TY - JOUR
T1 - Job offers to individuals with severe mental illness after participation in virtual reality job interview training
AU - Smith, Matthew J.
AU - Fleming, Michael F.
AU - Wright, Michael A.
AU - Jordan, Neil
AU - Humm, Laura Boteler
AU - Olsen, Dale
AU - Bell, Morris D.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2015/11/1
Y1 - 2015/11/1
N2 - 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 that virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved job interviewing skills among trainees. This study assessed whether VR-JIT participationwas associated with greater odds of receiving job offers in the six-months after completion of training. Methods: To assess the efficacy of VR-JIT, trainees (N=39) in the method and a comparison group (N=12) completed a brief survey approximately sixmonths after participating in the RCTs. Primary vocational outcome measures included receiving a job offer and number of weeks searching for employment. Results: A larger proportion of trainees than comparison participants received a job offer (51% versus 25%, respectively). Trainees were more likely to receive a job offer than comparison participants (odds ratio=9.64, p=.02) after analyses accounted for cognition, recency of last job, and diagnosis. Trainees had greater odds of receiving a job offer for each completed VR-JIT trial (odds ratio=1.41, p=.04), and a greater number of completed VR-JIT trials predicted fewer weeks of searching for employment (β=-.74, p=.02). 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.
AB - 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 that virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) improved job interviewing skills among trainees. This study assessed whether VR-JIT participationwas associated with greater odds of receiving job offers in the six-months after completion of training. Methods: To assess the efficacy of VR-JIT, trainees (N=39) in the method and a comparison group (N=12) completed a brief survey approximately sixmonths after participating in the RCTs. Primary vocational outcome measures included receiving a job offer and number of weeks searching for employment. Results: A larger proportion of trainees than comparison participants received a job offer (51% versus 25%, respectively). Trainees were more likely to receive a job offer than comparison participants (odds ratio=9.64, p=.02) after analyses accounted for cognition, recency of last job, and diagnosis. Trainees had greater odds of receiving a job offer for each completed VR-JIT trial (odds ratio=1.41, p=.04), and a greater number of completed VR-JIT trials predicted fewer weeks of searching for employment (β=-.74, p=.02). 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.
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U2 - 10.1176/appi.ps.201400504
DO - 10.1176/appi.ps.201400504
M3 - Article
C2 - 26130002
AN - SCOPUS:84946553654
VL - 66
SP - 1173
EP - 1179
JO - Psychiatric Services
JF - Psychiatric Services
SN - 1075-2730
IS - 11
ER -