Understanding the employment rate of people with schizophrenia: Different approaches lead to different implications for policy.

Abstract

One of the tragedies of modern academic psychology is that the pressure to publish and the need to prove that psychology is, in fact, a real science can lead to the objectification of human beings, including both the "subjects" one is studying as well as the students and colleagues with whom one works. As a student of history, Brendan Maher is confident in the well-established scientific roots of experimental psychopathology. This allows him to convey the importance of objective, quantifiable measurement, even while respecting the validity of internal subjective experience. Thus, in his research studies, he never loses sight of how the participants are experiencing the symptoms that he is so carefully measuring and analyzing. In his teaching, he does not allow his desire to convey specific information to dominate over the humor and storytelling that are so important to motivate students to learn. In his mentorship, he does not confuse his own research interests with those of his student. And in his administrative role, he manages to convey compassion and warmth simultaneously with clarity of purpose and ethical integrity. Although I have learned much from the direct teaching and writing of Professor Maher, the greatest lesson comes from observing him as a role model. The making of a great scientist, I have learned, requires not only the ability to generate creative ideas of one's own but also an inherent respect for the ideas and subjective experiences of others.I was a graduate student of Maher's from 1988 to 1994. While I was at Harvard, I worked with him on developing a simple method of assessing motor disorder in The Employment Intervention Demonstration Program (EIDP) is a multisite collaboration among eight research demonstration sites, a coordinating center, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), which funds the initiative (Public Health Service Cooperative Agreement SM51820). The data presented are from analyses conducted by the Coordinating Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago using preliminary multisite data sets. The publication policy of EIDP does not allow inclusion of final cross-site data in the chapter at this time; all data presented are strictly preliminary. Updated information on the study can be found at the EIDP website: http://www.psych.uic.edu/eidp. This article was written in a personal capacity and does not necessarily represent the opinions of CMHS, SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal government, or EIDP collaborating partners.

Commentary: Service System Perspectives on Early Intervention Research

“…Heinssen et al's proposal to develop a multisite approach to research in early serious mental illness (this issue) is intriguing and is consistent with the approach that SAMHSA has taken in recent years to speed the development of useful knowledge regarding effective services (Rickards et al 1999;Steadman et al 1999;Herrell and Straw 2002;Blyler 2003;McDonel Herr et al 2003). A multisite approach adds considerable complexity to the conduct of research but can convey significant advantages, not only in terms of the science but also in political terms.…”