REBT Intervention Program for Career Decision-making Difficulties in High School Pupils

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Career decision-making difficulties are frequent problems for adolescents. Regular intervention or prevention programs mainly provide information for the students about themselves, about the world of work, about their interests and preferences etc. Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), a form of Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) provides help for adolescents to efficiently cope with emotional problems (e.g., psychological distress) related to the career decision-making process. The present study aims to investigate the efficiency of an REBT career intervention program implemented in a school setting. School settings are appropriate to deliver group intervention for students. Classes from Romanian public high-schools will be randomized in either intervention or treatment as usual groups.

Detailed Description
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The intervention will be group based, delivered in 8 sessions, over 8 weeks. Each of the eight modules aimed a different component: Psychoeducation, Information about self and world of work, Steps of career decision-making, Problem solving. Additionally, for the REBT groups: Relationship between cognitive distortions/irrational beliefs and emotions, Cognitive restructuring, Exposure/behavioral activation and emotional problem solving, Maintenance of gaining. Homework would be given at every session. REBT intervention programs delivered in school settings represent ecological modalities to target vulnerable groups. Adolescents will complete assessments at four time points: T1 (baseline), T2 (post-intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up) and T4 (6 months follow-up).

Official Title
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The Effectiveness of an REBT Intervention Program on the Reduction of Career Decision-making Difficulties in High School Pupils

Conditions
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Career Decision-making Difficulties, Worry, Psychological Distress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: REBT Career Intervention
* Behavioral: Regular Career Intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Adolescents will have ages 16 years to 19 years (11th grade at high school). Are attending high school. Parents will sign the informed consent and adolescents provide informed assent. Exclusion Criteria: Age below 16 or above 19 years. No signed informed consent from the parents. Uninterpretable answers on the validation items of the CDDQ (items nr. 7 and 12)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 16 Years
Maximum Age: 19 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: REBT Career Intervention<br>High-school students in the experiment group attend to eight modules of career intervention with rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) techniques. The eight modules aim a different component: Psychoeducation, Information about the self and the world of work, Steps of Decision making, Relationship between cognitive distortions/irrational beliefs and emotions, Cognitive Restructuring, Exposure/behavior activation and problem solving, Planning, Goal Setting. | Behavioral: REBT Career Intervention<br>* Eight sessions of regular career intervention with rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) methods.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Regular Career Intervention<br>High-school students in the treatment as usual group attend to eight modules of career intervention with regular career intervention techniques. The eight modules aim a different component: Psychoeducation, Information about the self and the world of work, Steps of Decision making, Problem solving, Planning, Goal Setting. | Behavioral: Regular Career Intervention<br>* Eight sessions of regular career intervention.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ; Gati, Krausz, & Osipow, 1996) | Measure of career decision-making difficulties. | Change from baseline career decision-making difficulties up to 24 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Emotional Distress Profile (PDA; Opris & Macavei, 2005) | Measure of positive emotions, negative functional and negative dysfunctional emotions. | Change from baseline distress up to 24 weeks | 
| Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-C; Chorpita et al., 1997) | Measure of worry for children and adolescents. | Change from baseline worry up to 24 weeks | 
| General Attitudes and Beliefs Scale Short Form (GABS-SF; Lindner et al., 1999) | Measure of Irrational Beliefs. | Change from baseline irrational beliefs up to 24 weeks | 
| Beck Depression Inventory for Youth (BDI-Y; Beck, 2005) | Measure of depression of adolescents. | Change from baseline depression, anxiety up to 24 weeks | 
| Beck Anxiety Inventory for Youth (BAI-Y; Beck, 2005) | Measure of anxiety of adolescents. | Change from baseline anxiety up to 24 weeks | 
| Career Decision-making Self-Efficacy Short Form (Betz et al., 1996) | Measure of career decision-making self-efficacy. | Change from baseline career decision-making self-efficacy up to 24 weeks | 
| Multidimensional Life Satisfaction (Seligson, Huebner, & Valois, 2003) | Measure of five areas of life satisfaction. | Change from baseline life satisfaction up to 24 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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career indecision, career decision-making difficulties, worry, psychological distress