Implementation of PATHS Through Dutch Municipal Health Services: A Quasi-Experiment

Only a limited number of effectiveness studies have been performed to study the benefits of efficacious behavior problems prevention programs for children when implemented through national health service systems. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to test the effectiveness of the school-based PATHS prevention program (Providing Alternative THinking Strategies) when implemented through Dutch municipal health services by health promotion professionals. A sample of 1,294 children was followed for two years: 674 children attending nine schools providing PATHS and 620 children in nine comp... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Goossens, Ferry
Gooren, Evelien
Orobio de Castro, Bram
Van Overveld, Kees
Buijs, Goof
Monshouwer, Karin
Onrust, Simone
Paulussen, Theo
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2012
Verlag/Hrsg.: Institute for Interdisciplinary Conflict and Violence Research
Bielefeld University
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26634493
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
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Link(s) : https://www.ijcv.org/index.php/ijcv/article/view/2915

Only a limited number of effectiveness studies have been performed to study the benefits of efficacious behavior problems prevention programs for children when implemented through national health service systems. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to test the effectiveness of the school-based PATHS prevention program (Providing Alternative THinking Strategies) when implemented through Dutch municipal health services by health promotion professionals. A sample of 1,294 children was followed for two years: 674 children attending nine schools providing PATHS and 620 children in nine comparison schools. We hypothesized finding an intervention effect of PATHS in terms of a significant reduction in teacher- and student-rated externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors, and a significant improvement in teacher-, student-, and peer-rated social skills and emotional skills. In fact, the results show low levels of program implementation and no intervention effects on problem behavior or social and emotional skills, suggesting that it is hard to reproduce positive intervention effects where an efficacious social-emotional prevention program is implemented through a national health service. More research is needed on the specific conditions required to implement efficacious programs effectively.