UnemploymentiJobsNCT04885400
Feasibility and Acceptability of the Online JOBS Program
A study testing iJobs in people with Unemployment, run by West University of Timisoara at 1 site in Romania.
Trial summary
The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based adaptation of the Jobs program (developed by Curran et al., 1999). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Unemployment
- What is being tested?
- iJobs
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 56 participants
- Where
- 1 siteRomania
- Study dates
- 24 May 2021to 28 Feb 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Unemployed and looking for a job
- Work as volunteers and looking for a paid job
- Have a PC or laptop and basic digital competencies
Who cannot join
- They don't have internet access and are not available during the two weeks of the program
- Suffer from a chronic disease that implies special conditions for taking part in the activities
- Severe clinical depression symptoms (Cut-off=15 at PHQ9)*
- Severe clinical anxiety symptoms (Cut-off=15 at GAD7)*
- () will be included if they receive mental health treatment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: iJobs - Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Adaptation of the Jobs Program: an Open-label Pilot Study
The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based adaptation of the Jobs program (developed by Curran et al., 1999).
Read the detailed description
The current study is an open trial that will test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based adaptation of the Jobs program (further be referred to as iJobs). We will use a repeated measures design: one group and three measurements (baseline, post-intervention, 3 months follow-up). iJobs consists of five sessions spread over a two-week period. The participants will learn and exercise successful job search strategies (e.g. finding job openings, creating an attractive resume, demonstrating effective interviews).
- Conditions
- Unemployment
- Being tested
- iJobs
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
iJobsBehavioural
During the program, the participants will learn and exercise successful job search strategies. The web-based adaptation of the Jobs program will allow self-administration. After each session, they will receive written feedback from trainers on the platform.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| iJobs | Experimental | All the participants will be included in the program. Receives: Behavioral: iJobs |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Job search behavior effort
Job search behavior effort: Job Search Behavior Scale (Blau, 1994) was designed to measure 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).
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (3 months).
Satisfaction with the intervention
Satisfaction with the intervention will be measured using 22 items. We will use 6 items aiming at the program's content retrieved from a questionnaire used for measuring the alliance between trainers and trainees in a face-to-face JOBS intervention. The minimum score is 6 and the highest is 42. A higher score means a better outcome (increased satisfaction with the intervention). Also, we will use 16 items retrieved from a scale previously used for measuring the satisfaction with an online intervention delivered on the same platform as we will use for our program. Nine of the items are measured on a Likert scale. The minimum score is 7 and the maximum is 42. A higher score means greater satisfaction. 7 items are open-ended questions and imply qualitative analysis.
Measured: Post-intervention (2 weeks).
System usability
We will use a 10 item questionnaire (Bangor et al., 2009) designed to measure participants' satisfaction with e-cbt, 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.
Measured: Post-intervention (2 weeks).
Treatment adherence
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).
Measured: Post-intervention only (2 weeks).
Secondary outcomes (8)
Job-Search Self-Efficacy
Job Search Self-Efficacy Scale was designed to measure participants' perception of their ability to gain employment. We will use the 20 item version of the scale developed by Saks et al., 2015. The minimum score is 20 and the maximum is 100. A higher score means a better outcome (increased job search self-efficacy).
Measured: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Self-esteem
Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale is a self-esteem measure widely used in social science research. It is a ten-item Likert-type scale with items answered on a four-point scale-from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The scale measures global self-worth by measuring both positive and negative feelings about the self. The minimum score of Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale is 10 and the highest one is 40. A higher score means a better outcome.
Measured: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Inoculation against setbacks
We will use 2 items retrieved from previous studies (Vuori \& Vinokur, 2005) aiming to measure the effectiveness of JOBS intervention in terms of participant's ability to deal with setbacks. The minimum score is 2 and the maximum is 10. A higher score means a better outcome (presence of inoculation against setbacks).
Measured: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Future Career Anxiety
We will measure participant's anxiety regarding their future career in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak with the Future Career Anxiety Scale developed by Tsai et al., 2017 (Mahmud et al., 2020). The minimum score is 5 and the maximum is 25. A higher score means a worse outcome (increased anxiety).
Measured: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9)
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was designed to measure participants' severity of depression using DSM IV criteria. The minimum score of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is 0 and the highest one is 27. A higher score means a worse outcome (more severe symptoms of depression).
Measured: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD7)
Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment is a self-administered 7 item instrument that uses some of the DSM-V criteria for GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) to identify probable cases of GAD along with measuring anxiety symptom severity. The minimum score of Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment is 0 and the highest one is 21. A higher score means a worse outcome (a higher level of anxiety).
Measured: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Employment status
Self-reported employment status (phone screening).
Measured: Follow-up (3 months).
Job Quality
For those who found employment - phone screening.
Measured: Follow-up (3 months).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 May 2021
- Study start24 May 2021
- Primary completion10 Oct 2021
- Study completion28 Feb 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (9)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for UnemploymentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Open-label pilot study
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 56 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- West University of Timisoara
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Andrei Rusu, Principal investigator, West University of Timisoara
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04885400
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- iJobs
- Acronym
- iJobs
- Status last verified
- Apr 2021
- First submitted
- 28 Apr 2021
- Last updated
- 14 Mar 2023
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
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.
Blau, G. (1994). Testing a Two-Dimensional Measure of Job Search Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 59(2), 288-312. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.1994.1061
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.
PubMed 11556941Mahmud MS, Talukder MU, Rahman SM. Does 'Fear of COVID-19' trigger future career anxiety? An empirical investigation considering depression from COVID-19 as a mediator. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2021 Feb;67(1):35-45. doi: 10.1177/0020764020935488. Epub 2020 Jul 2.
PubMed 32615833Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the Self. New York: 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.
PubMed 16717171Ware JE Jr, Keller SD, Hatoum HT, Kong SX. The SF-36 Arthritis-Specific Health Index (ASHI): I. Development and cross-validation of scoring algorithms. Med Care. 1999 May;37(5 Suppl):MS40-50. doi: 10.1097/00005650-199905001-00004.
PubMed 10335742Vuori, 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, 275-291. DOI: 10.1002/job.308
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Mar 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- iJobs - Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Adaptation of the Jobs Program: an Open-label Pilot Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04885400
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- iJobs / iJobs
- Conditions
- Unemployment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 56 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- West University of TimisoaraUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 24 May 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Oct 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 May 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based adaptation of the Jobs program (developed by Curran et al., 1999).
Detailed description
The current study is an open trial that will test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based adaptation of the Jobs program (further be referred to as iJobs). We will use a repeated measures design: one group and three measurements (baseline, post-intervention, 3 months follow-up). iJobs consists of five sessions spread over a two-week period. The participants will learn and exercise successful job search strategies (e.g. finding job openings, creating an attractive resume, demonstrating effective interviews).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Open-label pilot study
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| iJobs | Experimental | Behavioral: iJobsAll the participants will be included in the program. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Unemployed and looking for a job
- Work as volunteers and looking for a paid job
- Have a PC or laptop and basic digital competencies
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- They don't have internet access and are not available during the two weeks of the program
- Suffer from a chronic disease that implies special conditions for taking part in the activities
- Severe clinical depression symptoms (Cut-off=15 at PHQ9)*
- Severe clinical anxiety symptoms (Cut-off=15 at GAD7)*
- () will be included if they receive mental health treatment
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| iJobsDuring the program, the participants will learn and exercise successful job search strategies. The web-based adaptation of the Jobs program will allow self-administration. After each session, they will receive written feedback from trainers on the platform. | Behavioural | iJobs |
Primary outcome
Job search behavior effort
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (3 months).
Job search behavior effort: Job Search Behavior Scale (Blau, 1994) was designed to measure 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).
Satisfaction with the intervention
Time frame: Post-intervention (2 weeks).
Satisfaction with the intervention will be measured using 22 items. We will use 6 items aiming at the program's content retrieved from a questionnaire used for measuring the alliance between trainers and trainees in a face-to-face JOBS intervention. The minimum score is 6 and the highest is 42. A higher score means a better outcome (increased satisfaction with the intervention). Also, we will use 16 items retrieved from a scale previously used for measuring the satisfaction with an online intervention delivered on the same platform as we will use for our program. Nine of the items are measured on a Likert scale. The minimum score is 7 and the maximum is 42. A higher score means greater satisfaction. 7 items are open-ended questions and imply qualitative analysis.
System usability
Time frame: Post-intervention (2 weeks).
We will use a 10 item questionnaire (Bangor et al., 2009) designed to measure participants' satisfaction with e-cbt, 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.
Treatment adherence
Time frame: Post-intervention only (2 weeks).
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).
8 secondary outcomes
Job-Search Self-Efficacy
Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Self-esteem
Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Inoculation against setbacks
Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Future Career Anxiety
Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9)
Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD7)
Time frame: Change from baseline to post-intervention (2 weeks).
Employment status
Time frame: Follow-up (3 months).
Job Quality
Time frame: Follow-up (3 months).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Mar 2023.
- BackgroundBangor, 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.
- BackgroundBlau, G. (1994). Testing a Two-Dimensional Measure of Job Search Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 59(2), 288-312. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.1994.1061
- Background: PubMed 11556941Kroenke 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.
- Background: PubMed 32615833Mahmud MS, Talukder MU, Rahman SM. Does 'Fear of COVID-19' trigger future career anxiety? An empirical investigation considering depression from COVID-19 as a mediator. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2021 Feb;67(1):35-45. doi: 10.1177/0020764020935488. Epub 2020 Jul 2.
- BackgroundRosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the Self. New York: Basic Books.
- BackgroundSaks, 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
- Background: PubMed 16717171Spitzer 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.
- Background: PubMed 10335742Ware JE Jr, Keller SD, Hatoum HT, Kong SX. The SF-36 Arthritis-Specific Health Index (ASHI): I. Development and cross-validation of scoring algorithms. Med Care. 1999 May;37(5 Suppl):MS40-50. doi: 10.1097/00005650-199905001-00004.
- BackgroundVuori, 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, 275-291. DOI: 10.1002/job.308
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Andrei Rusu principal investigator
West University of Timisoara
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing iJobs in people with Unemployment, run by West University of Timisoara at 1 site in Romania.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Mar 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Romania. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Job search behavior effort (time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (3 months).). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04885400, which also lists 9 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Mar 2023.