Gr. Bond et al., Does competitive employment improve nonvocational outcomes for people withsevere mental illness?, J CONS CLIN, 69(3), 2001, pp. 489-501
The authors examined the cumulative effects of work on symptoms, quality of
life, and self-esteem for 149 unemployed clients with severe mental illnes
s receiving vocational rehabilitation. Nonvocational measures were assessed
at 6-month intervals throughout the 18-month study period, and vocational
activity was tracked continuously. On the basis of their predominant work a
ctivity over the study period, participants were classified into 4 groups:
competitive work, sheltered work, minimal work, and no work. The groups did
not differ at baseline on any of the nonvocational measures. Using mixed e
ffects regression analysis to examine rates of change over time, the author
s found that the competitive work group showed higher rates of improvement
in symptoms; in satisfaction with vocational services, leisure, and finance
s; and in self-esteem than did participants in a combined minimal work-no w
ork group. The sheltered work group showed no such advantage.