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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

An RCT of virtual reality job interview training for individuals with serious mental illness in IPS supported employment (Smith et al., 2022)

Review Guidelines

Causal Evidence Guidelines

Absence of conflict of interest.

Citation

Smith, M. J., Smith, J. D., Blajeski, S., Ross, B., Jordan, N., Bell, M. D., McGurk, S. R., Mueser, K. T., Burke-Miller, J. K., Oulvey, E. A., Fleming, M. F., Nelson, K., Brown, A., Prestipino, J., Pashka, N. J., & Razzano, L. A. (2022). An RCT of virtual reality job interview training for individuals with serious mental illness in IPS supported employment. Psychiatric Services, 73(9), 1027–1038. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202100516

Highlights

  • The study's objective was to examine the impact of Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) on employment for individuals with serious mental illness in individual placement and support (IPS). 
  • The study was a randomized controlled trial that assigned 97 eligible participants to the treatment or control group. The primary data sources were self-reported surveys, IPS employment records, and reports from employment specialists collected at baseline, 3 months, and 9 months after the intervention.  The authors used a statistical model to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group members. 
  • The study found a statistically significant positive effect of VR-JIT treatment on employment.  
  • The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is high because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial.  This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT), and not to other factors.

Intervention Examined

Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT)

Features of the Intervention

To meet the demand for better tools for job interview training, a computerized simulator called Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) was created. The simulator offers individuals with serious mental illness the chance to practice and refine their interview skills while getting automated feedback. VR-JIT focuses on eight interview skills drawn from job interview literature (e.g., conveying oneself as a hard worker).  

The simulator features a virtual hiring manager and utilizes speech recognition and nonbranching logic components. Participants can repeatedly practice job interviews at three difficulty levels (easy, medium, and hard) with the virtual hiring manager exhibiting various personalities (friendly, professional, and inappropriate); personalities are selected at random and can change in response to interview answers. VR-JIT offers over 20 hours of practice (about 40 interviews) before the content becomes repetitive. Participants also receive real-time automated feedback and feedback through transcript reviews.

Features of the Study

The study was a randomized controlled trial that examined the impact of Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) on employment for individuals with serious mental illness in individual placement and support (IPS). The study was conducted at Thresholds, a non-profit community behavioral health agency in Chicago that provides comprehensive mental health services. Of the 97 participants that met inclusion criteria, 59 participants were randomized to the treatment group and 38 participants to the control group.  Participants in the treatment group received IPS from five Thresholds teams and attended five 2-hour VR-JIT sessions over about 4 weeks, progressing through easy, medium, and hard interviews. The initial face-to-face VR-JIT orientation, led by an implementer, was followed by coordinated visits for participants to log in, review e-Learning content, complete virtual interviews, and receive feedback. The control group received IPS from the same five Thresholds teams. The primary data sources were self-reported surveys, IPS employment records, and reports from employment specialists collected at baseline, 3 months, and 9 months after the intervention. The authors used a statistical model to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group members.

Findings

Employment

  • The study found that individuals with serious mental illness in individual placement and support 
    in the treatment group were 3.03 times more likely to be employed within 9 months than those in the control condition.

Considerations for Interpreting the Findings

Although employment specialists were instructed to refrain from conducting practice interviews with treatment group (VR-JIT+IPS) participants, 17% (9 out of 54) had such practice interviews. While VR-JIT involved more than just the practice interview component, some treatment group participants received an additional component on top of treatment.

Causal Evidence Rating

The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is high because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial.  This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT), and not to other factors.

Reviewed by CLEAR

December 2024