Individual placement and support in Sweden - a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health Services Research
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Lack of evidence on the effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in Sweden.
• Need to assess vocational outcomes and community integration for people with severe mental illness (SMI).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the effectiveness of IPS on vocational outcomes for individuals with SMI in Sweden.
• To evaluate the community integration effect of IPS.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial with parallel design.
• Comparison of IPS versus traditional vocational rehabilitation (TVR) services.
• Assessor-blinded allocation; primary outcome: competitive employment; data collected at baseline, 6, and 18 months.

Main Results:

• IPS group achieved significantly higher competitive employment rates (46% vs. 11%) at 18 months.
• IPS participants secured employment five times faster than TVR participants.
• Higher rates of community-integrated activities (work, internships, education) observed in the IPS group (90% vs. 24%).

Conclusions:

• Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is effective for improving employment and community integration for individuals with SMI in Sweden.
• Swedish welfare system and internship structures may present challenges to direct competitive employment.