Psychometric Properties of the Vocational Rehabilitation Engagement Scale When Used With People With Mental Illness in Clubhouse Settings

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the Vocational Rehabilitation Engagement Scale (VRES) for use in the Clubhouse Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation.

Method: There were 124 individuals with serious mental illness recruited from 8 Clubhouse programs in Hawaii. Measurement structure of the VRES was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis of the Clubhouse version of the VRES yielded 2 reliable factors (cognitive-affective engagement and behavioral engagement). Both the cognitive-affective engagement and behavioral engagement factors were found to correlate with other self-determination theory constructs including autonomy support, relatedness, and outcome expectancy.

Conclusions: The Clubhouse version of the VRES is a brief, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing vocational rehabilitation (VR) engagement and contributes to the use of self-determination as a paradigm for improving recovery outcomes in psychiatric rehabilitation.