Samenvatting

We systemically reviewed international scientific literature on the content, effective components and effectiveness of self-management interventions and vocational rehabilitation programs. Chapter 2 considers the underlying theories, content, and intervention formats of self-management support of these young people. In Chapter 3, the results of a systematic review on the effectiveness, and effective intervention components of these self-management interventions are described. Then, we investigated the association between characteristics during adolescence and the likelihood of receiving disability benefits in young adulthood. In addition, differences between recipients and non-recipients of benefits on participation and psychosocial outcomes in young adulthood were studied (Chapter 4). The results of a systematic review on the characteristics and effectiveness of interventions aimed to improve the vocational participation of people with chronic physical conditions are described in Chapter 5. Only the ‘At Work’ program is described in previous literature as a specific vocational rehabilitation program for young adults with chronic physical conditions who experience problems with finding competitive employment after finishing post-secondary education. Significant evidence on perceived beneficial attributes of the intervention and effectiveness is lacking. In Chapter 6, intervention participants’ perception of beneficial attributes of the ‘At Work’ program were evaluated. Chapter 7 considers the development of intervention participants’ employment rates (n=90) compared to national reference data. Thereafter, the effectiveness of the ‘At Work’ program on self-efficacy for dealing with disease and work-related problems and vocational participation was evaluated, using a multicenter controlled trial design (Chapter 8). Lastly, chapter 9 includes the general discussion of main findings of this thesis, a reflection on methodological considerations, discussion of practical implications, and recommendations for further research.