Diana Dorstyn1, Rachel Roberts2, Gregory Murphy3, Ashley Craig4, Ian Kneebone5, Peter Stewart6, Anna Chur-Hansen2, Ruth Marshall7,8, Jillian Clark7,8, Christine Migliorini9. 1. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. diana.dorstyn@adelaide.edu.au. 2. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. 3. School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia. 4. Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. 5. Discipline of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia. 6. PQSA - The Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of South Australia, Dulwich, SA, Australia. 7. South Australian Spinal Cord Injury Research Centre, Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, Northfield, SA, Australia. 8. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. 9. Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Primary Health Care, Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia.
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT). OBJECTIVES: To test the preliminary effects of an online resource targeted to job-seekers with spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D), and to determine the feasibility of proceeding to a full-scale RCT. SETTING:A community cohort in Australia. METHODS:Forty-eight adults (M = 42 years, SD = 10.95, 27 males) were randomized to receive 4-weeks access to the Work and SCI resource (n = 25) or to a wait-list control group (n = 23). The Work and SCI intervention involved six stand-alone learning modules which provided job-searching and career-planning information through text, videos, and interactive activities. Self-report measures were administered at baseline and after 4 weeks: Job Procurement Self-Efficacy Scale (JSES), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). RESULTS: Online usage data identified high uptake of the Work and SCI resource, although study attrition was problematic. Intention-to-treat analyses failed to reach statistical significance, whereas complete data revealed a significant interaction effect for optimism (LOT-R). CONCLUSION: Further research to develop and enhance Work and SCI is indicated. Remediable strategies to optimize recruitment and statistical power in a future definitive RCT are discussed. SPONSORSHIP: This project was funded by the auDA Foundation (project 16019).
RCT Entities:
STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT). OBJECTIVES: To test the preliminary effects of an online resource targeted to job-seekers with spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D), and to determine the feasibility of proceeding to a full-scale RCT. SETTING: A community cohort in Australia. METHODS: Forty-eight adults (M = 42 years, SD = 10.95, 27 males) were randomized to receive 4-weeks access to the Work and SCI resource (n = 25) or to a wait-list control group (n = 23). The Work and SCI intervention involved six stand-alone learning modules which provided job-searching and career-planning information through text, videos, and interactive activities. Self-report measures were administered at baseline and after 4 weeks: Job Procurement Self-Efficacy Scale (JSES), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). RESULTS: Online usage data identified high uptake of the Work and SCI resource, although study attrition was problematic. Intention-to-treat analyses failed to reach statistical significance, whereas complete data revealed a significant interaction effect for optimism (LOT-R). CONCLUSION: Further research to develop and enhance Work and SCI is indicated. Remediable strategies to optimize recruitment and statistical power in a future definitive RCT are discussed. SPONSORSHIP: This project was funded by the auDA Foundation (project 16019).
Authors: B Catharine Craven; Louise Brisbois; Chelsea Pelletier; Julia Rybkina; Ann Heesters; Mary Caroline Verrier Journal: J Spinal Cord Med Date: 2021 Impact factor: 1.985