Barriers to evidence-based treatment: developmental psychopathology and the interdisciplinary disconnect in school mental health practice

Reframing the role of school psychologists and related school professionals in a public health and primary prevention model represents a proactive antidote to their more traditional reactive stance to mental health problems. Two additional concepts, developmental psychopathology and complex comorbidity, are suggested as critical to complete this transition, and illustrations of these concepts for more effective school mental health services are provided.     

近年结肠癌NCCN指南变化初探

NCCN结肠癌临床实践指南是基于丰富循证医学证据建立的高水平、规范化治疗指南。近年来,随着临床证据的不断丰富和积累,指南对一些临床问题的处理进行了调整,有的原则发生了变化。本文通过对历年不同版本指南的比较,对手术方式及病理评估、术后辅助化疗、晚期治疗方案和分子靶向治疗等几方面指导意见的变化进行了初步探讨分析。     

Evidence-based practice: A challenge for European developmental psychology

In recent years the evidence-based practice movement has been seeing great gains in impact. Standards for research leading to evidence-based practice have been defined. So far, however, in the area of education standards of evidence are not extensively implemented and in most federal European policies an evidence-based reform has not been attained. The present paper advocates investing effort in evidence-based practice. In particular, the paper invites European developmental psychology and its representatives to transfer their knowledge and contribute to evidence-based practice which, in turn, will foster positive child and youth development. Incipiently, the paper discusses the new challenges facing universities and European scientific societies as contexts for scientific disciplines and their perspectives. Then, current directions in developmental psychology are described. The central section of the paper focuses on standards of evidence and the use of research for evidence-based practice and policy. It highlights the challenge facing European developmental psychology concerning active contribution to evidence-based practice. Two empirical examples are presented: (1) illustrating that kindergarten and school are the places where evidence-based practice preventions and interventions should take place; and (2) describing various steps of the transfer of basic research to evidence-based practice. Finally, the contribution that the European Society for Developmental Psychology can make to support the transfer of knowledge to evidence-based practice is outlined.     

Cluster analysis in school psychology: An example

This investigation demonstrates the use of Ward's method of cluster analysis to uncover the underlying classification structure in a group of children (N = 200) referred for psychological evaluations by their public school teachers. Data were acquired on children's intellectual development, academic achievement, and social adjustment. The cluster solution identifies six groups of children which are statistically distinct. All three measurement areas are important in distinguishing among the different groups. The six-group solution accounted for appreciable amounts (95%) of the variability in the three measurement areas. Implications for psychologists working in the schools are discussed.     

Professional beliefs related to the practice of pediatric medicine and school psychology

This article proposes that pediatric medicine and school psychology are complementary fields. Five professional beliefs are reviewed: (a) the importance of classification, (b) a preference for evidence-based interventions, (c) an endorsement of advocacy in public policy, (d) the importance of working with the whole child including his/her parents, and (e) an assertion of team leadership. Each belief is discussed as a core value of pediatric medicine and considered for points of connection with school psychology. Some of these beliefs are widely shared by school psychologists, others are rejected because of historical and situational factors, and all warrant consideration in light of school psychology's continuing evolution.     

Antecedents and outcomes of intervention program participation and task priority change among school psychology counselors: A latent variable growth framework

A three-year national intervention program introduced into the School Psychology Service (SPS) in Norway with the aim of increasing systemic level work among SP counselors was investigated. Latent variable growth models based on longitudinal data from 195 SP counselors gave no significant mean level change in systemic level work. This concurred with GLM analyses based on data from a sample of 20 schools. However, retrospective self-reported significant positive mean level change for systemic level work was detected among the SP counselors. Intervention program participation was associated with individual change in systemic level work. Self-efficacy beliefs about systemic level work, and school-related etiology beliefs predicted individual change to a certain degree. Comparison of two rival models gave no support for a hypothesized interaction among intervention program participation and beliefs in their effects on systemic level work. Open-ended questions indicated that individual level workload and the perceived expectations from the schools may have concern for a successful effect of the intervention program in addition to the hypothesized ones. Individual change in systemic level work was positively associated with individual change in job satisfaction.     

Rebuttal to Christopher J. Ferguson's critique of the American Psychological Association's practice guidelines for boys and men

We played significant roles in the development of the APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men (American Psychological Association, 2018). We address Christopher J. Ferguson's critique of the Guidelines, making six points: Criticisms of the Guidelines Tend to Reflect Anti-Feminist and Gender Essentialist Perspectives; The Guidelines Followed All Rules and Regulations Set Forth by the APA; The Guidelines Are Routinely Mischaracterized and Distorted By People Who Disagree with Them; APA Guidelines Are not Research Reports, Systematic Reviews, or Meta-Analyses; Ferguson Conflates Men With Masculinity; and Ferguson Makes Bold Claims Without Justification or a Familiarity with the Field.     

Pediatric topics in the school psychology literature: publications since 1981

Pediatric topics have potential importance to school psychology given the field's new, broadly conceived definition, reconceptualization of schools as health delivery sites, burgeoning pediatric knowledge with educational implications, and expansion of pediatricians' roles into behavioral realms. This article addresses the rate at which pediatric-related articles were published among school psychology journals (Journal of School Psychology, Psychology in the Schools, School Psychology International, School Psychology Review, and School Psychology Quarterly) from 1981 to 2001. The overall number of such articles increased from 11 during the 1981-1983 interval to more than twice as many during every subsequent 3-year interval. Articles, some reporting empirical findings and others offering reviews or practice suggestions, concerning traditional health conditions and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appeared to be ample. Fewer articles concerned with school psychologists as health care providers and school psychologist-pediatrician collaboration were found. The available literature seems to support school psychologists' widening role definition.     

Preparing psychologists for evidence-based school practice: lessons learned and challenges ahead

The evidence-based practice (EBP) movement has the potential to significantly advance the quality of psychological and educational services provided by psychologists working in schools. Training psychologists in EBP has challenged the profession and caused faculty in graduate programs to reevaluate and retool professional training curricula and instructional practices. Four domains of challenges in graduate training are identified: (a) integrating the EBP knowledge base into the curriculum, (b) expanding models of research training, (c) expanding training in prevention science, and (d) expanding training in problem-solving consultation and school contextual issues. For each of these, the author discusses the range and scope of the challenge and possible solutions for advancing graduate training in psychology relevant to school practice.     

Intervention-based school psychology services: Training for child-level accountability; preparing for program-level accountability

This research evaluated the outcomes of a school psychology training practicum by replicating intervention-based service delivery procedures established in prior research. The key components include describing a service delivery model, teaching the model, deriving practice guidelines that fit the model, supporting trainees in carrying out the steps, and evaluating the outcomes. Procedures to determine outcomes were based on single-case design facets including accountability design (A-B), visual analysis of graphic data, and social validity ratings. Meta-analysis techniques included calculation of effect sizes and percent of nonoverlapping data (PND). Goal attainment scaling (GAS) also was used to summarize outcomes. The analyses indicated that the interventions led to positive changes for most children. For example, the median effect size was 1.42 across cases. Social validity evidence showed that consumers judged the outcomes positively. Achieving ideal baseline and technical adequacy checks (e.g., observer agreement, intervention adherence) represented challenges for many consultations. The contributions of the study include describing methods for child- and program-level accountability in training and areas for improvement including further supporting the completion of technical checks for intervention services.     

Children's rights and school psychology: Children's right to participation

The Convention on the Rights of the Child detailed an international imperative to fulfilling, protecting, and respecting the rights of every child. In particular, the Convention set out a clear mandate for guaranteeing opportunities for children to be heard on all matters of concern to them. The attainment of these goals involves respecting and valuing children as active participants in the educational process. If fully implemented, the right of children to express views and have them taken seriously, throughout the school environment, would represent one of the most profound transformations in moving towards a culture of respect for children's rights, for their dignity and citizenship, and for their capacities to contribute significantly towards their own well-being. These values and principles are consistent with those of the school psychology profession, thus, school psychologists are encouraged to be at the Center of the process advocating and actualizing the Convention in schools throughout the world.     

Guidelines for education and training at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels in consulting psychology/organizational consulting psychology

The purpose of these "Guidelines for Education and Training at the Doctoral and Postdoctoral Levels in Consulting Psychology/Organizational Consulting Psychology" is to provide a common framework for use in the development, evaluation, and review of education and training in consulting psychology/organizational consulting psychology (CP/OCP). The intent of these guidelines is to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the area of the practice of CP, especially OCP, within the scientific discipline and profession of psychology. Towards these ends, this document is intended as guidance for psychologists who teach or plan curricula for teaching CP/OCP at doctoral or postdoctoral levels of professional education and training in psychology. The guidelines are structured in the form of overarching principles, general competencies, and domain-specific competencies that are ideally obtained by persons receiving training at the doctoral or postdoctoral level in CP/OCP.     

Use of religious and spiritual interventions by trainees in APA-accredited Christian clinical psychology programs

Little is known about the effectiveness of Christian clinical programs accredited by the American Psychological Association in training students to use religious and spiritual interventions in therapy. We surveyed 162 student therapists from three such programs regarding their training experiences and use of religious and spiritual interventions. Self-reported competency and use of religious and spiritual interventions correlated with a number of training components. However, none of the training components predicted unique variance in regression equations above and beyond that of general professional training, personal religiousness, and intervention-specific training. Suggestions are offered regarding intervention-specific training in both Christian and secular programs, the role of personal therapy in training, and the development of guidelines for competency in using religious and spiritual interventions.     

Physical activity interventions in the school setting: A systematic review

Objectives

To review the effectiveness of school-based interventions with a physical activity component by measuring changes in psychological determinants, physical activity, and health outcomes.

Design

Systematic Review.

Method

We conducted a literature search of school-based controlled studies that involved a physical activity intervention targeting school students. Study design, methodological quality, and effectiveness of interventions on three target levels, ‘health and fitness’ (BMI and motor performance), ‘physical activity’, and ‘psychological determinants’ (knowledge of physical activity effects, self-concept, and attitudes towards physical activity), were analysed. Furthermore, we examined the influence of specific factors (e.g., age and gender) and mediator effects.

Results

The literature search identified 129 studies. The majority of the studies examining motor performance, physical activity, and knowledge of physical activity achieved significant results (69.7%, 56.8% and 87.5%, respectively). Significant effects on self-concept and attitudes were also found but to a smaller extent (in 30% and 43.8% of the studies, respectively). Only a few studies examining BMI (2.7%), physical activity (6.8%), and attitudes towards physical activity (12.5%) revealed negative effects, with better results observed for the control group. Intervention effects were influenced by the students’ age, intervention type, and frequency of the interventions. Self-efficacy was found to mediate the relationship between the program and the students’ physical activity.

Conclusions

Numerous school-based physical activity interventions achieved positive effects on three target levels. Further research is needed to clarify the mediator effects of psychological variables on physical activity and health and to increase our knowledge about the mechanisms that underlie behavioural change.     

Disseminating evidence-based treatments for PTSD in organizational settings: A high priority focus area

Dissemination of evidence-based treatments for PTSD has become an important focus of activity in the aftermath of recent terrorist attacks (e.g., London underground and U.S. 9/11 attacks), natural disasters (e.g., Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina), and wars (e.g., in Iraq and Afghanistan). This has become a high priority need for all mental health training and service delivery organizations. Researchers and educators have begun to examine clinician and client perceptions and preferences regarding PTSD treatment processes, and health care systems are organizing more comprehensive efforts at training and system change. As this evolution of services moves forward, effective dissemination should be a major focus of health policy research for the next decade or more.This review critically evaluates the PTSD-related research and emerging theory related to four major sets of variables that affect dissemination: (1) Practitioner factors, (2) Training methods, (3) The practice innovation(s) being disseminated; and (4) Organization or system factors. We evaluate findings from recent studies in light of emerging models of dissemination, and in the final section of the paper, we consider five broad topics with particular implications for dissemination of PTSD-specific treatments. They are: (1) The content of dissemination (i.e., which treatment protocols or intervention methods should be prioritized); (2) Strict adherence versus flexibility in the use of treatment manuals and the role of fidelity assessment; (3) The need for collaboration with user audiences; (4) The potential role of web-based technologies in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of dissemination; and (5) Development of dissemination infrastructures within organizations.     

Self-reported assessment practices of school psychologists: Implications for training and practice

This study reports the results of an investigation of the assessment views and practices of school psychologists in the United States. Results of the investigation indicated that respondents are predominantly behavioral and cognitive behavioral in orientation; spend most of their professional time in the public schools; and engage in a great deal of assessment. Behavioral assessment and projective testing occupies the greatest amount of their social-emotional assessment time. Behavioral interviewing is the most used behavioral technique, followed by behavioral observation, which is reportedly used by approximately one third of the respondents with from 41% to 100% of clients. Although most of the respondents report a preference for continuing to do approximately the same amount of the various social-emotional assessment activities as they are presently doing, very high percentages of respondents indicate that their use of behavioral assessment strategies would increase with development of published instrumentation, normative standards, and standardized out-of-setting behavioral procedures.     

Comments on "Distinguishing science from pseudoscience in school psychology:" Evidence-based interventions for grandiose bragging

The purpose of this article is to provide some perspectives on Lilienfeld, Ammirati, and David's (2012) paper on distinguishing science from pseudoscience in school psychology. In many respects their work represents an intervention for "grandiose bragging," a problem that has occasionally occurred when various non-evidence-based or discredited interventions receive sensationalized positive endorsement for adoption in school psychology practice. In this paper, the implications of the Lilienfeld et al. work are discussed within the context of the scientist-practitioner gap, scientific thinking and evaluation of scientific thinking, and negative results research. The authors have advanced our thinking on evidence-based practices in school psychology and education.     

Current issues and new directions in Psychology and Health : Theory,translation, and evidence-based practice

Health psychology has at least two masters; cognitive behavioral theory and clinical and public health practice. We are expected to contribute to theory by creating new models and adding to existent models of human behavior, and to contribute to improvements in health outcomes for the public. In this brief note, we propose that translating concepts from practice into theory to create interventions that meet the standards of evidence-based practice will satisfy both masters. However, the integration will require a re-examination of our current understanding of how to use theory, the process of translation, and the development of pragmatic evidence-based practice.     

School psychology: a public health framework: III. Managing disruptive behavior in schools: the value of a public health and evidence-based perspective

Schools typically adopt individualistic approaches to address disruptive behavior and meet the needs of students with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) [i.e., Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD)]. These approaches are often not the most effective and have a limited impact on overall school climate. This article emphasizes the value of an evidence-based and public health perspective in managing disruptive behavior. Information about comprehensive school-based programs and classroom management techniques for disruptive behavior disorders is presented and the important role school psychologists can play in implementing these programs discussed.