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).
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the assistance of E. Potter (University of Adelaide), S. Neeson, V. Machen, and G. O’Neill (PQSA) in participant recruitment and T. Jackman (PQSA) for webpage analytics. We are also grateful to Y. Eglington and C. Brice for the “Work and SCI” video material.
Author contributions
DD was responsible for study conception, data collection, analysis and interpretation, and manuscript drafts. RR, GM, AC, and IK made substantial contributions to study design and assisted with manuscript draft and revision. PS, ACH, RM, JC, and CM critically reviewed the manuscript, providing important intellectual content.
Funding
This project was supported by a grant from the auDA Foundation (project no. 16019).
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PS (CEO) is employed by PQSA, a participating organization in this project. The remaining authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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Dorstyn, D., Roberts, R., Murphy, G. et al. Work and SCI: a pilot randomized controlled study of an online resource for job-seekers with spinal cord dysfunction. Spinal Cord 57, 221–228 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-018-0200-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-018-0200-1
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