Long Term Social Assistance Recipient in South Eastern Sweden - a Description of Health, Function, and Activity

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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There is a group of social assistance recipients which have difficulties in entering the labor market and thus remains in a long-term dependency on social assistance. More knowledge about individuals receiving long-term social assistance is needed in order to improve into work interventions for this group. Therefore, this study aims to describe variables of health, function and activity in participants receiving long-term social assistance.

Detailed Description
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There is a group of social assistance recipients who have difficulties in entering the labor market and thus remains in a long-term dependency on social assistance. More knowledge about individuals receiving long-term social assistance is needed in order to improve into-work interventions for this group. Therefore, this study aims to describe variables of health, function and activity in participants receiving long-term social assistance. Individuals who have received social assistance during more than three years, who report physical and/or psychological difficulties, and/or have a complex social situation will be asked for participation in a six months activity-based investigation including contact with social worker, psychologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist and labor market consultant. The intervention aims to clarify the participants hinders and resources for entering the labor market. The participants are going to answer a questionnaire about health, function, and activity before and after the investigation. In addition, the participants function and ability to perform activities will be classified using the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). Data from the questionnaires and from ICF recordings will be used to describe variables of health, function and ability to be active. Participants who manage to get closer to, or enter into, the labor market will be asked to participate in a qualitative interview study about the experiences of the change. In addition, social workers will be asked to participate in focus-group interviews about experiences from the professional contact and work with the participants. The quantitative data will be analysed using traditional statistics and multivariate data analysis. Qualitative data will be analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Official Title
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Long Term Social Assistance Receipt - An Observational Study of Health, Function, and Activity

Conditions
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Vocational Rehabilitation

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Investigation of health and activity


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Long-term social assistance recipient (more than three years) Putative ill-health (physical, psychological and/or social) No present plan how to reach the labor market Need of clarifying the working ability Exclusion Criteria: Homelessness Severe psychiatric illness Abuse of alcohol or substances

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Health and activity<br>The cohort consists of long-term social assistance recipients where there is need to investigate the health status and working ability. | Other: Investigation of health and activity<br>* During a six months multidisciplinary investigation of health status, activity and working ability for individuals receiving long-term social assistance, the health and activity status as well as function will be described using established questionnaires and the International Classification of Functioning<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in quality of life | The change in participants self-rated experience of quality of life is going to be described using EuroQol 5 Dimensions which contains a rating of the ability to perform activities, and also a score of the total quality of life experience. | Change between the beginning and the end of the six months intervention | 
| Change in self-rated function and ability to be active | The change in participants self-rated function and ability to be active is going to be described using the World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) which contains five-grade ratings of factors including functioning, activity and participation. | Change between the beginning and the end of the six months intervention | 
| Change in objective description of function and ability to be active | The change in an objective classification of function, activity, participation and environmental factors affecting disability will be described according to the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) in the beginning and at the end of the six month intervention. The ICF contains a number of components, where each component can be scored using a five-grade scale to clarify the magnitude of disability. | Change between the beginning and the end of the six months intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Qualitative description of experiences about an increase in activity ability | Participants experiences about a change towards higher ability to be active will be described using qualitative interviews. | After the six moths intervention | 
| Qualitative description of social workers experiences from the work with long-term social assistance recipients | Social workers experiences from their work with helping clients to get closer to the labor market will be described using qualitative interviews. | After the six moths intervention | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Health, activity, function and long-term social assistance