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Abstract
Background: People with severe mental illness are widely excluded from labour force participation. While most studies of factors influencing occupational integration are focused on characteristics of individuals, the effects of macroeconomic factors have been largely ignored by research.
Aims: In an exploratory study across countries, associations were examined between employment rates of people with schizophrenia and macroeconomic indicators of (a) the labour market, (b) general economic wealth, (c) economic disincentives, and (d) welfare trap mechanisms.
Methods: The employment rates of people with schizophrenia in 12 countries were correlated with general employment rates, per capita GDP, average net replacement rates (ANRR), average effective tax rates (AETR), expenditures for social benefits (ESB) and expenditures for active labour market policy (EALP).
Results: For the majority of countries, the employment rate of people with schizophrenia was found to be related to the general employment rate, ANRR, AETR and ESB, but not to GDP and EALP.
Conclusion: Macroeconomic factors are relevant for understanding labour force participation in people with schizophrenia. Further research is needed to link individual and macroeconomic effects in a multi-level approach.
Declarations of interest: The Mental Health Economics European Network Phase I was supported by a grant (SPC.2002397) from the European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection Directorate. There are no conflicts of interest.