Persons with mental health problems often express a clear desire to work, although whatfactors that contribute to this healthy aspiration are less clear. The purpose of this study thuswas to explore person, healthcare, and work-related factors in relation to desire to work inpersons visiting psychiatric outpatient clinics. The sample consisted of 272 persons visitingone of four psychiatric outpatient centres from two county councils in the south of Sweden.The possible participants were asked if they wanted to participate in research while waitingfor their scheduled appointments. A comprehensive questionnaire consisting of factors inthe research literature as well as factors advocated by patient organisations was used. Theparticipants’ ratings were analysed using non-parametric group comparisons and logisticregressions. Free-text answers were analysed by content. Higher education, better mentalhealth self-efficacy, and more experiences of demands and conflicts at the workplace wereall significantly related to desire to work in bivariate analyses. However, fighting spirit andsocial support at work had the strongest associations with desire to work in the multivariatelogistic analyses. The Nagelkerke R2 was .34. Free text answers indicated the importanceof managers’ role for the psychosocial work climate, and for receiving help with structuringthe workday to allow recovery after sickness absence. In contrast to the traditional prevocationalrehabilitation approach, and in line with a supportive work environment approach,the results points to the possibility to influence a further improved desire to work throughsupportive leadership and an open and communicative psychosocial climate.