Addressing sickness absence among adolescents and young adults: an evaluation of the Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students intervention.

BACKGROUND: Sickness absence is associated with lower school achievements and early school leaving. The Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students (MASS) intervention is a proactive school-based intervention focused primarily on early identification and reduction of sickness absence. This study used a program evaluation framework to evaluate the MASS intervention among intermediate vocational education students and Youth Health Care professionals. Outcome indicators were primarily number of sick days, education fit, and school performance, and secondarily, seven health indicators. Process indicators were dose delivered and received, satisfaction, and experience. METHODS: The MASS intervention evaluation was conducted in ten intermediate vocational education schools. Students with extensive sickness absence from school in the past three months were included in either the intervention or control condition. Students completed a baseline and a six-month follow-up self-report questionnaire. Linear and logistic regression analyses were applied. Students and Youth Health Care professionals completed an evaluation form regarding their satisfaction and experience with the intervention. RESULTS: Participants (n = 200) had a mean age of 18.6 years (SD = 2.02) and 78.5% were female. The MASS intervention showed positive results on decreasing sickness absence in days (ß = -1.13, 95% CI = -2.22;-0.05, p < 0.05) and on decreasing depressive symptoms (ß = -4.11, 95% CI = -7.06;-1.17, p < 0.05). No effects were found for other health indicators (p > 0.05). A significant interaction revealed a decline in sickness absence in males (p < 0.05) but not in females (p > 0.05). Youth Health Care professionals found the application of the MASS intervention useful (n = 35 forms). The mean rating of students for the consultation within the MASS intervention was an 8.3 (SD = 1.3) out of 10 (n = 14 forms). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides some indication that the MASS intervention has positive effects on decreasing both sickness absence and depressive symptoms among intermediate vocational education students. The Youth Health Care professionals who provided the consultation as part of the MASS intervention considered the intervention to be useful and stated that the consultation was delivered as intended in almost all cases. Students were generally satisfied with the intervention. We recommend that future research evaluates the MASS intervention in a large randomized controlled trial with a longer follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was prospectively registered in the Netherlands Trial Register under number NTR5556 , in October 2015.

Mass campaigns combining antimalarial drugs and anti-infective vaccines as seasonal interventions for malaria control, elimination and prevention of resurgence: a modelling study.

BACKGROUND: The only licensed malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, has been developed for morbidity-control in young children. The potential impact on transmission of deploying such anti-infective vaccines to wider age ranges, possibly with co-administration of antimalarial treatment, is unknown. Combinations of existing malaria interventions is becoming increasingly important as evidence mounts that progress on reducing malaria incidence is stalling and threatened by resistance. METHODS: Malaria transmission and intervention dynamics were simulated using OpenMalaria, an individual-based simulation model of malaria transmission, by considering a seasonal transmission setting and by varying epidemiological and setting parameters such as transmission intensity, case management, intervention types and intervention coverages. Chemopreventive drugs and anti-infective vaccine efficacy profiles were based on previous studies in which model parameters were fitted to clinical trial data. These intervention properties were used to evaluate the potential of seasonal mass applications of preventative anti-infective malaria vaccines, alone or in combination with chemoprevention, to reduce malaria transmission, prevent resurgence, and/or reach transmission interruption. RESULTS: Deploying a vaccine to all ages on its own is a less effective intervention strategy compared to chemoprevention alone. However, vaccines combined with drugs are likely to achieve dramatic prevalence reductions and in few settings, transmission interruption. The combined mass intervention will result in lower prevalence following the intervention compared to chemoprevention alone and will increase chances of interruption of transmission resulting from a synergistic effect between both interventions. The combination of vaccine and drug increases the time before transmission resurges after mass interventions cease compared to mass treatment alone. Deploying vaccines and drugs together requires fewer rounds of mass intervention and fewer years of intervention to achieve the same public health impact as chemoprevention alone. CONCLUSIONS: Through simulations we identified a previously unidentified value of deploying vaccines with drugs, namely the greatest benefit will be in preventing and delaying transmission resurgence for longer periods than with other human targeted interventions. This is suggesting a potential role for deploying vaccines alongside drugs in transmission foci as part of surveillance-response strategies.

Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students (MASS) in intermediate vocational education schools: design of a controlled before-and-after study.

BACKGROUND: School absenteeism, including medical absenteeism, is associated with early school dropout and may result in physical, mental, social and work-related problems in later life. Especially at intermediate vocational education schools, high rates of medical absenteeism are found. In 2012 the Dutch intervention 'Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students' (MASS), previously developed for pre-vocational secondary education, was adjusted for intermediate vocational education schools. The aim of the study outlined in this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the MASS intervention at intermediate vocational education schools in terms of reducing students' medical absenteeism and early dropping out of school. Additionally, the extent to which biopsychosocial and other factors moderate the effectiveness of the intervention will be assessed. METHODS: A controlled before-and-after study will be conducted within Intermediate Vocational Education schools. Schools are allocated to be an intervention or control school based on whether the schools have implemented the MASS intervention (intervention schools) or not (control schools). Intervention schools apply the MASS intervention consisting of active support for students with medical absenteeism provided by the school including a consultation with the Youth Health Care (YHC) professional if needed. Control schools provide care as usual. Data will be collected by questionnaires among students in both groups meeting the criteria for extensive medical absenteeism (i.e. 'reported sick four times in 12 school weeks or for more than six consecutive school days' at baseline and at 6 months follow-up). Additionally, in the intervention group a questionnaire is completed after each consultation with a YHC professional, by both the student and the YHC professional. Primary outcome measures are duration and cumulative incidence of absenteeism and academic performances. Secondary outcome measures are biopsychosocial outcomes of the students. DISCUSSION: It is hypothesized that implementing the MASS intervention including a referral to a YHC professional on indication, will result in a lower level of medical absenteeism and a lower level of school drop outs among intermediate vocational education students compared to students receiving usual care. The study will provide insight in the effectiveness of the intervention as well as in factors moderating the intervention's effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederlands Trial Register NTR5556. Date of clinical trial registration: 29-Oct-2015.

A Qualitative Content Analysis of Online Public Mental Health Resources for COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has far reaching potential public mental health impacts and is linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety. To address these in part, online information resources acted as mass interventions. It is vital to explore the content of these interventions, to consider the framing of the pandemic and to examine the extent to which their content is relevant. In March 2020, a qualitative content analysis was undertaken of 39 easily accessible online resources that offered advice, tips or guidance relating to mental health or mental wellbeing and COVID-19. Their content was compared to subsequent reports of the mental health impact of the pandemic. Resources frequently focused on anxiety. The content of intervention was typically of a cognitive-behavioral nature, with a significant focus on maintaining social contact. Typically, distress related to the situation was normalized and stigmatizing language was not seen. Data revealed a significant impact of the pandemic on depression as well as anxiety measures in the general UK population. A key recommendation is to ensure both depression and anxiety are addressed in these public mental health resources.