[Predicting improvement in work status of patients with chronic mental illness after vocational and integrative rehabilitation measurements].
OBJECTIVE
Chronically mentally ill patients often need special rehabilitation to be able to re-enter competitive employment. We know only very little about predicting favourable or unfavourable rehabilitation courses. The present study seeks to examine the relationship between successful rehabilitation -- as defined by a progress in professional ability -- and individual parameters obtained at initiation off-take.


METHODS
Data of 101 subjects who had completed a rehabilitation programme serve as the basis. At the beginning of rehabilitation, sociodemographic, intellectual, psychopathological and quality of life measures were obtained. Each participant was assigned to one of two rehabilitation outcome groups: progress vs. stagnation, determined by the vocational status after programme termination. Both groups were then compared regarding the aforementioned parameters at programme onset to identify substantial predictors for rehabilitation success via regression analysis.


RESULTS
High level of functioning, fewer periods of unemployment, a high level of work-related adaptation, and young age at programme onset were found to be predictive of progress in vocational status.


CONCLUSIONS
Objective parameters have a higher predictive potential regarding vocational reintegration of psychologically ill people compared to subjective criteria. Psychiatric diagnoses as defined by DSM-IV do not reveal relevant connections with subsequent vocational successful reintegration, whereas the initial level of functioning has a definite predictive value.
Galvao
A
A
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. anja.galvao@medizin.uni-halle.de
Watzke
S
S
Gawlik
B
B
Hühne
M
M
Brieger
P
P
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome