RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY, WORK SKILLS, AND FUTURE VOCATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Objective: Experts do not agree on what, if any, relationships exist b etween diagnosis, symptomatology, work skills, and the future vocation al performance of persons with severe mental illness. The objective of this study was to longitudinally examine such relationships, sing a s ample of clients who were attending psychosocial rehabilitation progra ms. Methods: Subjects were 275 clients of three psychosocial rehabilit ation programs who had expressed a vocational goal. They were assessed at intake into the study and then quarterly until they left the rehab ilitation program. The variables examined included symptoms, measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; diagnosis; work skills, measure d by the Griffiths Work Behavior Scale; and vocational status at end-p oint. Results: Among subjects remaining in the study for one year both symptomatology and work skills improved significantly. Moderately sig nificant negative correlations were found between symptoms and work sk ills; subjects who became employed had lower symptom scores and higher work skills than persons who never became employed. Conclusions: Alth ough a moderate relationship was found between symptomatology and work skills, symptoms should not be considered a proxy measure for vocatio nal functioning among persons with severe mental illness. Participatio n in psychosocial rehabilitation programs appeared to have a salutary effect on symptoms and work skills.