (2) their views and expectations of employment support services. Methods: A total of 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Caregivers were 45 years old on average, the majority were women (73%) and were of Chinese ethnicity (53%). Most participants (60%) were parents of the young persons with psychotic disorders (57%), or affective and mood disorders, such as depression or anxiety disorders (43%). Results: Thematic analyses of data revealed three superordinate themes: (1) caregiving roles, (2) caregivers’ expectations and hopes, and (3) barriers to employmentof young persons with mental health conditions. Conclusions and implications for practice: Caregivers strongly believed that employment support services should prioritise and advocate for recovery while securing employment. Local mental health employment support services should incorporate the views and expectations of caregivers of young persons with mental health conditions to foster better coordination between stakeholders, and enhance support for successful employment, reintegration into the community, and ultimately recovery for these individuals.

In this research note, we describe a sequential mixed‐methods research study used to uncover the factors contributing to nonprofit board performance, which we conducted in the context of Singapore. A qualitative study generated an initial framework for board performance that was evaluated but deemed unsuitable. A second framework was then developed through a quantitative survey administered to a nationally representative sample of board members and managers, derived via stratified random sampling. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, this second framework was evaluated and validated for its ability to explain the performance of nonprofit boards.