title: [Competitive employment in schizophrenia: clinical and neuropsychological  correlates and quality of life].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationships among psychopatology, cognitive functioning, quality of life and competitive employment in patients with stable schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 143 consecutive outpatients with stable schizophrenia, divided into 2 groups (unemployed and competitive employed subjects). A clinical and a neuropsychological assessments were performed. The differences between the two groups were tested using chi-square test for categorical variables and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for continuous variables. Variables significantly different between the two groups of subjects were analyzed using a logistic regression with a backward stepwise procedure to assess their independent contribution to competitive employment in the two patients' groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups of patients had similar demographic characteristics, except education. Negative symptoms (PANSS-N) and general psychopathology (PANSS-G) were significantly less severe in the group of patients with a competitive employment, that also showed higher scores at the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) and higher scores on verbal memory/learning (CVLT) and attentive functions (Stroop test). Binary logistic regression showed that education, verbal memory/learning and quality of life, were significantly associated with the presence of competitive employment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings confirmed the importance of cognitive function in obtaining competitive employment and highlighted the independent role of quality of life and education on occupational functioning in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Universita di Torino.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Birindelli
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giugiario
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Graffino
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mingrone
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sandei
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rocca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003071:Cognition; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007858:Learning; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology