Psychometric Properties of the General Organizational Index (GOI): A Measure of Individualization and Quality Improvement to Complement Program Fidelity

To assess the implementation of effective practices, mental health programs need standardized measures. The General Organizational Index (GOI), although widely used for this purpose, has received minimal psychometric research. For this study, we assessed psychometric properties of the GOI scale administered four times over 18 months during the implementation of a new program in 11 sites. The GOI scale demonstrated high levels of interrater reliability (.97), agreement between assessors on item ratings (86% overall), internal consistency (.77–.80 at three time points), sensitivity to change, and feasibility. We conclude that the GOI scale has acceptable psychometric properties, and its use may enhance implementation and research on evidence-based mental health practices.publishedVersio

The Family Psychoeducation Fidelity Scale: Psychometric Properties

This study examined psychometric properties and feasibility of the Family Psychoeducation (FPE) Fidelity Scale. Fidelity assessors conducted reviews using the FPE fidelity scale four times over 18 months at five sites in Norway. After completing fidelity reviews, assessors rated feasibility of the fidelity review process. The FPE fidelity scale showed excellent interrater reliability (.99), interrater item agreement (88%), and internal consistency (mean = .84 across four time points). By the 18-month follow-up, all five sites increased fidelity and three reached adequate fidelity. Fidelity assessors rated feasibility as excellent. The FPE fidelity scale has good psychometric properties and is feasible for evaluating the implementation of FPE programs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03271242.publishedVersio

The psychological well-being of Norwegian adolescents exposed in utero to radiation from the Chernobyl accident

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>On 26 April 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered an accident. Several areas of central Norway were heavily affected by far field radioactive fallout. The present study focuses on the psychological well-being of adolescents who were exposed to this radiation as fetuses.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The adolescents (n = 53) and their mothers reported their perceptions of the adolescents' current psychological health as measured by the Youth Self Report and Child Behaviour Checklist.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In spite of previous reports of subtle cognitive deficits in these exposed adolescents, there were few self-reported problems and fewer problems reported by the mothers. This contrasts with findings of studies of children from the former Soviet Union exposed in utero, in which objective measures are inconsistent, and self-reports, especially by mothers, express concern for adolescents' cognitive functioning and psychological well-being.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In the current paper, we explore possible explanations for this discrepancy and suggest that protective factors in Norway, in addition to perceived physical and psychological distance from the disaster, made the mothers less vulnerable to Chernobyl-related anxiety, thus preventing a negative effect on the psychological health of both mother and child.</p

Hospitalization of high and low inpatient service users before and after enrollment into Assertive Community Treatment teams: a naturalistic observational study

Background Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is more successful in reducing hospitalization when baseline use is high. However, with a growing recovery-focus, ACT may be useful for people with severe mental illness who are difficult to engage but not high users of inpatient services. This study investigated hospitalization 2 years before and 2 years after ACT enrollment amongst patients both with and without high inpatient services use before enrollment into ACT. Methods This naturalistic observational study included 142 patients from 12 different ACT teams throughout Norway. Of these, 74 (52 %) were high users of inpatient services before ACT. The teams assessed the patients upon enrollment using clinician-rated and self-reported questionnaires. Hospitalization data from 2 years before and 2 years after enrollment into ACT were obtained from the Norwegian Patient Registry. Linear mixed models were used to assess changes in hospitalization and to explore associations between these changes and patient characteristics. Results When the participants enrolled into the ACT teams, high users of inpatient care were younger, more often living alone and more often subject to involuntary outpatient treatment than low users. The participants spent significantly fewer days in hospital during the 2 years of ACT follow-up compared to the 2 years before enrollment. The reduction was more evident amongst high users, whereas low users had an initial increase in inpatient days in the first year of ACT and a subsequent decrease in the second year. More severe negative symptoms and previous high use of inpatient care were associated with a reduction in both total and involuntary inpatient days. Additionally, a reduction in involuntary inpatient days was associated with being subject to involuntary outpatient treatment upon enrollment into ACT. Conclusion The findings in this study may suggest that ACT contributes to more appropriate use of inpatient care, possibly by reducing the presumably avoidable hospitalization of high users and increasing the presumably needed inpatient care of low users

Evaluering av 12 ACT-team. Midtveisrapport

Evaluering av 12 norske ACT- team. Helsemyndighetenes utprøving av ACT- team bygger på en modell som det er lang erfaring med i mange land. Modellen er godt dokumentert internasjonalt, og har viset seg å gi gode tjenester for brukere med psykiske lidelser.Rapporten er en forskningsbasert evaluering av 12 ACT- team i Norge. Forskjeller mellom helsetjenester og samfunnsforhold i ulike land kan føre til at modeller trenger lokale tilpasninger. Det er nødvendig å danne seg et best mulig kunnskapsgrunnlag for en eventuell videre satsning på ACT- modellen, og denne rapporten skal bidra til dette

Evaluering av 12 ACT-team. Midtveisrapport

Evaluering av 12 norske ACT- team. Helsemyndighetenes utprøving av ACT- team bygger på en modell som det er lang erfaring med i mange land. Modellen er godt dokumentert internasjonalt, og har viset seg å gi gode tjenester for brukere med psykiske lidelser.Rapporten er en forskningsbasert evaluering av 12 ACT- team i Norge. Forskjeller mellom helsetjenester og samfunnsforhold i ulike land kan føre til at modeller trenger lokale tilpasninger. Det er nødvendig å danne seg et best mulig kunnskapsgrunnlag for en eventuell videre satsning på ACT- modellen, og denne rapporten skal bidra til dette

Archiwum/ Polska Sztuka Ludowa - Konteksty 1965 t.19 z.2

Polska Sztuka Ludowa - Konteksty 1965 t.19 z.2; s.123-12