Baseline characteristics of a diagnostically defined early psychosis cohort entering supported employment and education: findings from the SEEearly trial

SEEearly is a multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of supported employment and education (SEE) in adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 35 with early psychosis. In this publication we report baseline characteristics of the cohort with an emphasis on educational and vocational status at study entry. Between October 2022 and December 2024, a total of 184 participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder were recruited across six sites in Germany. At baseline, 53.3% were not engaged in employment, education, or training (NEET); only 20.1% were competitively employed and 26.6% were enrolled in education or training. A majority of the participants (97.8%) had a second or third level school-leaving qualification, yet only 39.1% of participants had completed post-secondary qualification indicating delayed or interrupted vocational trajectories. The sample is predominantly male (69.6%) and single (87.0%). Nearly 45% of participants had comorbid substance misuse. Functional assessments revealed marked psychosocial impairments, while ratings on symptom severity indicated moderate psychopathology. Compared to previous RCTs on SEE, the SEEearly sample is larger and more diagnostically homogenous. Baseline data show considerable disruptions in vocational trajectories at study entry. The findings highlight early and substantial deviations in vocational trajectories in young adults with early psychosis and underscore the need for interventions that target both educational and vocational attainment.