ABSTRACT
In this content analysis, researchers examine articles published from 2000 to 2015 in three family therapy journals, yielding a total of 948 empirical articles. The purpose is to provide an overview of the research being published, assess who is publishing, and investigate the current state of clinical effectiveness research in marriage and family therapy (MFT). Most first authors were affiliated with MFT programs and primarily included diversity and couples in their research. There was a significant increase of research on clinical process-though the number of clinical outcome studies held steady. There were no significant changes with regard to research funding. Implications support the use of innovative research methods to provide evidence of clinical effectiveness.
Subject(s)
Bibliometrics , Biomedical Research/statistics & numerical data , Family Therapy/statistics & numerical data , Marital Therapy/statistics & numerical data , Outcome Assessment, Health Care/statistics & numerical data , HumansABSTRACT
The present paper describes a project that addresses the unique challenge service-learners face at dementia care programs. The project was conducted in conjunction with two courses on aging that offer students a service-learning (S-L) option at a university adult day service (ADS) program that accepts service-learners from these courses. The intervention consisted of two elements: (a) an orientation and follow- up sessions in which students learned about the causes of dementia, the behavioral characteristics exhibited by persons with dementia, and the best methods of interacting effectively with cognitively impaired persons; and (b) a structured scrapbook project for service-learners to exercise their new knowledge and skills. The authors designed the project to increase students' comfort in the dementia care setting and to facilitate students' knowledge of the elderly. The following sections describe the project and its procedures, benefits, and challenges. Recommendations for continuing the project and for adapting the project to other dementia sites are provided.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence/standards , Dementia/psychology , Geriatrics/education , Inservice Training/organization & administration , Problem-Based Learning/organization & administration , Aged , Attitude of Health Personnel , Communication , Day Care, Medical/organization & administration , Dementia/etiology , Dementia/prevention & control , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Male , Professional-Patient Relations , Program Evaluation , Role Playing , Sociology/education , Students, Health Occupations/psychology , VirginiaABSTRACT
Service-Learning can be a rewarding and challenging experience for students. One of the rewards for students can be the connection between their course work and real life experience. However, students interacting with populations with which they have limited prior experience face unique challenges. We developed a training program designed to facilitate comfort with older adults who have dementia for service-learners in a gerontology course who were serving at an Adult Day Services (ADS) program. Students in the course completed pre- and post-surveys assessing level of contact with older adults and attitudes on aging. Service-learners serving at the ADS comprised the treatment group (n = 5) while those serving at other S-L sites made up the control group (n = 11). Independent and paired sample t-tests indicated that the training program contributed to intra-individual and group differences in comfort working with older adults and with adults who are cognitively impaired. Differences in attitudes about older adults were also identified. Implications for adult development courses involving S-L at dementia care programs are discussed.