Improving Integration of Mentally Burdened Young Adults in the Labour Market

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Mental Disorder
• Interventions: Behavioral: Weekly group meeting w/psychotherapist

• Registration Number: NCT03328286
• Lead Sponsor: Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Brief Summary

Young adults who do not successfully transition from compulsory education to upper secondary level are at increased risk of developing mental illness, as compared with their working peers. The causality is unclear: they are either unable to find a job due to a pre-existing mental illness, or their failure in finding a job has contributed to the mental illness.

The Zurich University of Applied Sciences has developed an innovative intervention that includes psychotherapeutic support in a work integration programme. Recognising and treating mental illness early increases the chances of a successful transition to the labour market.

Detailed Description

Unemployed young people with severe psychological impairments often find no training or workplace, despite the support of various existing services. Many of these young people suffer from a mental illness, but they are often neither diagnosed nor treated. In Switzerland, this is reflected in the increasing number of young people who receive a disability pension. To make matters worse, young people often do not use the necessary psychotherapeutic treatment. An explanation for this may be the fear of being stigmatized or the lack of insight that help is needed al all. A group of researchers has analyzed the dossiers of 400 young people who were given a disability pension 2010 and 2013 due to mental problems. They have found that the consultation often took place before the 23rd year of age and in 84% of the cases whole disability pensions were given. In the analysed cases only 14% had completed vocational training. The authors propose various measures, including prioritizing the completion of a professional apprenticeship, a systematic interdisciplinary assessment, a joint, longer-lasting integration management, as well as early detection and intervention in psychological disorders in school and vocational training. Our intervention meets these requirements. Together with lifetime health, a provider work working integrations programs, we have developed a low-threshold psychotherapeutic offer in addition to the existing work integration program. With this intervention we hope to reach the following goals. First: Facilitate the transition into a professional apprenticeship by increasing work ability and other variables. Secondly, the integration and cooperation of a psychotherapist in the work integration program allows for a systematic interdisciplinary assessment; third, the support of a psychotherapist offers a joint, longer-lasting integration management.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2017-08-15
• Study First Submitted: 2017-09-26
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-10-27
• Study First Posted: 2017-11-01
• Primary Completion: 2019-09-30
• Study Completion: 2019-12-31
• Status Verified: 2020-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-01-23
• Last Update Posted: 2020-01-27

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 40

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 16 to 25
• Participation in work integration programme "Lifetimehealth"

Exclusion Criteria

• Insufficient knowledge of German
• Participant is under guardianship which doesn't allow legal capacity to act

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Weekly group meeting w/psychotherapist	Weekly group meeting w/psychotherapist	All the participants fulfilling the eligibility criteria are asked to take part in an additional Intervention. The Intervention is a weekly group Meeting with a psychotherapist to discuss issues or Problems the Group members have

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Work Ability	Up to 2 years	Increase in work ability of participants, measured with the Work Ability Index. The Work Ability Index (WAI) is an instrument used in occupational health care and research to assess work ability of workers during health examinations and workplace surveys. The purpose of WAI is to help define necessary actions to maintain and promote work ability. The scoring system of the questionnaire categorises work ability, with recommendations for action provided for each category. Appropriate action can then be taken to prevent declining work ability.Each answer has a different score, with users calculating their total points to determine their final score. The minimum is 7, the maximum is 49. The four categories of scores and the objectives of the measures to be taken are as follows: * 7-27 points (bad) - restore work ability; * 28-36 points (moderate) - improve work ability; * 37-43 points (good) - support work ability; * 44-49 points (very good) - support work ability.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Self-esteem	Up to 2 years	Increase in self-esteem of participants, measured with the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (SES). The SES is a 10-item scale that measures global self-worth by measuring both positive and negative feelings about the self.; Scores are calculated as follows: •For items 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7: Strongly agree = 3 Agree = 2 Disagree = 1 Strongly disagree = 0; •For items 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10 (which are reversed in valence): Strongly agree = 0 Agree = 1 Disagree = 2 Strongly disagree = 3; The scale ranges from 0-30. Scores between 15 and 25 are within normal range; scores below 15 suggest low self-esteem.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Toni Areal; 🇨🇭 Zürich, Switzerland