RESPONSE TO VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE: VETERANS WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS COMPARED WITH OTHER DISABLED VETERANS

213 Pages·8.548 MB·English

by  PRINCENTHAL, HERMAN H

Sponsoring Committee: Professor Philip J* Z1 at chin,
Professor Ernest R* Wood and
Professor William P. SearB
RESPONSE TO VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE: VETERANS
WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
COMPARES WITH OTHER DISAELED VETERANS
HERMAN H. FRINGENTHAL
Submitted in partial fulfillm ent of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy in the School of Education of
New York University
July 14, 1952
I, hereby, guarantee that no part of the dissertation or document
which I hare submitted for publication has been heretofore published
and (or) copyrighted in the United States of America, except in the
case of passages quoted from other published sources; that I am the
sole author and proprietor of said dissertation or document; that the
dissertation or document contains no m atter which, if published, w ill
be libelous or otherwise injurious, or infringe in any way the copy­
right of any other party; and that I w ill defend, indemnify and hold
harmless New York University against a ll su its and proceedings which
may be brought and against a ll claims which may be made against New
York University by reason of the publication of said dissertation or
document*
Herman H. Princenthal
Sponsoring Committee: Professor Philip J* Z1 at chin,
Professor Ernest R. Wood and
Professor William P« Sears
RESPONSE TO VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE: VETERANS
WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
COMPARED WITH OTHER DISABLED VETERANS
HERMAN H. PRINCENTHAL
Abstract of Ph.D. Thesis
submitted in partial fulfillm ent of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy in the School of Education of
New York University
1952
Rirpose
The purpose of th is investigation was to determine the influence of
nature and severity of d isab ility (psychiatric versus physical) upon the
outcome of the Veterans Administration vocational rehabilitation process
for 200 white, urban, male veterans between twenty and th irty years of
age. The population, drawn from Brooklyn Regional Office file s consisted
of 100 psychiatrically disabled and 100 physically disabled veterans, where
general intellectual level ranged from average to superior (Intelligence
Quotient 91 -» 127).
Hypotheses
It was hypothesized th at:
1. Psychiatri cally disabled veterans do not achieve their vocational
training objectives as frequently as veterans with nonpsychiatric d isab ilitie
2. Veterans with diagnoses of psychosis do not achieve their vocational
training objectives as frequently as those with psychoneurotic diagnoses.
5. Within the category of the psychiatri cally disabled veterans, those
who receive psychotherapy achieve their training objectives more frequently
than those who do not receive psychotherapy.
4. There are certain characteristic attitudes or actions of the psy-
chiatrically disabled veterans, in relation to th eir vocational goals, which
distinguish them for guidance purposes from those veterans with nonpsy­
chiatric d isab ilities.
Methodology
Psychiatrically and nonpsychiatrically disabled veterans were compared
with reference to the ab ility to complete advisement, begin training and
complete training by use of tbe chi-square technique. Psychotic and psycho­
neurotic veterans were also oompared in this way. Treated and untreated
psychiatrically disabled veterans were similarly studied. The various
groups were compared with reference to changing objectives during training
and on the basis of completing training following changes of objective.
The groups (psychotic, psychoneurotic, and nonpsychiatric) were also oom­
pared with reference to the length of training time chosen and the social
status of their occupational goals by use of the t, test. They were compared
with reference to their Ruder Preferences and their tendency to choose an
"escape group" Interest on the Ruder. They were also compared on the basis
of per cent of disability.
Conclusions
1. Psychiatric disability is more hampering than physical d isability
in relation to ability of disabled individuals to complete the vocational
rehabilitation program.
2. In general, the individuals with psychotic diagnoses have higher
disability ratings and are less able to complete the vocational rehabilitation
program than the psychoneurotic indlvichals.
3. Treated psychiatrically disabled veterans respond more successfully
to the vocational rehabilitation program than do untreated psychiatrically
disabled veterans.
4. Since psychiatrically disabled veterans have higher pension ratings
and are less successful in completing vocational rehabilitation than non-
psychiatrically disabled veterans, it would appear that, with respect to
compensation, there is no bias against "mental cases".
5. Psychotic individuals show a tendency towards expression of interests
which, fa ll into the "escape group" of the Ruder Preference Record. Since
these are often unrealistic the vocational advisor helps the veteran make
a more realistic choice.
6. Psychiatrically disabled veterans display a preference for activ i­
ties which do not involve working w ith numbers.
7. The absence of significant differences between the psychiatrically
and nonpsychiatrically disabled groups with reference to the length of time
chosen for training may be an a rtifa c t based on tbs influence of the coun­
selor and that a maximum training period is set by law. Since the major
interests shown as a result o f the Kuder Preference Record are significantly
different for the two groups, the length of training time chosen would also
be significantly different if external restrictions were not operating.
8. A sim ilar conclusion might be reached with regard to the social
status of chosen occupation. If the advisor permitted the counaelee to choose
an occupation based on expressed Kuder Preference, without respect fo r
reality, the psychiatrically and nonpsychiatrically disabled groups would
reveal a significant difference in the social status of th eir occupational
goals.
PREFACE
I wish, to express sincere thanks to the members of my sponsoring
committee, Professor Philip Zlatchin, Professor Ernest H. Wood, and
Professor William P. Sears for the encouragement, guidance, interest,
and valuable criticism which was given.
The data for this research were collected at the Veterans Administra­
tion Regional Office in Brooklyn, New York. I am indebted to the help
given me by Dr. Bernard Locke, Chief Psychologist, Dr. morris Tissenb8um,
Chief Psychiatrist and members of the psychological end psychiatric
sta ffs of the Mental Hygiene Clinic. I am grateful for the assistance
of Dir. Paul Nugent and Mr. John Studwell of the Vocational Rehabilitation
and Education Division for their help in supplying data. I am apprecia­
tiv e of the help given me by Dr, Isaac Loberblatt and Mr. Martin Heller
regarding vocational advisement procedures. Mr. E. R. Alexander, Chief,
Administrative Division and Mr. Lawrence Silverstein of the Tabulating
Machine Section were of extreme help in providing me with a population
for the study. Sincere thanks are due Dr. Alan Grey and Dr. Jacob Cohen
for help with statistical procedures.
To my wife, Gladys, I offer the deep appreciation which she so much
deserves for her continuous encouragement, her patience, and understand­
ing during the time spent in carrying through this investigation. Her
clerica l and critical assistance were invaluable.
ii
TABLE 07 CONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER I - The Problem 1
Statement of the Problem 1
Specific Problems 1
Definition of Terms 2
Delim itations 4
Basic Assumptions 5
BbbIc Hypotheses 6
Significance of the Problem 8
CHAFFER n - Related L iterature IS
CHAPTER III - D escription of Populations and Procedures 24
Description of the Experimental Population 24
Applicable Lavs 30
Vocational Ouldance Procedures 31
Procedures Used in Selecting the Samples 36
chapter IV - Treatment of the Data 42
Specific D isabilities 45
The D isability Rating of the O.D. and P.D. Groups 50
The Variables Relating to the Completion of the R ehabilitation
Program 54
The Completion of Advisement 55
The Beginning of Training 53
The Changing of Objectives 71
The Completion of Training Following Changes of Objective 79
The Completion of Training of Veterans Who Began Training 88
The Completion of Training o f A ll Veterans Who Came fo r
Advisement 97
The Reasons for Not Completing the Vocational R ehabilitation
Program 107
Reasons for Not Completing Advisement 108
Reasons for Not Beginning Training 111
Reasons for Changing O bjective During Training 113
Reasons fo r Not Completing Training 116
Length of Training Time Chosen by the Veteran 119
The Social statu s of the Occupational Goals 122
The Kuder Preferences 128
Comparison of Major In terests 129
The Tendency to Choose the "Escape Group" 130
Summary 153
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Page
CHAPTER V * Interpretation and Discussion 135
The Interpretation of the Variables Relating to the Completion
of the Rehabilitation Program 135
The Completion of Advisement 135
The Beginning of Training 138
The Changing of Objective 139
The Completion of Training Following Changes in Objectives 142
The Completion of Training of Veterans Who Began Training 144
The Completion of Training of All Veterans Who Came for
Advisement 145
The D isab ility Ratings 146
The Interpretation of the Variables Relating to the Reasons
fo r Not Ooupletlg the Vocational Rehabilitation Program 147
The Reasons for Rot Completing Advisement 147
Reasons for Rot Beginning Training 148
The Reasons for Changing Objective During Training 149
The Reasons for Rot Completing Training 150
The Length of Training Time Chosen 150
The Social Status of the Occupational Goals 150
The Kuder Preferences 351
Comparison of Major Interests 1®1
The Tendency to Choose the "Escape Group" 158
CHAPTER VI - Summary and Conclusions 155
Summary I55
Conclusions I62
D uplications for Future Research 154
Appendix
B ibliography 185
iv
LIST OF TABLES
T itle
Ho. Page
I Proportions of the Final Samples Compared w ith the
Original Groups 38
II Number of P*D. Veterans Receiving P sychiatric Treatment
Oompared with Those Not Treated 40
III Breakdown of the 0,D. Group on the Basis o f Specific
D isabilities 45
IV Breakdown of the Pn Group on the Basis o f S pecific
Diagnoses 46
V Breakdown of a Random Sample of Psyeboneurotlc P atien ts
Treated at the Mental Hygiene Clinic w ith Reference to
Specific Diagnosis 47
VI Comparison of the Pn Sample Used in th is Study w ith a
Randomly Selected Pn Group Treated at the Mental Hygiene
Clinic 46
VII Breakdown of the Fa Group on the Basis of S pecific
Diagnoses 49
VIII Breakdown of a Random Sample of Psychotic P atien ts Treated
at the Mental Hygiene Clinic with Reference to Specific
Diagnosis 49
IX Comparison of the Ps Sample Used in th is Study w ith a
Randomly Selected Ps Group Treated at th e Mental Hygiene
Clinic 50
X Comparison of 0»D. and P.D. Veterans w ith Reference to
Disability Bating 51
XI Chi-Square Comparison of 0*D. and P.D* V eterans w ith
Reference to D isability Rating 52
XII Comparison of 0*D* and P*D* Veterans w ith Reference to
Disability Rating By Use of the t_ Test 53
XIII The Groups Compared w ith Reference"”to the Percentage
Completing the Advisement Process 55
XIV Comparison of the 0*D* and P*D* Groups on the Basis of
the Completion of Advisement 56
XV Comparison of the Pn and Ps Groups on the Basis of
Completion of Advisement 57
XVI Comparison of the Pn and 0*D. Groups on the Basis of
Completion of Advisement 57
X7II Comparison of the Ps and O.D. Groups on th e Basis of
Completion of Advisement 57
XVIII Comparison of the P*D*t and the P*M»nt Groups on the
Basis of Completion of Advisement 58
XIX Comparison of the Pst and the P s^ Groups on the Basis
of Completion of Advisement 58
V