Site maintenance Wednesday, November 13th, 2024. Please note that access to some content and account information will be unavailable on this date.
Skip to main content
Full access
Articles
Published Online: 1 September 2014

The Impact of Job Accommodations on Employment Outcomes Among Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities

Abstract

Even after passage of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), persons with mental illnesses have difficulty finding a job and keeping it. In this study, the authors assessed employment outcomes among more than 1,000 individuals with a psychiatric disability who were unemployed at the start of the two-year study period. Those who received ADA accommodations not only worked more hours per month but worked 31% longer than the comparison group. Better documentation and measurement of the effectiveness of accommodations can move the nation closer toward the goal of full inclusion, the authors said.

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to fill a gap in the literature on effectiveness of employment accommodations by comparing employment outcomes for individuals with psychiatric disabilities who received or did not receive accommodations, with models informed by a conceptual approach blending static labor supply theory, Sen’s capability approach, and the International Classification of Functioning.

Methods

Data for the study came from a longitudinal, four-year eight-state multisite demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. All participants had been recruited from clinical populations receiving outpatient psychiatric services. The effects of job accommodations on hours worked were assessed with generalized linear modeling (N=1,538). The effects of job accommodations on duration of employment were assessed with a parametric duration model analysis (N=1,040) that incorporated multiple spells of employment among individuals over the study period.

Results

Controlling for covariates suggested by the conceptual model, analyses showed that individuals who reported job accommodations on average worked 7.68 more hours per month and those who reported receiving accommodations worked 31% longer, with each job accommodation reported decreasing the risk of job termination by nearly 13%.

Conclusions

Results demonstrate that job accommodations show potential to improve employment outcomes for individuals with psychiatric disabilities receiving supported employment services, indicating that job accommodations should be stressed in policy and continuing education efforts for program staff and clients.

Formats available

You can view the full content in the following formats:

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric Services
Go to Psychiatric Services

Cover: Girl on a Swing, by Maxfield Parrish. Drawing, oil on paper. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, bequest of Susan Vanderpoel Clark (67.155.3). Image © Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image source: Art Resource. New York.

Psychiatric Services
Pages: 1126 - 1132
PubMed: 24882681

History

Published online: 1 September 2014
Published in print: September 2014

Authors

Details

Clifton M. Chow, Ph.D.
Dr. Chow is an adjunct professor with the Department of Economics, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire (e-mail: [email protected]). Dr. Cichocki and Ms. Croft are with the Human Services Research Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Benjamin Cichocki, Sc.D., C.R.C.
Dr. Chow is an adjunct professor with the Department of Economics, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire (e-mail: [email protected]). Dr. Cichocki and Ms. Croft are with the Human Services Research Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Bevin Croft, M.A., M.P.P.
Dr. Chow is an adjunct professor with the Department of Economics, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire (e-mail: [email protected]). Dr. Cichocki and Ms. Croft are with the Human Services Research Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format
Citation style
Style
Copy to clipboard

View Options

View options

PDF/EPUB

View PDF/EPUB

Full Text

View Full Text

Get Access

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login
Purchase Options

Purchase this article to access the full text.

PPV Articles - Psychiatric Services

PPV Articles - Psychiatric Services

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share article link

Share