Background: The viewpoints of employed people experiencing mental ill-health receive limited attention in reviews of employment-related research.
Purpose: To identify implications from studies investigating the employment-related views of people with persistent mental ill-health to guide the further development of employment supports available to this group.
Methods: Published qualitative studies between 1998 and 2008 were searched, resulting in 20 studies for qualitative metasynthesis.
Findings: Four themes were synthesized from the findings:(a) employment has varied meanings, benefits, and drawbacks to weigh up; (b) strategies for maintaining employment and mental health are important and both require ongoing, active self-management; (c) diverse supports within and beyond the workplace are helpful; and (d) systemic issues add to the employment barriers.
Implications: Strategies based on these themes highlight how occupational therapists could initiate improvements in employment support and mental health services to increase their success in enabling satisfying and sustainable employment.