Interest in Employment Among People with Schizophrenia

There are divergent findings about the level of employment interest among community residents with schizophrenia. In addition, little is known about interest in other socially valued roles, such as formal education and training, self-development, living independently, and other forms of rehabilitation. Interest in employment is important as an indicator of demand for effective supported employment services. Data for this analysis were provided by a large and well-defined community sample of 255 persons with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Role functioning was investigated with the Socially-Valued Role Classification Scale. Interest in employment was high, with 85% of the participants being either employed or interested in employment as a future goal. In addition, 95% of participants were either performing, or interested in performing, two other socially valued roles (education and training or rehabilitation). This is more encouraging than some previous studies suggest and indicates that 95% of all community residents with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are candidates for effective rehabilitation programs. Further research is needed to understand the importance of interest in socially valued roles and how appropriate assistance can develop both interest and lack of interest into motivation and action within each role domain.