Environmental impact and quality of life of schizophrenia within supported employment / Zurlina Mahmood

Work environment is a major problem for clients with schizophrenia. This cross-sectional comparative study was to investigate the Environment Impact (WEIS) and Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) between Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Model and Hybrid Model (HM) in Hospital Permai, Johor Bahru. A hundred and twenty schizophrenia patients were enrolled in the study. Sixty-four were in the IPS group and 54 were in the HM group using a convenient sampling method. Inclusion criteria were; schizophrenia diagnosis, age from 18 to 60 years old, employed, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of not less than 20 and education level of up to Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). The results indicated gender, clinical services and place of stay were significantly different between groups (p < 0.05). Cleaning job was prevalent in both groups. Significant differences were noted in environmental impact domains such as social group, physical spaces and objects; and in QoL domains such as general QoL, general health, psychological, social relationships and environment. Environmental impact correlated strongly (r=.50 to 1.0) and significantly (p < 0.01) with QoL domains within the IPS group: psychological, environment, social group and physical health and HM were general QoL, psychological, environment and physical health. In conclusion, the IPS group had better support in their work environment and QoL. The work environment should be closely monitored during the job placement process to ensure longer job tenure.