Project Summary

Dilip V. Jeste, M.D. (Distinguished Investigator 2002) of Veterans Medical Research Foundation (VA), will study middle-aged and elderly clinically stable outpatients with DSM-IV schizophrenia.  They will be randomly assigned to either work rehabilitation or to a conventional work rehabilitation program.  Additional inclusion criteria will be:  a desire for paid or volunteer work, and past history of competitive employment.  Exclusion criteria will be:  a history of psychiatric hospitalization during the past 2 years, a history of violence, and presence of dementia or substance dependence.  All the patients will continue to receive optimal pharmacotherapy as prescribed by their individual psychiatrists.   Detailed evaluations of psychopathology, cognition, quality of life and everyday functioning, along with a computerized assessment of skills and abilities related to specific jobs and training developed by the Department of Labor will be administered at baseline.  The goal will not necessarily be competitive paid employment in every case, but volunteer work will be a worthwhile objective, too.  Dr. Jeste hypothesizes that the rehabilitation group will produce greater improvement in work-related areas and quality of life compared to the treatment-as-usual.  The study will help in estimating effect size for a larger investigation.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS

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