Indirect free kicks in football high performance: Identification of explanatory variables

Los tiros libres indirectos son situaciones que se producen durante los partidos de fútbol, siendo acciones potencialmente trascendentales en el resultado final. Los objetivos fueron determinar la efectividad de estas acciones, identificar las variables asociadas con el éxito, y proponer un modelo de tiro libre indirecto exitoso. Tras registrar 447 tiros libres indirectos durante los 64 partidos del Mundial de Sudáfrica 2010, y de realizar análisis estadístico, los resultados indican una baja eficacia en el remate, remate entre los tres palos y el gol. El 64,3% de los goles con procedencia en un tiro libre indirectos han contribuido a sumar puntos en el resultado final. El modo de envío, número de atacantes que intervienen y la organización ofensiva son variables que se han revelado como moduladoras de la eficacia. Estos enunciados podrían suponer un punto de partida para dotar a entrenadores de nuevas herramientas tácticasIndirect free kicks are situations that occur during football matches, with potentially transcendental actions in the final result. The objectives were to determine the effectiveness of these actions, identify variables associated with success, and propose a successful indirect free kick model. After registering 447 indirect free kicks during the 64 games of the World Cup in South Africa 2010, and performing statistical analysis, results indicate a low efficiency in the shot, shot between the three posts and goal. 64.3 % of goals that came from indirect free kick contributed to score points in the final result. The mode of sending, number of attackers involved and the offensive organization are variables that have been revealed as modulators of effectiveness. These statements could be a starting point to equip coaches with new tactical tool

Bringing the "self" into focus: conceptualising the role of self-experience for understanding and working with distressing voices

A primary goal of cognitive behavior therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is to reduce distress and disability, not to change the positive symptoms of psychosis, such as hearing voices. Despite demonstrated associations between beliefs about voices and distress, the effects of CBTp on reducing voice distress are disappointing. Research has begun to explore the role that the psychological construct of “self” (which includes numerous facets such as self-reflection, self-schema and self-concept) might play in causing and maintaining distress and disability in voice hearers. However, attempts to clarify and integrate these different perspectives within the voice hearing literature, or to explore their clinical implications, are still in their infancy. This paper outlines how the self has been conceptualised in the psychosis and CBT literatures, followed by a review of the evidence regarding the proposed role of this construct in the etiology of and adaptation to voice hearing experiences. We go on to discuss some of the specific intervention methods that aim to target these aspects of self-experience and end by identifying key research questions in this area. Notably, we suggest that interventions specifically targeting aspects of self-experience, including self-affection, self-reflection, self-schema and self-concept, may be sufficient to reduce distress and disruption in the context of hearing voices, a suggestion that now requires further empirical investigation

Guiding principles for accelerating change through health inequities research and practice:A modified Delphi consensus process

Despite a preponderance of evidence and considerable resources, health and social inequities persist, and in many cases, are widening. These inequities are not simply the result of passive structural and economic conditions but are actively maintained through institutional processes, norms, and ideologies that uphold the status quo. Reform within health inequities research, policy, and health and social care practice is therefore critical to disrupting these entrenched systems and catalysing both bottom-up and top-down change. We aimed to develop agreement for an iterative set of guiding principles underpinning ways of working for a newly formed Health and Social Equity Collective comprising researchers, community leaders, policymakers, and health and care professionals, seeking to address inequity by identifying and engaging the levers of change within and across institutions. The principles aim to inform a more inclusive and translational knowledge base through research practices, tackling entrenched inequalities in education, training, and capacity-building; and centring communities affected by health inequities through engagement and advocacy. We carried out a modified Delphi consensus process between March and September 2022 with Collective members and networks through online workshops and surveys. Out of 24 consensus statements developed and refined over a workshop and three successive survey rounds, we identified eleven key principles agreed upon by a majority of respondents. Two of these were rated high priority by over 75% of respondents, four by over 60% and five by over 50%. These could be grouped into three main topics detailing ways of working and change needed within: ‘Knowledge and framing of health and social inequities, and incorporation into practice’, ‘Community engagement, involvement and peer research’, and ‘Organisational culture change’, respectively. Given the pressing need to address inequities, these principles offer a grounding for future consensus building initiatives which also incorporate a wider diversity of perspectives, and which should be iteratively updated with ongoing learning from health equity initiatives nationally and internationally.</p

Telehealth autism diagnostic assessments with children, young people, and adults: qualitative interview study with England-wide multidisciplinary health professionals

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (hereafter, autism) is a common neurodevelopmental condition. Core traits can range from subtle to severe and fluctuate depending on context. Individuals can present for diagnostic assessments during childhood or adulthood. However, waiting times for assessment are typically lengthy, and many individuals wait months or even years to be seen. Traditionally, there has been a lack of standardization between services regarding how many and which multidisciplinary health professionals are involved in the assessment and the methods (diagnostic tools) that are used. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected routine service provision because of stay-at-home mandates and social distancing guidelines. Autism diagnostic services have had to adapt, such as by switching from conducting assessments in person to doing these fully via telehealth (defined as the use of remote technologies for the provision of health care) or using blended in-person or telehealth methods. Objective: This study explored health professionals’ experiences of and perspectives about conducting telehealth autism diagnostic assessments, including barriers and facilitators to this, during the COVID-19 pandemic; potential telehealth training and supervision needs of health professionals; how the quality and effectiveness of telehealth autism diagnostic services can be enhanced; and experiences of delivering postdiagnostic support remotely. Methods: A total of 45 health professionals, working in varied settings across England, participated in one-off, in-depth semistructured qualitative interviews. These were conducted via videoconferencing or telephone. Altogether, participants represented 7 professional disciplines (psychiatry, medicine, psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and social work). The data were then analyzed thematically. Results: Thematic analysis indicated the following 7 themes: practicalities of telehealth, telehealth autism diagnostic assessments, diagnostic conclusions, clinical considerations, postdiagnostic support, future ways of working, and health professionals’ experiences and needs. Overall, telehealth autism diagnostic assessments were deemed by many participants to be convenient, flexible, and efficient for some patients, families, and health professionals. However, not all patients could be assessed in this way, for example, because of digital poverty, complex clinical presentation, or concerns about risk and safeguarding. Working remotely encouraged innovation, including the development of novel assessment measures. However, some participants expressed significant concerns about the validity and reliability of remotely assessing social communication conditions. Conclusions: A shift to telehealth meant that autism diagnostic services remained operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this method of working has potentially affected the parity of service, with people presenting with clinical complexity having to potentially wait longer to be seen or given a diagnostic opinion. There is also a lack of standardization in the provision of services. Further research should identify evidence-based ways of enhancing the timeliness, accessibility, and robustness of the autism diagnostic pathway, as well as the validity and reliability of telehealth methods

The feasibility of low intensity psychological therapy for co-occurring depression in adult Autism: The ADEPT study - a pilot randomised controlled trial

Low intensity cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) including behavioural activation is an evidence based treatment for depression, a condition frequently co-occurring with autism. The feasibility of adapting low intensity CBT for depression to meet the needs of autistic adults via a randomised controlled trial (RCT) was investigated. The adapted intervention (Guided Self-Help; GSH) comprised materials for 9 individual sessions with a low intensity psychological therapist. Autistic adults (n=70) with depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10) recruited from National Health Service adult autism services and research cohorts were randomly allocated to GSH or Treatment as Usual (TAU). Outcomes at 10, 16 and 24 weeks post-randomisation were blind to treatment group. Rates of retention in the study differed by treatment group with more participants attending follow-up in the GSH group than TAU. The adapted intervention was well-received, 86% (n=30/35) of participants attended the pre-defined ‘dose’ of 5 sessions of treatment and 71% (25/35) attended all treatment sessions. The findings of this pilot RCT indicate that low intensity CBT informed by Behavioural Activation can be successfully adapted to meet the needs of autistic people. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this intervention in a full scale RCT is now warranted

'REOFUT' as an Observation Tool for Tactical Analysis on Offensive Performance in Soccer: Mixed Method Perspective

Performance analysis in complex sports like soccer requires the study of the influence of the interaction between both teams during the game on final performance. The mixed methods approach involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data for the same purpose and within the framework of the same study. To build certain observation tools, mixed methods are necessary in order to take advantage of integration between qualitative and quantitative elements. The aim of this study was to develop a new no standard observation tool to analyze soccer offensive performance considering not only the observed team but also some aspects of the opponent behavior, as well as to test its reliability. The process consisted in expert meetings and exploratory observations. Experts carried out several design and re-design steps of the observation tool to its final form which includes two macro-criteria and 31 dimensions. The basic unit of analysis was the 'team possession' and the main aims of study were: (a) technical, tactical and spatial characteristics of the start, the development and the end of the team possession and its offensive performance, (b) the behavior of the observed team just after losing the ball possession and its defensive performance. Inter-observer and intra-observer analysis were carried out and kappa coefficient was calculated to test the observation tool reliability and improve the quality of data. Results indicate that optimal inter and intra-reliability levels obtained in this work are high enough as for suggesting that the observation tool for offensive performance in soccer (REOFUT) could be an adequate tool for analyzing offensive play actions and their performance in soccer

Tactical variables related to gaining the ball in advanced zones of the soccer pitch: analysis of differences among elite teams and the effect of contextual variables

Attacking tactical variables have been commonly studied in soccer to analyze teams’ performance. However, few studies investigated defensive tactical variables during match-play and the influence of contextual variables on them. The aims of the present study were (1) to examine the defensive behaviors of soccer teams when gaining the ball in advanced zones of the pitch and (2) to evaluate the effect of contextual variables on these defensive behaviors. A sample of 1,095 defensive pieces of play initiated in the opposing half of the pitch obtained from 10 matches of the season 2010/11 of La Liga and involving 13 teams was collected using the semiautomated tracking system Amisco Pro. Five defensive tactical variables, the outcome of defensive pieces of play, and contextual variables (i.e., match status, venue, quality of opposition, and match period) were recorded for every defensive piece initiated in the opposing half of the pitch. Results showed that there were significant differences among teams in the outcome of defensive pieces of play originating from the opposing half (χ2 = 111.87, p < 0.01, φc = 0.22), and in the outcome of offensive pieces of play following ball gains (χ2 = 49.92, p < 0.001, φc = 0.22). Cluster analysis revealed four groups describing different defensive behaviors from high-pressure to a defense close to their own goal. Match status (χ2 = 25.87, p < 0.05, φc = 0.11) and quality of opposition (χ2 = 21.19, p < 0.05, φc = 0.10) were the contextual variables that showed a significant effect on defensive pieces of play initiated in the opposite half of the pitch. Teams winning gained more balls in the zone close to their own goal, and losing teams gained more balls in advanced zones of the pitch. Moreover, the greater the quality of the opponent the lesser the chance of gaining the ball in advanced zones of the pitch. Neither venue or match period influenced the defensive pieces of play analyzed. Soccer teams could employ a similar analysis to improve their performance and prepare for opposition teams in competition

Influence of contextual variables on styles of play in soccer

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of match status, venue, and quality of opposition on the styles of play in soccer. Data were collected from 380 games of the English Premier League from the 2015–2016 season. Linear mixed models were applied to evaluate the influence of these contextual variables on membership scores for Direct Play, Counterattack, Maintenance, Build Up, Sustained Threat, Fast Tempo, Crossing, and High Pressure. The results showed that match status had a significant effect on the eight styles of play (all P < 0.001), venue had a significant effect on all styles of play (P < 0.01) except Counterattack and Maintenance, and quality of opposition had a significant effect on all styles of play (P < 0.05) except Counterattack. Moreover, the interaction between match status and quality of opposition, and venue and quality of opposition showed significant effects on some styles of play. The results of this study imply that contextual variables influence the use of styles of play in soccer match play. Consequently, this provides meaningful recommendations for practitioners in soccer

The feasibility of low intensity psychological therapy for co-occurring depression in adult Autism:The ADEPT study - a pilot randomised controlled trial

Low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy including behavioural activation is an evidence-based treatment for depression, a condition frequently co-occurring with autism. The feasibility of adapting low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy for depression to meet the needs of autistic adults via a randomised controlled trial was investigated. The adapted intervention (guided self-help) comprised materials for nine individual sessions with a low-intensity psychological therapist. Autistic adults (n = 70) with depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ⩾10) recruited from National Health Service adult autism services and research cohorts were randomly allocated to guided self-help or treatment as usual. Outcomes at 10-, 16- and 24-weeks post-randomisation were blind to treatment group. Rates of retention in the study differed by treatment group with more participants attending follow-up in the guided self-help group than treatment as usual. The adapted intervention was well-received, 86% (n = 30/35) of participants attended the pre-defined ‘dose’ of five sessions of treatment and 71% (25/35) attended all treatment sessions. The findings of this pilot randomised controlled trial indicate that low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy informed by behavioural activation can be successfully adapted to meet the needs of autistic people. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this intervention in a full scale randomised controlled trial is now warranted