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: Ferry X. Goossens
Evelien M. J. C. Gooren
Bram Orobio de Castro
Kees W. van Overveld
Goof J. Buijs
Karin Monshouwer
Simone A. Onrust
Theo G. W. M. Paulussen
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2012
Reihe/Periodikum: International Journal of Conflict and Violence, Vol 6, Iss 2, Pp 234-248 (2012)
Verlag/Hrsg.: University of Bielefeld
Schlagwörter: preventive intervention / implementation / social competence / emotional competence / school-age children / Political science (General) / JA1-92 / Social Sciences / H
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-28988517
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doaj.org/article/a92c870e00994f44ba2df66d72acd85a

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 programimplementation 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.