Predictors of Labor Force Status in a Random Sample of Consumers with Serious Mental Illness

Employment among persons with severe mental illness has been challenging. Supported employment programs have had some success; however, much remains to be understood about client motivations for employment. A labor force participation study was mailed to persons receiving services in a Midwestern state's publicly funded behavioral health system, and a random sample of participants resulted in 964 valid surveys. Analysis showed significant differences between Medicaid coverage program and labor force status, with some programs likely to have higher percentages of employed persons. A multinomial logistic regression model explored the odds of employment and unemployment to not being in the labor force. Perception of incentives to employment greatly increased the odds, while age and perception of barriers to employment decreased the odds for both groups when compared to those not in the labor force. Findings have implications for the design of employment programs and coverage benefits.