Job Offers to Individuals With Severe Mental Illness After Participation in Virtual Reality Job Interview Training

Abstract

Objective Individuals with severe mental illness have low employment rates and the job interview presents a critical barrier for them to obtain competitive employment. Prior randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicated virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved job interviewing skills among trainees. The current study assessed whether VR-JIT participation was associated with greater odds of receiving job offers upon 6-month follow-up. Methods VR-JIT trainees (n=39) and a comparison group (n=12) completed a brief survey approximately 6 months after finishing the RCTs to assess the efficacy of VR-JIT. Primary vocational outcome measures included receiving a job offer and number of weeks searching for employment. Results A higher proportion of trainees received a job offer than comparison participants (51% (n=20) vs. 25% (n=3), respectively). Trainees were more likely to receive a job offer than comparison participants (odds ratio=9.64, p<.05) after accounting for cognition, recency of last job, and diagnosis. Among trainees, there were greater odds of receiving a job offer for each completed VR-JIT trial (odds ratio=1.41, p<.05) and a greater number of completed VR-JIT trials predicted fewer weeks searching for employment (β=−.74, p<.05). Conclusions Results provide preliminary support that VR-JIT is a promising intervention associated with enhanced vocational outcomes among individuals with severe mental illness. Given that participants had minimal access to standardized vocational services, future research could evaluate the effectiveness of VR-JIT among individuals with and without access to standardized vocational services as well as evaluate strategies to implement VR-JIT within a large community mental health service provider.

Virtual reality job interview training and 6-month employment outcomes for individuals with schizophrenia seeking employment

“…Also, our findings that trainees with schizophrenia had greater odds of receiving job offers and higher doses of training were related to fewer weeks of job searching replicated the results from a recent 6-month follow-up study of a cohort primarily diagnosed with mood disorders or PTSD (Smith et al, in press-b). …”

“…Moreover, VR-JIT trainees sustained their self-confidence and were more likely to receive job offers than controls when evaluated six months later. Additionally, completing more VR-JIT trials was associated with greater odds of receiving a job offer and spending fewer weeks searching for employment (Smith et al, in press-b). …”

Enhancing individual placement and support (IPS) - Supported employment: A Type 1 hybrid design randomized controlled trial to evaluate virtual reality job interview training among adults with severe mental illness

“…We estimated the employment rate for IPS only at 6 month follow-up will be 25% based on the literature indicating IPS employment rates at 12 months follow-up are 50-60% [6]. Based on our earlier study where we found an OR = 9.6 [22], or effectively tripling the employment rate, and a power of 0.99 at this magnitude of effect, we feel confident that we will have sufficient power in this study.…”

“…These studies demonstrated that VR-JIT trainees with SMI improved their interviewing skills and interviewing self-efficacy compared to a control group [17][18][19][20][21]. VR-JIT trainees also had an increased likelihood of getting job offers [17,19,[22][23][24]. However, the apparent efficacy of this approach among individuals with SMI (of which only 30-40% were receiving some form of vocational services) requires replication in more representative samples of persons with SMI enrolled in IPS.…”

Nine Questions Toward Influences of Emerging Science and Technology on Urban Environment Planning and Design

“…Admittedly, virtual reality has its positive impact and necessity indeed. In some settings, virtual reality can provide an important aid for human health within the environmental setting with physical limits [9] [10] , including hospitals, prisons, drug rehabilitation centers, factories with poor or hazardous conditions, and harsh places (such as the Antarctic area) where it is hard to provide necessary environment for healthy mental and physical experience. For instance, virtual reality can provide patients in hospitals with a spiritual experience beyond the physical site.…”