Extrait

Background and study aims Having a job is important to a person’s identity and self-esteem. People who are unemployed are more likely to suffer from a wide range of mental and physical ill health as a consequence. It is widely recognised that people with severe mental health problems (such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder) benefit socially, psychologically and economically from being employed. Government policy is geared towards encouraging people into work, and in recent years some of the barriers in the benefits system have been overcome. We have also learned about the most effective ways to support people with severe mental health problems who wish to work. An approach called Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is recommended by Department of Health guidelines. However, employment rates remain low, in Nottinghamshire no higher than 15%. Traditional vocational rehabilitation involved people first being treated to control their symptoms followed by training or work experience in a sheltered environment. However, in IPS clinical treatment and employment support are integrated and occur at the same time. The focus here is to help people get a job corresponding with their interests and then providing all the support they need for as long as necessary. This study aims to increase the number of people with mental health problems who are in paid work in Nottinghamshire. Besides boosting the supply of high-quality employment support, it will look at alternative ways of providing this, both with and without work-focused psychological counseling. Who can participate? Participants of working age (18-65) will be recruited from the caseloads of community mental health teams (CMHTs) and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) teams in Nottinghamshire. What does the study involve? Participants are randomly allocated to receive either IPS alone or IPS with work-focused psychological support, to see which approach has the best outcome. Participants complete questionnaires at the start of the study and after 6 and 12 months, and are also contacted via phone after 3, 9 and 18 months. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Not provided at time of registration. Where is the study run from? NIHR CLAHRC Nottinghamshire (UK). When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? August 2010 to July 2013. Who is funding the study? National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (UK). Who is the main contact? Prof. Justine Schneider [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• Severe Mental illness

Liens

• ictrp
• isrctn