An online parenting intervention to prevent affective disorders in high-risk adolescents : the PIPA trial protocol

Background: Adolescent depression can place a young person at high risk of recurrence and a range of psychosocial and vocational impairments in adult life, highlighting the importance of early recognition and prevention. Parents/carers are well placed to notice changes in their child’s emotional wellbeing which may indicate risk, and there is increasing evidence that modifiable factors exist within the family system that may help reduce the risk of depression and anxiety in an adolescent. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the online personalised ‘Partners in Parenting’ programme developed in Australia, focused on improving parenting skills, knowledge and awareness, showed that it helped reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents who had elevated symptom levels at baseline. We have adapted this programme and will conduct an RCT in a UK setting. Methods: In total, 433 family dyads (parents/carers and children aged 11–15) will be recruited through schools, social media and parenting/family groups in the UK. Following completion of screening measures of their adolescent’s depressive symptoms, parents/carers of those with elevated scores will be randomised to receive either the online personalised parenting programme or a series of online factsheets about adolescent development and wellbeing. The primary objective will be to test whether the personalised parenting intervention reduces depressive symptoms in adolescents deemed at high risk, using the parent-reported Short Mood & Feelings Questionnaire. Follow-up assessments will be undertaken at 6 and 15 months and a process evaluation will examine context, implementation and impact of the intervention. An economic evaluation will also be incorporated with cost-effectiveness of the parenting intervention expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. Discussion: Half of mental health problems emerge before mid-adolescence and approximately three-quarters by mid-20s, highlighting the need for effective preventative strategies. However, few early interventions are family focused and delivered online. We aim to conduct a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded RCT of the online personalised ‘Partners in Parenting’ programme, proven effective in Australia, targeting adolescents at risk of depression to evaluate its effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and usability in a UK setting. Trial registration {2a}: ISRCTN63358736. Registered 18 September 2019

Keys to Enhancing the Value of Invasion Ecology Research for Management

Invasion ecology has grown to include scientists with diverse skill sets who focus on a range of taxa and biomes. These researchers have the capacity to contribute to practical management solutions while also answering fundamental biological questions; however, scientific endeavors often fail to meet the perceived needs of practitioners involved in on-the-ground invasive plant management. One way that researchers have sought to bridge the gap between research and practice is by surveying managers to identify areas of study that are underexplored in invasion ecology. In this paper, we build on these efforts by reviewing the current state of knowledge and suggesting new directions for research in seven areas of plant invasion ecology that are highly relevant to management: seedbanks, dispersal and spread, life history, impacts, climate change, distribution, and succession. These topics were previously identified as urgent research priorities by land managers and are underrepresented in the invasion ecology literature. In addition to highlighting key knowledge gaps for these seven areas of research, we propose steps that academics can take to cultivate academic–practitioner relationships and remove barriers to conducting management-focused research, such as co-producing research questions with managers, addressing issues of working at management-appropriate spatial and temporal scales, and considering non-traditional funding and labor sources for long-term monitoring. Greater communication and collaborative selection of basic research questions will ensure that the goals of management and invasive species research remain aligned