Building human capital to increase earning power among people living with mental illnesses.
OBJECTIVE
Human Capital Theory, a well-established model from the field of economics, maintains that a person's lifetime earnings are affected by the amount of education and job training they receive. This study uses Human Capital Theory to predict wages and explain employment outcomes among individuals living with psychiatric illnesses.


METHODS
Hourly wages were examined between 100 individuals with mental illnesses and 100 matched comparisons who had no mental illnesses.


RESULTS
The study found that participants with mental illnesses earned $12.19 an hour vs. $14.54 an hour earned by their counterparts without disability. The study also revealed that higher educational attainment and longer work history predicted higher wages among participants with mental illnesses. The severity of psychiatric symptoms and diagnosis, however, did not predict wages.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that human capital variables are correlated with wages earned by persons living with mental illnesses. Findings also suggest that assisting mental health consumers in the pursuit of education and job training may increase earning potential which can lead to financial independence and community integration. This supports the value in developing and implementing Supported Education to assist consumers in acquiring education and job training.
Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation & Counseling Professions, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stratford, NJ 08084, USA. gaoni@umdnj.edu
Ni
N
Gao
Lisa T
LT
Schmidt
Kenneth J
KJ
Gill
Carlos W
CW
Pratt
D000328:Adult; D002322:Career Mobility; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011788:Quality of Life; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D012917:Social Adjustment; D026712:Value of Life