Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the review. The duration of the included trials ranged from 5 to 36 months.
Specific interventions included in the review
Interventions with an explicit focus on providing out-patient vocational services (even if the services were part of a broader rehabilitation programme) were included in the review. The interventions in the included studies fitted into three general categories: individual placement and support (IPS) or supported employment (SE); job-related social-skills training; or incentive therapy. The length of treatment ranged from 10 weeks to 36 months. The control groups used in the included studies were treatment as usual, psychosocial vocational rehabilitation programmes, and interventions that differed from the experimental intervention by a single variable only (e.g. paid versus unpaid job placement).
Participants included in the review
At least one third of the participants in a study had to have psychotic spectrum disorder for the study to be included in the review. Of the included participants, 66% had a primary psychotic disorder. The mean age of the participants was 38 years and 58% were male.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The studies had to report data on vocational outcomes to be included in the review. Most of the included studies used primarily work-related outcomes (e.g. percentage of participants who obtained employment), the number of hours worked, the mean wages earned and the mean job tenure.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.