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Table 1 Baseline demographics

From: ‘I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m just ready to work’: mental health recovery narratives within the context of Australia’s Disability Employment Services

IDES survey respondents

Qualitative respondents

Current DES population

  

Psychosocial

n(%)

Combined other

n(%)

Total

n(%)

n(%)

 

Gender

Female

118 (66.7)

94 (49.0)

212 (57.5)

14 (46.7)

124,416 (46.8)

Male

58 (32.8)

96 (50.0)

154 (41.7)

15 (50.0)

141,559 (53.2)

Non-binary

1 (0.6)

2 (1.0)

3 (0.8)

1 (3.3)

NR

Age

18–24

21 (11.9)

24 (12.5)

45 (12.2)

1 (3.3)

39,084 (14.7)

25–34

52 (29.4)

35 (18.2)

87 (23.6)

13 (43.3)

43,365 (16.3)

35–49

60 (33.9)

46 (23.9)

106 (28.7)

13 (43.3)

73,490 (27.8)

50 and over

44 (24.8)

84 (44.7)

126 (35.3)

3 (10.0)

109,736 (41.2)

Reporting other disabilities

Physical

38 (21.5)

15 (7.8)

53 (14.4)

6 (20.0)

NR

Sensory

11 (6.2)

29 (15.1)

40 (10.8)

–

NR

Psychosocial

–

88 (45.8)

94 (25.5)

–

NR

Highest level of schooling

< Primary school

2 (1.1)

1 (0.5)

3 (0.8)

–

NR

Some high school <Y10

18 (10.2)

21 (11.0)

39 (10.6)

4 (13.3)

NR

Year 10

33 (18.6)

46 (24.0)

79 (21.4)

1 (3.3)

NR

Year 11

27 (15.3)

37 (19.3)

64 (17.3)

4 (13.3)

NR

Year 12

96 (54.2)

86 (44.8)

182 (49.3)

21 (70.0)

NR

Post-school qualifications

None

32 (18.1)

48 (25.0)

80 (21.7)

16 (53.3)

NR

Apprenticeship/ trade certificate

27 (15.3)

35 (18.2)

62 (16.8)

2 (6.7)

NR

Other certificate (I-IV)

55 (31.1)

62 (32.3)

117 (31.7)

6 (20.0)

NR

Associate degree/diploma

27 (15.3)

24 (12.5)

51 (13.8)

1 (3.3)

NR

University degree

35 (19.8)

21 (11.0)

56 (15.2)

5 (16.7)

NR

Type of income support/ welfare benefit*

Newstart

131 (74.4)

142 (74.7)

273 (75.6)

19 (63.3)

202,059 (76.0)

DSP

27 (15.34)

51 (26.6)

78 (21.2)

8 (26.7)

28,271 (10.6)

Engagement in DES

Compulsory

135 (76.3)

145 (76.7)

280 (76.5)

17 (56.7)

206,155 (77.5)

Voluntary

42 (23.7)

47 (23.3)

89 (23.5)

13 (43.3)

59,820 (22.5)

Choice in provider

Choice

64 (48.9)

74 (51.7)

138 (50.4)

11 (36.7)

NR

No choice

67 (51.1)

69 (48.3)

136 (49.6)

19 (63.3)

NR

Length of time with current DES provider

12 months of more

86 (53.4)

74 (43.5)

160 (48.8)

7 (23.3)

NR

Employment history

Ever in paid employment

160 (90.4)

173 (90.1)

333 (90.3)

26 (86.7)

NR

Currently in paid employment

54 (33.7)

43 (24.9)

97 (29.1)

5 (16.7)

NR

Housing

Experienced insecure housing or no place to stay in last six months

25 (14.1)

18 (9.4)

43 (11.7)

8 (26.7)

20,126 (7.6)**

Total

 

177 (48.0)

192 (52.0)

369 (100)

30 (100)

265,975 (100)

  1. NR Not reported by Department of Social Security (DSS) DSS only report primary disability which is described in the text
  2. * Welfare support in Australia includes various pensions and income support payments for people who are unemployed. Income support payments generally have mutual obligation requirements attached, i.e. recipients are obliged to actively look for work (compulsory job seeker status). Disability Support Pension sometimes have compulsory requirements depending on age and assessed level of capacity. Newstart is the main form of income support for Australians of working age who are unemployed. Two qualitative participants were not receiving any income support, while one was on sickness benefits
  3. **DSS data reports homeless status as opposed to IDES which collected data on experiencing insecure housing or no place to stay in last six months
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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