Vocational rehabilitation in schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia exacts a heavy toll on a person's capacity to work, and a variety of vocational rehabilitation interventions have been developed over the past few decades to enhance the vocational capacities of persons with this disorder. The research literature on outcomes of vocational rehabilitation during the era of deinstitutionalization for persons with schizophrenia is reviewed. Most vocational rehabilitation programs have a positive influence on work-related activities, but most have failed to show substantial and enduring impacts on independent, competitive employment. Recent advances in supported employment suggest that vocational rehabilitation offers greater promise than do transitional and sheltered employment approaches. Vocational rehabilitation intervention may also exert positive influences on such clinical outcomes as medication compliance, symptom reduction, and relapse.