Optimization and Testing Effectiveness of a Collaborative Intervention for School Attendance Problems in Norwegian Municipalities

N/ANot Yet RecruitingNCT07463001

Norwegian University of Science and Technology240 enrolled

Overview

In this study we will investigate the effects of an intervention called Back2School, revised and adapted for Norwegian conditions on school attendance. A total of 240 participants will be recruited. All participants who have been enrolled will receive the intervention. Half of the participants will receive the intervention without delay (the experiment group), and the other half will receive it following a 13-week period (the control group). Following consent, screening for eligibility and randomization, the intervention will start with an assessment related to the individual participant and condition at the participants' school. Based on this a shared understanding and an intervention plan is developed. Over a 13-week period the youth, the family and the school, work together guided by the municipal team to increase attendance and solve problems related to this. Assessments will be carried out after the intervention and 6 months later.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

240

Conditions

School Attendance Problems

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 9 YearsMax age: 15 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants must be between the ages of 9 and 15 at the time of enrollment. 2. Participants must have less than 80% attendance for the last 12 weeks of school at the time of screening. 3. At least one parent has to talk and understand Norwegian. 4. At least one parent has to be motivated to participate. 5. The school must agree to participate in the intervention Exclusion Criteria: 1 The participant has a known diagnosis of autism-spectrum disorder, psychosis, and/or eating disorder. 2\. Participant needs acute psychiatric intervention.

Locations (4)

NORCE, RKBU Vest

Bergen, Norway

Pilar, Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse

Oslo, Norway

UIT, RKBU Nord

Tromsø, Norway

Norwegian University of Scinece and Technology

Trondheim, Norway

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

School attendance

School attendance measured on a daily basis by teacher.

Time frame: Direct: Avg at Baseline, 2 weeks at end (13 weeks from baseline), 2 weeks at 6 months (37 w from baseline) Delayed: Avg at baseline, 2 weeks before start (13 w from baseline) 2 weeks at end (28 w from baseline), 2 weeks at 6 months (54 w from baseline)

General functioning

Impact on daily life as measured by the SDQ impact scale

Time frame: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)

Secondary Outcomes

Change in Quality of life

Measures perceived quality of life as reported by parents and child using Kidscreen 10

Change in symptoms of anxiety

Measures change in symptoms of anxiety as measured by the SCAS reported by parents and child

Change in symptoms of Depression

Change in symptoms of depression reported by child and parents using the SMFQ