Correlates of employment interest among adults with schizophrenia

Abstract

Background/Aims: Role functioning is an important part of recovery and psychiatric rehabilitation for people with schizophrenia. However, little is known about why some people and not others return to socially valued roles such as employment. While the demographic and clinical correlates of employment have been extensively studied, little is known about how employment interest forms and develops into actual employment activity. The aim was to compare demographic and clinical correlates of employment interest to correlates of actual employment participation.

Methods: A community sample of 255 working-age adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were interviewed about their current employment status and current employment interest. Univariate logistic regression was used to examine the demographic and clinical correlates of both employment interest and participation.

Findings: Age, employment history and severity of current hallucinations were associated with both employment interest and participation, while illness severity pattern, illness course, severity of disability, and severity of avolition were associated only with employment participation.

Conclusions: Resilience of employment interest to the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia is a promising finding. Those with more severe illness patterns and more impaired functioning can remain good candidates for vocational rehabilitation, because interest and motivation for employment may be unaffected.