Religious Congregations and Social Justice Participation: A Multilevel Examination of Social Processes and Leadership

Religious congregations have potential to be mediating structures for social justice participation. However, research has yet to examine the specific social processes or leadership characteristics within congregations that may promote social justice participation. In this study, we use data from 176,901 participants nested within 1,938 congregations to test how social processes (i.e., religious attendance at worship services, extra-worship participation, bonding social capital, a congregational norm for justice) and leadership characteristics (i.e., leader modeling of justice, horizontal leadership style) predict personal social justice involvement through the congregation (i.e., participation in social justice activities sponsored by the congregation) as well as personal social justice involvement outside the congregation (i.e., participation in social justice activities not sponsored by the congregation). We use multilevel logistic regression to examine these social processes and leadership characteristics at both individual and congregational levels of analysis. Results showed distinct patterns of associations at individual and congregational levels of analysis and that different social processes and leadership characteristics predicted personal social justice participation through or outside the congregation. These findings reveal the importance of social processes and leadership characteristics in understanding how congregations may mediate social justice participation. Implications for community psychology research and practiced also are discussed.     

Empowering Community Settings: Agents of Individual Development, Community Betterment, and Positive Social Change

The pathways and processes through which empowering community settings influence their members, the surrounding community and the larger society are examined. To generate the proposed pathways and processes, a broad range of studies of community settings were reviewed, in the domains of adult well-being, positive youth development, locality development, and social change. A set of organizational characteristics and associated processes leading to member empowerment across domains were identified, as well as three pathways through which empowering settings in each domain contribute to community betterment and positive social change. The paper concludes with an examination of the ways that community psychology and allied disciplines can help increase the number and range of empowering settings, and enhance the community and societal impact of existing ones. Based on SCRA Distinguished Contribution to Theory and Research Award Address: Pasadena, CA, June 8, 2007.     

Organizational characteristics of empowering community settings: A multiple case study approach

Although empowerment is often cited as a major guiding construct for community psychology, relatively little is known about the characteristics of empowering community settings. The current paper uses a multiple case study methodology to generate a number of key organizational characteristics of empowering community settings to guide future work in the area. In-depth, multilevel, longitudinal research was conducted on three empowering community settings: a religious fellowship, a mutual help organization for persons with severe mental illness, and an educational program for African American students. The organizational features found to characterize all three settings were (a) a belief system that inspires growth is strengths-based, and is focused beyond the self; (b) an opportunity role structure that is pervasive, highly accessible, and multifunctional (c) a support system that is encompassing, peer-based, and provides a sense of community; and (d) leadership that is inspiring, talented, shared, and committed to both setting and members. Limitations of the research are discussed, and directions for future research suggested.     

Individual,Housing, and Neighborhood Predictors of Psychological Integration Among Vulnerably Housed and Homeless Individuals

The current longitudinal study evaluated the individual, housing, and neighborhood characteristics predictive of feeling psychologically integrated within one's neighborhood among a population of homeless and vulnerably housed individuals. Participants were recruited at homeless shelters, meal programs, and rooming houses in Ottawa, Canada and participated in three in‐person interviews, each approximately 1 year apart. Prospective and cross‐sectional predictors of psychological integration at Follow‐up 1 and Follow‐up 2 were examined. There were 397 participants at baseline, 341 at Follow‐up 1 and 320 at Follow‐up 2. A hierarchical multiple regression uncovered several significant predictors of psychological integration. The most salient and common predictors were being older, having greater social support, living in high quality housing, and residing in a neighborhood with a positive impact. Implications for service provision and policy advancements are discussed.     

Effect of Parenting Interventions on Perinatal Depression and Implications for Infant Developmental Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review - Considering the significant impact of perinatal depression on both maternal wellbeing and infant development, it is important to examine the...     

Psychosocial Occupational Therapy Interventions for Substance-Use Disorders: A Narrative Review

The review was conducted to explore psychosocial interventions for adults with substance-use disorders. A refined literature focus was placed on articles published by occupational therapists, or articles published by an allied health professional, that discussed occupational therapy performing the intervention. Ten articles met inclusion criteria, all focusing on aspects of life skills training. Study results support the professions’ ability to enhance functional independence and occupational performance for individuals recovering from substance use. Further, a more controlled investigation is warranted to further define occupational therapy’s scope within substance-use disorder treatment.     

Interventions for Midlife Smoking Cessation: A Literature Review

Midlife smoking continues to be a problem in Australia, with substantial personal, social, and financial costs. Yet the specific characteristics and needs of this group have been largely overlooked. Here we review the literature for the purposes of (1) profiling the characteristics of midlife smokers and (2) assessing the effectiveness of interventions for this group. This review shows midlife smokers differ from younger smokers in important ways: they underestimate the costs of smoking and overestimate the benefits, and are less confident in their ability to quit. The few studies investigating age‐tailored interventions have shown these to be effective in reducing midlife smoking. Still, research in this area is limited, with only one study conducted during the past decade that investigated smoking interventions for those in midlife. Clearly there is a need for smoking cessation interventions for midlife smokers that are tailored to the specific beliefs and needs of this unique group. Future research should focus on establishing the best methods for interventions for those individuals who are resistant to earlier interventions and still continue smoking into midlife. Interventions may benefit from incorporating recent evidence about the less obvious costs associated with midlife smoking, including later‐life neurological disease.     

Culturally Adapted Psychosocial Interventions for Schizophrenia: A Review

Recent research examining the potential efficacy of culturally adapted interventions for various mental disorders illustrates increasing interest in the integration of cultural perspectives into mental health systems. Despite recent evidence demonstrating that culturally adapted interventions may be more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach, few psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia consider cultural factors that may enhance their efficacy with diverse populations. The aim of this review is to discuss the empirical evidence examining the potential utility of culturally adapted group interventions for schizophrenia, as a means to encourage further work and expansion in this area. Specifically, this article provides an in-depth review of the empirical literature on culturally adapted psychosocial interventions for individuals with schizophrenia and their family members, with a focus on group-based interventions. This review is followed by a discussion of a few cultural constructs that may impact patient and family member functioning, and therefore may be important to address in psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia. Finally, we end this review with a broad discussion of research limitations and potential areas for additional research, clinical implications for adapting EBTs to better address cultural concerns, and a case vignette to illustrate how cultural considerations can be integrated into a traditional multifamily group therapy approach.     

Parenting Interventions for Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Families: A Systematic Review

Globally, an estimated 79.5 million individuals have been displaced, nearly 40% of whom are children. Parenting interventions may have the potential to improve outcomes for displaced families. To investigate this, we conducted a systematic review to identify the types of caregiver or parenting interventions that have been evaluated among displaced families, to assess their efficacy across a range of contexts, and to describe their cultural and contextual adaptations. The review followed PRISMA guidelines. At stage one, all articles describing caregiver/parenting interventions for forcibly displaced families were included to provide a scoping review of the state of the literature. At stage two, only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs were included, allowing for quantitative analysis of program effects. A total of 30 articles (24 studies) were identified in stage one. 95.8% of these articles were published in the past 10 years. Of these, 14 articles (10 studies) used an RCT or quasi-experimental design to assess program efficacy or effectiveness. Relative to control groups, those assigned to caregiving programs showed significant, beneficial effects across the domains of parenting behaviors and attitudes, child psychosocial and developmental outcomes, and parent mental health. Cultural adaptations and recruitment and engagement strategies are described. The evidence base for caregiving programs for displaced families has expanded in recent years but remains limited. Caregiving/parenting programs show promise for reducing the negative effects of forced displacement on families, but future studies are needed to understand which programs show the greatest potential for scalability.

     

A Systematic Review of Trauma Interventions in Native Communities

American Indian/Alaska Native and First Nations communities suffer from health disparities associated with multiple forms of trauma exposure. Culturally appropriate interventions are needed to heal current and historical trauma wounds. Although there are evidence-based trauma interventions for other populations, few have been implemented or evaluated with Native communities. Understanding the extant research on trauma interventions in Native communities is crucial for advancing science and filling gaps in the evidence base, and for meeting the needs of underserved people. In this systematic review of the literature on trauma interventions in Native communities in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, we identified 15 studies representing 10 interventions for historical and/or current trauma. These studies involved the community to some extent in developing or culturally adapting the interventions and suggested positive outcomes with regard to historical and interpersonal trauma symptoms. However, notable limitations in study design and research methods limit both internal validity and external validity of these conclusions. Only one study attempted (but did not achieve) a quasi-experimental design, and small sample sizes were persistent limitations across studies. Recommendations for researchers include working in partnership with Native communities to overcome barriers to trauma intervention research and to increase the rigor of the studies so that ongoing efforts to treat trauma can yield publishable data and communities can secure funding for intervention research.     

A Dimensional Model of Psychopathology Among Homeless Adolescents: Suicidality,Internalizing, and Externalizing Disorders

The present study examined associations among dimensions of suicidality and psychopathology in a sample of 428 homeless adolescents (56.3% female). Confirmatory factor analysis results provided support for a three-factor model in which suicidality (measured with lifetime suicidal ideation and suicide attempts), internalizing disorders (assessed with lifetime diagnoses of major depressive episode and post-traumatic stress disorder), and externalizing disorders (indicated by lifetime diagnoses of conduct disorder, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse) were positively intercorrelated. The findings illustrate the utility of a dimensional approach that integrates suicidality and psychopathology into one model. Kevin A. Yoder and Susan L. Longley made equal contributions to this paper.     

Trauma Among Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: The Integration of Street Culture into a Model of Intervention

Homeless adolescents comprise a population particularly vulnerable to developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Research has shown that prevalence of trauma-related symptoms among homeless youth living in shelters and on the streets without families is approximately 18%. The detrimental effects of traumatic experiences often inhibit homeless youths' ability to employ the psychosocial skills necessary to a transition out of homelessness. Consequently, interventions targeting the mitigation of post-traumatic stress symptoms among this population are crucial. This article aims to address the symptoms and needs of unaccompanied homeless youth who experience post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology and offers a strength-based intervention framework for understanding, identifying, and beginning to address trauma-related mental health needs within the cultural context and experience of youth homelessness.     

Empowering Parents: The Use of the Parent as Researcher Paradigm in Early Intervention

Whilst family-focussed models of service delivery are proving more effective in early intervention, it is the parents who ultimately carry the burden of responsibility. They often evolve their own strategies for coping with difficulties and solving problems within a family context. Through case study analysis, I report on some of the key outcomes of early intervention for families of very young children with disabilities. The analysis challenges traditional definitions of the family and suggests a recontextualisation of this concept. Similarly parental perceptions of the style of early intervention services are contrasted with those models reported to be effective by professionals. In striving for optimal effectiveness in early intervention, the unique knowledge and understanding of parents is pivotal, and ways are suggested of objectively collecting and collating that knowledge to inform practice and identify important research questions. This case study analysis has led to the evolution of the parent as researcher paradigm, and the implications for the practical implementation of this model will be considered.     

Reducing Escape without Escape Extinction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Escape-Based Interventions

Individuals with disabilities may engage in challenging behavior to escape aversive stimuli, like academic tasks or non-preferred foods. Interventions to reduce these behaviors often employ escape extinction; that is, the implementer withholds escape following challenging behavior. Escape extinction can increase risk of injury, restrict autonomy, and worsen the learner–implementer relationship. To mitigate collateral effects, interventions can use strategies without escape extinction (i.e., escape-based); that is, implementers can provide escape contingent on challenging behavior during intervention, in conjunction with other intervention components. However, no comprehensive syntheses of these interventions have been conducted. We identified 39 articles that included escape-based interventions, which contained 273 single-case designs. Escape-based interventions were associated with lower levels of challenging behavior and higher levels of adaptive behavior than baseline conditions. Most comparisons between escape-based and escape extinction interventions showed no functional relation, indicating that escape extinction may not add substantial benefit to intervention efficacy.

     

Program Components of Psychosocial Interventions in Foster and Kinship Care: A Systematic Review

Foster children frequently experience early trauma that significantly impacts their neurobiological, psychological and social development. This systematic review examines the comparative effectiveness of foster and kinship care interventions. It examines the components within each intervention, exploring their potential to benefit child and carer well-being, particularly focussing on child behaviour problems, and relational functioning. Systematic searches of electronic databases included PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, the Cochrane Collaborations Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and Scopus to identify randomised or quasi-randomised trials of psychosocial foster/kinship care interventions, published between 1990 and 2016. Seventeen studies describing 14 interventions were included. Eleven studies reported comparative benefit compared to control. Overall, effective interventions had clearly defined aims, targeted specific domains and developmental stages, provided coaching or role play, and were developed to ameliorate the effects of maltreatment and relationship disruption. Interventions effective in reducing behaviour problems included consistent discipline and positive reinforcement components, trauma psychoeducation, problem-solving and parent-related components. Interventions effective in improving parent–child relationships included components focussed on developing empathic, sensitive and attuned parental responses to children’s needs. Given the prevalence of both behaviour problems and relational difficulties in foster families, targeting these needs is essential. However, interventions have tended to measure outcomes in either behavioural or relational terms. A more coordinated and collaborative research approach would provide a better understanding of the association between parent–child relationships and child behaviour problems. This would allow us to develop, deliver and evaluate programs that combine these components more effectively. Protocol Registration Number: PROSPERO CRD42016048411.     

The Pathways Between Socioeconomic Status and Adolescent Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a significant risk factor for negative adolescent development outcomes. Identifying the pathways between SES and these outcomes may inform interventions for adolescents from this demographic. We conducted a systematic literature review of eight databases for studies investigating pathways between SES and adolescent psychosocial outcomes. A total of 59 articles met inclusion criteria. Significant risk factors identified include economic stress, chaos in the home, and violence in the community. These risk factors appear to be mediated through parent depression, conflict between parents, parenting practices, and adolescent resilience. Interventions focusing on the identified risk factors are recommended.     

授权赋能领导行为对员工内部人身份感知的影响:基于组织的自尊的调节作用

从组织投资的视角,研究授权赋能领导行为、内部人身份感知与组织公民行为之间的关系.通过问卷调查,搜集了一家企业146名主管和下属的配对数据.研究结果表明,领导授权赋能行为对员工内部人身份感知有积极的影响作用,同时,内部人身份感知在授权赋能领导行为和员工组织公民行为之间起到完全中介作用,同时,员工基于组织的自尊对内部人身份感知的中介效应起到调节作用.最后还讨论了未来的研究方向和实际应用的意义等内容.     

Interventions for Family Members and Carers of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Systematic Review

Carers of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience high levels of distress. Several studies have been carried out on interventions designed to decrease their burden. However, the evidence from these studies has not been summarized. The objective of this work is to explore the clinical utility of interventions developed for family members of patients with BPD. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines (registration number CRD42018107318), including psychological interventions focused on relatives of patients with BPD. The following databases were used: PsycINFO, PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science. Two independent researchers reviewed the studies to determine whether the eligibility criteria were met. A total of 2,303 abstracts were identified. After duplicates had been removed, 1,746 studies were screened. Finally, 433 full‐text articles were reviewed, yielding 11 studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria. Results show that these interventions with different clinical formats and settings are effective. The quality of the included studies varies, and the empirical support for these programs is still preliminary. The results help to establish a general framework for interventions specifically developed for family members of patients with BPD, but additional efforts should be made to improve the methodological quality of this field of research and more solidly determine the utility of these interventions. Given the paucity of data so far, this information may open up new lines of research to improve the effectiveness of future programs for carers of patients with BPD and help to reduce their burden.