The Role of Hope in Predicting Supported Employment Success

Hope is an important factor in studies assessing various clinical and rehabilitation outcomes (Brown, Rampfer, & Hamera, 2008; Lewine, 2005). Hope is also necessary to continue to survive in times of significant loss, hardship and personal suffering (Brown & Mueller, 2014). The psychiatric rehabilitation literature contains numerous first person accounts of the importance of hope for people whose lives and dreams have become completely disrupted by the onset of serious mental illness (SMI). A common theme in these stories is that regaining hope was a critical component to the recovery process (Deegan, 1988; Lette, 1989). Hope is often considered an early phase of active recovery in stage theories of recovery from SMI (Andersen, Oades, & Caputi, 2003; Jacobson & Greenley, 2001; Noordsey et al., 2002). As a clinical outcome, greater hope appears to be crucial to decreasing the risk of suicide (Lewine, 2005; Litterell, Herth, & Hinte, 1996; Yanos, Roe, & Lysaker, 2010). Additionally, recent research has found an inverse relationship between hope and psychiatric symptoms (Brown et al., 2008; Waynor, Gao, Dolce, Haytas, & Reilly, 2012). Thus, the utility of hope is well established in psychiatric rehabilitation. Hope Theory Recent literature has proposed the application Snyder et al.'s (1991) hope theory as a useful construct in the rehabilitation field (Brown & Mueller, 2014; Coduti & Schoen, 2014; Hong, Polanin, & Pigoyy, 2012; Waynor, Gao, & Dolce, 2012). Hope as conceived by Snyder et al. (1991) forms around three critical elements: goals, pathways, and agency (Coduti & Schoen, 2014). Like other conceptualizations of hope, Snyder et al.'s view is related to expectancy, concerned with anticipation of the future. Snyder proposed the term agency to denote a sense of motivation towards the achievement of a goal, while he considered pathways the ability to produce a plan of action to meet a goal (Coduti & Schoen, 2014; Magaletta & Oliver, 1999; Snyder et al., 1991). The central component of Snyder's theory is focused on the achievement of goals, which is critical in the rehabilitation process. The second component of Snyder's theory, pathways is concerned with thinking of ways and means to achieve a goal. People with a high level of hope generate more specific pathways, while people with limited hope tend towards vague, less specific paths towards goal achievement (Coduti & Schoen, 2014). Accordingly, people with a greater level of hope would be more likely to develop a specific plan of action towards the pursuit of a goal. Snyder considered the third element, agency related to motivation to overcome obstacles, which is critical in all phases of the goal pursuit process (Coduti & Schoen, 2014; Hong et ah, 2012). Self-talk is an important skill in agency thinking, as high hope people tend to engage in positive self-talk statements that help with movement towards goal attainment (Coduti & Schoen, 2014). Coduti & Schoen (2014) contend that the Snyder et al. theory of hope is cogent as a predictor of rehabilitation outcomes for persons living with disabilities. Therefore, it is highly relevant to the rehabilitation counseling field with its focus on assisting consumers with the achievement of rehabilitation goals (Coduti & Schoen, 2014). Hope and Employment Snyder's hope theory is highly relevant for individuals in rehabilitation programs such as supported employment (SE), as people with the goal to return to work may need to generate more than one pathway to access community employment. Obtaining employment typically requires numerous interviews; job seekers also need the agency, or motivation to persist with the process after experiencing rejection. These attributes are necessary to be successful in SE services. Until recently, there has been a paucity of literature examining the relationship between hope and employment for persons with SMI (Yanos et al. …