Guerrero, Ana-MariaDe Gannes, Paulysha2015-12-152015-12-152015-12-052015-12-05http://hdl.handle.net/10393/33458Background: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, faulty perceptions and inappropriate emotions and actions. Persons with schizophrenia are often of a lower socioeconomic status due to a variety of factors including higher rates of unemployment. Objective: Through a structured review of the literature, this review aimed to differentiate whether interventions to alleviate financial stress affect the experience of schizophrenia or whether addressing the mental illness improves the financial situation. Methods: The review used a series of keywords to find articles from the past decade pertaining to the research question. Medline and the University of Ottawa general library search engine were used to find articles in English. Grey literature was also included to broaden the scope of the review. Results: Studies showed mixed findings. The review revealed that persons with schizophrenia who were employed had lower levels of relapse and outpatient psychiatric treatment. Findings also suggest that employment does not worsen outcomes for persons with schizophrenia. Employment status may also be associated with improved well-being, satisfaction in life, and a better prognosis. On the other hand, research suggests that employment outcomes were enhanced due to active cognitive improvements. Conclusion: From a sociological perspective, community health professionals can consider implementing employment programs targeting persons with schizophrenia in order to help manage their illness and integrate into society. The findings of this review can be used for policy amendments to address potential outcomes for persons with schizophrenia in terms of their employment status.en