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The ZüLFS surveys were conducted between 2014 and 2018 with funding from the ZInEP program (Zurich Impulse Program for the Sustainable Development of Psychiatry). Subsequently, data analyses could be carried out to a limited extent as long as personnel resources were still available. A key obstacle to a definitive assessment of the project's questions was the fact that the number of participants in this new survey 20 years after the initial study fell well short of expectations.
The PDF document (see above) contains excerpts of some brief findings from a comprehensive work report with a detailed presentation of the analyses carried out. The two people responsible for this project are happy to make the collected data and the work report with the analyses carried out available to interested research groups for further analyses by arrangement.
How many people have taken part again so far?
In a first step, which has not yet been completed, the activities to date have focused on establishing the current addresses of former study participants via the residents' registration offices of the municipalities and via the post office. As there have been many changes in place of residence or name (e.g. through marriage) since the initial participation more than 20 years ago, we have not always been successful, but we have been able to re-establish contact with a very large proportion of our former study participants.
We had originally assumed that we would only re-contact participants who had taken part in a total of three previous studies in 1994, 1997 and 2001. This was a total of 627 people. In summer 2016, we were able to contact 471 of these people again, but only received 247 consents to participate in the study again.
We therefore decided to also contact the previous study participants who had taken part in at least two of the previous studies. This involved another 568 people. Here too, address identification is still ongoing. However, we have now been able to increase the number of people definitely contacted to 701, but still have to identify the current addresses of several hundred people. We intend to complete this part of the project by fall 2017.
What does the survey look like?
Our survey is carried out mainly via the Internet or by post and in several stages in order to distribute the time required appropriately.
Currently, we have received a total of 244 questionnaires (A) and 222 questionnaires (B) from 298 consents to participate in the study. In addition, there is a parent questionnaire (C) and an adolescent questionnaire (D) for 73 children.
We would like to ask all those who have already given their consent but have not yet found the time to complete their questionnaires to do so soon!
We ask all those we have contacted who have not yet given their consent to participate to do so once again. The success of the study depends very much on a high number of participants!
What does the current group of participants look like?
Of the 244 participants available in mid-March 2017, we carried out a brief interim evaluation of their current life situation. On average, they are 35 years old (range 32-39 years) and 56% are female and 44% male. The majority have one (54.5%) or more (38.5%) siblings and only 7% are only children and 23% have experienced a divorce of their own parents. Around half of the respondents no longer have grandparents of their own. 54% of respondents have children of their own. The figure shows the number of children.
The survey on the current living situation revealed that no one was still living with their family of origin. As the figure shows, the majority of participants live with a partner with or without children. Around 17% live alone and 5% in a shared flat.
The vast majority of respondents are employed (90%), with 50% having completed an apprenticeship, 58% a degree from a university of applied sciences and 33% a university degree. 48% work part-time, while 52% have a full-time job. The performance at work is rated as very good by 42% and as good by 52%.
When asked about their partnership, 79% of respondents stated that they were in a stable romantic relationship with someone they lived with or married. 74% of them consider their partnership to be very important and 12% consider it to be important. Mutual support in the event of problems is usually found in the partnership by 30% and always by 67%.
With regard to their own state of health, 9% stated a chronic physical illness, 11% had been treated once and 8% several times for mental health problems. The most stressful life events in the last year were worries about a family member for 49%, worries about their own health for 32%, a serious illness or accident (themselves or a family member) for 28% and financial difficulties for 11%,
The figures reported are only a small selection of the questionnaire results obtained from a sub-sample of those who have completed the survey to date.
A comprehensive report focusing on the results on the development and health status of the participants will follow as soon as all surveys have been completed.
