Type of Project: Funded project Study Scientific Work Model project
Leipzig - Individual Placement and Support for people with mental illnesses (LIPSY)

In order to implement and disseminate measures for health promotion, scientific proof for their effectiveness is crucial. Therefore, we will evaluate LIPSY, a program that was designed to help people with mental illnesses to maintain or regain their working ability and to facilitate their reintegration into the (first) labor market. The project is a cooperation between Jobcenter Leipzig, Helios Parkklinikum Leipzig, and ISAP. Surveys will be used for evaluation at four points in time: at the beginning (t0), after 6 (t1), 12 (t2), and 18 (t3) months. Participants will be asked about symptom severity, depressiveness, anxiousness, quality of life, employment history, socio-demographics, and their current state of vocational reintegration. One of the core elements of LIPSY is IPS (= Individual Placement and Support), a manual-based form of coaching, according to the principle “first place, then train”, that is focused on the individual needs and goals of participants. In order to test the efficacy of IPS in Germany we will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 120 out of around 800 LIPSY participants.