Employment outcome for people with schizophrenia in rural v. urban China: Population-based study{

Lawrence H. Yang, Michael R. Phillips, Xianyun Li, Gary Yu, Jingxuan Zhang, Qichang Shi, Zhiqiang Song, Zhijie Ding, Shutao Pang, Ezra Susser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background Although outcomes among people with schizophrenia differ by social context, this has rarely been examined across rural v. urban settings. For individuals with schizophrenia, employment is widely recognised as a critical ingredient of social integration. Aims To compare employment for people with schizophrenia in rural v. urban settings in China. Method In a large community-based study in four provinces representing 12% of China's population, we identified 393 people with schizophrenia (112 never treated). We used adjusted Poisson regression models to compare employment for those living in rural (n = 297) v. urban (n = 96) settings. Results Although rural and urban residents had similar impairments due to symptoms, rural residents were three times more likely to be employed (adjusted relative risk 3.27, 95% CI 2.11-5.07, P50.001). Conclusions People with schizophrenia have greater opportunities to use their capacities for productive work in rural than urban settings in China. Contextual mechanisms that may explain this result offer a useful focus for future research.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)272-279
Number of pages8
JournalBritish Journal of Psychiatry
Volume203
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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