title: Mental disorders and work integration: a retrospective study in a northern italian town.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN A VOCATIONAL INTEGRATION SERVICE OF A NORTHERN ITALIAN TOWN WITH TWO MAJOR AIMS: to assess vocational integration programs undertaken from 1(st) January 2004 to 1(st) January 2007; and to identify job tenure-associated predictors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study; we collected data such as gender, age, duration, type and outcome of the vocational integration program, and number of interventions performed by the vocational integration service. Self-report questionnaires were also used to assess the satisfaction of users, caregivers, practitioners, and of the company contacts involved in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The service has enrolled 84 users during the observation period. Out of these users, 64.3% of them still had their jobs after three years. Users, caregivers and company contacts expressed high levels of satisfaction for the support received by the vocational integration service. The company expressed less satisfaction for the collaboration received by the Departments of Mental Health (DMHs) that coached the users. The only variable associated to the outcome was the number of interventions that the users received before their placement on the job.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite all the limits of this study, its results show that the chance of taking advantage of a supported job placement service has likely proven itself effective in helping people with mental disorders to obtain and maintain a competitive employment. Our results, however, also point to the necessity of implementing newer strategies meant to develop a greater integration among all services dealing with mentally ill people.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Dynamic and Clinic Psychology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, It-aly.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buizza
authors.affiliation: IRCCS "St. John of God" Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pioli
authors.affiliation: IRCCS "St. John of God" Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lecchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonetto
authors.affiliation: Local Health Authority of Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartoli
authors.affiliation: Local Health Authority of Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taglietti
authors.affiliation: Unit of Dynamic and Clinic Psychology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, It-aly.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghilardi
authors.affiliation: U.R.A.Sa.M Lombardy, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riva
keywords: Mental disorders; job tenure; outpatients; retrospective study; satisfaction; vocational integration.