Young adult drug interventions: a social marketing systematic review and research agenda

Purpose This paper aims to report on the first comprehensive, social marketing systematic review of interventions targeting illicit drug use by young adults. Design/methodology/approach A total of 3,169 papers were screened, with 20 relevant empirical studies meeting the eligibility criteria for the systematic review. These were analysed according to Andreasen’s (2002) and NSMC’s (2006) social marketing benchmarks. Findings The findings provide evidence regarding the efficacy of behavioural and clinical interventions targeting individuals and groups, including motivational, life skills training, cognitive behavioural therapy, comprehensive health and social risk assessments and buprenorphine treatment interventions. Further, results evidence that there is yet to be an intervention which has implemented the full marketing mix, and limited studies have used the social marketing benchmarks of exchange and competition. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and provide key recommendations outlining the potential for social marketing to support the improved uptake and efficacy of interventions. A research agenda is also put forward to direct future social marketing scholarship in the area of young adult drug interventions.

Perceptions of Therapeutic Intervention in Suicide Crisis Counseling in Experienced Korean Counselors: A Concept Mapping Study

Within Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations, South Korea has the highest suicide rate for which immediate prevention measures are sought including effective therapeutic counseling interventions. As such, the present study explored and examined experienced South Korean counselors' perception of therapeutic interventions for the prevention or delaying of completed suicide, using concept mapping methodology. The semi-structured interviews were provided to 15 study participants of experienced counselors having a minimum of 5 years of professional counseling career and at least 10 suicide crisis counseling sessions. A total of 77 statements were extracted with 8 major clusters: “Securing Safety,” “Active Advocacy for Client,” “Coping Skills Training,” “Conceptualization of Suicide Crisis,” “Emotional Identification and Validation,” “Empowerment,” “Counselor Self-Disclosure,” “Counselor Self-Awareness and Regulation.” From the results, the present study described unique findings in Korean counselors' perceptions of suicide crisis therapeutic intervention. Study limitations and future implications are further discussed.

Eliminating Explicit and Implicit Biases in Health Care: Evidence and Research Needs

Health care providers hold negative explicit and implicit biases against marginalized groups of people such as racial and ethnic minoritized populations. These biases permeate the health care system and affect patients via patient–clinician communication, clinical decision making, and institutionalized practices. Addressing bias remains a fundamental professional responsibility of those accountable for the health and wellness of our populations. Current interventions include instruction on the existence and harmful role of bias in perpetuating health disparities, as well as skills training for the management of bias. These interventions can raise awareness of provider bias and engage health care providers in establishing egalitarian goals for care delivery, but these changes are not sustained, and the interventions have not demonstrated change in behavior in the clinical or learning environment. Unfortunately, the efficacy of these interventions may be hampered by health care providers’ work and learning environments, which are rife with discriminatory practices that sustain the very biases US health care professions are seeking to diminish. We offer a conceptual model demonstrating that provider-level implicit bias interventions should be accompanied by interventions that systemically change structures inside and outside the health care system if the country is to succeed in influencing biases and reducing health inequities. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 43 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment and Problem-Solving Skills Training on Reducing Emotional Divorce

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the acceptance, commitment and problem-solving skills training on reducing the emotional divorce and the marital frustration. Method: The research method, with regard to the quasi-experimental nature of the subject, was selected with a pre-test post-test design with a control group. The statistical population was the couples attending the Family counseling centers in Kerman city in 2019. The study sample involved 30 participating couples who were selected using convenience sampling and were divided into two experimental and control groups. Training the acceptance, commitment and problem-solving was presented to the couples in the experimental group during eight two-hour sessions. The educational content was about couples' problems in marital relationships, choosing a common marital value and offering a solution based on it, and identifying internal and external barriers to action based on values. To assess the subjects in both groups, the Emotional divorce questionnaire, and the Marital Frustration questionnaire Completed before and after the intervention. In order to analyze the data, mean value, standard deviation (SD), and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used. SPSS version 22 was further used. The significance level of the study was considered to be p=0.05. Results: The results of the covariance analysis for the participants who were 30-60 years old couples with at least five years of marital experience showed that training the acceptance, commitment and problem-solving was effective on reducing the emotional divorce and frustration. While the mean value of emotional divorce for the pre-test was (M=14.33), the results for the post-test changed to (M=11.80). Marital frustration was also changed from (M=48.93) in the pre-test to (M=44.60). Conclusions: According to the results, maybe we need to consider a more serious role for training the acceptance, commitment and problem-solving in the educational and therapeutic interventions related to reducing the emotional divorce and the marital frustration of the couples.

Impact of Drug Abuse on Performance of Gymnasium Students in Germany

The education stakeholders in Germany acknowledge that alcohol and drug abuse among students are significant barriers to achieving academic goals. Alcohol and drug abuse are also related to an increase in other risky actions such as early sexual conduct, drunk driving, physical violence and truancy. Drug abuse in schools, particularly illicit drugs in high school, has long been a topic of concern. Thus, the study sought to examine the impact of drug abuse on the performance of college students in Germany. The study was literature-based and the inferences were based on the verdicts from the prior studies. The study results showed that drug abuse has a negative impact on performance. Drugs and alcohol are some of the most detrimental yet most common disruptions in teenage brain development. They manipulate the brain's wiring and affect how it processes and retains information, including how a teen thinks, focuses, learns, remembers, and concentrates inside and outside school. Drugs can impair teens' cognitive development and affect students' performance in school: reduce their ability to memorize things, poor concentration in the classroom and deficiency of prioritization of assignments. The study recommended that secondary school administrators develop a well-integrated learner surveillance system throughout school environments. Moreover, the government introduce life skills training in the syllabus to teach learners how to resist indulgence in drug abuse. Schools need to develop policies that promote participation in learning by creating environments that make it satisfying and interesting. In addition, the school administration should introduce and strengthen counselling and support services to students who demand social assistance. Keywords: Drug Abuse, Performance, Students, Germany

Understanding the secondary system of therapeutic alliance in autism interventions from the perspectives of parents and caregivers

This study utilized a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design in understanding the secondary system of therapeutic alliance from the perspectives of parents and caregivers of children with autism. In the quantitative phase, data from the accomplished questionnaires of 124 parent–caregiver dyads were collected and analyzed. Four factors extracted from the literature: treatment attitude, treatment compliance, level of stress, and perceived autism severity were examined as possible predictors of parent–therapist alliance, caregiver–therapist alliance, and parent–caregiver alliance. In the qualitative phase, eight parent–caregiver dyads (who both scored high in their alliance with therapist, alliance with each other, treatment attitude, treatment compliance, and level of stress) were interviewed to probe on their experiences of alliance-building, parenting, and caregiving. The integration of both quantitative and qualitative data led to the formulation of a conceptual framework that explains how the factors influence the secondary system of therapeutic alliance. These findings emphasize that tapping into the personal experiences of parents and caregivers can help in identifying what they value in a working, therapeutic relationship. Moreover, communication, skills training, and feedback among therapists, parents, and caregivers are essential to enhance positive attitude toward treatment, promote compliance to treatment recommendations, and address sources of personal stress. Nevertheless, this study calls for future studies to build into the factors associated with the systemic therapeutic alliance and to implement intervention programs that may target issues relating to attitude toward treatment, compliance to treatment, and experience of parental and caregiver stress.

The Effects of Training Emotional Intelligence Skills Training on Stress Among the Mothers of Premature Newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background The mothers of premature newborns experience high levels of stress which can affect their relationships with their newborns, cause them ineffective parental role performance, and impair their newborns’ growth and development. Emotional intelligence (EI) has potential positive effects on stress. Objectives This study evaluated the effects of training EI skills on stress among the mothers of premature newborns in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2016 with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. Ninety mothers of premature newborns were selected from the NICUs of Zeinabieh and Hafez hospitals, Shiraz, Iran, and randomly allocated to an intervention and a control group. Participants in the control group received EI skills training in six sessions held twice weekly. The Parental Stress Scale was used for stress assessment before and one week after the intervention. The SPSS software (v. 16.0) was used for data analysis. Results Thirty seven participants in each group completed the study. While there was no significant difference between the intervention and the control groups respecting the pretest mean score of stress (48.89±19.02 vs. 44.92±18.55; P = 0.37), the posttest mean score of stress in the intervention group was significantly less than the control group (13.29±13.15 vs. 47.84±22.56; P < 0.001). The mean score of participants’ stress had significant relationship with their income level and their premature newborns’ birth weight. Conclusion Training EI skills is effective in significantly reducing stress among the mothers of premature newborns in NICU.