Effects of a Center-Based Parent Training Package on Parents’ Accuracy of Generalized Program Implementations at Home

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a parent training package on parents’ accuracy of program implementations and their children’s goal achievements on parent-implemented programs at home. Parents also completed a quiz with questions about three-contingencies before and after the training. Three mother-child dyads participated in this study. All three children were 4-year-old boys with developmental delays. We employed a multiple baseline across three parent-child dyads as the primary design combined with a pretest and posttest. The individual parent training sessions consisted of office meetings and in-vivo classroom coaching sessions on program implementations. Each parent was trained individually to mastery criteria on program implementations using the Teacher Performance Rate Accuracy Scale (TPRA). After completing the parent training package, all parents acquired program implementations skills, and their program implementation skills were generalized to teach new behaviors at home with a high level of fidelity. Their quiz scores on three-term contingencies also increased to a relatively high level.     

Using a Naturalistic Sport Context to Train Social Skills in Children

ABSTRACT

Researchers have utilized sports activities to deliver social skills training (SST) programs to children. Using a multiple-baseline across behaviors design, we examined whether a brief SST program delivered during a soccer camp would increase social skills and athletic competencies. Each participant’s self-concept, and his interest in soccer were evaluated. Results suggest that the SST procedure effectively increased targeted social skills. Further, participants reported increased interest in soccer and higher overall self-concept. Our results suggest that similar effects can be achieved in a relatively short, but intense, camp that utilizes SST and sports-skill training components. Limitations and implications are discussed.     

Group training in communication skills for couples: A preliminary report

Abstract

This article reports on the initial development and evaluation of a group skill-training program for couples. The program, entitled the Communication Skills Workshop (CSW), aims at improving communication and problem-solving skills within the context of relationships. The orientation of the CSW is preventive and educational in that it (a) serves couples prior to the onset of serious relationship discord, and (b) focuses on the learning of general communication skills and problem-solving strategies rather than the amelioration of specific relationship conflicts.     

Children and Adolescents with Medically Unexplained Symptoms: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in children and adolescents are confounding and concerning for patients, parents, and health care practitioners. Our goal was to review and summarize the literature for family therapists working with a diverse, challenging patient population coping with MUS. A search of multiple databases from 1994 to 2018 was conducted using MUS and related terms. The literature was then organized into subcategories based on its relevance to family therapists, particularly medical family therapists collaborating with primary care physicians. We conclude with a discussion about gaps in the literature and suggestions for clinical management.     

Applying the Creating Lasting Family Connections Marriage Enhancement Program to Marriages Affected by Prison Reentry

Divorce proportions are currently high in the US and they are even higher among those who are incarcerated with substance abuse problems. Although much research has examined marital interventions, only two studies have examined marital interventions with prison populations. There is some empirical evidence that incarcerated couples benefit from traditional marital therapy (O'Farrell and Fals‐Stewart, 1999, Addictions: A comprehensive guidebook, New York, Oxford University Press). An adaptation of the evidence‐based Creating Lasting Family Connections program was implemented with 144 married couples, where one spouse was incarcerated, in a southern state with particularly high divorce and incarceration proportions. Results suggested that married men exposed to the program had larger improvements in some relationship skills relative to a convenience sample of men not so exposed. Both husbands and wives exposed to the program exhibited similar and significant increases in relationship skills. The results were comparable to a Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program adaptation for inmates. The implications of the findings for prevention practitioners are discussed.     

Conflict management: A premarital training program in mutual problem solving

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured educational program designed to train premarital couples in communication and mutual problem-solving skills. Twenty-six couples participated in an eight-week, 24-hour problem-solving training program, while 28 similar couples participated in an eight-week, 24-hour relationship discussion group. Results indicated that the problem-solving group, as compared to the relationship-discussion group, showed a significant increase in communication and mutual problem-solving skills. Discussion focused on the benefits for premarital couples of learning effective problemsolving procedures as well as the need for follow-up assessments of both behavioral skill level and relationship satisfaction and adjustment.     

Conjoint marital therapy to enhance anger management and reduce spouse abuse

Abstract

This paper describes a treatment program for couples who mishandle anger and/or are physically abusive. Based on a social learning conception of marital aggression, the treatment endorses the elimination of demonstrations of anger in abusive couples and elaborates upon ways to identify preliminary anger cues, to establish a ground rule that abusiveness is unacceptable, to develop alternative responses that interrupt conflict patterns, and to modify faulty relationship assumptions. Methods to improve couples' problem-solving skills and to enhance their overall enjoyment of the relationship are also proposed as important supplements to the training in anger management skills.     

Evaluating the Coaching for Life Skills online training program: A randomised controlled trial

ObjectivesHigh school sport is considered a suitable context in which to develop life skills, yet most coaches are not equipped with the knowledge/tools needed to deliberately teach life skills. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Coaching for Life Skills online training program in helping coaches create environments conducive to the teaching of life skills.DesignRandomised controlled trial using a concurrent multiple baseline across groups design.MethodA total of 1,238 (58.8% male) Canadian high school coaches completed baseline testing examining coach-athlete relationship, coach interpersonal behaviours, and life skills teaching. Participants were then randomly assigned to an experimental, waitlist, or control group. A final sample of 285 (59.7% male) participants completed the trial (i.e., 36 experimental, 58 waitlist, and 191 control). Data were analysed using 3 x 3 repeated measures factorial analyses.ResultsAcross the three constructs assessed, there were no significant within-subject main effects for time, group, or for the interaction between time and group.ConclusionsAlthough the results were not statistically significant, visual analysis indicated positive directional changes for all three dependent variables, with increases in mean scores observed for both experimental and waitlist group participants following their completion of the Coaching for Life Skills online training program. Findings have implications for the design of online coach training programs aimed at helping coaches teach life skills through sport.     

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy

Abstract

Working with couples who are both survivors of emotional abuse and are currently in an emotionally abusive relationship can be particularly challenging for the clinician. This article focuses on Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy as a recommended practice approach for clients who are caught in emotionally abusive patterns with one another. The article reviews relevant literature on this approach and illustrates the specific interventions applied lo an emotionally abusive couple.     

Life Matters: Exploring the Influence of Games and Mental Skills on Relatedness and Social Anxiety Levels in Disengaged Adolescent Students

LifeMatters is a 10-session life skills program implemented with youth that uses mental skills training and games to meet the three basic psychological needs of relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Forty disengaged students (20 experimental, 20 control) 16–17?years of age from a YMCA vocational school completed self-report measures before and after the intervention period. The school focuses on services for adolescents who find it difficult to gain an education through mainstream education due to behavioral and developmental issues. Mixed between-within subjects analyses of variance showed that there was a significant decrease in social anxiety, Wilks’s λ?=?.84, F(1, 26)?=?5.07, p?=?.03, partial?η²?= .16, and a significant increase in relatedness Wilks’s λ = .87, F(1, 26) = 4.2, p = .05, partial η² = .14, over time for the experimental group compared to the control group. Analyses of covariance showed no significant difference between the two groups in change on social anxiety levels, F(1, 25)?=?1.34, p?=?.26, partial η²?=?.05, when controlling for relatedness, and no significant difference between the two groups in change in relatedness levels, F(1, 25) = 1.34, p = .26, partial η² = .05, when controlling for social anxiety. This study provides insight into the potential effectiveness of using games and mental skills training to increase relatedness and decrease levels of social anxiety in disengaged students.

Lay Summary: LifeMatters is a life skills program combining mental skills training and physically active games. Disengaged students who took part in the program reported lower levels of social anxiety and higher levels of relatedness compared to students who did not take part.     

The Lived Experience of Marriage and Family Therapy Doctoral Graduates: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

This qualitative study was conducted with nine individuals who have successfully completed a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) doctoral program. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed to explore the experiences of these MFT doctoral graduates and the contributing factors to their success. The four overarching themes that emerged from the data included: (1) Necessity of and dependence on connections and support systems, (2) Becoming adept at overcoming challenges through limited resources, (3) Ability to translate skills and integrate processes, (4) Gratitude and appreciation for the journey. Implications for this field of study are discussed. Future research and implications are explored.     

The Family Peace Project

Summary

Intimate partner violence-assault by a spouse, ex-spouse, intimate friend or ex-friend-is the most common cause of injury for women and a serious public health problem. As a result, the American Medical Association has recognized physicians' ethical obligation to diagnose and treat partner violence, and called for new models of training. In this article, we review literature on the health care system's response to domestic violence. We then describe the Family Peace Project, a community oriented model for training health care professionals to identify, treat and prevent partner violence in primary health care settings. This training program provides knowledge, clinical skills and a sense of professional empowerment. Unique features of this program include: involvement of community mentors (survivors of family violence) as program faculty; training in specific clinical skills and protocols for screening, assessment and intervention; a hands-on assessment of community resources; coinmunity service; and, creation of an award winning web site to promote dissemination of the training program.     

Surface energy of free clusters of bubbles: An estimation

We propose an approximate equation for the surface energy of two-dimensional free bubble clusters which we compare with exact calculations of the surface energy of symmetrical clusters consisting of a central bubble surrounded by one or two shells of bubbles of two different areas. The accuracy of the equation is good for relatively narrow distributions of the areas and of the number of sides of the bubbles but underestimates the energy for large widths of those distributions. We propose a similar approximate equation for the surface energy of three-dimensional clusters.     

Relationship enhancement with premarital dyads: A six-month follow-up

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to assess the short-term and longterm effectiveness of relationship enhancement on the self-disclosure and empathy skills of premarital dating couples. Nineteen couples were given the Guerney Relationship Enhancement Program over an eight week period, while 18 other couples were given a lecture/discussion program on relationship development. Behavioral assessments of self-disclosure and empathy skill levels were taken prior to training, immediately following training, and six months after training. Results indicated that from both pretest to posttest and pretest to follow-up, the relationship enhancement couples, relative to the lecture/discussion couples, demonstrated a significant increase in both self-disclosure and empathy skill levels. Discussion centers on the implications of the durability of the skills learned as well as on suggestions for future research on skill generalization to social interactions with others.     

Rééducation des compétences socio-émotionnelles pour des adultes présentant une déficience intellectuelle

IntroductionThe aim of the present study was to improve socio-emotional skills in adults with intellectual disability (ID) in order to remediate their social behavior difficulties.MethodThe socio-emotional skills reeducation program (Barisnikov, 2007) was proposed to 17 ID adults. Participants’ socio-emotional skills were assessed in pre- and post-reeducation period using tasks from the “Socio-Cognitive and Emotional Battery” (Barisnikov & Hippolyte, 2011).ResultsPost-reeducation assessment showed that the performance of participants was significantly improved on both “Emotion Attribution Task” and “Social Resolution task”. The significant reduction in their behavioral problems was also observed. These results demonstrated that the improvements were not limited to participants’ socio-emotional processing abilities but were also generalized to their daily functioning.ConclusionThe program provides an interesting tool to improve socio-emotional processing abilities and social behavior in adults with ID.     

Psychological talent predictors in early adolescence and their empirical relationship with current and future performance in soccer

ObjectivesThis study examined the relationship of talented soccer players' psychological characteristics with current and future performance.DesignBoth a cross-sectional and a prospective design were used.MethodThe sample consisted of 2677 U12 players in the German talent development program. Self-report questionnaires captured psychological dispositions and skills that were assigned to the areas of motivation, volition, self-referential cognition, and emotion. Current performance was operationalized by a motor score representing speed abilities and technical skills as well as by coaches' subjective ratings (A = highly promotion-worthy, B = promotion-worthy, C = partly promotion-worthy). The level of future performance was assessed by examining whether individuals were selected for professional clubs' youth academies in U16.ResultsThis study revealed that only self-referential cognitions had a significant and relevant association with the motor score (0.10 ≤ r ≤ 0.37). The players in the subjectively rated categories significantly differed in 10 of 17 psychological scales (0.01 ≤ η² ≤ 0.03). In most of the scales, A-players showed more positively connoted values compared to B- and C-players. Logistic regressions demonstrated that 10 of 17 characteristics explained a significant proportion of players' future success. Players with high dispositions in these characteristics had a greater chance of achieving a higher performance level compared to players with low dispositions (1.61 ≤ OR ≤ 2.65).ConclusionsExpanding on previous research, this study enabled comparisons between a wide range of psychological characteristics with regard to their relevance for soccer performance, leading to conclusions for talent identification and development.     

Health outcomes resulting from the quality of emotional expression in HIV/AIDS patients

IntroductionStudies on emotional expression and its impact upon health have mainly focused on quantitative aspects of interactions rather than on their quality.ObjectiveThe present study aimed to examine the interpersonal quality of interactions in the social sharing of emotions (SSE) in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), and its impact on patients’ physical and psychological well-being.MethodOne hundred and one PLWHA answered a questionnaire (Likert scale items) which assessed the following: shame, guilt, perceived stigma, perceived physical health, perceived mental health, SSE and the interpersonal quality of SSE (IQSSE). The main hypotheses were compiled into a theoretical model which was tested by a series of structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses.ResultsThe final solution resulted into a well-fit model which showed that: shame predicted IQSSE, perceived stigma mediated the relationship between IQSSE and guilt, and perceived mental health mediated the relationship between IQSSE and perceived physical health.ConclusionThese results corroborate previous findings which demonstrate that IQSSE is independent from quantitative aspects of SSE and that the way the SSE takes place is crucial to the benefits it induces.     

Problems with Danforth's Early Diagnosis and Observational Bias in Behavior Management

ABSTRACT

Many children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyper-activity Disorder (ADHD) experience difficulties in social relations. While psychosocial approaches based on a combination of skills training and contingency management approaches do appear to improve social behavior, evidence that these benefits generalize and persist following training has been limited. We describe a social skills training program designed to help parents promote the display of appropriate social behavior and better athletic performance in sports settings. The program consists of standard psychological assessment, behavioral parent training, functional assessment, parent-mediated social and sports skills coaching, and generalization and maintenance programming. The goals of this intervention are to promote retention of the child in team sports and facilitate friendship acquisition. Training parents to coach their children effectively in sports-related social skills may prove useful in promoting the maintenance and generalization of skills as well as preventing some of the negative effects of social isolation that frequently accompany an ADHD diagnosis.     

Acute stress disorder among civilians during a war and post-traumatic growth six years later: the impact of personal and social resources

Background and Objectives: Various studies suggest a link between stress response to a traumatic event and post-traumatic growth (PTG), but little is known about their long-term relationship. In this study, the relationship between acute stress disorder (ASD) among civilians during a war on the home front and PTG six years later was examined for the first time. Based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, the role of personal and social resource loss and gain as moderating factors was investigated. Design and Methods: At Time 1 of the research (the Second Lebanon War in 2006), a structured questionnaire was administered to 370 civilians living within rocket range. At Time 2, 6 years later, 301 participants from Time 1 were again examined. The data analysis refers to the 301 respondents who participated at Time 2. Results: The findings indicate a significant relationship between ASD and PTG. Examination of the interaction revealed that resource gain (but not resource loss) moderates (strengthens) the relationship between the two. Conclusions: These findings are not consistent with the COR view that resource loss has a greater effect on stress responses than resource gain.     

Day-to-day living with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Towards a family-based approach to the illness impacts

Objective: This study explores the perspectives of both patients and family members regarding the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in their family life.

Design: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted with patients and their family members in the chronic phase of COPD. Individual interviews were performed to explore participants’ perspectives and submitted to thematic analysis.

Results: Six major themes emerged from patients’ perspective: (1) impact of COPD symptoms on personal and family daily life; (2) (over)protective family support; (3) difficulties in couple communication; (4) sense of identity loss; (5) fear of COPD progression; and (6) coping resources. Five main themes emerged from the family members’ perspective: (1) restrictions in family’s social life; (2) emotional distress related to COPD exacerbations; (3) tension in couple relationship; (4) financial strain of COPD; and (5) coping resources.

Conclusions: The overall findings illustrate the complex interaction between the experience of living with COPD and communication patterns, emotional states, social support and social roles within the family. The results highlight the need to develop family-based interventions to facilitate a functional adjustment to COPD. However, these interventions in COPD remain undeveloped and empirical evidence is needed.