Rates and correlates of employment in people with schizophrenia in the UK, France and Germany.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about international variations in employment rates among people with schizophrenia or about the factors associated with employment in this disorder.


OBJECTIVE
To describe employment patterns and the variables associated with working in an international sample of people with schizophrenia.


METHODS
An analysis was made of baseline data from the European Schizophrenia Cohort study, a 2-year investigation of people with schizophrenia in contact with secondary services and living in France, Germany and the UK (n=1208).


RESULTS
Participants were working in all sections of the job market. People who had a degree, were living with their families or had experienced only a single episode of illness were more likely to be working. A continuous illness course, more severe non-psychotic symptoms and drug misuse reduced the odds of employment. There were large variations between centres in employment rates, which were highest in the three German study sites. These differences persisted after adjustment for individual characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
Local social contexts may be as important as individual or illness-related factors in explaining employment status.
Marwaha
Steven
S
Department of Mental Health Sciences, Royal Free and University College London Medical School, 48 Riding House Street, London W1W 7EY, UK, and Psychiatrie Adultes, Hospital Sainte Marguerite, Marseille, France. stevenmarwaha@yahoo.co.uk
Johnson
Sonia
S
Bebbington
Paul
P
Stafford
Mai
M
Angermeyer
Matthias C
MC
Brugha
Traolach
T
Azorin
Jean-Michel
JM
Kilian
Reinhold
R
Hansen
Karina
K
Toumi
Mondher
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors