Recruitment in the mental health treatment study: A behavioral health/employment intervention for social security disabled-worker beneficiaries

This article analyzes subject recruitment for the Mental Health Treatment Study (MHTS)-a national 23-site randomized trial that provided access to effective treatment and rehabilitation interventions for Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries with psychiatric impairments. We use regression analyses to better understand the likely take-up rate for MHTS replications and/or expansions and to identify characteristics of DI beneficiaries most likely to enroll. Results indicate that among potential MHTS subjects with confirmed telephone contacts, the take-up rate was 14.0 percent-well above rates for previous Social Security Administration randomized trials. Regression results suggest, as an upper bound, that take-up rates in the 18.0-25.0 percent range could be obtained by targeting recruitment to the group of beneficiaries that has administrative records of recent vocational or labor-market activity. Future interventions with large, heterogeneous target populations should consider the implications here for generalizing intervention impacts and modifying recruitment strategies.