Evaluation of an Online Group Intervention to Improve Test-Taking Self-Efficacy and Reduce Licensure Test Anxiety

We evaluated whether a synchronous online group intervention, using the Association for Social Work Boards Group Review Practice Test© items, increased students’ LMSW licensure test-taking confidence and decreased their test anxiety. A non-equivalent comparison group study was used to measure change in 59 graduate students’ confidence in test-taking and test anxiety. Almost 45% of students reported test anxiety in the clinical range at pretest. Using a repeated measures GLM, we found that students in the intervention group experienced a significant increase in confidence from pretest posttest. For overall anxiety, impairment anxiety, and worry anxiety, students in the intervention group experienced less anxiety over time, and students in the comparison group experienced more anxiety over time. Implications for programs are discussed.     

The Children First Program: The Effectiveness of a Parent Education Program for Divorcing Parents

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the 2nd and 3rd editions of the Children First parent education programs for parents experiencing divorce or separation. Participants were 678 parents experiencing separation or divorce in 2 Midwestern counties. Changes from pretest to posttest on participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and likelihood of adaptive coparenting were assessed. Both editions of the program had a significant positive effect on all 3 measures of adaptive coparenting. The effect sizes from pretest to posttest for the 2nd edition were small, whereas the effect sizes for the 3rd edition of the program were nearly twice as large. Superiority of the 3rd edition might be due to an increased focus on explicit training on adaptive coparenting behaviors.     

Adaptation and Evaluation of a Nonviolent Resistance Intervention for Foster Parents: A Progress Report

Foster care faces serious challenges, such as behavioral problems in foster children and parental stress and ineffective parenting behavior in foster parents. The results of a pilot study that evaluated a training program for foster parents based on nonviolent resistance are described. In a pretest–posttest design, data were collected from 25 families. Significant reductions in externalizing, internalizing, and total problem behavior in the foster children and in parenting stress were found. Using a reliable change index, significant improvements in externalizing, internalizing, and total problem behavior were found in, respectively, 72, 44, and 80% of the cases. Most improvements proved to be clinically relevant. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large for problem behavior, and from small to medium for parenting stress.     

Finding the Love Guru in You: Examining the Effectiveness of a Sexual Communication Training Program for Married Couples

One specific area of communication that has the potential to elicit a wide range of outcomes, such as enhancing a couple's feelings of intimacy, offending one or both partners causing conflict, improving the communication climate within the relationship, or embarrassing the partners involved, is the discussion of sex. The current project theorized how to initiate and maintain sexual coaching conversations, taught participants the components of skillful and unskillful messages in an online training program, and then evaluated the overall effectiveness of said program. Forty couples participated in an online sexual coaching training program and completed several pretest and posttest measures. Results reveal that participation in the training program led to an increase in sexual and relationship satisfaction, a decrease in sexual communication apprehension, and an increase in sexual coaching knowledge and skill. These results, along with the value of interventive research and the implications of this training program, are discussed.     

Buffering Effects of a Family-Based Intervention for African American Emerging Adults

This study focused on the buffering effects of Adults in the Making (AIM), a family-centered preventive intervention, on the link between life stress and increases in risk behaviors among 347 rural, southern African Americans as they left high school. Of the families, 174 were assigned to the prevention condition and 173 to a control condition. Emerging adults reported risk behaviors at pretest, posttest (7 months after pretest), and long-term follow-up (10 months after posttest). A significant Life stress × Prevention condition interaction emerged: Increases in risk behaviors were significantly greater among emerging adults in the control condition who experienced high stress levels than among those in the prevention condition who experienced equally high stress levels.     

Gambling decisions: an early intervention program for problem gamblers

An implementation and one-year follow-up of the Gambling Decisions program attempted to answer several important questions. First, is controlled gambling a viable treatment option for some gamblers? Can earlier stage problem gamblers be separated for treatment from those with more severe problems? Finally, would problem gamblers utilize a community health agency for treatment of their excessive gambling? A pretest/posttest design was chosen where the efficacy of the program was assessed using repeated measures ANOVA analysis. Results showed that an average loss of $608 over a 4-week period was reduced to $113 immediately after the 6-week program and to a loss of $73 at 12 months. The average number of hours spent gambling per 4 weeks was significantly reduced from 23.5 at pretest to 6.5 at the 12 month posttest. Significant decreases were also observed in the number of days per week that clients gambled, and clients reported significant reductions in everyday life problems related to gambling after completing the program.     

THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE COUPLE COMMUNICATION PROGRAM

The immediate and long-term impact of the Couple Communication Program was assessed. Seventeen married couples were assigned to training groups. Change was assessed using self-report measures of marital adjustment and communication quality along with behavioral ratings of couple verbal interaction. Couples increased significantly on all measures at immediate posttest. Marital adjustment returned to pretest levels by five month follow-up. Couple perceived communication quality and rater judged communication quality maintained posttest levels. The findings suggest a need for more skills training in the program, an increase in length of the program, and consideration of program improvements designed to enhance generalization.     

A longitudinal study of the learning and retention of task-specific training

This longitudinal study evaluated the learning and retention of task-specific training during the subjects' classroom performance of a one-person pivot transfer. Twelve subjects were videotaped completing the transfer (pretest). The subjects then participated in a two-hour training session. One week later (posttest 1), and one year later (posttest 2) the subjects were videotaped again. A checklist was used to analyze the videotapes. A one-way ANOVA with repeated measures revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between the tests (F = 243.73, p-value < 0.0001). A post hoc analysis (Bonferroni procedure) indicated that the posttest 1 scores (mean = 13, SD = 0.40) were significantly higher than the pretest scores (mean = 2.96, SD = 0.39) indicating an improved score on the checklist. There was no significant difference between the scores of posttest 1 and posttest 2 (mean = 12.79, SD = 0.60) indicating that subjects continued to perform the task with proper body mechanics one year post training.     

Meditation lowers stress and supports forgiveness among college students: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE AND PARTICIPANTS: The authors evaluated the effects on stress, rumination, forgiveness, and hope of two 8-week, 90-min/wk training programs for college undergraduates in meditation-based stress-management tools. METHODS: After a pretest, the authors randomly allocated college undergraduates to training in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; n = 15), Easwaran's Eight-Point Program (EPP; n = 14), or wait-list control (n = 15). The authors gathered pretest, posttest, and 8-week follow-up data on self-report outcome measures. RESULTS: The authors observed no post-treatment differences between MBSR and EPP or between posttest and 8-week follow-up (p > .10). Compared with controls, treated participants (n = 29) demonstrated significant benefits for stress (p < .05, Cohen's d = -.45) and forgiveness (p < .05, d = .34) and marginal benefits for rumination (p < .10, d = -.34). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that meditation-based stress-management practices reduce stress and enhance forgiveness among college undergraduates. Such programs merit further study as potential health-promotion tools for college populations.     

Suicide Prevention in the Dot Com Era: Technological Aspects of a University Suicide Prevention Program

Abstract

Western Michigan University's Suicide Prevention Program utilizes multiple technological components, including an online training course, a Web site, and 2 social networking Web site profiles, as integral aspects of a comprehensive program. This article discusses the development, maintenance, use, and impact of the technological aspects of this program, which complement other program activities in meeting program goals. The Web site and use of social networking Web sites have been very well received by members of the university and wider community. Although initial outcomes of each component are positive, low participation in the online training course has limited the usefulness of pretest–posttest comparisons. It is thought that other campus suicide prevention programs may benefit from using technology as a primary method in their suicide prevention programming efforts.     

An outcome evaluation of refusal skills program as a drug abuse prevention strategy

In recent years successful strategies developed in the antismoking campaign became the basis for widely publicized and federally endorsed antidrug "Just Say No" programs. Similarly, many refusal skills programs have been introduced as a new strategy in adolescent drug abuse prevention. However, none of these programs have been evaluated. While employing a typical refusal skills program entitled "WHOA! A Great Way To Say NO," the effectiveness of the program was examined. Through this outcome evaluation, it has been learned that the program was not able to impact on the "high-risk" attitudinal syndromes that are closely related to student drug involvement. Unexpectedly, a significantly larger proportion of students in the program felt it was more difficult to say "No" at the time of the posttest than during the time of the pretest. This seems to suggest that the program participants became more attentive to the issues surrounding saying "No" or, perhaps, were more sensitized to the whole issue involving saying "No," thereby making it more difficult for them to say "No" during the posttest period.     

Teaching Note—Keeping It Real: Program Evaluation Projects for an Undergraduate Research Class

ABSTRACT

This article describes a teaching innovation that focused on the redesign of an undergraduate social work research class. Students enrolled in the redesigned class had an opportunity to conduct program evaluation projects in community agencies. The projects included (a) pretest and posttest evaluation of reminiscence approach in improving the well-being of older adults in a long-term care facility, (b) evaluation of family support services at a Head Start center, and (c) pretest and posttest evaluation of an awareness program to promote community inclusion of individuals with an intellectual disability. Steps in course development, implementation, and evaluation as well as the positive student learning outcomes are discussed. The article concludes with limitations and potential areas for further improvement.     

A Qualitative Evaluation of a Mentor Program for At-Risk Youth: The Participants' Perspective

This article presents a qualitative evaluation of the first year of a mentor program for at-risk high school youth in a low income urban setting with high rates of youth and violent crime. Pre and posttest data were collected employing a standardized set of open-ended questions regarding the program and the mentees' relationships with their mentors. Overall there appears to be congruence between the mentees' expectations at pretest and posttest outcomes. Most were overwhelmingly positive about the program, developed a valued relationship with their mentors, and secured concrete benefits as well (e.g., employment and greater academic achievement). Two mentors who had a leadership role were also interviewed. Case studies of four of the adolescents are presented along with implications for practice.     

Two‐Year Follow‐Up of the Efficacy of the PREP Training on Iranian Newlyweds

The aim of the present study was to replicate the efficacy of the Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP) training on marital satisfaction and dyadic adjustment among a group of Iranian newlyweds. One hundred and sixty heterosexual couples (N = 320 participants) were randomly assigned to an experimental or a wait list control group. Data from one hundred and forty‐eight couples were analyzed. Participants completed the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (The Family Journal, 1, 1993, 196–207) and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (The Journal of Sex Research, 39, 1976, 190–196) at pretest, posttest, 1‐year follow‐up, and 2‐year follow‐up. Results indicated that mean marital satisfaction and dyadic adjustment scores between the experimental and control groups were significantly different at posttest. Therefore, PREP training improved marital satisfaction and dyadic adjustment of couples at posttest. The data suggests that PREP training program can be introduced as an effective relationship education program for Iranian newlyweds.     

Understanding the needs of LGBTQ clients and their risk for commercial sexual exploitation: Training community mental health workers

Training on commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and victimization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youths can increase awareness among professionals who provide services to this community. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based training program geared toward mental health workers in a diverse metropolitan city. The training provided information about the continuum of sexuality and gender identity, sensitivity when working with LGBTQ clients, LGBTQ clients’ risks for CSE, and ways to improve service delivery to this population. Participants’ (N?=?64) knowledge level of these areas was examined prior to the training, immediately thereafter, and in a six-month follow-up. Participants showed an increase in knowledge from pretest to posttest. Follow-up testing on a limited sample revealed scores that were lower than posttest scores, but higher than pretest scores. Overall, through this community-based training, participants gained knowledge about the continuum of sexual and gender identity, appropriate service delivery when working with LGBTQ individuals, and the risk factors for CSE for LGBTQ youths. Participants also reported feeling satisfied with the training approach and format. Implications for future training to enhance mental health workers’ competence with LGBTQ victims of sexual exploitation are explored.     

Implementing School Based Youth Courts in a Rural Context: The Impact on Students’ Perceptions of School Climate,Individual Functioning,and Interpersonal Relationships

The Youth Court in Schools Project was implemented in two low-income, violent, racially/ethnically diverse rural counties. This study examined if the presence of Youth Court impacted students’ perceptions of school danger, individual functioning, and interpersonal relationships. Data were gathered from 3454 youth; following multiple imputation, data were analyzed using paired samples t tests. Results indicated that perceptions of school danger increased significantly and self-esteem decreased significantly in the control schools pretest to posttest. Violent behavior, anxiety, friend rejection, and bullying victimization decreased significantly in the Youth Court intervention schools pretest to posttest, but did not change significantly in the control schools. Findings provide preliminary evidence that Youth Court is an effective way of improving school climate, individual functioning, and interpersonal relationships.     

Outcomes of a multicomponent physical activity program for sedentary, community-dwelling older adults

This single-group repeated-measures pilot study evaluated the effects of a 10-wk, multicomponent, best-practice exercise program on physical activity, performance of activities of daily living (ADLs), physical performance, and depression in community-dwelling older adults from low-income households (N = 15). Comparison of pretest and posttest scores using a one-tailed paired-samples t test showed improvement (p < .05) for 2 of 3 ADL domains on the Activity Measure-Post Acute Care and for 6 physical-performance measures of the Senior Fitness Test. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects for 3 of 8 physical activity measures using the Yale Physical Activity Scale. Retention rate was 78.9%, and the adherence rate for group sessions was 89.7%. Results suggest that participation in a multicomponent, best-practice physical activity program may positively affect sedentary, community-dwelling older adults' physical activity, ADL performance, and physical performance.     

The Evaluation of a Stress Management Program for Middle School Adolescents

A pretest posttest control group design was employed to determine the effectiveness of a ten-week stress management program for middle school adolescents. Thirty-six adolescents participated in the experimental groups and 18 served as controls. The experimental subjects, in contrast to controls, reported a significant increase in the use of cognitive control coping strategies, in the effectiveness of adaptive coping strategies, and in the ratio of the use of adaptive relative to maladaptive coping strategies. The adolescents in the experimental group reported a significantly lower degree of stress than those in the control group. A 67.5 percent reduction in muscle tension following the use of relaxation procedures was reported by the experimental group members. The program appears to have been successful in developing stress management skills in two major areas emphasized in the intervention, cognitive control coping strategies and relaxation methods.     

Classroom approach for managing dietary restraint, negative eating styles, and body image concerns among college women

OBJECTIVE: In this exploratory study, the authors evaluated the impact of an elective college course on dieting levels, eating styles, and body image among college women. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were a convenience sample of 29 self-selected female students at a western university who were mostly white, normal-weight seniors with significant dieting experience. METHODS: The authors used valid and reliable instruments to collect data both before and after testing. An instructor conducted the program in an undergraduate course that met twice weekly for 15 weeks. Theory-based lessons focused on resisting media pressure, modifying dietary restraint, eating in response to hunger (intrinsic eating), and achieving healthy body image. Dependent variables included intrinsic eating, dieting involvement, emotional eating, body image, and self-esteem. RESULTS: A comparison of pretest and posttest scores identified significant improvements for most measures. CONCLUSIONS: A theory-driven elective course implemented within a college setting may improve women's eating styles and body image.