Unemployed and poor in New York: the impact of mentalization and Axis II psychopathology on job outcome.

This study examined the relationships between the capacity for reflective functioning (RF) and the presence of Axis II psychopathology and their respective and combined impact on the ability of unemployed, low-income individuals to complete work-readiness training and to obtain and retain employment. Forty-one adult clients selected randomly from individuals participating in The HOPE Program, a work-readiness program in Brooklyn, New York, participated in the current study. Results indicated that RF and Axis II pathology were not only found to be related to each other, but were also found to significantly predict job outcomes. Moreover, it was determined that while the presence of an Axis II diagnosis impeded participants' ability to obtain jobs, the impact of such a diagnosis on job acquisition was attributable to having lower levels of RF ability. These results are discussed in relation to implications for the design of programs and interventions to assist unemployed and underserved populations.