ADDICTION AND CAREER DECIDEDNESS: INVESTIGATING THE VOCATIONAL NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH ALCOHOL USE DISORDER

Abstract

Vocational concerns are prevalent among individuals struggling with substance use (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2000; Levy Merrick et al., 2007). Individuals who receive matched services, particularly matched vocational services, experience more positive and sustained work- a recovery-related outcomes (Friedmann et al., 2004). The lack of clear recommendations in terms of evidence-based approaches for integrating vocational services into treatment for substance use is likely due to limited research assessing the vocational needs of this population (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2000; Walton & Hall, 2016). Identifying the vocational needs of this population and exploring associations between addiction and career self-management will help to inform future interventions aimed at increasing career decidedness. This study sought to investigate associations between addiction related variables and career decision self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and career decidedness and whether the associations between selected addiction variables and career decidedness are mediated by career decision self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Partial support was found for two of the three hypotheses tested. Findings suggest that associations exist between career decidedness and severity of alcohol use, as well as career decidedness and frequency of recent employment problems. Evidence was also found to suggest that each of these relationships might be mediated by vocational outcome expectations.