A brief video-coaching intervention buffers young children's vulnerability to the impact of caregivers’ depressive symptoms: Examination of differential susceptibility

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 1685-1700
Author(s):  
Sihong Liu ◽  
Philip A. Fisher ◽  
Lisa J. Schlueter ◽  
Tiffany Phu ◽  
Megan R. Gunnar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Developmental Psychopathology ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Differential Susceptibility ◽  
Differential Sensitivity ◽  
The Impact

AbstractInformed by the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and developmental psychopathology frameworks, the current study used cortisol area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) as an index of differential sensitivity to context, which was expected to predispose young children with elevated vulnerability to adverse caregiving experiences and adaptive sensitivity to intervention effects. Particularly, the study aimed to determine whether improving caregivers’ responsive parenting through the Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND) intervention would buffer children's biologically embedded vulnerability to caregivers’ depressive symptoms. Data were derived from a randomized controlled trial using pretest–posttest design with low-income families of children aged 4 to 36 months (N = 91). Young children's differential sensitivity was measured using cortisol AUCg during a structured stress paradigm. As hypothesized, children whose cortisol AUCg indicated greater sensitivity to social context exhibited more internalizing and externalizing behaviors in relation to caregivers’ elevated depressive symptoms. Critically, the intervention program was effective in attenuating psychopathology symptoms among the more biologically sensitive children. As proven by rigorous statistical tests, the findings of this study partially supported the differential susceptibility hypotheses, indicating both greater vulnerability to adverse conditions and responsiveness to intervention among children with high levels of cortisol AUCg.

Reducing the Social Stigma Associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Controlled Trial of an Intervention Program in a Turkish Community Sample

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-120
Author(s):  
Ayça Aktaç Gürbüz ◽  
Orçun YORULMAZ ◽  
Gülşah DURNA
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Case Vignette ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Scientific research into the reduction of stigmatization, particularly related to specific problems such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is scarce. In the present study, we examine the impact of a video-based antistigma intervention program for OCD in a pretest-posttest control group research. After being randomly assigned to either an intervention (n= 101) or control group (n= 96), the participants reported their attitudes on a hypothetical case vignette before and after OCD vs. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) videos, and again six months later as a follow up assessment. The mixed design analyses for the group comparisons indicated that although there was no significant difference in the measures of the control group, the participants watching the anti-stigma OCD video, in which the focus was psychoeducation and interaction strategies, reported significantly lower scores on social distances and negative beliefs for the case vignettes they read, and this difference was maintained six months later. Then, the present results indicate the effectiveness of our anti-stigma intervention program for OCD. Interventions to reduce stigmatization can also be viewed as effective tools for changing the attitudes of people toward OCD, although further research and applications are needed related to specific disorders if a longlasting impact is to be achieved.

Dietary Patterns: A New Therapeutic Approach for Depression?

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Jesus ◽  
Tânia Silva ◽  
César Cagigal ◽  
Vera Martins ◽  
Carla Silva
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Common Mental Disorder ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: The field of nutritional psychiatry is a fast-growing one. Although initially, it focused on the effects of vitamins and micronutrients in mental health, in the last decade, its focus also extended to the dietary patterns. The possibility of a dietary cost-effective intervention in the most common mental disorder, depression, cannot be overlooked due to its potential large-scale impact. Method: A classic review of the literature was conducted, and studies published between 2010 and 2018 focusing on the impact of dietary patterns in depression and depressive symptoms were included. Results: We found 10 studies that matched our criteria. Most studies showed an inverse association between healthy dietary patterns, rich in fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and whole grains, and with low intake of processed and sugary foods, and depression and depressive symptoms throughout an array of age groups, although some authors reported statistical significance only in women. While most studies were of cross-sectional design, making it difficult to infer causality, a randomized controlled trial presented similar results. Discussion: he association between dietary patterns and depression is now well-established, although the exact etiological pathways are still unknown. Dietary intervention, with the implementation of healthier dietary patterns, closer to the traditional ones, can play an important role in the prevention and adjunctive therapy of depression and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: More large-scale randomized clinical trials need to be conducted, in order to confirm the association between high-quality dietary patterns and lower risk of depression and depressive symptoms.

scholarly journals Biofeedback Intervention for Stress and Anxiety among Nursing Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ISRN Nursing ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Ratanasiripong ◽  
Nop Ratanasiripong ◽  
Duangrat Kathalae
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Stress Level ◽  
Clinical Training ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Purpose. It has been well documented that nursing students across the world experience stress and anxiety throughout their education and training. The purpose of this randomized controlled study is to investigate the impact of biofeedback intervention program on nursing students' levels of stress and anxiety during their first clinical training. Methods. Participants consisted of 60 second-year baccalaureate nursing students. The 30 participants in the biofeedback group received training on how to use the biofeedback device to assist in stress and anxiety management for 5 weeks while the 30 in the control group did not receive any training. Findings. Results indicated that the biofeedback group was able to maintain the stress level while the control group had a significant increase in the stress level over the 5-week period of clinical training. Additionally, the biofeedback group had a significant reduction in anxiety, while the control group had a moderate increase in anxiety. Conclusions. The better the nursing students can manage their stress and anxiety, the more successful they can be in their clinical training. Ultimately, the more psychologically healthy the nursing students are, the more likely they will flourish and graduate to become productive and contributing members of the nursing profession.

scholarly journals Preventing depression in final year secondary students: School-based randomized controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Perry ◽  
A Werner-Seidler ◽  
A Calear ◽  
A Mackinnon ◽  
C King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
School Level ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Control Intervention ◽  
The Impact

Background: Depression often emerges for the first time during adolescence. There is accumulating evidence that universal depression prevention programs may have the capacity to reduce the impact of depression when delivered in the school environment. Objective: This trial investigated the effectiveness of SPARX-R, a gamified online cognitive behavior therapy intervention for the prevention of depression relative to an attention-matched control intervention delivered to students prior to facing a significant stressor-final secondary school exams. It was hypothesized that delivering a prevention intervention in advance of a stressor would reduce depressive symptoms relative to the control group. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 10 government schools in Sydney, Australia. Participants were 540 final year secondary students (mean 16.7 [SD 0.51] years), and clusters at the school level were randomly allocated to SPARX-R or the control intervention. Interventions were delivered weekly in 7 modules, each taking approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. The primary outcome was symptoms of depression as measured by the Major Depression Inventory. Intention-to-treat analyses were performed. Results: Compared to controls, participants in the SPARX-R condition (n=242) showed significantly reduced depression symptoms relative to the control (n=298) at post-intervention (Cohen d=0.29) and 6 months post-baseline (d=0.21) but not at 18 months post-baseline (d=0.33). Conclusions: This is the first trial to demonstrate a preventive effect on depressive symptoms prior to a significant and universal stressor in adolescents. It demonstrates that an online intervention delivered in advance of a stressful experience can reduce the impact of such an event on the potential development or exacerbation of depression.

Physician Perceptions of Enhanced Community Pharmacist Care in Cholesterol Management

2005 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scot H. Simpson ◽  
Jeffrey A. Johnson ◽  
Karen B. Farris ◽  
Tim T.Y. Lau ◽  
Sumit R. Majumdar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacist ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Care Program ◽  
Pharmacist Intervention ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Physician Perceptions ◽  
Cholesterol Management ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pharmacist Care

Objectives: The Study of Cardiovascular Risk Intervention by Pharmacists (SCRIP) was a randomized controlled trial that demonstrated that community pharmacist intervention improved cholesterol management for patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease. The objective of this sub-study was to describe physician perceptions of the intervention program. Design: Surveys were mailed to all physicians contacted as part of the enhanced pharmacist care program within SCRIP. Physician opinions were collected on pharmacist participation in cholesterol management and the impact of the program on patient management and outcomes. Results: We received 141 usable surveys from 239 eligible physicians, a response rate of 59%. Of those who responded, 110 (78%) remembered components of the enhanced pharmacist care program, and 77 (55%) were in favour of the pharmacist's recommendations. Of the 110 physicians who recalled the intervention, 27 (25%) agreed that the program improved cholesterol management, and 11 (10%) felt the program had a major effect on patient outcomes; however, only 41 (37%) felt the program was helpful or useful. Written comments reflected opinions that the program duplicates current services and that physicians have reservations about the expanding role of pharmacists. Despite these general comments, similar interventions for other medical conditions were welcomed. Conclusions: Physicians had mixed attitudes toward the enhanced pharmacist care program. Despite these opinions, the main results of SCRIP were very positive. Indeed, if the physician opinions of the program had been more positive, the impact might have been even greater. The effectiveness of future programs may be enhanced through improved communication of the program's goals and collaboration of all stakeholders early in the program's implementation.

The impact of life review on depression in older adults: a randomized controlled trial

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 572-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Margriet Pot ◽  
Ernst T. Bohlmeijer ◽  
Simone Onrust ◽  
Anne-Sophie Melenhorst ◽  
Marjolein Veerbeek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Life Review ◽  
Group Effect ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackground: We developed an indicated preventive life-review course, “Looking for Meaning”, based on the assumption that reminiscence styles influence coping with depressive symptoms. This study describes the impact of this course in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.Methods: Inclusion criteria were >50 years, a score of 5 or higher on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and no depressive disorder or psychotropic or psychological treatment. Participants were randomized and stratified by gender: the experimental group (N = 83) was offered the course and the comparison group (N = 88) a movie. There were three measurements: pre-treatment, post-treatment and 6 months after post-treatment. Depressive symptoms constituted the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were anxiety symptoms, satisfaction with life, mastery and reminiscence styles. All analyses were conducted according to the intention-to-treat principle. Missing values were replaced by regression imputation.Results: The course reduced depressive symptoms, a decrease that was retained during follow-up. A significant between-group effect size was found (d = 0.58). There was also a reduction in symptoms of anxiety; however, the comparison group showed the same reduction, resulting in a small between-group effect size. Gender and level of depressive symptoms were found to be prognostic factors for the change in depressive symptoms; age was not. Post hoc analyses showed significant between-group effect sizes for females and those with a score above the cut-off of the CES-D.Conclusion: The course “Looking for Meaning” can be recommended for people aged over 50 years, females and older adults with a clinically relevant level of depressive symptoms (above cut-off) in particular.

scholarly journals Norms and Social Network–Centric Behavior Change Intervention (Nam Nalavazhvu) for Improved Toilet Usage in Peri-Urban Communities of Tamil Nadu: Protocol for a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sania Ashraf ◽  
Cristina Bicchieri ◽  
Maryann G Delea ◽  
Upasak Das ◽  
Kavita Chauhan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Behavior Change Intervention ◽  
Behavior Change Interventions ◽  
Cluster Randomized ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Inconsistent toilet usage is a continuing challenge in India. Despite the impact of social expectations on toilet usage, few programs and studies have developed theoretically grounded norm-centric behavior change interventions to increase toilet use in low-income settings. OBJECTIVE The objective of this paper is to detail the rationale and design of an ex ante, parallel cluster-randomized trial evaluating the impact of a demand-side, norm-centric behavior change intervention on exclusive toilet use and maintenance in peri-urban Tamil Nadu, India. METHODS Following formative research, we developed an evidence-based norm-centric behavior change intervention called Nam Nalavazhvu (Tamil for “our well-being”). The multilevel intervention aims to improve toilet usage by shifting empirical expectations or beliefs about other relevant people’s sanitation practices. It also provides action-oriented information to aid individuals to set goals and overcome barriers to own, consistently use, and maintain their toilets. This trial includes 76 wards in the Pudukkottai and Karur districts, where half were randomly assigned to receive the intervention and the remaining served as counterfactuals. RESULTS We enrolled wards and conducted a baseline survey among randomly selected individuals in all 76 wards. The 1-year behavior change intervention is currently ongoing. At the endline, we will collect relevant data and compare results between study arms to determine the impacts of the Nam Nalavazhvu intervention on sanitation-related behavioral, health, and well-being outcomes and potential moderators. This study is powered to detect differences in the prevalence of exclusive toilet use between study arms. We are also conducting a process evaluation to understand the extent to which the intervention was implemented as designed, given the special pandemic context. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this trial will inform norm-centric behavior change strategies to improve exclusive toilet usage. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04269824; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04269824 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/24407

scholarly journals Impact of a demand-side integrated WASH and nutrition community-based care group intervention on behavioural change: a randomised controlled trial in western Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. e002806
Author(s):  
Matthew C Freeman ◽  
Anna S Ellis ◽  
Emily Awino Ogutu ◽  
Bethany A Caruso ◽  
Molly Linabarger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Double Difference ◽  
Cluster Randomised Trial ◽  
Care Group ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionGrowth shortfalls and diarrhoeal diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low-income settings. Due to the multifaceted causes of undernutrition and the identified limitations of siloed nutrition programmes, improving the delivery of integrated water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and nutrition programming could improve child health.MethodsWe conducted a cluster randomised trial in western Kenya to assess the impact on household behaviours of a novel, theory-informed and integrated WASH and nutrition intervention delivered through care groups as compared with the standard care group approach. We developed an intervention targeting practices relating to food hygiene, mealtime and feeding, and compound cleanliness, each using various behavioural change techniques to influence the uptake of targeted behaviours. Prespecified behavioural outcomes were verified through direct observation, 24 hours recall, and self-reported picture-based methods.ResultsCompared with control households, a greater proportion of intervention households had a hygienic food preparation area (Risk double difference (RDD) 0.81, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.96), had stored food hygienically (RDD 0.76, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.00), had a functional handwashing station (RDD 0.64, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.74), provided a safe space for their child to play (RDD 0.73, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.96), and who fed their children thickened porridge (RDD 0.56, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.63) at endline. The proportion of children 6–24 months in intervention households consuming a sufficient diversity of foods (RDD 0.81, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.04) was higher than in control households; however, there was a non-significant increase in the percentage of pregnant and lactating women receiving an adequate diversity of foods in their diets (RDD 0.86, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.05) among intervention compared with control households at endline.ConclusionOur integrated WASH and nutrition intervention resulted in important changes in behaviours. This theory-informed intervention could be added to existing care group programmes to considerable advantage.

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