An Investigation of Employment Hope as a Key Factor Influencing Perceptions of Subjective Recovery among Adults with Serious Mental Illness Seeking Community Work

Abstract

Introduction: Employment is an important contributor to recovery in people with serious mental illness (SMI), yet studies have not explored how subjective elements of employment hope contribute to perceptions of global recovery in this population. Methods: The current study examined the relationship between employment hope and subjective recovery in 276 unemployed adults with SMI participating in a multi-site clinical trial of a cognitive behavioral group intervention tailored toward work and combined with vocational rehabilitation. Participants had diagnoses of schizophrenia spectrum, bipolar, depressive, and posttraumatic stress disorders, and were receiving services at three Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities in the United States. Data were collected at study baseline. Linear regression analysis examined the relationship between employment hope (Short Employment Hope Scale; EHS-14) and subjective recovery (Recovery Assessment Scale; RAS) after controlling for psychiatric symptom severity and mental-health-related burden on daily life. Results: After accounting for covariates, employment hope significantly contributed to the regression model explaining subjective recovery. The overall model of predictor variables explained 52.5% of the variance in recovery. The results further explore the relationships between EHS-14 and RAS subscales. Conclusions: The findings suggest that employment hope is a key intervention target to bolster subjective recovery in this vulnerable population.