Validation of a personal control scale: A specific measure of perceived control expectations in job search

[ES]Los técnicos en orientación profesional necesitan herramientas especializadas para medir la motivación de búsqueda de empleo. Entre los elementos que motivan a una persona a buscar trabajo destacan sus expectativas. Con el objetivo de evaluarlas, se creó la escala de Expectativas de Control Percibido de Búsqueda de Empleo (ECPBE) partiendo del modelo de Expectativas Generalizadas de Control (EGC) de Palenzuela. Se estudia la validez convergente-discriminante, la fiabilidad (consistencia interna y homogeneidad) y la validez factorial. Se obtienen correlaciones con las subescalas próximas teóricamente significativas y se confirma la presencia de cuatro factores para los ítems de autoeficacia, expectativas de éxito, locus de control interno y locus de control externo. Se puede considerar la ECPBE como una escala válida para medir las expectativas propuestas desde el modelo de EGC adaptado a la situación de búsqueda de empleo, presentando un adecuado nivel de homogeneidad y consistencia en la medida. [EN] Experts in career guidance need specialised tools to measure motivation for job search. Among the remarkable elements that motivate a person to search for a job are their own expectations. Aiming at evaluating expectations, the Perceived Control Expectations in Job Search (PCEJS) scale has been created based on Palenzuela's model of Generalized Expectancies of Control (GEC). Convergent-discriminant validity, reliability (internal consistency and homogeneity), and factorial validity are addressed in this study. Correlations are found among theoretically closed sub-scales, and the presence of 4 factors for the items of self-efficacy, expectations of success, internal locus of control and external locus of control is substantiated. The PCEJS can be considered a valid scale to measure expectations as proposed by the GEC model when adapted to a job search situation, showing an appropriate level of homogeneity and consistency in the measurement

A personalized intervention to prevent depression in primary care: cost-effectiveness study nested into a clustered randomized trial

Abstract Background: Depression is viewed as a major and increasing public health issue, as it causes high distress in the people experiencing it and considerable financial costs to society. Efforts are being made to reduce this burden by preventing depression. A critical component of this strategy is the ability to assess the individual level and profile of risk for the development of major depression. This paper presents the cost-effectiveness of a personalized intervention based on the risk of developing depression carried out in primary care, compared with usual care. Methods: Cost-effectiveness analyses are nested within a multicentre, clustered, randomized controlled trial of a personalized intervention to prevent depression. The study was carried out in 70 primary care centres from seven cities in Spain. Two general practitioners (GPs) were randomly sampled from those prepared to participate in each centre (i.e. 140 GPs), and 3326 participants consented and were eligible to participate. The intervention included the GP communicating to the patient his/her individual risk for depression and personal risk factors and the construction by both GPs and patients of a psychosocial programme tailored to prevent depression. In addition, GPs carried out measures to activate and empower the patients, who also received a leaflet about preventing depression. GPs were trained in a 10- to 15-h workshop. Costs were measured from a societal and National Health care perspective. Qualityadjustedlife years were assessed using the EuroQOL five dimensions questionnaire. The time horizon was 18 months.This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Health, the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) ’A way to build Europe’(grant references PS09/02272, PS09/02147, PS09/01095, PS09/00849 and PS09/00461); the Andalusian Council of Health (grant reference PI-0569-2010); the Spanish Network of Primary Care Research ’redIAPP’ (RD06/0018, RD12/0005/0001); the ’Aragón group’ (RD06/0018/0020, RD12/0005/0006); the ’Bizkaya group’ (RD06/0018/0018, RD12/0005/0010); the Castilla-León Group (RD06/0018/0027); the Mental Health (SJD) Barcelona Group (RD06/0018/0017, RD12/0005/0008); and the Mental-Health, Services and Primary Care (SAMSERAP) MálagaGroup (RD06/0018/0039, RD12/0005/0005)

A personalized intervention to prevent depression in primary care: cost-effectiveness study nested into a clustered randomized trial.

Depression is viewed as a major and increasing public health issue, as it causes high distress in the people experiencing it and considerable financial costs to society. Efforts are being made to reduce this burden by preventing depression. A critical component of this strategy is the ability to assess the individual level and profile of risk for the development of major depression. This paper presents the cost-effectiveness of a personalized intervention based on the risk of developing depression carried out in primary care, compared with usual care. Cost-effectiveness analyses are nested within a multicentre, clustered, randomized controlled trial of a personalized intervention to prevent depression. The study was carried out in 70 primary care centres from seven cities in Spain. Two general practitioners (GPs) were randomly sampled from those prepared to participate in each centre (i.e. 140 GPs), and 3326 participants consented and were eligible to participate. The intervention included the GP communicating to the patient his/her individual risk for depression and personal risk factors and the construction by both GPs and patients of a psychosocial programme tailored to prevent depression. In addition, GPs carried out measures to activate and empower the patients, who also received a leaflet about preventing depression. GPs were trained in a 10- to 15-h workshop. Costs were measured from a societal and National Health care perspective. Qualityadjustedlife years were assessed using the EuroQOL five dimensions questionnaire. The time horizon was 18 months. With a willingness-to-pay threshold of €10,000 (£8568) the probability of cost-effectiveness oscillated from 83% (societal perspective) to 89% (health perspective). If the threshold was increased to €30,000 (£25,704), the probability of being considered cost-effective was 94% (societal perspective) and 96%, respectively (health perspective). The sensitivity analysis confirmed these results. Compared with usual care, an intervention based on personal predictors of risk of depression implemented by GPs is a cost-effective strategy to prevent depression. This type of personalized intervention in primary care should be further developed and evaluated. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01151982. Registered on June 29, 2010