Objective: The purpose of this preliminary exploratory study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the career development of diverse individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
Methods: Four hundred sixty-nine individuals with psychiatric disabilities and 147 individuals without psychiatric disabilities completed survey questions regarding their employment and educational experiences during the pandemic. We utilized chi-square analyses to explore the differences between those with and without psychiatric disabilities and between racial groups.
Results: Our results indicated that individuals with psychiatric disabilities, especially Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), experienced greater employment-related uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic than the population without psychiatric disabilities.
Conclusions and implications for practice: Individuals with psychiatric disabilities, particularly BIPOC, need access to more stable employment and supports to maintain their employment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).