Previous occupational stability as a predictor of employment after psychiatric rehabilitation.

Several indices of occupational stability are discussed and the importance of controlling for age in assessing occupational stability emphasized. The ability of 6 indices to predict the stable resettlement of psychiatric patients at work after a course of rehabilitation was examined. Though mean job length was a significant predictor, indices based on change of occupation rather than change of job were more successful. Stable resettlement at work was related to how much time people had spent in long jobs but not to how little time they had spent in short jobs. The amount of unemployment during the 2 years before hospital admission predicted return to work immediately after discharge, but did not predict stable resettlement at work.