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Does Underemployment Matter for Quality of Life in Drug Court Participants?

Krabbe, Bryan J.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1511346393692217

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, Psychology.
Employment is a foundational Drug Court requirement but concerns remain about how rewarding participants' find the types of jobs often open to them. The present study hypothesized that underemployment, based on educational attainment, would be related to lower overall and job specific subjective quality of life (QOL). The sample was comprised of 132 participants from a treatment and job training intensive Kentucky Drug Court. The sample was 62.9 male, 98.5 Caucasian, 66.7 had a high-school or equivalent education and 35.6 reported opiates as their drug of choice. Participants' QOL was measured at two times: Time1 and Time2. Timel data was collected, on average 167 days after program entry (range = 178 to 671 days); Time2 data was collected on average 245 days after attaining employment (range = 1 to 569 days). Due the variability of when the QOL measures were collected, the obtained results should be viewed with caution. It was hypothesized that if participants remained in the Drug Court program, their overall QOL would improve. This was supported as Time2 QOLI scores were significantly higher than Timel scores, t(64) = -2.78,p = .01. However, the primary hypothesis was not supported. Although the majority of participants were employed at unskilled labor jobs below their educational attainment, no relation was found between underemployment and overall QOL F(4, 94) = ~76,p = .56 or work-specific QOL, F(4, 94) = 2.l8,p = .077. Thissuggests that for this population underemployment does not reduce life satisfaction. As the current sample was extremely homogenous, future studies are needed to test for relations between education, job¬type and QOL in different racial groups, in different geographic areas, and in areas with different unemployment rates.
Susan Kenford, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
124 p.
Psychology
quality of life; underemployment; drug court

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Krabbe, B. J. (2013). Does Underemployment Matter for Quality of Life in Drug Court Participants? [Doctoral dissertation, Xavier University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1511346393692217

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Krabbe, Bryan. Does Underemployment Matter for Quality of Life in Drug Court Participants? . 2013. Xavier University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1511346393692217.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Krabbe, Bryan. "Does Underemployment Matter for Quality of Life in Drug Court Participants? ." Doctoral dissertation, Xavier University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1511346393692217

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

xavier1511346393692217
162
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Xavier University Psychology and OhioLINK.