Long Term Social Assistance Recipient in South Eastern Sweden - a Description of Health, Function, and Activity

Long Term Social Assistance Receipt - An Observational Study of Health, Function, and Activity

There is a group of social assistance recipients which have difficulties in entering the labor market and thus remains in a long-term dependency on social assistance. More knowledge about individuals receiving long-term social assistance is needed in order to improve into work interventions for this group. Therefore, this study aims to describe variables of health, function and activity in participants receiving long-term social assistance.

There is a group of social assistance recipients who have difficulties in entering the labor market and thus remains in a long-term dependency on social assistance. More knowledge about individuals receiving long-term social assistance is needed in order to improve into-work interventions for this group. Therefore, this study aims to describe variables of health, function and activity in participants receiving long-term social assistance. Individuals who have received social assistance during more than three years, who report physical and/or psychological difficulties, and/or have a complex social situation will be asked for participation in a six months activity-based investigation including contact with social worker, psychologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist and labor market consultant. The intervention aims to clarify the participants hinders and resources for entering the labor market. The participants are going to answer a questionnaire about health, function, and activity before and after the investigation. In addition, the participants function and ability to perform activities will be classified using the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). Data from the questionnaires and from ICF recordings will be used to describe variables of health, function and ability to be active. Participants who manage to get closer to, or enter into, the labor market will be asked to participate in a qualitative interview study about the experiences of the change. In addition, social workers will be asked to participate in focus-group interviews about experiences from the professional contact and work with the participants. The quantitative data will be analysed using traditional statistics and multivariate data analysis. Qualitative data will be analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Long-term social assistance recipient (more than three years)
• Putative ill-health (physical, psychological and/or social)
• No present plan how to reach the labor market
• Need of clarifying the working ability

Exclusion Criteria:

• Homelessness
• Severe psychiatric illness
• Abuse of alcohol or substances