This insight will form the basis for tailored Vocational Rehabilitation Programs (VRP) that better address the needs of this vulnerable group.
Many young people are outside the workforce
UngRehab aims to address the societal challenge where over 20 percent of the working population in Norway, especially in the 20-29 age group, is outside the workforce. The target group faces complex health issues and lacks necessary integration into the job market, requiring a holistic approach. Health challenges are prevalent among young people outside of work, education, or training, and there is an urgency to reintegrate them into the workforce.
New knowledge for the development of rehabilitation programs
UngRehab, available at the AiR Rehabilitation Center in Vestfold and Telemark county, offers a four-week group-based residential stay that provides participants with a unique opportunity to focus on their challenges and aim to return to work or education. This project aims to generate new knowledge to develop tailored vocational rehabilitation programs for young adults at risk of exclusion.
Fieldwork and interviews provide insight into the treatment dynamics
The project generates new knowledge tailored to the needs of young adults and explores intervention elements from both patient and clinician perspectives. Participatory observational studies and individual and group interviews with participants and clinicians provide insights into treatment dynamics and enable systematic collection of relevant information. This qualitative methodology will provide insights into participants' experiences and suggestions for developing the program.
Knowledge summary
To achieve a comprehensive overview of existing knowledge about residential rehabilitation interventions, we are also conducting a systematic review of knowledge. This approach identifies knowledge gaps, maps the knowledge base, summarizes relevant literature in the field, and will serve as a crucial supplement to the qualitative study.
Long-term intervention has an effect on sickness absence
SINTEF has extensive experience in researching the field and published, among other things, a research report in 2014 examining the situation of young users of NAV with complex needs (Ose et al., 2014). The proposal for residential learning and coping programs for young people far from the workforce or education was suggested for the first time here. SINTEF and NTNU have recently evaluated the transition from "Raskere tilbake" to Health and Work in specialized health services, describing the content of vocational offerings in specialized health services nationwide. They point out that international literature largely shows that more prolonged and complex interventions are effective in reducing sick leave.
This project is crucial to understanding and improving rehabilitation offerings for young adults at risk of exclusion, with the hope of contributing to increased knowledge and improvements in the sector.
