ChildTalks+: a study protocol of a pre-post controlled, paired design study on the use of preventive intervention for children of parents with a mental illness with focus on eating disorders.

BACKGROUND: Children of parents with a mental illness are at high risk of developing a mental disorder as a result of transgenerational transmission. Without effective intervention, they could form the next generation of psychiatric patients. ChildTalks+ is a preventive intervention involving four structured psychoeducational sessions designed for parents affected by a mental disorder and their children. Its aim is to reduce the risk of mental disorders in children of parents with mental illness. This study draws on our clinical practice and involves a group of patients with eating disorders. The aim of the project, which will run in the Czech Republic, is to evaluate the effectiveness of ChildTalks+ methodology. METHODS: ChildTalks+ therapists (professionals from health, social, and educational facilities) will recruit 66 families where a parent is treated for a mental disorder and the family includes children aged 6-18. Paired allocation into an intervention group (N = 33) and a control group (N = 33) will be based on the number of risk factors identified in the family. Both groups will complete questionnaires at the baseline, post-test, and follow-up assessments after six and 12 months. The intervention group will receive the ChildTalks+ intervention within 2 months of the baseline assessment; the control group after the last assessment. Questionnaires will be completed by parents and children aged 12+ and, in two cases, 15+ years. Quantitative data will be supplemented with qualitative data from ChildTalks+ therapists working with patients with eating disorders. DISCUSSION: The ChildTalks+ intervention is expected to strengthen parenting competencies and family protective factors, improve family communication, increase awareness of parental mental health issues, and improve the wellbeing of children of parents with mental illness with long-term sustainable outcomes. The study should contribute to the evidence base for the ChildTalks+ program and help identify key themes in the implementation of similar preventive interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05554458. Registered 26 September 2022. Retrospectively registered.

Niveles de riesgo en adolescentes en consumo de tabaco y en actitudes hacia el consumo de drogas después de la intervención preventiva “Programa de Competencia Familiar” / Risk levels among adolescents in tobacco use and in substance use attitudes after the preventive intervention “Family Competence Program”

Introducción: el Programa de Competencia Familiar Universal (PCF-U) es un programa preventivo basado en la evidencia para familias con hijos entre 11 y 14 años. Los objetivos son la reducción o prevención del consumo, la promoción de las relaciones familiares, la promoción de las habilidades parentales y un aumento de las habilidades sociales y personales de los hijos.Método: Diseño cuasi-experimental con grupo control. La muestra final son 305 padres y 262 hijos. La evaluación incluye el Cuestionario sobre Actitudes hacia las Drogas. La evaluación también contiene preguntas sobre el consumo de tabaco y alcohol. Se lleva a cabo un análisis de conglomerados sobre el consumo de tabaco y sobre las actitudes hacia el consumo de drogas.Resultados: el consumo de tabaco desciende después de la intervención. El estadístico sobre las declaraciones sobre consumo de alcohol no es fiable. En actitudes hacia las drogas, la predisposiciónhacia el consumo desciende después de la intervención, pero no es significativa. Las creencias normativas y erróneas cambian, pero no de manera significativa. Sobre los conglomerados, se identificantres niveles de riesgo, 4.7% de los adolescentes pertenecerían al riesgo alto, 24.3% pertenecerían al riesgo medio/medio-bajo y 70.9% pertenecerían al riesgo bajo. Discusión: los resultados generales del PCF-U 11-14 presentados en otros estudios muestran buenos resultados en parentalidad y habilidades familiares. Sin embargo, en consumo de tabaco y alcohol y en actitudes hacia las drogas, sólo el consumo de tabaco tiene un cambio significativo. Quizás el programa es limitado para niveles de riesgo medio y alto. (AU)

Introduction: Universal Family Competence Program is an evidence-based drug preventive intervention in Spain, working with families with children between 11 and 14 years old. Their objectives arereduction or prevention of substance use, promotion of family relationships, promotion of parenting skills, and increase of children personal and social skills. Method: Cuasi-experimental design with control group. Final sample of this study was 305 parents and 262 children. Evaluation instrument includes the Questionnaire about Drug Attitudes, measuring readiness towards substance use, wrong beliefs and normative beliefs. The instrument also contains questions about tobacco and alcohol use. Cluster analysis on tobacco and alcohol use, and drug attitudes is calculated.Results: tobacco use descends after program intervention. Declarations on alcohol use are not reliable. On drug attitudes, readiness towards substance use descends after intervention, but it is notsignificant. Wrong beliefs on drugs decrease, but not in a significant way. Normative beliefs increase, nevertheless not significantly. Regarding cluster analysis, according to their responses to tobacco use and drug attitudes, it is possible to identify three levels of risk. 4.7% of the adolescents interviewed would belong to the high risk level, 24.3% would belong to the middle or middle down level and70.9% would belong to the low risk level.Discussion: general results of the PCF-U 11-14 show good results in family and parenting skills (investigated elsewhere). Nevertheless, when it takes to tobacco and alcohol use and to drug attitudes, only tobacco use results are significant. The program might be slightly short for high and medium risk levels. (AU)

Género y cambio de actitudes ante el consumo de drogas. Los efectos del Programa de Competencia Familiar con adolescentes (12-14 años) / Gender and Attitude Change in Drug Abuse. Effects of the Family Competence Program with Adolescents (12-14 years)

Resumen Las actitudes en la adolescencia hacia el consumo de drogas son muy relevantes para entender el consumo real. Además, hay que incorporar perspectivas de explicación diferenciadas por género. En este estudio se analiza el cambio de actitudes en el largo plazo después de participar en un programa de prevención familiar basado en la evidencia, el Programa de Competencia Familiar (PCF). A partir de una muestra de 78 adolescentes que han participado en el programa, además de un grupo de control, se mide la evolución de las actitudes hacia el consumo mediante el Cuestionario de Actitudes hacia las Drogas (CAD), cuestionario validado y utilizado como referencia por el Plan Nacional Sobre Drogas español. Se llevan a cabo tres procesos de medición separados por género: al inicio de la aplicación del PCF, al final de la aplicación (Post 1) y un seguimiento a los 24 meses (Post 2). Los principales resultados indican que se consiguen diferencias significativas en la disminución de la disponibilidad hacia el consumo, y en en la reducción de las creencias erróneas al final del programa, aunque no a largo plazo, tanto en chicos como en chicas. En cuanto a las creencias correctas o protectoras, estas se mantienen consistentes a lo largo del tiempo en ambos sexos.

Abstract Attitudes towards drug abuse are relevant to understand real abuse. Furthermore, explanations by gender should be also incorporated. In the current study, it is analyzed the attitudinal change in the long-term after participating in an evidence-based family prevention program, the Family Competence Program (FCP). With a population sample of 78 adolescents that have participated in the program, and a control group, it is measured the evolution of the attitudes towards consumption using the Drugs Attitudes Questionnaire, validated questionnaire and used as a reference by the Spanish National Plan Against Drugs. Three measurement processes are undertaken, differentiated by gender: at the beginning of the FCP application, at the end of the application (Post 1) and a 24-month follow-up (Post 2). Main results indicate that significant differences are achieved in availability for consumption and in wrong beliefs, at the end of the program, but not in the long term, both in girls and boys. Regarding protective beliefs, these are consistent along time in both genders.

Using Panel Vendors for Recruitment Into a Web-Based Family Prevention Program: Methodological Considerations.

Use of online panel vendors in research has grown over the past decade. Panel vendors are organizations that recruit participants into a panel to take part in web-based surveys and match panelists to a target audience for data collection. We used two panel vendors to recruit families ( N = 411) with a 16- to 17-year-old teen to participate in a randomized control trial (RCT) of an online family-based program to prevent underage drinking and risky sexual behaviors. Our article addresses the following research questions: (1) How well do panel vendors provide a sample of families who meet our inclusion criteria to participate in a RCT? (2) How well do panel vendors provide a sample of families who reflect the characteristics of the general population? and (3) Does the choice of vendor influence the characteristics of families that we engage in research? Despite the screening techniques used by the panel vendors to identify families who met our inclusion criteria, 23.8% were found ineligible when research staff verified their eligibility by direct telephone contact. Compared to the general U.S. population, our sample had more Whites and more families with higher education levels. Finally, across the two panel vendors, there were no significant differences in the characteristics of families, except for mean age. The online environment provides opportunities for new methods to recruit participants in research studies. However, innovative recruitment methods need careful study to ensure the quality of their samples.

Adaptations in a Community-Based Family Intervention: Replication of Two Coding Schemes.

Although program adaptation is a reality in community-based implementations of evidence-based programs, much of the discussion about adaptation remains theoretical. The primary aim of this study was to replicate two coding systems to examine adaptations in large-scale, community-based disseminations of the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14, a family-based substance use prevention program. Our second aim was to explore intersections between various dimensions of facilitator-reported adaptations from these two coding systems. Our results indicate that only a few types of adaptations and a few reasons accounted for a majority (over 70 %) of all reported adaptations. We also found that most adaptations were logistical, reactive, and not aligned with program's goals. In many ways, our findings replicate those of the original studies, suggesting the two coding systems are robust even when applied to self-reported data collected from community-based implementations. Our findings on the associations between adaptation dimensions can inform future studies assessing the relationship between adaptations and program outcomes. Studies of local adaptations, like the present one, should help researchers, program developers, and policymakers better understand the issues faced by implementers and guide efforts related to program development, transferability, and sustainability.