Association between employment status and quality of life for individuals with intellectual or developmental disability.
Kristina N Randall, Gerald Bernard, Lois Durah
PMID 36398731WHAT IT FOUND
People with intellectual disabilities reported being satisfied with their lives despite objective conditions like low pay and limited community access.
Competitive employment improved objective scores for safety and productivity compared to unemployment or work centers, but subjective satisfaction did not differ by employment status.
Key findings
01Participants in competitive employment and work centers had significantly higher objective scores for safety and productivity than unemployed participants, but subjective satisfaction scores did not differ significantly between any employment groups.
02Objective quality of life scores were generally low across all groups, with total average objective scores below the satisfaction threshold, while subjective quality of life scores were high and above the satisfaction threshold for most domains.
03Competitive employment was associated with significantly higher objective material well-being scores compared to work center employment, driven by higher wages and hours.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (n=27), limiting statistical power and generalizability. All participants were from a single non-profit center in the southeastern United States, so findings may not apply to other regions or service models. Data collection occurred near the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and restrictions likely depressed community participation scores. The study was cross-sectional and correlational, so it cannot determine if employment causes changes in quality of life or vice versa. Group sizes were uneven, which may affect the reliability of the statistical comparisons.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of significant differences in subjective satisfaction scores as evidence that all employment types are equally beneficial for well-being. The study found that objective conditions like safety and productivity were significantly worse for unemployed individuals, and competitive employment offered better material well-being than work centers, even if participants reported similar levels of personal satisfaction across these groups.