Evaluating a rehabilitative intervention for substance-dependent patients with and without their accompanying children in Germany (KontextSucht): study protocol for a non-randomised trial

INTRODUCTION

People suffering from substance use disorders often live in social contexts with children or are parents themselves. Addicted parents show specific substance-related problems while raising their children, which often leads to various lifelong consequences for the children. The German rehabilitative treatment system allows bringing children to inpatient treatment centres. This mixed-methods study evaluates a newly developed intervention, called 'KontextSucht' or 'AddictionContext', for parents in rehabilitation treatment centres concerning the effectiveness of the intervention in parenting and abstinence outcome.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The study uses a two-stage parallel mixed-methods design. A feasibility study (stage 1) and a benefit assessment (stage 2) will be conducted to evaluate the intervention. Both parts of the study will be carried out with qualitative and quantitative work packages. German-speaking parents of children 0-14 years will be included in this study. Qualitative data will be analysed using qualitative content analyses, whereas quantitative data will be analysed descriptively using regression analysis as well as linear mixed models.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

All participants will receive detailed information on the study and sign informed consent before data collection. The research team has obtained the approval of the Ethical Review Committee at the Technical University of Munich in Germany and will follow all legislation rules regarding data protection. The study results will be published in peer-reviewed national and international journals. Furthermore, the study results will be included in an intervention manual distributed to treatment centres.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

DRKS00030950.

Preventing a Scarring Start into the Labor Market: Integration Strategies for Young Persons with Disabilities

PURPOSE

Sociodemographic and structural conditions have consequences for the labor market participation of young persons with disabilities (YPWD) in vocational rehabilitation (VR). As the type of program determines the labor market chances, we analyze the processes of selecting active labor market programs (ALMP) in VR. Which factors determine the allocation to (1) programs in general and (2) moreover, the allocation to specific programs?

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conduct logistic (1) and multinomial regression (2) using register data of the German Federal Employment Agency. Besides variables on the micro level, we control for a wide range of structural and organizational influences. The sample comprises VR and employment biographies of 255,009 YPWD accepted to VR between 2010 and 2015. Program participation is restricted to start 180 days after VR acceptance.

RESULTS

Sociodemographic factors, like age and the status before entering VR as well as the local apprenticeship market as a structural condition, highly influence the general allocation to ALMP. For the allocation to specific ALMP, sociodemographics (age, education, type of disability, status before entering VR) are highly relevant. Furthermore, structural conditions (regional structure of subsidized vocational training and of the apprenticeship market as well as local work possibilities on a special labor market for PWD) and - to a lesser extent - re-organization processes at the FEA (NEO, VR cohort) are important determinants.

CONCLUSION

(Automatic) paths into VR programs for especially persons with mental disabilities in sheltered workshop are clearly shown. Furthermore, it is somewhat questionable that YPWD participate more often in sheltered workshops in regions where sheltered work possibilities are more common, as well as where NEO was implemented locally; and participate more often in company-external vocational training where VR service providers are commissioned to a greater extent.

Surface Modification of ITO with N-Heterocyclic Carbene Precursors Results in Electron Selective Contacts in Organic Photovoltaic Devices

Surface modification of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes with organic molecules is known to tune their work function which results in higher charge carrier selectivity in corresponding organic electronic devices and hence influences the performance of organic solar cells. In recent years, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have also been proven to be capable to modify the work function of metals and semimetals compared to the unfunctionalized surface via the formation of strong covalent bonds. In this report, we have designed and performed the modification of the ITO surface with NHC by using the zwitterionic bench stable IPr-CO2 as the NHC precursor, applied via spin coating. Upon modification, the work function of ITO electrodes was reduced significantly which resulted in electron selective contacts in corresponding organic photovoltaic devices. In addition, various characterization techniques and analytical methods are used to elucidate the nature of the bound species and the corresponding binding mechanism of the material to the ITO surface.

Psychological assessment of AI-based decision support systems: tool development and expected benefits

This study aimed to develop an evaluation tool that assesses the use of AI-based decision support systems (DSSs) in professional practice from a human-centered perspective. Following the International Organization for Standardization, this perspective aims to ensure that the use of interactive technologies improves users' psychological load experience and behavior, e.g., in the form of reduced stress experience or increased performance. Concomitantly, this perspective attempts to proactively prevent or detect and correct the potential negative effects of these technologies on user load, such as impaired satisfaction and engagement, as early as possible. Based on this perspective, we developed and validated a questionnaire instrument, the Psychological Assessment of AI-based DSSs (PAAI), for the user-centered evaluation of the use of AI-based DSSs in practice. In particular, the instrument considers central design characteristics of AI-based DSSs and the corresponding work situation, which have a significant impact on users' psychological load. The instrument was tested in two independent studies. In Study 1, N = 223 individuals were recruited. Based on the results of item and scale analyses and an exploratory factor analysis, the newly developed instrument was refined, and the final version was tested using a confirmatory factor analysis. Findings showed acceptable-to-good fit indices, confirming the factorial validity of the PAAI. This was confirmed in a second study, which had N = 471 participants. Again, the CFA yielded acceptable-to-good fit indices. The validity was further confirmed using convergent and criterion validity analyses.

Determinants of welfare benefit use of immigrant groups - longitudinal evidence from Germany

While recent literature in Germany has compared predictors of welfare use between EU and non-EU immigrants, refugees have yet to be added to the analysis. Using survey data of approximately 4,000 immigrants living in Germany, I examine the determinants of basic unemployment benefits receipt for intra-EU immigrants, refugees, and third country immigrants. In particular, I investigate how education affects the likelihood of welfare use for each immigrant group. Even after controlling for human capital factors, sociodemographic characteristics, and factors related to migration such as legal status and age at migration, refugees remain significantly more likely to receive benefits. Results demonstrate that higher education significantly decreases the likelihood of welfare receipt for EU and third country immigrants, but much less so for refugees. These findings may indicate that refugees' education is not being used to its full potential in the labor market or that they face additional challenges hindering their labor market integration. A further and unanticipated finding is that immigrants who hold permanent residency or German citizenship are less likely to receive unemployment benefits, pointing either to positive effects of a secure residency or selection into permanent residency and citizenship among those with the greatest labor market success. Overall, this research shows that challenges beyond human capital deficiencies and sociodemographic characteristics must be considered when studying immigrants' receipt of social benefits, that not all educational credentials are valued equally, and that the experiences of refugees differ in significant ways from those of other immigrant groups.

Evaluation of a supported education and employment program for adolescents and young adults with mental health problems: A study protocol of the StAB project

The majority of mental illnesses begins in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood before the age of 25. The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a particularly vulnerable time for adolescents with mental illness, affecting psychosocial functioning and participation in work life. Therefore, they need—in contrast to classic standard vocational interventions—a long-term, holistic and individually oriented vocational rehabilitation program. With the innovative model project "Start in education and employment (StAB)”, adolescents and young adults with mental illnesses are to be supported with regard to their vocational perspectives and participation by a new type of individualized, holistic, long-term job coaching. It follows the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) concept, as a manualized form of the Supported Employment Approach and is based on the "first place–then train" principle. In order to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the StAB program, a double-centre prospective single arm evaluation study in a mixed-methods design will be conducted. The focus is on quantitative research analysing pre-post-effects of the StAB intervention in a two-year observational study. Young people between 15 and 25 years with a psychiatric diagnosis who are currently in receipt of means-tested benefits or are entitled to them will be recruited. The study will take place in two major cities in the north-western part of Germany, Bielefeld and Dortmund. We expect to contribute to gain more empirical data about the implementation of Supported Employment and Education to severely mentally ill adolescents and young adults in German settings. Moreover, these results may also provide the scientific foundation for future measures focusing the improvement of vocational rehabilitation for young people with mental illness.

The study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00027576) on March 10, 2022.