iJobs - an Internet Intervention for the Unemployed

Unemployment Clinical Trial

— iJobs  

Official title:

iJobs - an Internet Intervention for the Unemployed: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05962554
• Other study ID #: RCT iJobs
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: June 6, 2023
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2024

Study information

• Verified date: May 2024
• Source: West University of Timisoara
• Contact: Andrei Rusu
• Phone: 747174071
• Email: andrei.rusu[@]e-uvt.ro
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The current study aims to test the efficacy of iJobs, an online intervention for the unemployed. iJobs is an online adaptation of the JOBS program.

Description:

The current study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial that will test the efficacy of iJobs (a web-based adaptation of the JOBS program) against a waiting list control group. Participants from the control group will be enrolled in iJobs 2 weeks after the experimental group finishes the program. iJobs is a 2-week intervention consisting of 5 modules focusing on discovering job skills, job search strategies, preparing effective resumes, exercising different types of interviews, and overcoming setbacks in the job search process. iJobs was previously tested in a feasibility and acceptability trial.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 180
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2024
• Est. primary completion date: June 28, 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 60 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Unemployed and looking for a job

• Work as volunteers and are 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

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Unemployment

Intervention

Behavioral:
• iJobs
iJobs is a 2-week intervention consisting of 5 modules focusing on discovering job skills, job search strategies, preparing effective resumes, exercising different types of interviews, and overcoming setbacks in the job search process. This is an adaptation of the JOBS program.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Romania	West University of Timisoara	Timisoara

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
West University of Timisoara

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Romania, 

References & Publications (15)

Bangor, A., Kortum, P. & Miller, J. (2009). Determining what individual SUS scores mean: adding an adjective rating scale. Journal of Usability Studies, 4(3), 114-123.

Berwick DM, Murphy JM, Goldman PA, Ware JE Jr, Barsky AJ, Weinstein MC. Performance of a five-item mental health screening test. Med Care. 1991 Feb;29(2):169-76. doi: 10.1097/00005650-199102000-00008. — View Citation

Blau, G. (1994). Testing a two-dimensional measure of job search behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 59, 288-312. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.1994.1061

Bodnaru, A., Rusu, A., Blonk, R., Vîrga, D., Iliescu, D., & Van den Broeck, A. (2023, May 4). Bodnaru_et_al_preprint. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/tdseq

Curran, J., Wishart, P., & Gingrich, J. (1999). JOBS: A manual for teaching people successful job search strategies. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Michigan Prevention Research Center.

Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Sep;16(9):606-13. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x. — View Citation

Lorenz T, Beer C, Putz J, Heinitz K. Measuring Psychological Capital: Construction and Validation of the Compound PsyCap Scale (CPC-12). PLoS One. 2016 Apr 1;11(4):e0152892. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152892. eCollection 2016. — View Citation

Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the Self. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Saks, A.M., Zikic, J., & Koen, J. (2015). Job search self-efficacy: Reconceptualizing the construct and its measurement. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 86, 104-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.11.007

Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092. — View Citation

Tsai C.T., Hsu H., Hsu Y.C. (2017). Tourism and hospitality college students' career anxiety: Scale development and validation. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 29(4), 158-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2017.1382365

Van Hooft, E.A.J., Van Hoye, G., & Van den Hee, S.M. (2022). How to Optimize the Job Search Process: Development and Validation of the Job Search Quality Scale. Journal of Career Assessment, 30(3), 474-505. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727211052812

Virga D, De Witte H, Cifre E. The Role of Perceived Employability, Core Self-Evaluations, and Job Resources on Health and Turnover Intentions. J Psychol. 2017 Oct 3;151(7):632-645. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2017.1372346. Epub 2017 Oct 6. — View Citation

Vîrga, D. & Rusu, A. (2018). Core self-evaluations, job search behaviour and health complaints. The mediating role of job search self-efficacy. Career Development International, 23(3), 261-273. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-11-2017-0208

Vuori, J., & Vinokur, A.D. (2005). Job-search preparedness as a mediator of the effects of the Tyohon Job Search Intervention on re-employment and mental health. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(3), 275-291. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.308

* Note: There are 15 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Physical health	The investigators will use a short version of Ware's Physical Health Complaints Scale to measure participants' perceptions of their health. The minimum score is 4 and the highest is 20. A higher score means a worse outcome (worse physical health).	Baseline only
Other	Treatment adherence	Drop out rate; 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).	Post-intervention only (approximately 2 weeks)
Other	Satisfaction with the intervention	Satisfaction with the intervention will be measured using 17 items. Eleven items are measured on a 4-points, 5-points, and 10-points Likert scale. Each item will be analyzed separately. A higher score means greater satisfaction. The other 6 items are open-ended questions and imply qualitative analysis.	Post-intervention only (approximately 2 weeks)
Other	System usability	We will use a 10-item questionnaire designed to measure participants' satisfaction with TalentLMS, 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.	Post-intervention only (approximately 2 weeks)
Other	Sociodemographic information	Age, gender, residential area, educational level, average monthly income, unemployment period, work experience, and targeted professional field.	Baseline only
Other	Employment status	Self-reported employment status will be measured at follow-up, using a dichotomous question.	Follow-up only (approximately 6 weeks)
Other	Employment satisfaction	Self-reported employment quality will be measured at follow-up using 4 questions. One of them is a dichotomous question, while the other 3 questions are measured on a Likert scale. The minimum score is 3, and the maximum is 30. A higher score means greater satisfaction with the job.	Follow-up only (approximately 6 weeks)
Primary	Participants' self-efficacy regarding the job search process	The Job Search Self-Efficacy Scale (20-item) measures participants' perception of their ability to gain employment. The minimum score is 20 and the maximum is 100. A higher score means a better outcome (increased job search self-efficacy).	Change from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up (approximately 2 weeks and 6 weeks)
Primary	Participants' job search intensity and effort	The investigators will use a version of Blau's Job-search behaviors scale adapted to the contemporary context and Romanian population. The scale measures 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).	Change from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up (approximately 2 weeks and 6 weeks)
Primary	The quality of participants' job search behaviors	The Job search quality scale has 20 items and measures the quality in which the job search behaviors are performed. The minimum score is 20 and the maximum is 100. A higher score means a better outcome (increased job search quality).	Change from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up (approximately 2 weeks and 6 weeks)
Secondary	Participants' ability to deal with setbacks in the job search process	Inoculation against setbacks (i.e., participants' ability to deal with setbacks) will be measured using 2 items retrieved from previous studies. The minimum score is 2 and the maximum is 10. A higher score means a better outcome (presence of inoculation against setbacks).	Change from baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)
Secondary	Participants' overall self-esteem	Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale measures global self-worth by measuring both positive and negative feelings about the self using 10 items. The minimum score of Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale is 10 and the highest one is 40. A higher score means a better outcome.	Change from baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)
Secondary	Participants' anxiety regarding their future career	The investigators will measure participants' anxiety regarding their future career with the Future Career Anxiety Scale. The minimum score is 5 and the maximum is 25. A higher score means a worse outcome (increased anxiety).	Change from baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)
Secondary	Generalised Anxiety symptoms	The investigators will measure participants' anxiety symptoms using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment. This is a 7-item instrument that uses the DSM-V criteria to assess anxiety symptom severity. The minimum score is 0 and the highest one is 21. A higher score means a worse outcome (a higher level of anxiety).	Change from baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)
Secondary	Depression symptoms	The investigators will measure participants' depression symptoms with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The scale measures participants' severity of depression using DSM IV criteria. The minimum score is 0 and the highest one is 27. A higher score means a worse outcome (more severe symptoms of depression).	Change from baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)
Secondary	Participants' mental health complaints	The investigators will measure participants' mental health complaints with the Mental Health Complaints Scale. This is a 5-item instrument that will be used to assess mental health complaints. The minimum score is 6 and the highest is 30. A higher score means a worse outcome.	Change from baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)
Secondary	Participants' psychological capital	The investigators will measure participants' psychological capital with the 12-item Compound PsyCap Scale. The minimum score is 12 and the highest is 72. A higher score means a better outcome.	Change from baseline to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks)