EMPLOYMENT, ATTITUDES TOWARD WORK, AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE AMONG PEOPLE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA IN 3 COUNTRIES

This study examines attitudes toward work, work incentives, and the im pact of work on quality of life for people with schizophrenia, and inv estigates whether these findings differ among Western countries. We in terviewed 24 randomly selected subjects with schizophrenia and schizoa ffective disorder (12 employed and 12 unemployed) at each of three sit es: Boulder, Colorado, United States; Berlin, Germany; and Berne, Swit zerland. No significant differences were found in the subjects' attitu des toward work or subjective well-being, although Swiss patients had a higher cost-of-living-adjusted income. Unemployed subjects reported a lower subjective reservation (minimum financially worthwhile) wage t han employed subjects in Berlin and Berne, whereas the reverse was tru e in Boulder, When subjects from all sites were combined, employed pat ients displayed less psychopathology and significant advantages in ter ms of objective and subjective measures of income and well-being: They were also more likely to stress the importance of work. The results s uggest that work is associated with a markedly better quality of life for people with schizophrenia, but that disability pension programs in the United States might introduce work disincentives.