3,777 research outputs found
Engineering Coexistence
A response to the issues raised by the English GM coexistence consultation
Acceptability and feasibility of peer assisted supervision and support for intervention practitioners: a Q-methodology evaluation
Evidence-based interventions often include quality improvement methods to support fidelity and improve client outcomes. Clinical supervision is promoted as an effective way of developing practitioner confidence and competence in delivery; however, supervision is often inconsistent and embedded in hierarchical line management structures that may limit the opportunity for reflective learning. The Peer Assisted Supervision and Support (PASS) supervision model uses peer relationships to promote the self-regulatory capacity of practitioners to improve intervention delivery. The aim of the present study was to assess the acceptability and feasibility of PASS amongst parenting intervention practitioners. A Q-methodology approach was used to generate data and 30 practitioners volunteered to participate in the study. Data were analyzed and interpreted using standard Q-methodology procedures and by-person factor analysis yielded three factors. There was consensus that PASS was acceptable. Participants shared the view that PASS facilitated an environment of support where negative aspects of interpersonal relationships that might develop in supervision were not evident. Two factors represented the viewpoint that PASS was also a feasible model of supervision. However, the third factor was comprised of practitioners who reported that PASS could be time consuming and difficult to fit into existing work demands. There were differences across the three factors in the extent to which practitioners considered PASS impacted on their intervention delivery. The findings highlight the importance of organizational mechanisms that support practitioner engagement in supervision
Study protocol: evaluation of a parenting and stress management programme: a randomised controlled trial of Triple P discussion groups and stress control
<br>Background: Children displaying psychosocial problems are at an increased risk of negative developmental outcomes. Parenting practices are closely linked with child development and behaviour, and parenting programmes have been recommended in the treatment of child psychosocial problems. However, parental mental health also needs to be addressed when delivering parenting programmes as it is linked with parenting practices, child outcomes, and treatment outcomes of parenting programmes. This paper describes the protocol of a study examining the effects of a combined intervention of a parenting programme and a cognitive behavioural intervention for mental health problems.</br>
<br>Methods: The effects of a combined intervention of Triple P Discussion Groups and Stress Control will be examined using a randomised controlled trial design. Parents with a child aged 3?8?years will be recruited to take part in the study. After obtaining informed consent and pre-intervention measures, participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention or a waitlist condition. The two primary outcomes for this study are change in dysfunctional/ineffective parenting practices and change in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Secondary outcomes are child behaviour problems, parenting experiences, parental self-efficacy, family relationships, and positive parental mental health. Demographic information, participant satisfaction with the intervention, and treatment fidelity data will also be collected. Data will be collected at pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up.</br>
<br>Discussion: The aim of this paper is to describe the study protocol of a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effects of a combined intervention of Triple P Discussion Groups and Stress Control in comparison to a waitlist condition. This study is important because it will provide evidence about the effects of this combined intervention for parents with 3?8?year old children. The results of the study could be used to inform policy about parenting support and support for parents with mental health problems. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT01777724, UTN: U1111-1137-1053.</br>
The Organic Research Centre; Elm Farm Bulletin 84 July 2006
Regular bulletin with technical updates of the Organic Advisory Service
Issue contains:
Battling on for Avian Flu preventive vaccination; Organic Colombian Blacktail eggs;
UK Co-existence - GMOand non-GMO crops; Aspects of Poultry Behaviour; CAP in the service of biodiversity; Seeing the Wood, the Trees and the Catch 22; Beware of organic market "statistics"; A central role in energy review
Elm Farm Organic Research Centre Bulletin 83 April 2006
Regular bulleting with technical updates from Organic Advisory Service
Issue contains:
Testing for Tolerance - a pragmatic view GM Debate
Vaccination nation - to jab or not to jab Future shape of OCIS
Evolutionary wheat makes the grade? NIAB tracks health of organic cereal seed
Stopping erosion of soil quality - the organic way
Care needed to halt butterfly collapse
Aspects of poultry behaviour: How free range is free range?
On choosing an organic wheat A local education challenge
New Wakelyns Science Building Organic vegetable market growt
Predicting participation in group parenting education in an Australian sample: The role of attitudes, norms, and control factors
We examined the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting intentions to participate in group parenting education. One hundred and seventy-six parents (138 mothers and 38 fathers) with a child under 12 years completed TPB items assessing attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and two additional social influence variables (self-identity and group norm). Regression analyses supported the TPB predictors of participation intentions with self-identity and group norm also significantly predicting intentions. These findings offer preliminary support for the TPB, along with additional sources of social influence, as a useful predictive model of participation in parenting education
A review of parental engagement in parenting interventions and strategies to promote it
Despite the importance of increasing engagement and minimising attrition and drop-out in parenting interventions, there is a paucity of empirical evidence examining factors related to engagement and participation. The range of factors examined in relation to engagement is generally limited in scope and variety, focusing on variables of convenience rather than utilising a theoretically-driven approach.The aim of this article is to review the factors related to parental engagement with interventions and to describe strategies and implications for improving engagement with parenting interventions. Several policy and practice implications are identified: (1) Poor parental engagement may threaten or compromise the capacity of parenting programmes to deliver valued outcomes. Viable engagement strategies need to be a core part of prevention and early intervention parenting programmes; (2) Agencies delivering parenting services need a proactive engagement strategy, which includes strategies to prevent drop-out, as well as strategies to actively respond to parental disengagement; (3) Research is needed to test the efficacy and robustness of different engagement enhancement strategies. Empirical tests are needed to test the effectiveness of different engagement strategies in order to ensure that the most efficient, cost-effective and efficacious approach is used in order to engage parents. Investment of research effort to improve parental engagement is likely to have a high yield in terms of programme efficiency, utility and cost effectiveness. We conclude that research examining how to improve engagement and decrease non-completion is needed to strengthen the population level value of parenting programmes as preventive interventions
Advanced Multilevel Node Separator Algorithms
A node separator of a graph is a subset S of the nodes such that removing S
and its incident edges divides the graph into two disconnected components of
about equal size. In this work, we introduce novel algorithms to find small
node separators in large graphs. With focus on solution quality, we introduce
novel flow-based local search algorithms which are integrated in a multilevel
framework. In addition, we transfer techniques successfully used in the graph
partitioning field. This includes the usage of edge ratings tailored to our
problem to guide the graph coarsening algorithm as well as highly localized
local search and iterated multilevel cycles to improve solution quality even
further. Experiments indicate that flow-based local search algorithms on its
own in a multilevel framework are already highly competitive in terms of
separator quality. Adding additional local search algorithms further improves
solution quality. Our strongest configuration almost always outperforms
competing systems while on average computing 10% and 62% smaller separators
than Metis and Scotch, respectively
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