Delineating disability, labour force participation and employment restrictions among persons with psychosis

Objective: To delineate at a population level: activity restrictions, labour market participation, educational attainment, employment restrictions and employment characteristics of persons with psychosis compared with healthy non-disabled persons. Method: Confidentialized data files were provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data were collected in a national survey titled 'Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia 1998'. Multi-stage sampling strategies obtained a probability sample of 42 664 individuals. Trained interviewers using ICD-10 computer-assisted interviews identified household residents with psychosis. Results: Among householders with psychosis aged 15-64 years, 75.2% were non-participants in the labour market, 21.1% were employed and 3.7% were looking for work. Completing school years 10 and 11, and vocational training, appeared to offer an employment advantage. Conclusion: Persons with psychotic disorders have low rates of labour force participation and may benefit from greater participation in educational and vocational services. Implications for policy development are discussed.