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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1511255
"Helpful Help" in Vocational Support for Emerging Adults Not in Education, Employment, or Training. Staff and Participant Perspectives
Provisionally accepted- Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
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Introduction: Aiding emergent adults not in education, employment, or training (NEET) presents a profound challenge.Methods: This article, based on reflective lifeworld research, explores the defining elements of helpful help within two art-based vocational rehabilitation programs in the context of the Norway's Labor and Welfare Service (NAV). Interviews were conducted with 11 emerging adults with social and mental health issues and three NAV staff members skilled in art-based vocational rehabilitation.Results: "Helpful help" is a dynamic, multifaceted phenomenon involving the three defining elements: balancing demands and support for personal growth, a healing environment with supportive staff, and tailored facilities.Discussion: These three elements intertwine within the individual's lifeworld, emphasizing that help unfold through their personal progression, shaped by staff attunement and a nurturing atmosphere. This phenomenon flourishes in environments of optimism and nurturance, where staff engage authentically, fostering supportive and non-judgmental relationships. By embracing a strength-based approach, these spaces become welcoming and enhance well-being. Emergent adults with social and mental health issues need ongoing and personalized support that emphasizes peer interactions and focuses on building self-belief and social skills, beyond job opportunities.
Keywords: art-based vocational rehabilitation, Healing environment, NEET, personalized follow up, Reflective Lifeworld Research, qualitative study
Received: 20 Jan 2025; Accepted: 15 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ørjasæter. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kristin Berre Ørjasæter, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
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