The exploration of the meaning of work has been shown to provide important understanding of the experience of work and disability. This understanding can guide rehabilitation professionals in their interventions with the work disabled.
Human service professionals offering psychosocial services to people who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) report multiple impacts to their physical and psychological well-being. These impacts have been described and investigated through multiple concepts including vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress disorder, compassion fatigue, and posttraumatic stress disorder. This scoping review mapped the relevant empirical literature on this topic guided by the question: What has been found in the empirical, peer-reviewed, scholarly literature examining exposure to the aversive details of IPV among human service professionals? A total of 13 relevant empirical studies investigating the impacts of exposure to the aversive details of IPV and human service professionals were found. The results were charted, collated, and summarized. The results support previous research finding IPV human service professionals to be at elevated risk of harm as a result of their work. The impacts of IPV practice were predominantly described as challenging. Some research participants also reported having experienced positive growth and appreciation for their work despite exposure to traumatic events. Protective factors including workplace social support emerged. Implications for practice, training, and research are offered.
This study suggests that if the RTW effort of people with long-term work disability is not fully acknowledged or supported, this population will remain unemployed where their strengths as competent, experienced workers will continue to be wasted.
This study shows that a shift in focus back to meaning not only has benefits for people with chronic work disability, but for occupational therapists in their ability to make a unique and effective contribution to the field of work disability. Implications for rehabilitation The chronic work disabled population remains one of the most challenging to return to work. Reflection on the meaning of work provides motivation needed for clients to overcome barriers to work including chronic pain. Exploring meaning is not difficult or time consuming in vocational rehabilitation.
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