Your Health.

OBJECTIVES:

School dropout is very high at the lowest two levels of secondary vocational education and training in the Netherlands. Approximately 30 to 40 percent of these adolescents will dropout of school. Various studies have shown that most of them have serious problems, for instance health problems, psychosocial problems, and debts. There already are a lot of different caregivers at the schools, but help is often offered late when there already is an educational gap and a long-term of absence. This research will evaluate the process and the effectiveness of screening adolescents at an early stage, and, if necessary, offer them help directly.



METHODS:

This is an intervention study. Adolescents in the intervention group will be invited for an appointment with the public health nurse. To get a broad overview of the problems were adolescents are dealing with, the Self Sufficiency Matrix with eleven domains will be used as the basis.
About 300 adolescents will be included in the intervention group, and another 300 adolescents in the control group (care as usual). Absence and psychosocial problems will be measured in both groups before and six months after the intervention. In the intervention group also an evaluation questionnaire will be completed by the adolescents.



RESULTS:

Data collection will be organised from September 2012 until August 2013.



CONCLUSIONS:

The hypothesis is, when adolescents are screened for problems at an early stage and do get help, they will be less absent from school and will have less psychosocial problems.

The hypothesis is, when adolescents are screened for problems at an early stage and do get help, they will be less absent from school and will have less psychosocial problems.

Time points measurements:

1. Baseline questionnaire (at the start of the training);

2. Follow-up questionnaire (after 6 months).

Adolescents are randomized into one of two groups:

1. Adolescents will be invited for an appointment with the public health nurse. To get a broad overview of the problems were adolescents are dealing with, the Self Sufficiency Matrix with eleven domains will be used as the basis. If necessary, the public health nurse will offer help to the adolescent or refer the adolescent to the appopriate caregiver;

2. Usual care.