Schizophrenia and Employment: Evaluation From Professionals Point of View.
Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic disorder requiring long-lasting and comprehensive treatment. Because of this disorder patients are socially isolated. Consequently, schizophrenia has a significant economic burden both in a group of direct and indirect costs. The aim was to analyse experts' opinions in the field of psychiatry concerning work possibilities among people with schizophrenia and to present the importance of employment for more effective treatment. A worldwide study was conducted between June 2011 and June 2013 using a questionnaire consisting of six open-closed questions and a short metrics. The questionnaire was delivered to experts and spread all over the world by post and via the internet. Over 3000 questionnaires were sent and the addressed specialists were requested to return them. From received 403 questionnaires 320 were included into the study, based on adopted inclusion and exclusion criteria. Although patients are afraid of looking for a job, respondents indicated that they crave for employment. The number of people that are able to work during remission of schizophrenia is considerably higher (50.35 %) than the number of actually employed (15.85 %). Non-pharmacological therapies were indicated as important to improve patients' chances of finding a job during remission of schizophrenia. The number of people that can work during remission of schizophrenia is considerably higher than the number of affected people employed. Patients crave for a job and supported employment should be treated as priority by health-care decision makers.
Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Social Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 79 Dąbrowskiego Street, 60529, Poznań, Poland. tomekzaprutko@ump.edu.pl.
Tomasz
T
Zaprutko
Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Social Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 79 Dąbrowskiego Street, 60529, Poznań, Poland.
Krzysztof
K
Kus
Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Sexology, Lviv National Medical University, 95 Kulparkivska Street, 79021, Lviv, Ukraine.
Rostyslav
R
Bilobryvka
Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Sexology, Lviv National Medical University, 95 Kulparkivska Street, 79021, Lviv, Ukraine.
Lyudmyla
L
Rakhman
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 147 Niemannsweg Street, 24105, Kiel, Germany.
Robert
R
Göder
Department of Computer Sciences and Statistics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 79 Dąbrowskiego Street, 60529, Poznań, Poland.
Michał
M
Michalak
Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 27 Szpitalna Street, 60572, Poznań, Poland.
Andrzej
A
Pogłodziński
Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Social Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 79 Dąbrowskiego Street, 60529, Poznań, Poland.
Elżbieta
E
Nowakowska
D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Employment; Experts opinions; Indirect costs; Schizophrenia