The relationship between having a job and the outcome of brief therapy in patients with common mental disorders.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100968559 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-244X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1471244X NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Psychiatry Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-

Mental Disorders*/psychology ; Psychotic Disorders*; Child ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Employment/psychology ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Mental Health

Background: Previous studies have shown that being employed is associated not only with patients' health but also with the outcome of their treatment for severe mental illness. This study examined what influence employment had on improvements in mental health and functioning among patients with common mental disorders who received brief treatment and how patients' diagnosis, environmental and individual factors moderated the association between being employed and treatment outcome.
Methods: The study used naturalistic data from a cohort of patients in a large mental health franchise in the Netherlands. The data were obtained from electronic registration systems, intake questionnaires and Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM). The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework was used to identify potential subgroups of patients. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between employment status and treatment outcome and to determine how the relationship differed among ICF subgroups of patients.
Results: A strong relationship was found between employment status and the outcome of brief therapy for patients with common mental disorders. After potential confounding variables had been controlled, patients who were employed were 54% more likely to recover compared to unemployed patients. Two significant interactions were identified. Among patients who were 60 years of age or younger, being employed was positively related to recovery, but this relationship disappeared in patients older than 60 years. Second, among patients in all living situations there was a positive effect of being employed on recovery, but this effect did not occur among children (18+) who were living with a single parent.
Conclusions: Being employed was positively associated with treatment outcome among both people with a severe mental illness and those with a common mental disorder (CMD). The main strength of this study was its use of a large dataset from a nationwide franchised company. Attention to work is important not only for people with a severe mental illness, but also for people with a CMD. This means that in addition to re-integration methods that focus on people with a severe mental illness, more interventions are needed for people with a CMD.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)

J Occup Rehabil. 2018 Sep;28(3):393-417. (PMID: 28980107)
J Consult Clin Psychol. 1991 Feb;59(1):12-9. (PMID: 2002127)
Psychol Med. 2003 Feb;33(2):299-306. (PMID: 12622308)
Can J Psychiatry. 2018 Sep;63(9):581-589. (PMID: 29673270)
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2011 Jul;65(7):639-44. (PMID: 20805192)
Psychiatr Serv. 2021 Sep 1;72(9):1040-1047. (PMID: 33940948)
Br J Psychiatry. 2016 Jul;209(1):14-22. (PMID: 27103678)
J Health Soc Behav. 1995 Sep;36(3):230-43. (PMID: 7594356)
Arch Intern Med. 2012 Dec 10;172(22):1731-7. (PMID: 23401888)
Disabil Rehabil. 2018 Mar;40(5):603-611. (PMID: 28129712)
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2015 Feb;61(1):73-81. (PMID: 24903684)
J Consult Clin Psychol. 2009 Aug;77(4):775-87. (PMID: 19634969)
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2015 Apr;50(4):613-20. (PMID: 25308058)
Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2009 Jul;22(4):381-5. (PMID: 19417666)
Psychol Aging. 2003 Jun;18(2):250-67. (PMID: 12825775)
Psychol Bull. 2003 Nov;129(6):946-72. (PMID: 14599289)
J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Dec;47(12):1876-85. (PMID: 24074517)
J Affect Disord. 2017 Apr 15;213:78-85. (PMID: 28199892)
Front Psychol. 2023 Mar 02;14:1017358. (PMID: 36935981)
Am Psychol. 2000 Jan;55(1):68-78. (PMID: 11392867)
Scand J Public Health. 2015 Jul;43(5):469-80. (PMID: 25868643)
J Affect Disord. 2008 Jan;105(1-3):63-72. (PMID: 17524494)
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2015;28(3):407-18. (PMID: 26190722)

Keywords: Brief therapy; Common mental disorders; Employment status; Recovery

Date Created: 20231205 Date Completed: 20231207 Latest Revision: 20240116

20240116

PMC10698972

10.1186/s12888-023-05418-z

38053035