Introduction: Employment is an important contributor to recovery in people with serious mental illness (SMI), yet studies have not explored how subjective elements of employment hope contribute to perceptions of global recovery in this population.
Methods: The current study examined the relationship between employment hope and subjective recovery in 276 unemployed adults with SMI participating in a multi-site clinical trial of a cognitive behavioral group intervention tailored toward work and combined with vocational rehabilitation. Participants had diagnoses of schizophrenia spectrum, bipolar, depressive, and posttraumatic stress disorders, and were receiving services at three Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities in the United States.