Improving Transition to Employment for Youth With Physical Disabilities: Protocol for a Peer Electronic Mentoring Intervention

Overview

Journal JMIR Res Protoc

Publisher JMIR Publications

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2017 Nov 18

PMID 29146566

Citations 5

Authors

Sally Lindsay

Jennifer Stinson

Mary Stergiou-Kita

Joanne Leck

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Although youth with disabilities have much to gain from employment readiness programs, they are often excluded from or have limited access to vocational programs. One encouraging approach to address gaps in vocational programming is through peer electronic mentoring (e-mentoring), which may facilitate a smoother transition to adulthood by offering support to enhance coping skills. Despite the increase in online communities, little is known about their impact on vocational mentoring for youth with physical disabilities and their parents.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to develop, implement, and assess the feasibility of an online peer mentor employment readiness intervention for youth with physical disabilities and their parents to improve their self-determination, career maturity, and social support compared to controls.

Methods: A mixed-methods feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT) design will be conducted to develop and assess the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of the "Empowering Youth Towards Employment" intervention. Youth (aged 15 to 25) with physical disabilities and their parents will be randomly assigned to a control or experimental group (4-week, interactive intervention, moderated by peer mentors).

Results: Data collection is in progress. Planned analyses include pre-post measures to determine the impact of the intervention on self-determination, career maturity, and social support. A qualitative thematic analysis of the discussion forums will complement the surveys to better understand why certain outcomes may have occurred.

Conclusions: Our intervention includes evidence-informed content and was co-created by a multi-disciplinary group of researchers and knowledge users. It has the potential for widespread implications as a cost-effective resource to supplement educational and vocational programming for youth with disabilities.

Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02522507; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02522507 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6uD58Pvjc).

Citing Articles

E-Mentoring to Address Youth Health: A Systematic Review.

Kaufman M, Levine D, Casella A, DuBois D Adolesc Res Rev. 2021; 7(1):63-78.

PMID: 34568546 PMC: 8449692. DOI: 10.1007/s40894-021-00172-3.

A Web-Based Intervention for Youth With Physical Disabilities: Comparing the Role of Mentors in 12- and 4-Week Formats.

Lindsay S, Cagliostro E JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2020; 3(1):e15813.

PMID: 31913132 PMC: 6996779. DOI: 10.2196/15813.

A 12-Week Electronic Mentoring Employment Preparation Intervention for Youth With Physical Disabilities: Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

Lindsay S, Cagliostro E, Leck J, Stinson J JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2019; 2(1):e12088.

PMID: 31518315 PMC: 6716483. DOI: 10.2196/12088.

Electronic Mentoring Programs and Interventions for Children and Youth With Disabilities: Systematic Review.

Lindsay S, Kolne K, Cagliostro E JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2019; 1(2):e11679.

PMID: 31518310 PMC: 6716434. DOI: 10.2196/11679.

A 4-Week Electronic-Mentoring Employment Intervention for Youth With Physical Disabilities: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Lindsay S, Cagliostro E, Stinson J, Leck J JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2019; 2(1):e12653.

PMID: 31518302 PMC: 6716490. DOI: 10.2196/12653.

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