Abstract: Enhanced Interviewing Skills from Virtual Reality Job Interview Training Help Emerging Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Adults with Severe Mental Illness Obtain Job Offers in the Community (Society for Social Work and Research 21st Annual Conference - Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth)

Schedule:

Friday, January 13, 2017: 8:20 AM

Balconies L (New Orleans Marriott)

* noted as presenting author

Matthew J. Smith, PhD, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

Michael Fleming, MD, Professor, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

J.D. Smith, PhD, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

Neil Jordan, PhD, Associate Professor, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

Laura Humm, BA, Vice President, SIMmersion LLC, Columbia, MD

Dale Olsen, PhD, President, SIMmersion, LLC, Columbia, MD

Morris Bell, PhD, Senior Research Career Scientist, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Background and Purpose:

A series of four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated that using virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) enhanced interviewing skills (between pre-test and post-test), and participating in the training group was associated with greater odds of receiving a job offer in groups with autism spectrum disorder and severe mental illness. The current study evaluated whether improved interviewing skills at post-test are the mechanism of action between the number of virtual interview trials completed and attaining a job offer for competitive employment in the community by 6-month follow-up.

Methods:

Data from all VR-JIT trainees who participated in the four RCTs were pooled together as they were collected by the same research team (and using the same methods) at Northwestern University. The sample included emerging adults with autism spectrum disorders, adults with schizophrenia or mood disorders, and U.S. military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (n=79). Participants were recruited through a Chicago-area autism research network as well as a clinical research recruitment pipeline at the Northwestern University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences that is networked to community mental health service providers and the Veterans Administration. Pre- and Post-test job interview role-plays were performed and blindly rated by human resource experts to evaluate interviewing skills. We measured VR-JIT dose by the total number of completed virtual interviewing trials, and participants reported on whether they received a competitive job offer during a survey completed at 6-month follow-up.

We conducted a Bayesian Mediation Analysis to evaluate whether post-test interview skills mediated the relationship between the number of completed virtual interviewing trials and attaining a job offer. The analysis covaried for pre-test interviewing skills and diagnosis type.

Results:

We observed that receiving a competitive job offer was correlated with the number of completed virtual interview trials (r=.27, p=.013) and post-test role-play performance (r=.34, p=.003), while the number of virtual trials was correlated with post-test role-play performance (r=.27, p=.009). The Mediation Analysis revealed that when accounting for pre-test interviewing skills, post-test interviewing skills fully mediated the relationship between completed virtual interview trials and receiving a job offer B= .016, SD=.01, p=.048 (95% Confidence Interval = .001, .042). Model Fit = Posterior Predictive Criterion: -14.613, 15.039; Posterior Predictive P-Value: 0.473. Diagnosis was not a significant fixed-factor covariate.

Conclusions and Implications:

The findings suggest that completing more virtual job interview trials contributes to enhanced job interviewing skills, which in turn predicts obtaining a job offer. Thus, VR-JIT is a promising intervention to help improve vocational outcomes for emerging adults with autism spectrum disorders and adults with severe mental illness. Future studies can evaluate whether the training enhances existing vocational services and enhances the likelihood of obtaining a job offer without access to vocational services.