Psychological intervention

About: Psychological intervention is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 82654 publications have been published within this topic receiving 2608356 citations.

The Diabetes Network Internet-Based Physical Activity Intervention: A randomized pilot study

Abstract: OBJECTIVE —Because of other competing priorities, physical activity (PA) is seldom addressed in a consistent way in either primary care or diabetes education . This 8-week pilot study evaluated the short-term benefits of an Internet-based supplement to usual care that focused on providing support for sedentary patients with type 2 diabetes to increase their PA levels. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —A total of 78 type 2 diabetic patients (53% female, average age 52.3 years) were randomized to the Diabetes Network (D-Net) Active Lives PA Intervention or an Internet information-only condition. The intervention condition received goal-setting and personalized feedback, identified and developed strategies to overcome barriers, received and could post messages to an on-line “personal coach,” and were invited to participate in peer group support areas. Key outcomes included minutes of PA per week and depressive symptomatology. RESULTS —There was an overall moderate improvement in PA levels within both intervention and control conditions, but there was no significant improvement in regard to condition effects. There was substantial variability in both site use and outcomes within the intervention and control conditions. Internal analyses revealed that among intervention participants, those who used the site more regularly derived significantly greater benefits, whereas those in the control condition derived no similar benefits with increased program use. CONCLUSIONS —Internet-based self-management interventions for PA and other regimen areas have great potential to enhance the care of diabetes and other chronic conditions. We conclude that greater attention should be focused on methods to sustain involvement with Internet-based intervention health promotion programs over time.

A Meta-Analysis of Interventions To Decrease Disruptive Classroom Behavior in Public Education Settings.

Abstract: We conducted a meta-analysis of 99 studies that used interventions to decrease disruptive classroom behavior in public education settings. Due to the predominance of single-subject studies, we used...

Efficacy of Psychological Therapy in Schizophrenia: Conclusions From Meta-analyses

Abstract: Over the past years, evidence for the efficacy of psychological therapies in schizophrenia has been summarized in a series of meta-analyses. The present contribution aims to provide a descriptive survey of the evidence for the efficacy of psychological therapies as derived from these meta-analyses and to supplement them by selected findings from an own recent meta-analysis. Relevant meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials were identified by searching several electronic databases and by hand searching of reference lists. In order to compare the findings of the existing meta-analyses, the reported effect sizes were extracted and transformed into a uniform effect size measure where possible. For the own meta-analysis, weighted mean effect size differences between comparison groups regarding various types of outcomes were estimated. Their significance was tested by confidence intervals, and heterogeneity tests were applied to examine the consistency of the effects. From the available meta-analyses, social skills training, cognitive remediation, psychoeducational coping-oriented interventions with families and relatives, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy of persistent positive symptoms emerge as effective adjuncts to pharmacotherapy. Social skills training consistently effectuates the acquisition of social skills, cognitive remediation leads to short-term improvements in cognitive functioning, family interventions decrease relapse and hospitalization rates, and cognitive behavioral therapy results in a reduction of positive symptoms. These benefits seem to be accompanied by slight improvements in social functioning. However, open questions remain as to the specific therapeutic ingredients, to the synergistic effects, to the indication, as well as to the generalizability of the findings to routine care.

Internet-Based Physical Activity Interventions: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract: Background Nowadays people are extensively encouraged to become more physically active. The Internet has been brought forward as an effective tool to change physical activity behavior. However, little is known about the evidence regarding such Internet-based interventions. Objective The aim of the study was to systematically assess the methodological quality and the effectiveness of interventions designed to promote physical activity by means of the Internet as evaluated by randomized controlled trials. Methods A literature search was conducted up to July 2006 using the databases PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. Only randomized controlled trials describing the effectiveness of an Internet-based intervention, with the promotion of physical activity among adults being one of its major goals, were included. Data extracted included source and year of publication, country of origin, targeted health behaviors, participants' characteristics, characteristics of the intervention, and effectiveness data. In addition, the methodological quality was assessed. Results The literature search resulted in 10 eligible studies of which five met at least nine out of 13 general methodological criteria. The majority of the interventions were tailored to the characteristics of the participants and used interactive self-monitoring and feedback tools. Six studies used one or more theoretical models to compose the contents of the interventions. One study used an objective measure to assess the amount of physical activity (activity monitor), and six studies used multiple subjective measures of physical activity. Furthermore, half of the studies employed measures of physical fitness other than physical activity. In three studies, an Internet-based physical activity intervention was compared with a waiting list group. Of these three studies, two reported a significantly greater improvement in physical activity levels in the Internet-based intervention than in the control group. Seven studies compared two types of Internet-based physical activity interventions in which the main difference was either the intensity of contact between the participants and supervisors (4 studies) or the type of treatment procedures applied (3 studies). In one of these studies, a significant effect in favor of an intervention with more supervisor contact was seen. Conclusions There is indicative evidence that Internet-based physical activity interventions are more effective than a waiting list strategy. The added value of specific components of Internet-based physical activity interventions such as increased supervisor contact, tailored information, or theoretical fidelity remains to be established. Methodological quality as well as the type of physical activity outcome measure varied, stressing the need for standardization of these measures.