Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Trials
Published in: Trials 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Study protocol

EEPIC - Enhancing Employability through Positive Interventions for improving Career potential: the impact of a high support career guidance intervention on the wellbeing, hopefulness, self-efficacy and employability of the long-term unemployed - a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Authors: Nuala Whelan, Sinéad McGilloway, Mary P. Murphy, Colm McGuinness

Published in: Trials | Issue 1/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Labour market policy (LMP) and its implementation have undergone rapid change internationally in the last three decades with a continued trend towards active LMP. In Ireland however, this shift has been more recent with ongoing reforms since 2012 and a concomitant move toward active labour market ‘work-first’ policy design (i.e. whereby unemployed people are compulsorily required to work in return for their social welfare benefits). Labour market policies vary from those that require this compulsory approach to those which enable the unemployed to move towards sustainable quality work in the labour market through upskilling (human capital approach). Despite this, however, long-term unemployment—a major cause of poverty and social exclusion—remains high, while current employment support approaches aimed at sustainable re-employment are, arguably, unevaluated and under examined. This study examines the effectiveness of a new high support career guidance intervention in terms of its impact on aspects of wellbeing, perceived employability and enhancing career sustainability.

Method

The study involves a single-centre randomised, controlled, partially blinded trial. A total of 140 long-term unemployed job-seekers from a disadvantaged urban area will be randomly assigned to two groups: (1) an intervention group; and (2) a ‘service as usual’ group. Each group will be followed up immediately post intervention and six months later. The primary outcome is wellbeing at post intervention and at six-month follow-up. The secondary outcome is perceived employability, which includes a number of different facets including self-esteem, hopefulness, resilience and career self-efficacy.

Discussion

The study aims to assess the changes in, for example, psychological wellbeing, career efficacy and hopefulness, that occur as a result of participation in a high support intervention vs routinely available support. The results will help to inform policy and practice by indicating whether a therapeutic approach to job-seeking support is more effective for long-term unemployed job-seekers than routinely available (and less therapeutic) support. The findings will also be important in understanding what works and for whom with regard to potentially undoing the negative psychological impacts of unemployment, building psychological capital and employability within the individual, and developing career trajectories leading to more sustainable employment.

Trial registration

ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN16801028. Registered on 9 February 2016.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Footnotes
1
Unemployment rose from 4.4% in early 2008 to 15.1% in 2012 (CSO [3]).
 
2
Emerge was an initiative of the Mount Street Trust Employment Programme where a high support guidance intervention, based on a comprehensive profile of needs, was piloted with a sample of long-term unemployed in a disadvantaged urban area.
 
3
Ballymun Youth Guarantee pilot was a joint EU and Government of Ireland (Department of Social Protection) funded pilot implemented during the period 2013–2014 in the Ballymun area.
 
Literature
1.
Manroop L, Richardson J. Job search: a multidisciplinary review and research agenda. Int J Manag Rev. 2015;18:206–27.CrossRef
2.
3.
Martin JP. Activation and active labour market policies in OECD countries: stylized facts and evidence on their effectiveness. IZA Policy Paper No.84. June, 2014.
4.
Bredgaard T. Evaluating what works for whom in active labour market policies. Eur J Soc Secur. 2015;17(4):436–52.CrossRef
5.
Baruffini M. An agent-based simulation of the Swiss labour market: an alternative for the labour market policy evaluation. 53rd Congress of the European Regional Science Association: Regional Integration: Europe, the Mediterranean and the World Economy. Palermo, Italy. 2013;27–31.
6.
Creed PA, Machin MA, Hicks R. Neuroticism and mental health outcomes for long-term unemployed youth attending occupational skills training programs. Pers Individ Differ. 1996;21(4):537–44.CrossRef
7.
Paul KI, Moser K. Unemployment impairs mental health: Meta-analyses. J Vocat Behav. 2009;74(3):264–82.CrossRef
8.
Vinokur AD, Van Ryn M, Gramlich EM, Price RH. Long-term follow-up and benefit-cost analysis of the Jobs Program: A preventive intervention for the unemployed. J Appl Psychol. 1991;76(2):213.CrossRefPubMed
9.
10.
Warr P, Jackson P. Adapting to the unemployed role: A longitudinal investigation. Soc Sci Med. 1987;25(11):1219–24.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Creed PA. Improving the mental and physical health of unemployed people: why and how? Med J Aust. 1998;168(4):177.PubMed
12.
Eden D, Aviram A. Self-efficacy training to speed reemployment: Helping people to help themselves. J Appl Psychol. 1993;78(3):352.CrossRef
13.
Audhoe SS, Hoving JL, Sluiter JK, Frings-Dresen MH. Vocational interventions for unemployed: effects on work participation and mental distress. A systematic review. J Occup Rehabil. 2010;20(1):1–3.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Gowan MA. Moving from job loss to career management: The past, present, and future of involuntary job loss research. Hum Resour Manag Rev. 2014;24(3):258–70.CrossRef
15.
Moore TH, Kapur N, Hawton K, Richards A, Metcalfe C, Gunnell D. Interventions to reduce the impact of unemployment and economic hardship on mental health in the general population: a systematic review. Psychol Med. 2017;47:1062–84.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Lodemel I, Moreira A, editors. Activation or workfare? Governance and the Neo-Liberal Convergence. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2014.
17.
Brodkin EZ, Marston G, editors. Work and the welfare state: street-level organizations and workfare politics. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press; 2013.
18.
Clasen J, Clegg D. Regulating the risk of unemployment: National adaptations to post-industrial labour markets in Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2011.CrossRef
19.
Arni P, Lalive R, van Ours JC. How effective are unemployment benefit sanctions? Looking beyond unemployment exit. IZA Discussion Papers 4509. Bonn: Institute for the Study of Labor; 2009.
20.
Butterworth P, Leach LS, Strazdins L, Olesen SC, Rodgers B, Broom DH. The psychosocial quality of work determines whether employment has benefits for mental health: results from a longitudinal national household panel survey. Occup Environ Med. 2011;68:806–12.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Bonde JP. Psychosocial factors at work and risk of depression: a systematic review of the epidemiological evidence. Occup Environ Med. 2008;65(7):438–45.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Ten Have M, Van Dorsselaer S, de Graaf R. The association between type and number of adverse working conditions and mental health during a time of economic crisis (2010–2012). Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2015;50(6):899–907.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Sweeney J. NESC Report No.123. Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers: Challenges and Opportunities in a Time of Recession. Conference Presentation, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. September 2011.
24.
25.
26.
McKee-Ryan F, Song Z, Wanberg CR, Kinicki AJ. Psychological and physical well-being during unemployment: a meta-analytic study. J Appl Psychol. 2005;90(1):53.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Murphy GC, Athanasou JA. The effect of unemployment on mental health. J Occup Organ Psychol. 1999;72(1):83–99.CrossRef
28.
29.
Miscampbell G. Smarter sanctions. London: Policy Exchange; 2014.
30.
Pawson R. Evidence-based policy – a realist perspective. London: Sage Publications; 2006.CrossRef
31.
Pawson R. The science of evaluation – a realist manifesto. London: Sage; 2013.CrossRef
32.
Kluve J, Card D, Fertig M, Góra M, Jacobi L, Jensen P, Leetmaa R, Nima L, Patacchini E, Schaffner S, Schmidt CM. Active labor market policies in Europe: Performance and perspectives. Springer Science & Business Media; 2007; Feb 23. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
33.
Card D, Kluve J, Weber A. Active labour market policy evaluations: A meta-analysis. Econ J. 2010;120(548):F452–77.CrossRef
34.
Van den Berg GJ, Van der Klaauw B. Counseling and monitoring of unemployed workers: Theory and evidence from a controlled social experiment. Int Econ Rev. 2006;47(3):895–936.CrossRef
35.
Martin JP, Grubb D. What works and for whom: A review of OECD Countries’ experiences with active labour market policies. Swed Econ Policy Rev. 2001;8(2):9–56.
36.
Card D, Kluve J, Weber A. What works? A meta analysis of recent active labor market program evaluations. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research; 2015.CrossRef
37.
Van der Ende M, Peters M, Biesma A, Dimitrova D, Schneider H. Analysis of Costs and Benefits of Active Compared to Passive Measures. Joint report IZA/ECORYS for the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission, Brussels. 2012.
38.
Creed PA, Machin MA, Hicks RE. Improving mental health status and coping abilities for long-term unemployed youth using cognitive-behaviour therapy based training interventions. J Organ Behav. 1999;20(6):963–78.CrossRef
39.
Machin MA, Creed PA. Understanding the differential benefits of training for the unemployed. Aust J Psychol. 2003;55(2):104–13.CrossRef
40.
Henderson KA, Muller JJ, Helmes E. Addressing mental health and reemployment for unemployed Australians through psychological interventions: an applied study. Aust J Career Dev. 2013;22(3):112–20.CrossRef
41.
Maguire N, Hughes VC, Bell L, Bogosian A, Hepworth C. An evaluation of the choices for well-being project. Psychol Health Med. 2014;19(3):303–15.CrossRefPubMed
42.
Proudfoot J, Guest D, Carson J, Dunn G, Gray J. Effect of cognitive-behavioural training on job-finding among long-term unemployed people. Lancet. 1997;350(9071):96–100.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Harris E, Lum J, Rose V, Morrow M, Comino E, Harris M. Are CBT interventions effective with disadvantaged job-seekers who are long-term unemployed? Psychol Health Med. 2002;7(4):401–10.CrossRef
44.
Warr P, Jackson P, Banks M. Unemployment and mental health: Some British studies. J Soc Issues. 1988;44(4):47–68.CrossRef
45.
Tiggemann M, Winefield AH. The effects of unemployment on the mood, self-esteem, locus of control, and depressive affect of school-leavers. J Occup Psychol. 1984;57(1):33–42.CrossRef
46.
Jahoda M. Economic recession and mental health: Some conceptual issues. J Soc Issues. 1988;44(4):13–23.CrossRef
47.
Fugate M, Kinicki AJ, Ashforth BE. Employability: A psycho-social construct, its dimensions, and applications. J Vocat Behav. 2004;65(1):14–38.CrossRef
48.
McArdle S, Waters L, Briscoe JP, Hall DT. Employability during unemployment: Adaptability, career identity and human and social capital. J Vocat Behav. 2007;71(2):247–64.CrossRef
49.
Koen J, Klehe UC, Van Vianen AE. Employability among the long-term unemployed: A futile quest or worth the effort? J Vocat Behav. 2013;82(1):37–48.CrossRef
50.
Murphy MP. Low road or high road? The post-crisis trajectory of Irish activation. Critic Soc Policy. 2016;36:432–52.CrossRef
51.
Folke F, Parling T, Melin L. Acceptance and commitment therapy for depression: A preliminary randomized clinical trial for unemployed on long-term sick leave. Cogn Behav Pract. 2012;19(4):583–94.CrossRef
52.
Behaghel L, Crépon B, Gurgand M. Robustness of the encouragement design in a two-treatment randomized control trial. IZA Discussion Paper No.7447. June 2013.
53.
Caplan RD, Vinokur AD, Price RH, Van Ryn M. Job seeking, reemployment, and mental health: a randomized field experiment in coping with job loss. J Appl Psychol. 1989;74(5):759.CrossRefPubMed
54.
Chan A, Tetzlaff JM, Gøtzsche PC, Altman DG, Mann H, Berlin JA, et al. SPIRIT2013 explanation and elaboration: guidance for protocols of clinical trials. BMJ. 2013;346:e7586.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
55.
Boutron I, Moher D, Altman D. Extending the CONSORT statement to randomized trials of nonpharmacologic treatment: explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:295–309.CrossRefPubMed
56.
Altman DG, Moher D, Schultz KF. The CONSORT statement: revised recommendations for improving the quality of reports of parallel group randomized trials. JAMA. 2001;285(15):1987–91.CrossRefPubMed
57.
58.
CSO, Central Statistics Office Ireland, September 2015.
59.
O’Connell PJ, McGuinness S, Kelly E. The transition from short-to long-term unemployment: A statistical profiling model for Ireland. Econ Soc Rev. 2013;43(1):135–64.
60.
Goldberg DP, Williams PA. User’s guide to the GHQ. Windsor: NFER Nelson; 1988.
61.
McDowell I. Measuring health: a guide to rating scales and questionnaires. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2006.CrossRef
62.
Diener ED, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The satisfaction with life scale. J Pers Assess. 1985;49(1):71–5.CrossRefPubMed
63.
Rosenberg M. Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSE). Acceptance and commitment therapy. Measures package. 1965;61:52.
64.
Kossek EE, Roberts K, Fisher S, Demarr B. Career self-management: A quasi-experimental assessment of the effects of a training intervention. Pers Psychol. 1998;51(4):935–60.CrossRef
65.
Sherer M, Adams CH. Construct validation of the self-efficacy scale. Psychol Rep. 1983;53(3):899–902.CrossRef
66.
Smith BW, Dalen J, Wiggins K, Tooley E, Christopher P, Bernard J. The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back. Int J Behav Med. 2008;15(3):194–200.CrossRefPubMed
67.
Snyder CR, Sympson SC, Ybasco FC, Borders TF, Babyak MA, Higgins RL. Development and validation of the State Hope Scale. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1996;70(2):321.CrossRefPubMed
68.
Cantril H. Pattern of human concerns. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press; 1965.
69.
Diener E, Kahneman D, Arora R, Harter J, Tov W. Income’s differential influence on judgments of life versus affective well-being. In: Assessing well-being. Dordrecht: Springer; 2009. p. 233–46.CrossRef
70.
Staines GL, Quinn RP. American workers evaluate the quality of their jobs. Monthly Lab Rev. 1979;102:3.
71.
Cammann C, Fichman M, Jenkins D, Klesh JR. Assessing the attitudes and perceptions of organizational members. Assess Organ Change. 1983;71:138.
72.
Vuori J, Silvonen J, Vinokur AD, Price RH. The Työhön Job Search Program in Finland: Benefits for the unemployed with risk of depression or discouragement. J Occup Health Psychol. 2002;7(1):5.CrossRefPubMed
73.
Vinokur AD, Price RH, Schul Y. Impact of the JOBS intervention on unemployed workers varying in risk for depression. Am J Community Psychol. 1995;23(1):39–74.CrossRefPubMed
74.
Doig GS, Simpson F. Randomization and allocation concealment: a practical guide for researchers. J Crit Care. 2005;20(2):187–91.CrossRefPubMed
75.
Field A. Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics: Fourth ed. SAGE Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC. 2013.
76.
Howell DC. Fundamental statistics for the behavioral sciences: Ninth ed. GB: Cengage Learning; 2016.
77.
Singer JD, Willet JB. A framework for investigating change over time. In: Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2003. p. 3–15.CrossRef
78.
Little RJ, D’Agostino R, Cohen ML, Dickersin K, Emerson SS, Farrar JT, et al. The prevention and treatment of missing data in clinical trials. N Engl J Med. 2012;367:1355–60.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
79.
Kanfer R, Wanberg CR, Kantrowitz TM. Job search and employment: a personality-motivational analysis and meta-analytic review. J Appl Psychol. 2001;86:837–55.CrossRefPubMed
80.
Senecal C, Guay F. Procrastination in job-seeking: an analysis of motivational processes and feelings of hopelessness. J Sociol Behav Personal. 2000;15:267–82.
81.
Claussen B, Bjørndal A, Hjort PF. Health and re-employment in a two year follow up of long term unemployed. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1993;47(1):14–8.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
82.
Taris TW. Unemployment and mental health: A longitudinal perspective. Int J Stress Manag. 2002;9(1):43–57.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
EEPIC - Enhancing Employability through Positive Interventions for improving Career potential: the impact of a high support career guidance intervention on the wellbeing, hopefulness, self-efficacy and employability of the long-term unemployed - a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors
Nuala Whelan
Sinéad McGilloway
Mary P. Murphy
Colm McGuinness
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Trials / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1745-6215
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2485-y

Other articles of this Issue 1/2018

Trials 1/2018 Go to the issue

Study protocol

Is treatment outcome improved if patients match themselves to treatment options? Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Study protocol

The effect of perioperative intravenously administered iron isomaltoside 1000 (Monofer®) on transfusion requirements for patients undergoing complex valvular heart surgery: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Research

Survey indicated that core outcome set development is increasingly including patients, being conducted internationally and using Delphi surveys

Study protocol

Jugular vs femoral vein for central venous catheterization in pediatric cardiac surgery (PRECiSE): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Research

Contributions of a survey and retrospective cohort study to the planning of a randomised controlled trial of corticosteroids in the treatment of paediatric septic shock

Study protocol

Efficacy of high-intensity, low-volume interval training compared to continuous aerobic training on insulin resistance, skeletal muscle structure and function in adults with metabolic syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial (Intraining-MET)