Psychiatric symptoms and work performance among persons with severe mental illness

The study examined the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and work performance for 61 subjects with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who participated in a work rehabilitation program. Symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to predict performance on the Work Personality Profile at three and 13 weeks of the program. Twenty-seven percent of the variance in work performance measures could be explained by symptom components measured by the PANSS, including the cognitive, negative, and hostility components, but the positive component did not predict work performance. Ratings of symptoms done concurrently with ratings of work performance were more powerful predictors than ratings of symptoms done at three and 13 weeks before ratings of work performance.