Physical activity and psychological well-being in children with Type 1 diabetes

Physical activity and psychological well-being contribute to positive lifestyle and well-being in youngsters who have Type 1 diabetes. The aims of this study were to objectively assess the physical activity levels of children with Type 1 diabetes, and investigate associations between physical activity levels, psychological well-being and HbA(1c). Thirty-six children, mean age 12.8 years, participated in the investigation. Physical activity was assessed using heart rate monitoring over four days. Children further completed the Diabetes Quality of Life for Youths Questionnaire, the Physical Self-Perception Profile for Children and the Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Scale. Routine outpatient HbA(1c) measurements were recorded. There were no significant associations between psychological well-being and physical activity, or HbA(1c) and physical activity, thus suggesting physical activity does not directly relate to psychological well-being in children with Type 1 diabetes. It may be that the effect of physical activity differs from that in children without Type 1 diabetes because of the place of physical activity within diabetes management and the need to balance this with insulin dosage and dietary intake to maintain blood glucose levels.     

Assessing the effectiveness of the ‘Incredible Years® parent training’ to parents of young children with ADHD symptoms – a preliminary report

This study examined the effectiveness of an evidence‐based parent training program in a real‐world Scandinavian setting. Parents of 36 young children with or at risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) self‐referred to participate in the Incredible Years^® Parent Training Program (IYPT) through a Danish early intervention clinic. Using a benchmarking approach, we compared self‐report data with data from a recent efficacy study. Eight out of nine outcome measures showed comparable or higher magnitude of effect from pretest to posttest. Effects were maintained or improved across six months. The methodology of this study exemplifies a rigorous but feasible approach to assessing effectiveness when evidence‐based US protocols are transferred into the existing Scandinavian service delivery. Findings suggest that IYPT can be implemented successfully as an easy‐access early intervention to families of children with or at risk of ADHD.     

Developing research‐informed practitioners – an organisational perspective

Background: Two current trends are making it increasingly important for counsellors and psychotherapists to be more engaged with research. Evidence of effectiveness is being increasingly demanded by those who fund our therapies and also by our clients. Meanwhile therapy research is offering practicable ways for therapists to improve their practice. Therapy organisations have an opportunity, perhaps even a duty, to meet the research needs of their members. Methods: This paper reports on a survey conducted by the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) to help it plan the activities of its Research Faculty. Findings: Key findings from the survey were that the most common ways of UKCP practitioners engaging with research were through reading, discussions with colleagues and doing research. Engaging with research collaboratively with other therapists, having more time, and access to user‐friendly web‐based research resources and updates, were the factors most commonly cited as supporting practitioner engagement with research. Conversely, lack of time, difficulties accessing resources and materials and feeling not competent were the major barriers to practitioner engagement with research. Discussion: Implications for therapists, for training, and for therapy organisations are considered.     

The Score Family Assessment Questionnaire: A Decade of Progress

This paper reviews a decade of research (2006–2016) on a family assessment instrument called the Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation (SCORE). The SCORE was developed in Europe to monitor progress and outcome in systemic therapy and has been adopted by the European Family Therapy Association as the main instrument for assessing the outcome in systemic family and couple therapy. There are currently six main versions of this instrument: SCORE‐40, SCORE‐15, SCORE‐28, SCORE‐29, Child SCORE‐15, and Relational SCORE‐15. It has also been translated into a number of European languages. Fifteen empirical studies of the SCORE “family of measures” have been conducted. Most have aimed to establish psychometric properties of these instruments in English and other languages. Others have used the SCORE to document the level of family adjustment in clinical samples or evaluate outcome in treatment trials. There is now sufficient evidence for the reliability and validity of the SCORE to justify the use of brief versions of this instrument to monitor progress and outcome in the routine practice of systemic therapy.     

Using the Good Behavior Game with High School Special Education Students: Comparing Student- and Teacher-Selected Reinforcers

The authors investigated the implementation of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on disruptive behaviors of high school special education students. Additionally, the study compared the effect of student-selected rewards versus teacher-selected rewards. A multielement withdrawal (A/[B?+?C]/A/[B?+?C]) design was used in the classroom to monitor behavior and compare the reward topography. Results suggested that the GBG decreased the frequency of disruptive behavior in both teams; however, there were no notable differences across reward type for either team. Effect sizes were reported using nonoverlap of all pairs. Nonoverlap of all pairs scores indicated moderate-to-large effects for the GBG, but small effects for reward topographies. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.     

Effect of a 9-wk. after-school multiskills club on fundamental movement skill proficiency in 8- to 9-yr.-old children: an exploratory trial

This exploratory study examined the effects of a 9-wk. after-school multiskills club on fundamental movement skill proficiency in 8- to 9-yr.-old children. Two schools were randomly assigned to either a control (n = 15 children) or multiskill club (n = 19 children) condition. The multiskill club received 18 coaching sessions designed to improve fundamental movement skills. The control group followed normal routines. 7 skills were assessed using process-oriented measures with video analysis. Participation in the multiskill club yielded significant improvements in proficiency at posttest only in static balance, while potentially practically important improvements were observed in performance of the catch, throw, and kick skills. The after-school multiskill club offered a viable opportunity for movement skill acquisition, but any such programme would need to run for a longer duration to assess whether this type of activity could benefit all skills.     

Spirals and circles: potential contributions of developmental psychology to family therapy

Developmental psychology offers much of value to family therapists in both its concepts and its information about child and adult development. Current work is reviewed selectively to emphasize those aspects which are most relevant for family work. The material is organized under five headings: 'Theories'; 'Major current issues'; 'Developing capabilities'; 'Developmental tasks'; and 'Current trends'. Abnormal development and childhood psychopathology have largely been excluded as these constitute rather separate areas. References have been chosen to provide useful background as well as to extend the specific points being made.     

The control of feeding behavior by an imprinted stimulus

Imprinted ducklings were trained to peck a pole using brief presentations of the imprinted stimulus as the response-contingent (reinforcing) event. Subjects were then permitted to spend extended periods with continuous access to food and the imprinted stimulus (via a pole peck). For other (control) subjects the experimental situation was restricted to either responding for the stimulus, or feeding in the absence of the stimulus. For subjects in the control conditions, both activities occurred in cyclic fashion. When, however, there was continuous opportunity to respond for the stimulus and food was available, the tendency to respond was related to the tendency to feed. Other experiments showed that independent presentations of the stimulus could initiate feeding in imprinted ducklings with no prior pairing of the stimulus with food and with no prior pole-peck training. The most consistent control over feeding, however, was exhibited by ducklings that were imprinted and also accustomed to periodic removals of the stimulus. It is concluded that in ducklings, imprinting procedures are sufficient to endow an arbitrary stimulus with the capacity to release feeding behavior.     

The Development of Systemic Family Therapy for Changing Times in the United Kingdom

In sketching the position of couples and family therapy and systemic practice in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) we have provided what we can of the development of the contexts of training and practice; the content of some of the theories and their applications; and the external realities within which we currently operate. The UK has a well developed structure for training and practice in systemic couples and family therapy. The history is of enthusiastic adoption of therapies from international sources which are generally then incorporated into an overarching systemic framework. Family therapy in the UK is currently subjected to a variety of pressures but is well regulated and is in a strong position to continue making its contribution to the welfare of families.     

Validation of a 28‐item version of the Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation in an Irish context: the SCORE‐28

This article describes the development, in an Irish context, of a three‐factor, twenty‐eight‐item version of the Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation (SCORE) questionnaire for assessing progress in family therapy. The forty‐ item version of the SCORE was administered to over 700 Irish participants including non‐clinical adolescents and young adults, families attending family therapy, and parents of young people with physical and intellectual disabilities and cystic fibrosis. For validation purposes, data were also collected using brief measures of family and personal adjustment. A twenty‐eight‐item version of the SCORE (the SCORE‐28) containing three factor scales that assess family strengths, difficulties and communication was identified through exploratory principal components analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the factor structure of the SCORE‐28 was stable. The SCORE‐28 and its three factor scales were shown to have excellent internal consistency reliability, satisfactory test‐retest reliability and construct validity. The SCORE‐28 scales correlated highly with the General Functioning Scale of the Family Assessment Device, and moderately with the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale, the Kansas Marital and Parenting Satisfaction Scales, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Mental Health Inventory – 5, and the total problems scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Correlational analyses also showed that the SCORE‐28 scales were not strongly associated with demographic characteristics or social desirability response set. The SCORE‐28 may routinely be administered to literate family members aged over 12 years before and after family therapy to evaluate therapy outcome.