Motivational Interviewing to Improve Work Outcomes in Schizophrenia

Many individuals with serious psychiatric illnesses wish to work, and yet employment rates for this population are lower than the general population (Cook & Razanno, 2000). IPS is a type of supported employment intervention designed to assist individuals with serious psychiatric illnesses return to work. Over 20 randomized trials demonstrate that, in comparison to control conditions such as group therapy or referrals to traditional vocational rehabilitation services, IPS participants are three more times more likely to obtain a job during the study, and at least twice as likely to be competitively employed at any point in the study. Just as with the general population, the rewards of work for individuals with serious mental illness include considerably more than the financial remuneration. For example, employment appears to confer higher self-esteem, greater life satisfaction, and perhaps even better treatment compliance, symptom improvement, and insight in persons with psychiatric illnesses (Bell et al, 1996; Lysacker et al, 1995; Mueser et al, 1997; Bond et al, 1997; Kashner et al, 2002). Despite its demonstrated effectiveness, these IPS results could be improved. Most IPS participants are not competitively employed at any point in time, it takes an average of about four months to obtain a first job, a typical job lasts only approximately 20-25 weeks, and employment rates across the sample asymptote at about month 8 or 9 of participation in the trials. Furthermore, obtaining a first job seems to be an almost insurmountable impediment for approximately 35-40% of individuals in the trials, and these findings may be worse in individuals iwth schizophrenia (Twamely et al, 2003) . Motivational deficits may play a prominent role in explaining the limited benefits accruing from IPS in persons with serious and persisting psychiatric illnesses, especially in those with schizophrenia. Building a successful work life requires sustained effort over months and years (Palmer, 1989). After a period of unemployment, individuals must obtain their first reemployment position, and then transition to others as circumstances arise. Many persons with schizophrenia experience high degrees of negative symptoms, demoralization, and ambivalence, which likely all interfere with the persistent efforts required to initiate and maintain a successful vocational adjustment. Enhancing already validated vocational rehabilitation programs, such as IPS, with specific techniques to address motivational deficits may be essential to increasing employment rates among persons with schizophrenia. In this study, we tested a novel strategy designed to improve motivation for positive behavior change, motivational interviewing, adapted for work-related problems, in persons with schizophrenia. With the objective of improving work outcomes, we assigned 38 outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to one of two 18 month psychosocial treatment groups, traditional Individual Placement and Support (IPS) with the addition of illness education (IE) about schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder, as appropriate, or with the addition of Vocationally-oriented Motivational Interviewing (VOMI). We hypothesized that: 1) clients with schizophrenia who participated in IPS+VOMI would better vocational outcomes than IPS+IE clients. 2) If they are separated from their first job, clients with schizophrenia who participate in IPS+VOMI would be more likely to obtain a second job than clients who receive IPS+IE; and 3) Regardless of their treatment condition, working clients with schizophrenia would have greater social adjustment, symptoms, and life satisfaction than those who are not working.

Inclusion criteria

• Patient must have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disease
• Currently unemployed but want to get at least a part time job
• Be on a stable medication regimen and compliant with treatment
• Live within one hour of the hospital
• Be willing to have care transferred to the Schizophrenia Outpatient Clinic at VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

Exclusion criteria

• Organic brain disease
• Physical illnesses that would preclude working