Clinical Trial: Mental Health Related to School Dropout in Luxembourg

Study Status: Not yet recruiting
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Psychosocial Risk- and Protective Factors of Secondary School Dropout in Luxembourg: an Exploratory Case-control Study

Brief Summary: This study aims to investigate psychosocial risk- and protective factors such as psychiatric disorder, socio-economic background and family functioning among school dropouts and to compare the findings with those by a matched control group of regularly enrolled students.

Detailed Summary:

In Luxembourg, the national authorities had to face school dropout rates of more than 15%. As a result, they introduced accompanying and preventive measures to reduce linguistic and cultural risk factors that may impede educational engagement and vocational decisions. Since 2006, the dropout rate has overall declined. However the proportion of early school leavers who remain without any specific occupation is still alarming.

This study aims to identify psychosocial risk - and protective factors of secondary school dropout in order to deliver solid insight on how to tailor early detection and intervention programs.

In the light of prior findings, the investigators hypothesize that school dropouts have significantly more mental health problems than their peers who go to school. They are also more likely to report a poor socio-economic background, negative school experiences and difficulties in family functioning.

To test those hypotheses, the investigators will have an exploratory case control study.Recruitment of cases will be prospective, from an exhaustive population of dropouts and recruitment of matched controls will be done by random sampling. Data will be collected using self-report questionnaires on mental health, family life and problematic internet use as well as a structured clinical interview to consider psychiatric diagnosis according to the criteria of DSM IV.


Sponsor: Public Research Centre Health, Luxembourg

Current Primary Outcome: Prevalence and type of psychiatric disorders [ Time Frame: 1.5 years ]

Odds ratios of psychiatric disorders between cases and controls


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Family variables (task fulfillment,role performance, communication, affective expression, connectedness, control behaviour, values and standards) [ Time Frame: 1.5 years ]
    Odds ratios of family variables as predictors of interest and school dropout. As associations between the primary outcome measure and school dropout may vary with family variables, interactions between family variables and classes of mental disorders will be analyzed.
  • Socio-economic background (low, medium, high) [ Time Frame: 1.5 years ]
    Odds ratios of socio-economic background as predictor of interest and school dropout. As associations between psychiatric disorders and school dropout may vary with socio-economic background, interactions between socio-economic background and classes of mental disorders will be analyzed.


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Public Research Centre Health, Luxembourg

Dates:
Date Received: May 11, 2011
Date Started: January 2011
Date Completion:
Last Updated: May 13, 2011
Last Verified: May 2011