“Just one of the guys” An application of the Occupational Wellbeing framework to graduates of a Men’s Shed Program for young unemployed adult males with intellectual disability

Abstract

Introduction Conceptualisation of occupation requires understanding of subjective wellbeing and experiences of occupation. Opportunities for participation in productivity activities, such as employment, may be limited for people with intellectual disability (ID). An occupational wellbeing framework was recently re‐imagined to focus on the subjective meaning of a person's occupational life rather than occupational performance. This study analysed experiences and possible benefits to occupational wellbeing of young adult men with ID in an intergenerational mentoring program based on Australian Men's Sheds using this revised occupational wellbeing framework. Methods A qualitative approach was used to gather individual semi‐structured interviews at the end of an intergenerational mentoring program to explore occupational wellbeing experiences. Eight individual mentees and five parents of mentees (n = 13) from the different Men's Sheds sites agreed to participate in an individual interview about their experiences of the program. All mentees were male aged between 17 and 24 years. Family members included four female mothers and one male father. Data were highlighted, selected and deductively coded using content analysis according to the five occupational wellbeing domains of the framework. Results Mentees reflected upon their experience with their mentor, the program, activities and environment of the Men's Shed. Findings were organised in relation to each of the five domains of occupational wellbeing, including contentment, competence, belonging, identity and autonomy. Experiences of mentees and their family members reflected the positive impact of participation on each domain and occupational wellbeing, including opportunities for socialisation outside of the program, mastery of skills and knowledge and validation of belief in self. Conclusion Mentees involved in an intergenerational mentoring program in Australian Men's Sheds report benefits of participation in activities that foster and increase occupational wellbeing experiences. The experience of such domains should be considered when attempting to understand the quality of life and function for people with disabilities.

Australian Men’s Sheds and Their Role in the Health and Wellbeing of Men: A Systematic Review

“…One interesting aspect being explored in the literature has been the role of men's sheds play in intergenerational mentoring programs. As reported in this review, the outcomes for both men's shed mentors and their younger mentees saw improved mental health scores as well as the provision of mutual learning and engagement opportunities that saw improvements in mentee skill and confdence levels [20,21,28]. Intergenerational mentoring is well supported throughout other areas, not just men's sheds, with the data extracted here being not dissimilar to other reports that have observed positive outcomes for youth mentees [34].…”

“…Grouping the studies by intended purpose allowed for easier comparison of the outcome measures used. One study used 17 diferent outcome measures [26], four studies used a quality-of-life measure [19,20,22,26], and the remaining seven of the studies used qualitative methodology (utilizing focus group or interviews) to gather data [18][19][20][21][23][24][25]. Two of the studies [27,28], that measured outcomes of intergenerational mentor initiatives in men's sheds, used the Becker Work Adjustment Profle (WAP-2) [29], the comprehensive quality of life scale-intellectual disability (ComQol-I5) [30], and the modifed work loneliness questionnaire (MWLQ) [31].…”

“…Trough this bonding process, the men also reported mutual learning and development opportunities allowing them to observe noticeable improvements in mentee skill development and confdence levels [20]. Mentees and their families reported the positive impacts of the program with increases reported in occupational wellbeing, socialisation, skill development, knowledge, and self-confdence [21,28].…”

Evaluating dominant “healthy workplace models” from the perspective of positive psychology principles

“…The final workplace health model evaluated in our chart is the Occupational Wellbeing Framework (Milbourn, 2020). This model stands out from the list due its novelty and congruence with the PERMA model.…”

“…This model stands out from the list due its novelty and congruence with the PERMA model. We see significant potential in this model, even though its application has been limited to Australia and particularly community spaces targeting the elderly (Milbourn, 2020;Vyas & Quental, 2023). A more accurate explanation and operationalization of the model could make this a preferred framework for workplace health researchers who want to include positive psychology principles.…”