■就业被认为是一项基本人权,这与更好的身心健康有关。重要的是,精心设计的工作,考虑到物理,社会,工作的心理影响,有助于提高工人的认知能力。虽然经常被忽视,为残疾人工作,包括认知障碍,对他们的身心健康同样重要。什么还没有确定,然而,是精心设计的工作是否也可以提高认知障碍个体的认知能力。
■使用纵向研究设计,我们调查了精心设计的工作对AMIPI基金会工厂60名参与者(操作员)的认知能力的影响,他们雇佣有认知障碍的人为汽车工业生产电缆和线束。在三个不同的时间点对相同的操作员进行了评估:在招聘时(n=60),在工厂工作了1年(n=41,因为19离开工厂)和2年(n=28,因为13离开工厂)。我们使用了五项认知测试来评估:(1)手指和手的灵活性,双手灵巧,使用PurduePegboard和程序记忆;(2)使用符号取消任务进行持续和选择性的注意;(3)使用Rey的音频言语学习测试进行短期和长期陈述性言语记忆和长期言语识别记忆;(4)使用连续视觉记忆测试进行短期和长期视觉识别记忆;(5)使用Raven的标准渐进矩阵进行抽象推理。
■我们观察到程序记忆的改善,持续和选择性的关注,以及在工厂工作1或2年后的短期和长期视觉识别记忆。我们没有观察到手指或手动灵巧或双手灵巧的改善,也不是短期或长期陈述性言语记忆或言语识别记忆,也不是抽象推理。
■我们得出的结论是,除了改善身心健康,精心设计的制造工作可以作为一种培训干预措施,改善患有认知障碍的个体的某些类型的认知功能。
UNASSIGNED: Employment is recognized as a fundamental human right, which correlates with better physical and mental health. Importantly, well-designed work, which considers the physical, social, and psychological impacts of work, can serve to enhance the cognitive abilities of workers. Although often overlooked, work for individuals with disabilities, including cognitive impairments, is equally important for their physical and mental well-being. What has not been established, however, is whether well-designed work can also enhance the cognitive abilities of individuals with cognitive impairments.
UNASSIGNED: Using a longitudinal study design, we investigated the impact of well-designed work on the cognitive abilities of 60 participants (operators) at the AMIPI Foundation factories, which employ individuals with cognitive impairments to produce electrical cables and harnesses for the automobile industry. The same operators were assessed at three different time points: upon hiring (n = 60), and after working in the factory for 1 year (n = 41, since 19 left the factory) and 2 years (n = 28, since 13 more left the factory). We used five cognitive tests evaluating: (1) finger and manual dexterity, bimanual dexterity, and procedural memory using the Purdue Pegboard; (2) sustained and selective attention using the Symbol Cancellation Task; (3) short- and long-term declarative verbal memory and long-term verbal recognition memory using Rey\'s Audio-Verbal Learning Test; (4) short- and long-term visual recognition memory using the Continuous Visual Memory Test; and (5) abstract reasoning using Raven\'s Standard Progressive Matrices.
UNASSIGNED: We observed improvements in procedural memory, sustained and selective attention, and short- and long-term visual recognition memory after working in the factory for 1 or 2 years. We did not observe improvements in finger or manual dexterity or bimanual dexterity, nor short- or long-term declarative verbal memory or verbal recognition memory, nor abstract reasoning.
UNASSIGNED: We conclude that, in addition to improving physical and mental well-being, well-designed manufacturing work can serve as a training intervention improving some types of cognitive functioning in individuals with cognitive impairments.