Staff in Mental Health Agencies: Coping with the Dual Challenges as Providers with Psychiatric Disabilities.

As persons with psychiatric disabilities have moved into provider positions in mental health they have developed coping skills to help maintain themselves in their jobs. This paper reports on a qualitative study of 12 service providers with psychiatric disabilities who identified the coping strategies that helped them in managing their dual roles. These coping methods were grouped together into categories of personal factors that included attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors, and external factors, meaning formal and informal supports.