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Biomedical subjects

J A Durlak

Publications and source records attributed to J A Durlak.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Social policy and prevention in mental health.

This article presents policy recommendations relating to two aspects of primary prevention in mental health: (a) preventing adverse negative outcomes and (b) building health and wellness from the start and maintaining it thereafter. Recommendations for reducing diverse negative outcomes and end states reflect interconnections and bidirectional influences among physical, social-interpersonal, cognitive-academic, and "mental health" outcomes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Evaluation of indicated preventive intervention (secondary prevention) mental health programs for children and adolescents.

Evaluated the outcomes of 130 indicated preventive interventions (secondary prevention) mental health programs for children and adolescents that seek to identify early signs of maladjustment and to intervene before full-blown disorders develop. Results indicate such programs significantly reduce problems and significantly increase competencies. In particular, behavioral and cognitive-behavior programs for children with subclinical disorders (mean ESs in the 0.50s) appear as effective as psychotherapy for children with established problems and more effective than attempts to prevent adolescent smoking alcohol use, and delinquency. In practical terms, the average participant receiving behavioral or cognitive-behavior intervention surpasses the performance of approximately 70% of those in a control group. Of particular interest was the high mean effect (0.72) achieved by programs targeting incipient externalizing problems which are customarily the least amenable to change via traditional psychotherapeutic efforts when they reach clinical levels. Priorities for future research include greater specification of intervention procedures, assessment of treatment implementation, more follow-up studies, and identifying how different participants respond to early intervention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Common risk and protective factors in successful prevention programs.

A review of 1,200 outcome studies in six areas of research identified common risk and protective factors emerging from successful and often multilevel prevention programs, some of which had prevented multiple problems. The inter-relatedness of the factors is explored, as is their association with multiple outcomes. Implications for further research and for the design of future intervention programs are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Changing self-esteem in children and adolescents: a meta-analytic review.

Conducted a meta-analytic review of 116 studies, which indicated significant improvement in children's and adolescents' self-esteem and self-concept, and significant concomitant changes in behavioral, personality, and academic functioning. Interventions specifically focused on changing self-esteem and self-concept were significantly more effective (mean effect size = 0.57) than programs focused on another target, such as behavior or social skills (0.10). Treatment programs were also more effective (0.47) than primary prevention programs (0.09) in changing self-esteem. Four variables emerged as significant predictors of self-esteem outcomes: 2 methodological features (type of design and control group), the use of a theoretical or empirical rationale, and the type of program (treatment or prevention). Future research needs to examine the causal connection between changes occurring in self-esteem and other areas of adjustment, assess intervention success for different ethnic groups and for children of different ages and sex, and determine the long-term impact of interventions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult male sexual dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual dysfunction in men. In addition, the investigation compared sexually abused men and women on the characteristics of the sexual abuse. METHOD: Subjects were 359 men who sought sexual dysfunction treatment. Thirty men reported a history of sexual abuse. Characteristics of the sexual abuse experienced by these men also were compared to the sexual abuse experienced by 73 women initially investigated elsewhere (Sarwer & Durlak 1996). RESULTS: Sexual abuse was not found to predict sexual dysfunction in these men. Rather, unemployment served as the only significant predictor of male sexual dysfunction. Comparisons of the sexual abuse reported by male and female victims indicated that males were more likely to experience physical force, but were less likely than female victims to be abused more than once and to be abused by an adult. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the notion that childhood sexual abuse may not be as disruptive to adult sexual functioning in men as it is in women. This difference may be a function of the specific circumstances of the sexual abuse. Suggestions for future research on male sexual abuse are provided.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Primary prevention mental health programs for children and adolescents: a meta-analytic review.

Used meta-analysis to review 177 primary prevention programs designed to prevent behavioral and social problems in children and adolescents. Findings provide empirical support for further research and practice in primary prevention. Most categories of programs produced outcomes similar to or higher in magnitude than those obtained by many other established preventive and treatment interventions in the social sciences and medicine. Programs modifying the school environment, individually focused mental health promotion efforts, and attempts to help children negotiate stressful transitions yield significant mean effects ranging from 0.24 to 0.93. In practical terms, the average participant in a primary prevention program surpasses the performance of between 59% to 82% of those in a control group, and outcomes reflect an 8% to 46% difference in success rates favoring prevention groups. Most categories of programs had the dual benefit of significantly reducing problems and significantly increasing competencies. Priorities for future research include clearer specification of intervention procedures and program goals, assessment of program implementation, more follow-up studies, and determining how characteristics of the intervention and participants relate to different outcomes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Primary prevention mental health programs: the future is exciting.

Current outcome research on primary prevention mental health programs is encouraging and the future is exciting. Data continue to accumulate regarding the efficacy of preventive intervention. Exemplary programs can prevent multiple problems across different outcome domains suggesting the need for collaboration among preventionists across disciplines and research areas. The commentators on our review (Durlak and Wells, 1997) offered many useful suggestions to improve the next generation of research. Most recommendations fall broadly under the rubric of increasing the precision of theory, design, and program evaluation. If current recommendations for improving future research are followed, the next reviewers of primary prevention mental health programs for children and adolescents will have a more complete and useful database for analysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

A field trial of the effectiveness of behavioral treatment for sexual dysfunctions.

The present study was a field trial of behavioral sex therapy for 365 married couples presenting with a range of sexual dysfunctions. Treatment occurred at an outpatient sexual dysfunction clinic of a large medical center using a multidisciplinary staff. Findings supported the external validity of behavioral sex therapy. The success rate for the total sample (65%) was comparable to that of previous investigations, and there were very few dropouts (1.6%) from treatment. In addition, outcomes did not vary significantly as a function of diagnoses, gender, or a history of sexual abuse. The amount of sensate focus completed in the last week of treatment was the strongest predictor of successful treatment. For some diagnoses, however, couple comorbidity reduced treatment success. Results indicated that behavioral sex therapy is effective in real-world clinical settings.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Childhood sexual abuse as a predictor of adult female sexual dysfunction: a study of couples seeking sex therapy.

The present study investigated 359 married adult women who sought sex therapy with their spouses. Discriminant function analyses indicated that childhood sexual abuse plus a college education significantly discriminated between women with and without a diagnosed sexual dysfunction. Among abused women, abuse involving sexual penetration significantly discriminated between dysfunctional and nondysfunctional women. Current findings confirm previous theory and research regarding a connection between childhood sexual abuse and adult female dysfunction. Furthermore, the findings suggest that abuse involving sexual penetration is specifically associated with adult sexual dysfunction. Between 75% to 94% of women with a sexual dysfunction could be accurately identified on the basis of prior abuse, but many nondysfunctional women were misclassified. Future research should examine additional variables that may contribute to sexual dysfunction such as levels of anxiety and depression, as well as features of the marital relationship such as marital satisfaction and communication skills.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A practitioner's guide to meta-analysis.

Describes the application to community issues of the meta-analytic research strategies increasingly used in many field of psychology. First, we highlight the potential value of meta-analysis to community research. Second, we describe six major steps involved in conducting an effective meta-analysis. These steps include formulating the initial research question(s), locating relevant studies, abstracting critical information from each study, and presenting, analyzing, and interpreting the resultant data. In this guide, the major aspects of meta-analysis are discussed with particular emphasis on the procedures that are most critical to the validity of its conclusions. Greater familiarity with the techniques, issues, and potential of meta-analysis may stimulate investigators to make more effective use of this powerful approach to integrating research in community psychology.

Community Mental Health Services↗
PubMed1991

Effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy for maladapting children: a meta-analysis.

This review aims to identify variables that moderate the outcomes of cognitive-behavior therapy for dysfunctional children. Theoretical considerations led to the hypothesis that children's cognitive developmental level would moderate treatment effectiveness, and analyses confirmed this hypothesis. The effect size (0.92) for children presumably functioning at the formal operational level (ages 11-13) was almost twice that for children at less advanced cognitive stages (for ages 5-7, 0.57; for ages 7-11, 0.55). However, changes in cognitive processes and behaviors were not significantly related, indicating the need for further work delineating the specific mechanisms of therapeutic change. Finally, an analysis of the practical significance of outcomes indicated that treatment had produced a meaningful impact on adjustment, although further behavioral improvement was still possible and desirable.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1980

Comparative effectiveness of behavioral and relationship group treatment in the secondary prevention of school maladjustment.

The prediction that behavioral intervention would be more effective and efficient than relationship intervention after 10 weeks of treatment was supported by teachers' ratings of the classroom adjustment of 119 children in first, second, and third grades. Children in the behavioral groups improved most, followed by children in the relationship groups, followed, in turn, by a group of untreated controls who did not change over time. Furthermore, more children were successfully terminated from the behavioral program than from the relationship program after 10 weeks. Program terminators in each intervention maintained their treatment gains over a 4-month follow-up period. Generally, however, each intervention was more successful for children with moderate rather than severe school maladjustment, and the more maladjusted children showed relatively modest improvement in classroom behavior even with additional treatment.

Child↗
PubMed1979

Assessment of paraprofessionals' on-the-job performance in an outpatient child guidance clinic.

On-the-job performance of paraprofessional and professional staff of an outpatient child guidance clinic were compared in three respects: (a) ability to do intake interviewing, (b) maintain case records, and (c) collect research data for a therapy outcome study. Data indicated that paraprofessionals performed as well as professionals on each job activity, and suggest generally that paraprofessionals can adequately perform the various tasks assigned to them.

Allied Health Personnel↗