Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This randomised controlled trial examined whether individuals with severe mental disorders (SMD) in a high-unemployment context benefit in mental health, functional and vocational outcomes when receiving the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, compared to vocational rehabilitation (VR). METHODS: A total of 557 individuals (ICD-10 F20-F29 or F31-F32.3) were screened. 63 met inclusion criteria and voluntarily participated. They were randomly assigned to IPS or VR groups. Assessments were conducted at baseline and six months. The study was ethically approved, registered and conducted with blinded evaluations. RESULTS: IPS participants achieved significantly higher rates of competitive employment and showed greater improvements in global functioning compared with VR. Other mental health and functional outcomes showed no significant group differences. However, participants who obtained employment reported greater improvements in quality of life. No adverse events, such as hospitalizations, were reported. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that IPS may be effective beyond employment outcomes, with some benefits in mental health and functional domains. Despite limitations such as short follow-up and modest sample size, the study supports the feasibility of IPS in challenging labor markets.