Improving Employment Outcomes in Early Psychosis: Social and Economic Benefits of Early Intervention (ARC Linkage project)

Over 74% of people with psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia, despite wanting to work, are unemployed - which is a higher figure than for any other disability group. This project examines an evidence-based method in which young people with psychosis can be effectively supported to return to the competitive labour market. In Australia, unemployment of people with schizophrenia costs $927 million, over half the total illness costs of schizophrenia. For people with psychosis, unemployment exacerbates social and economic marginalisation. This project aims to reduce the economic cost of unemployment among the mentally ill as well as using employment to reduce social marginalisation of people with mental illness. This is a Linkage Project and the collaborating organisation is the ORYGEN Research Centre. Funding runs from 2008 to 2011.