The relationship between self-efficacy and transition to work or studies in young adults with disabilities

Abstract

Aim: To investigate perceived self-efficacy in unemployed young adults with disabilities, and the association between self-efficacy and transition to work or studies. Methods: This prospective cohort study collected data through self-report questionnaires and registry data from a vocational rehabilitation project with young adults, aged 19–29 years. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the Swedish Public Employment Service and the participating municipalities identified potential participants for the study. A total of 531 participants were included in the study, of which 249 (47%) were available for analysis. Multinomial logistic regression models were carried out to estimate the associations between self-efficacy, demographic (age, country of birth, education level), health and employment status. The latter was coded as: ‘no transition to work or studies’, ‘transition to studies’, and ‘transition to work’. Results: A higher level of self-efficacy was associated with increased odds for ‘transition to work’ (OR = 2.37, p < 0.05). This finding remained consistent when adjusting for possible confounders. The mean value of self-efficacy was low, and participants with lower self-efficacy reported worse self-rated health ( p < 0.001) compared to participants with higher self-efficacy. Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that self-efficacy should be addressed in the vocational rehabilitation of young adults with disabilities in order to support their transition and integration into the labour market.