title: Mechanism of Action for Obtaining Job Offers With Virtual Reality Job Interview Training.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Four randomized controlled trials revealed that virtual-reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved interviewing skills and the odds of obtaining a job offer among trainees with severe mental illness or autism spectrum disorder. This study assessed whether postintervention interviewing skills mediated the relationship between completion of virtual interviews and receiving job offers by six-month follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  VR-JIT trainees (N=79) completed pre- and posttest mock interviews and a brief survey approximately six months later to assess whether they received a job offer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As hypothesized, analyses indicated that the number of completed virtual interviews predicted greater posttest interviewing skills (β=.20, 95% posterior credible interval [PCI]=.08-.33), which in turn predicted trainees' obtaining a job offer (β=.28, 95% PCI=.01-.53).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VR-JIT may provide a mechanism of action that helps trainees with various psychiatric diagnoses obtain job offers in the community. Future research can evaluate the community-based effectiveness of this novel intervention.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Matthew J. Smith is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (email: mattjsmi@umich.edu ), and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, where Dr. Justin D. Smith, Dr. Fleming, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Brown are affiliated. Ms. Humm and Dr. Olsen are with SIMmersion, L.L.C., Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Bell is with the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Dr. Matthew J. Smith is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (email: mattjsmi@umich.edu ), and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, where Dr. Justin D. Smith, Dr. Fleming, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Brown are affiliated. Ms. Humm and Dr. Olsen are with SIMmersion, L.L.C., Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Bell is with the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Justin D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Dr. Matthew J. Smith is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (email: mattjsmi@umich.edu ), and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, where Dr. Justin D. Smith, Dr. Fleming, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Brown are affiliated. Ms. Humm and Dr. Olsen are with SIMmersion, L.L.C., Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Bell is with the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Dr. Matthew J. Smith is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (email: mattjsmi@umich.edu ), and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, where Dr. Justin D. Smith, Dr. Fleming, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Brown are affiliated. Ms. Humm and Dr. Olsen are with SIMmersion, L.L.C., Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Bell is with the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Dr. Matthew J. Smith is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (email: mattjsmi@umich.edu ), and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, where Dr. Justin D. Smith, Dr. Fleming, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Brown are affiliated. Ms. Humm and Dr. Olsen are with SIMmersion, L.L.C., Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Bell is with the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: C Hendricks
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Dr. Matthew J. Smith is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (email: mattjsmi@umich.edu ), and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, where Dr. Justin D. Smith, Dr. Fleming, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Brown are affiliated. Ms. Humm and Dr. Olsen are with SIMmersion, L.L.C., Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Bell is with the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Humm
authors.affiliation: Dr. Matthew J. Smith is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (email: mattjsmi@umich.edu ), and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, where Dr. Justin D. Smith, Dr. Fleming, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Brown are affiliated. Ms. Humm and Dr. Olsen are with SIMmersion, L.L.C., Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Bell is with the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Dale
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Dr. Matthew J. Smith is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (email: mattjsmi@umich.edu ), and with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, where Dr. Justin D. Smith, Dr. Fleming, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Brown are affiliated. Ms. Humm and Dr. Olsen are with SIMmersion, L.L.C., Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Bell is with the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Morris D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004505:Education, Nonprofessional / Q000379:methods*; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007586:Job Application; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D000076142:Virtual Reality; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: PTSD; Virtual reality training; autism spectrum disorders; job interview skills; severe mental illness; vocational outcomes; vocational training