Study Details | Pathways to Work

6680-Work-related cogniti

Study quality: Low

Low

Reason for the rating: This study received a low study quality rating because it is a high-attrition randomized controlled trial that does not demonstrate that the intervention and comparison groups were sufficiently similar before the intervention.

Intervention: Work-Related Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (WCBT)

Population and employment barriers:

Employment status and income level (Unemployed), Specific employment barriers (Homelessness, Mental illness)

Services provided:

Health services (Substance use disorder treatment and mental health services), Soft skills training, Training, Work readiness activities

Setting: Urban only

Study design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

The study recruited homeless, unemployed individuals with social anxiety disorder who were seeking vocational services. Eligible participants were assembled into cohorts of two to seven individuals, and cohorts were randomly assigned to the intervention or comparison groups. In total, 29 individuals were assigned to the intervention group, and 29 individuals were assigned to the comparison group.

Time period of study:

Enrollment occurred between May 2010 and December 2011, and follow-up concluded in March 2012.

Pathways only reports results from studies with a study quality rating of high or moderate.

Sample characteristics

Age

Mean age

44 years

Sex

Female	33%
Male	67%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	86%
White	10%
More than one race	3%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Family status

Married

16%

Participant employment and public benefit status

Were employed	0%
Were unemployed	100%

Participant education

Had some postsecondary education	24%
Had a high school diploma or GED	60%
Did not have a high school diploma or GED	40%

Specific employment barriers

Had a mental illness	100%
Were experiencing homelessness	100%

Intervention implementation

Implementing organization:

Jewish Vocational Services in Detroit

Intervention services:

Participants assigned to the intervention condition were eligible to receive 16 hours of WCBT over the course of four weeks. WCBT was delivered in two-hour sessions, held twice weekly. Sessions focused on psychoeducational topics related to work, social skills education, and navigating work with a social anxiety disorder. Participants in the intervention group could also receive typical vocational services from Jewish Vocational Services Detroit.

Mandatory services:

None.

Comparison services:

Comparison group members could receive typical vocational services from Jewish Vocational Services Detroit but not WCBT.

Study publications

Himle, Joseph, Deborah Bybee, Edward Steinberger, Wayne T. Laviolette, Addie Weaver, Sarah Vlnka, Zipora Golenberg, Debra S. Levine, Richard G. Heimberg, and Lisa A. O'Donnell (2014). Work-related CBT versus vocational services as usual for unemployed persons with social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled pilot trial, Behaviour Research and Therapy 63: 169-176. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4416073/.

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Study of Work-Related Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (WCBT)