scholarly journals FIRST STEPS – a randomized controlled trial on the evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of two early prevention programs for promoting the social integration and a healthy development of children with an immigrant background from 0–3

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Lebiger-Vogel ◽  
Constanze Rickmeyer ◽  
Annette Busse ◽  
Korinna Fritzemeyer ◽  
Bernhard Rüger ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Malihe Masoudifard ◽  
Zohreh Mahmoodi ◽  
Azam Bagheri ◽  
Mahrokh Dolatian ◽  
Kourosh Kabir

Background: The early years of life are vital and sensitive for the growth and development of a child. This aimed to examine the effect of play therapy on the social development and maturity of infants aged from 12 to 24 months. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial conducted on 76 eligible infants aged from 12 to 24 months referred to comprehensive health centers in Kashan city during 2017-2018. Infants who had inclusion criteria were included in the study and then randomly assigned to the two groups of intervention and control. Before the intervention and the end of the counseling sessions, Vineland Social Maturity Test Toolkit for Children in the both groups was completed and the data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: There was no significant differences between the two groups regarding the social development score before the intervention (p >0.001). There was a significant difference between the mean score of social development in the two groups after the intervention, in which the mean of the total score and each area of social development increased significantly (P <0.001). Conclusion: Considering the importance of the early years of life in the development of infants and findings of the present study, it can be said that the advisory of play therapy for improving the development of a infants can be very helpful.


10.2196/15557 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e15557
Author(s):  
Naomi S Thulien ◽  
Nicole Kozloff ◽  
Elizabeth McCay ◽  
Rosane Nisenbaum ◽  
Andrea Wang ◽  
...  

Background Although the risk factors associated with young people entering and becoming entrenched in street life have been thoroughly investigated, peer-reviewed evidence is scarce to nonexistent for rigorous interventions targeting social integration outcomes for young people who have experienced homelessness. From the limited research that has been done, emerging evidence signals that, although structural supports such as subsidized housing and social service providers are important, these resources alone are insufficient to help young people integrate into the mainstream society. Objective The overarching aim of this study is to assess whether and how rent subsidies and mentorship influence social integration outcomes for formerly homeless young people living in market rent housing in 3 Canadian cities. The primary outcome measures for this study are community integration (psychological and physical) and self-esteem at 18 months. Secondary outcomes include social connectedness, hope, and academic and vocational participation at 18 months. Exploratory outcomes include income, perceived housing quality, engulfment, psychiatric symptoms, and participant perspectives of intervention barriers and facilitators. Methods This is a convergent mixed methods, open-label, 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 1:1 allocation embedded within a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) framework. The intervention will provide 24 young people (aged 16-26 years), who have transitioned out of homelessness and into market rent housing within the past year, with rent subsidies for 24 months. Half of the young people will also be randomly assigned an adult mentor who has been recruited and screened by 1 of our 3 community partners. Data collection will occur every 6 months, and participants will be followed for 30 months. Results Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the Providence, St Joseph’s, and St Michael’s Healthcare Research Ethics Board (number 18-251). Enrollment took place from April 2019 to September 2019. Preliminary analysis of the baseline quantitative and qualitative data is underway. Conclusions This pilot RCT will be the first to test the impact of economic and social support on meaningful social integration for formerly homeless young people living in market rent housing. We believe that the mixed methods design will illuminate important contextual factors that must be considered if the intervention is to be scaled up and replicated elsewhere. Importantly, the CBPAR framework will incorporate the perspectives of the community, including formerly homeless young people, who are in the best position to determine what might work best in the context of their lives. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03779204; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03779204. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/15557


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi S Thulien ◽  
Nicole Kozloff ◽  
Elizabeth McCay ◽  
Rosane Nisenbaum ◽  
Andrea Wang ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Although the risk factors associated with young people entering and becoming entrenched in street life have been thoroughly investigated, peer-reviewed evidence is scarce to nonexistent for rigorous interventions targeting social integration outcomes for young people who have experienced homelessness. From the limited research that has been done, emerging evidence signals that, although structural supports such as subsidized housing and social service providers are important, these resources alone are insufficient to help young people integrate into the mainstream society. OBJECTIVE The overarching aim of this study is to assess whether and how rent subsidies and mentorship influence social integration outcomes for formerly homeless young people living in market rent housing in 3 Canadian cities. The primary outcome measures for this study are community integration (psychological and physical) and self-esteem at 18 months. Secondary outcomes include social connectedness, hope, and academic and vocational participation at 18 months. Exploratory outcomes include income, perceived housing quality, engulfment, psychiatric symptoms, and participant perspectives of intervention barriers and facilitators. METHODS This is a convergent mixed methods, open-label, 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 1:1 allocation embedded within a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) framework. The intervention will provide 24 young people (aged 16-26 years), who have transitioned out of homelessness and into market rent housing within the past year, with rent subsidies for 24 months. Half of the young people will also be randomly assigned an adult mentor who has been recruited and screened by 1 of our 3 community partners. Data collection will occur every 6 months, and participants will be followed for 30 months. RESULTS Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the Providence, St Joseph’s, and St Michael’s Healthcare Research Ethics Board (number 18-251). Enrollment took place from April 2019 to September 2019. Preliminary analysis of the baseline quantitative and qualitative data is underway. CONCLUSIONS This pilot RCT will be the first to test the impact of economic and social support on meaningful social integration for formerly homeless young people living in market rent housing. We believe that the mixed methods design will illuminate important contextual factors that must be considered if the intervention is to be scaled up and replicated elsewhere. Importantly, the CBPAR framework will incorporate the perspectives of the community, including formerly homeless young people, who are in the best position to determine what might work best in the context of their lives. CLINICALTRIAL Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03779204; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03779204.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen Na Yum ◽  
Way Kwok-Wai Lau ◽  
Kean Poon ◽  
Fuk Chuen Ho

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental impairment characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interactions, and over half of children with ASD possess below average intellectual ability (IQ < 85). The social development and response to social skill interventions among children with ASD and comorbid intellectual disability (ID) is not well understood. Music therapy is a systematic process of intervention, wherein a therapist may help clients promote their social skills by using musical experience. The proposed study will address limited research evidence on music therapy as an intervention for social functioning in children with ASD with mild to borderline ID. Method A randomized controlled trial (RCT) with two parallel groups of 40 children each (1:1 allocation ratio) is planned. Participants will receive 45 min of music therapy or non-musical intervention targeting social skills once a week for 12 weeks. Primary outcome measures will be independent ratings on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale and parent ratings on the Social Responsiveness Scale-2. Linear mixed-effects models for these two outcome measures will be created for data collected at 2-week pre-intervention, 2-week post-intervention, and 4-month post-intervention sessions. In-session behaviors at the first and last intervention will be videotaped and coded offline and compared. Pretreatment neural response of quantitative electroencephalograms (qEEG) to social scenes will be used to predict the outcomes of musical and non-musical social skill interventions, whereas qEEG responses to music will be used to predict the effectiveness of musical social skill intervention. Discussion If neural markers of social skill development are found, then the long-term goal is to develop individualized intervention based on pre-treatment markers to maximize treatment efficacy. The proposed study’s results may also suggest directions to development and provision of music therapy services in Hong Kong. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04557488). Registered September 21, 2020.


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