“I Felt Supported by the Peers in My Group”: Analyzing Experiences of Youths with Mental Health Challenges of a Supported Employment Program in Canada

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to gain an understanding of the experiences of youths with mental health conditions who have undergone a 16-week supported employment program (SEP) conducted in an urban centre in Canada. METHODS: Focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews were used to capture the experience of youths who had completed the program. Youths were eligible if they were aged 19 to 30 years diagnosed with a mental illness and enrolled in the program. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the data. Primary codes were organized and mapped onto Donebedian’s Structure-Process-Outcome Model. RESULTS: Altogether, 34 participants, aged 17 to 30 years old, described their experiences participating in this 16-week supported employment program. Participants’ experiences of this program and with employment were categorized into four main themes focusing on the (1) structure of program, (2) process of care (3) outcomes of program, and (4) improvements to the program. CONCLUSION: Overall, the experience of a supported employment program was perceived as valuable, with unexpected benefits of the program beyond employment including the establishment of routine, friendship, and self-confidence. The proposed model can be used as a structure for monitoring and evaluating SEP.