title: Exploring communication and interaction skills at work among participants in individual placement and support.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Not all people with severe mental illness who attend Individual Placement and Support (IPS) gain and keep their jobs or work full time. Research has indicated a relationship between social disabilities and work performance in this group, and that support provided is often directed towards the social work environment. However, relationships between social skills performed in an authentic work setting and vocational outcomes have not been explored.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore relationships between social communication and interaction skills and vocational outcomes among IPS service users in a Swedish context.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine participants were appraised with the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills (ACIS-S) instrument, and their vocational data were registered. Correlations were estimated using Spearman's rho test with Bonferroni corrections at item level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Better communication and interaction skills were significantly correlated with increased working hours (rs = 0.64) and higher income (rs = 0.45). Increased working hours were related to assuming postures, asking questions, sharing information, and sustaining conversation in an appropriate manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that occupational therapists need to focus on social skills and accommodation of the social work environment in order to promote sustainable working careers among people with severe mental illness.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences/Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research , Lund University ;
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lexén
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Sciences/Work and Mental Health , Lund University.
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bejerholm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016832:Employment, Supported; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D066107:Social Skills; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Occupational therapy; psychiatric disability; schizophrenia; social skills; vocational rehabilitation