Cognitive and symptom predictors of work outcomes for clients with schizophrenia in supported employment | Knowledge Translation for Employment Research Center

Authors:	McGurk,S., R., Mueser, K. T., DeRosa, T., J., & Wolfe, R.
Year Published	2003
Publication	Psychiatric Services
Volume	54
Number	8
Pages	1129-1135
Publisher	American Psychiatric Association
Background	Although previous research has indicated that symptoms and cognitive functioning are related to employment outcomes for clients with severe mental illness, few studies have examined the relationship between these client factors and outcomes in supported employment programs.
Purpose	This study examined the relationships of measures of cognitive functioning and psychiatric symptoms with work outcomes and use of vocational services for clients with schizophrenia in a supported employment program.
Setting	Study sample received outpatient services at a state hospital. Research team was based at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.
Sample	The study participants were 30 clients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who are receiving outpatients services at a state hospital. The clients diagnoses were made by a member of the research team on the basis of clinical interviews with the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History and information form the clients charts.
Data Collection	Data for the study included work outcomes, an analysis of demographic and other background predictors of work outcomes, the degree of change in clients' symptom severity and cognitive functioning over the year follow up period, and an analysis of symptom and cognitive predictors of work outcomes. Final analysis was on the relationship of symptoms and cognitive functioning with utilization of supported employment services by the clients who obtained competitive employment.
Control	There was no control or comparison condition.
Findings	Predictors of clients' work outcomes included previous work history, amount of government entitlement income received, severity of negative symptoms, involvement in sheltered work activity at baseline, and level of cognitive functioning, including scores on measures of executive functioning and verbal learning and memory. The amounts of on-job support and contact with employment specialists were predicted by the cognitive domains of executive functioning, verbal learning, attention, and psychomotor speed as well as by the severity of psychotic symptoms.
Conclusions	Clients with schizophrenia who have higher levels of cognitive impairment may require greater amounts of vocational support than those with lower levels of impairment. A variety of rehabilitation strategies may be required to improve vocational outcomes and reduce the amount of supported employment services needed by clients with schizophrenia.
URL	http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/content/31/4/898.short
Disabilities	Emotional disturbance
Populations	Hispanic or Latino \| Black / African American \| White / Caucasian \| Male & Female
Outcomes	Employment acquisition
NIDILRR Funded	No
Research Design	Quasi-experimental
Peer Reviewed	Yes

Year Published

2003

Publication

Psychiatric Services

Volume

54

Number

8

Pages

1129-1135

Publisher

American Psychiatric Association

Background

Although previous research has indicated that symptoms and cognitive functioning are related to employment outcomes for clients with severe mental illness, few studies have examined the relationship between these client factors and outcomes in supported employment programs.

Purpose

This study examined the relationships of measures of cognitive functioning and psychiatric symptoms with work outcomes and use of vocational services for clients with schizophrenia in a supported employment program.

Setting

Study sample received outpatient services at a state hospital. Research team was based at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.

Sample

The study participants were 30 clients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who are receiving outpatients services at a state hospital. The clients diagnoses were made by a member of the research team on the basis of clinical interviews with the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History and information form the clients charts.

Data Collection

Data for the study included work outcomes, an analysis of demographic and other background predictors of work outcomes, the degree of change in clients' symptom severity and cognitive functioning over the year follow up period, and an analysis of symptom and cognitive predictors of work outcomes. Final analysis was on the relationship of symptoms and cognitive functioning with utilization of supported employment services by the clients who obtained competitive employment.

Control

There was no control or comparison condition.

Findings

Predictors of clients' work outcomes included previous work history, amount of government entitlement income received, severity of negative symptoms, involvement in sheltered work activity at baseline, and level of cognitive functioning, including scores on measures of executive functioning and verbal learning and memory. The amounts of on-job support and contact with employment specialists were predicted by the cognitive domains of executive functioning, verbal learning, attention, and psychomotor speed as well as by the severity of psychotic symptoms.

Conclusions

Clients with schizophrenia who have higher levels of cognitive impairment may require greater amounts of vocational support than those with lower levels of impairment. A variety of rehabilitation strategies may be required to improve vocational outcomes and reduce the amount of supported employment services needed by clients with schizophrenia.

URL

http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/content/31/4/898.short

Disabilities

Emotional disturbance

Populations

Hispanic or Latino | Black / African American | White / Caucasian | Male & Female

Outcomes

Employment acquisition

NIDILRR Funded

No

Research Design

Quasi-experimental

Peer Reviewed

Yes