Predictors of Job Tenure for People With a Severe Mental Illness, Enrolled in Supported Employment Programs

Objective: Different predictors of job tenure for people with a severe mental illness (SMI) have been documented. Conflicting results may be explained by the choice of indicators to measure job tenure. This study aimed to assess the contribution of employment specialist competencies working in supported employment programs, client variables, and work accommodations, in determining job tenure in the regular labor market. Method: A longitudinal study was conducted over 6 months, including people with SMI (n = 209) registered in 24 Canadian supported employment programs. Multivariable modeling analyses were performed. Results: Overall, 67% (n = 140) of the sample were employed at the 6-month follow-up. Multilevel analyses showed that shorter duration of unemployment (i.e., the number of weeks worked), employment specialist knowledge, and working alliance were the strongest predictors of job tenure for people with SMI. With respect to the number of hours worked per week, diagnosis, executive functions, social functioning, work accommodations, and employment specialist skills were the strongest predictors of job tenure for people with SMI, with 57% of variance explained. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Understanding the various predictors of job tenure can assist employment specialists in providing better interventions for the work integration of people with SMI. Impact and Implications Job tenure for people with SMI remains a challenge, and this study underlined the importance of clients and employment specialist variables as well as work accommodations to improve longer job tenure. Understanding the direct and indirect relationships among these variables can support the work of employment specialists, providing better interventions for the work integration of people with SMI in the regular labor market.