Assessment of vocational functioning in serious mental illness: A review of situational assessment and performance based measures
Authors:
Peer, J. E. and Tenhula, W.
Abstract:
There has been an intensified focus on assessment of community functioning in individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Several reviews of functional measures for SMI have been published, yet the assessment of vocational functioning has received limited attention. The purpose of this review was to describe existing measures of vocational functioning developed for individuals with SMI. Twelve measures were identified: 9 situational assessments and 3 performance based measures. Information on the development, intended purpose, administration and psychometric properties of each measure was compiled from published reports. To further evaluate and compare these measures they were each rated on 4 criteria: practicality, reliability, validity, and comprehensiveness. Results indicated that no single measure emerged as superior across all criteria. Most measures had adequate reliability and tended to be well validated, particularly those developed in a research context, while situational assessments had greater practicality. Few measures provided information on their sensitivity to change as a result of intervention. Suggestions for use of specific measures for clinical assessment and outcome evaluation purposes are presented. Challenges to implementation of these measures in contemporary vocational rehabilitation settings are identified and the need for further research in this area is highlighted. (copyright) 2010 IOS Press and the authors