title: Employment outcome for people with schizophrenia in rural v. urban China: population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although outcomes among people with schizophrenia differ by social context, this has rarely been examined across rural v. urban settings. For individuals with schizophrenia, employment is widely recognised as a critical ingredient of social integration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare employment for people with schizophrenia in rural v. urban settings in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a large community-based study in four provinces representing 12% of China's population, we identified 393 people with schizophrenia (112 never treated). We used adjusted Poisson regression models to compare employment for those living in rural (n = 297) v. urban (n = 96) settings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although rural and urban residents had similar impairments due to symptoms, rural residents were three times more likely to be employed (adjusted relative risk 3.27, 95% CI 2.11-5.07, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with schizophrenia have greater opportunities to use their capacities for productive work in rural than urban settings in China. Contextual mechanisms that may explain this result offer a useful focus for future research.
authors.affiliation: Lawrence H. Yang, PhD, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA; Michael R. Phillips, MD, MPH, MA, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China, Departments of Psychiatry and Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA, and WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Beijing Hui Long Guan Hospital, Beijing, China; Xianyun Li, BMed, MMed, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Beijing Hui Long Guan Hospital, Beijing, China; Gary Yu, MPH, Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA; Jingxuan Zhang, BMed, Shandong Provincial Mental Health Center, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China; Qichang Shi, BMed, Tong De Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhiqiang Song, BMed, The 3rd People's Hospital of Qinghai Province, Xining City, Qinghai Province, China; Zhijie Ding, BMed, Tianshui City Mental Hospital, Tianshui City, Gansu Province, China; Shutao Pang, BMed, Qingdao Mental Health Centre, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China; Ezra Susser, MD, DrPH, Global Mental Health Program at Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Xianyun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jingxuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qichang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Zhijie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Shutao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Ezra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Susser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data