Virtual Reality Job Interview Training in Severe Mental Illness

Employment rates at 9-month follow-up visit measured with questionnaire.

We evaluated the number of days between randomization and obtaining employment using a questionnaire administered over phone interviews with the subject and also verifying with Supported Employment (IPS) tracking system.

Interviewing skills will be measured using a role-play measure in which subjects act out two job interview scenarios with trained actors. Interviews will be video recorded and scored. An average of the two scenarios at baseline was used to create a single pretest score and an average of the two scenarios at posttest was used to create a single posttest score. The method of assessment is the job interview skills rating scale as measured by the Mock Interview Rating Scale. Possible scores range from 8 to 40, with higher scores indicating better interview skills.

Self-reported interview self-confidence. Participants self-reported their confidence in interview skills at pretest and posttest by using a nine-item survey, with items rated on a 7-point scale (1, extremely unskilled, to 7, extremely skilled); total scores were computed across all items. The minimum score is 9 and the maximum score would be 63. Higher scores indicate higher self-confidence in interview skills.

Self-reported measure of interviewing anxiety completed at pretest and posttest. Participants rated their interview anxiety with an adapted version of the 34-item Personal Report of Public Speaking Apprehension (PRSPA); the phrase "publics peaking" was replaced with "job interviewing." Items were coded from 1, strongly disagree, to 5, strongly agree. Total scores were computed by using the PRSPA's validated two-step total score procedure with the minimum score being 34 and maximum score being 170. Higher scores indicate higher interview anxiety.

Measured by Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA). Roleplay performance: The SSPA includes two brief (3-minute) roleplays in which participants engage in a conversation with an unknown confederate who plays the role of a new neighbor(NN) or a landlord (LL). The NN and LL role plays were video recorded at the pre- and posttest visits and were blindly rated by use of an anchoring system. The NN roleplay was scored on eight items via a 5-point scale (e.g., 5,very interested, to 1, very disinterested), and the LL roleplay was scored on nine items via a 5-point scale (e.g., 5,very focused, to 1, very unfocused). The two role-play scores were combined to create one total pretest score and one total posttest score. Sum scores could have a minimum of 17 and maximum of 85. Higher scores indicated better skills.

The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) consists of 18 items and uses a seven-item Likert scale with 1 = "not present", and 7 = "extremely severe". Sum scores can range from 18 to 126. Higher scores indicate more symptoms.