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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04885400

Feasibility and Acceptability of the Online JOBS Program

The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based adaptation of the Jobs program (developed by Curran et al., 1999).

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Key information

Conditions

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

West University of Timisoara

Timișoara, Timiș County, 300223, Romania

About this study

The current study is an open trial that will test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based adaptation of the Jobs program (further be referred to as iJobs). We will use a repeated measures design: one group and three measurements (baseline, post-intervention, 3 months follow-up). iJobs consists of five sessions spread over a two-week period. The participants will learn and exercise successful job search strategies (e.g. finding job openings, creating an attractive resume, demonstrating effective interviews).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Unemployed and looking for a job
  • Work as volunteers and looking for a paid job
  • Have a PC or laptop and basic digital competencies

Exclusion criteria

  • They don't have internet access and are not available during the two weeks of the program
  • Suffer from a chronic disease that implies special conditions for taking part in the activities
  • Severe clinical depression symptoms (Cut-off=15 at PHQ9)*
  • Severe clinical anxiety symptoms (Cut-off=15 at GAD7)*

(*) will be included if they receive mental health treatment

Treatment and study plan

iJobs

Behavioral

During the program, the participants will learn and exercise successful job search strategies. The web-based adaptation of the Jobs program will allow self-administration. After each session, they will receive written feedback from trainers on the platform.

Primary outcomes

  1. Job search behavior effort

    Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (3 months).

    Job search behavior effort: Job Search Behavior Scale (Blau, 1994) was designed to measure participants' involvement in job search activities, in terms of frequency and intensity. The minimum score is 16 and the maximum is 80. A higher score means a better outcome (increased job search behavior effort).

  2. Satisfaction with the intervention

    Time frame: Post-intervention (2 weeks).

    Satisfaction with the intervention will be measured using 22 items. We will use 6 items aiming at the program's content retrieved from a questionnaire used for measuring the alliance between trainers and trainees in a face-to-face JOBS intervention. The minimum score is 6 and the highest is 42. A higher score means a better outcome (increased satisfaction with the intervention). Also, we will use 16 items retrieved from a scale previously used for measuring the satisfaction with an online intervention delivered on the same platform as we will use for our program. Nine of the items are measured on a Likert scale. The minimum score is 7 and the maximum is 42. A higher score means greater satisfaction. 7 items are open-ended questions and imply qualitative analysis.

  3. System usability

    Time frame: Post-intervention (2 weeks).

    We will use a 10 item questionnaire (Bangor et al., 2009) designed to measure participants' satisfaction with e-cbt, the online platform used for the program delivery. The total score of System Usability Scale is 0 and the highest one is 100. A higher score means a better outcome.

  4. Treatment adherence

    Time frame: Post-intervention only (2 weeks).

    The number of completed assignments; Quality of completed assignment (qualitative rating of the degree of completeness and depth of the answer for each assignment, conducted by two independent experts based on apriori established coding grids).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Job-Search Self-Efficacy

    Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).

    Job Search Self-Efficacy Scale was designed to measure participants' perception of their ability to gain employment. We will use the 20 item version of the scale developed by Saks et al., 2015. The minimum score is 20 and the maximum is 100. A higher score means a better outcome (increased job search self-efficacy).

  2. Self-esteem

    Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).

    Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale is a self-esteem measure widely used in social science research. It is a ten-item Likert-type scale with items answered on a four-point scale-from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The scale measures global self-worth by measuring both positive and negative feelings about the self. The minimum score of Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale is 10 and the highest one is 40. A higher score means a better outcome.

  3. Inoculation against setbacks

    Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).

    We will use 2 items retrieved from previous studies (Vuori & Vinokur, 2005) aiming to measure the effectiveness of JOBS intervention in terms of participant's ability to deal with setbacks. The minimum score is 2 and the maximum is 10. A higher score means a better outcome (presence of inoculation against setbacks).

  4. Future Career Anxiety

    Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).

    We will measure participant's anxiety regarding their future career in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak with the Future Career Anxiety Scale developed by Tsai et al., 2017 (Mahmud et al., 2020). The minimum score is 5 and the maximum is 25. A higher score means a worse outcome (increased anxiety).

  5. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9)

    Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).

    Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was designed to measure participants' severity of depression using DSM IV criteria. The minimum score of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is 0 and the highest one is 27. A higher score means a worse outcome (more severe symptoms of depression).

  6. Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD7)

    Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).

    Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment is a self-administered 7 item instrument that uses some of the DSM-V criteria for GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) to identify probable cases of GAD along with measuring anxiety symptom severity. The minimum score of Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment is 0 and the highest one is 21. A higher score means a worse outcome (a higher level of anxiety).

  7. Employment status

    Time frame: Follow-up (3 months).

    Self-reported employment status (phone screening).

  8. Job Quality

    Time frame: Follow-up (3 months).

    For those who found employment - phone screening.

Other outcomes

  1. Physical health

    Time frame: Baseline only (factors to be controlled for).

    We will use a short-version of the Physical Health Complaints Scale (Ware, 1999) to measure participants' perception of their health. The minimum score is 4 and the highest is 20. A higher score means a worse outcome (worse physical health).

  2. Financial strain

    Time frame: Baseline only (factors to be controlled for).

    We will use a single item from Vuori & Vinokur, 2005 to assess participants' financial strain, respectively: 'What is the financial situation of your family/household in your opinion?'. The minimum score is 1 while the maximum is 5. A higher score means a high level of financial strain.

  3. Sociodemographic information

    Time frame: Baseline only

    Age, gender, background, educational level, average monthly income, unemployment period, work experience, and targeted professional field.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

West University of Timisoara

Other

Registry information

Official study title

iJobs - Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Adaptation of the Jobs Program: an Open-label Pilot Study

Acronym: iJobs

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2022
First posted
May 13, 2021
Registry last updated
Mar 14, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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