Background: The after-school period is potentially an important venue for increasing physical activity for youth. We sought to assess the effectiveness of the Sports, Play, and Recreation for Youth (SPARK) program to increase physical activity and improve cardiorespiratory fitness and weight status among elementary students after school. Methods:…

This study describes the 1st-year effects of a Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support on four schools in impoverished communities in rural west Texas. The authors present pre- and postdescriptive data that demonstrate the positive effect upon decreasing discipline referrals, lowering in school suspension rates, and reducing failure rates. The…

The expansion of behavioral health services to school-based health centers under the Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) presents an opportunity to improve access to substance use disorders treatment for youth and reduce their substance use, and emotional, health, and school problems. We explore the feasibility of implementing five to seven…

As employers look for ways to reduce rising health care costs, worksite health promotion interventions are increasingly being used to improve employee health behaviors. An alternative approach to traditional worksite health promotion programs is the implementation of environmental and/or policy changes to encourage employees to adopt healthier…

Objective: Student-run clinics are increasingly common in medical schools across the United States and may provide new opportunities for psychiatric education. This study investigates the educational impact of a novel behavioral health program focused on depressive disorders at a student-run clinic. Method: The program was assessed through chart…

Teacher-child relationship building (TCRB) is a play-based professional development programme adapted from kinder training and filial therapy. Intended for early education teachers and students, TCRB is designed to strengthen the teacher-child relationship, improve student behaviour, enhance academic involvement and develop teachers' classroom…

In 2010, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) was facing a dilemma--how to deliver a consistent sex education program in a complex and diverse school district. Four years earlier, the school board had adopted a policy calling for students in grades 5 through 12 to receive family life and comprehensive sex education. To help support schools in meeting this…

Few studies have examined the effectiveness of interventions to improve mental health in the unemployed. Current evidence points to interventions improving mental health but having little, if any, impact on reemployment. In the Australian context, psychological services continue to be delivered yet little is known about their effectiveness. This…

This paper reports the theoretical conceptualisation, statistical development, and application of an Implementation Index to evaluate the quality of implementation of the KidsMatter Primary school mental health initiative in Australia. Questionnaires were received from the parents and teachers of almost 5000 students, and also from KidsMatter…

The symptoms, assessment, and treatments of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been empirically investigated to the extent that there is a breadth of valid and reliable instruments investigating this psychopathological syndrome. There, too, exists a substantial evidence base for various treatment models demonstrating effectiveness in…

Objective: This study examined students' perceptions of and suggestions for the Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program, a free, school-based fruit and vegetable snack program implemented in elementary schools in 2 regions of northern Ontario, Canada. Methods: This was a qualitative study involving 18 focus groups with students in 11 elementary…

The National 4-H Council developed the Health Rocks substance abuse educational program to prevent youth from engaging in risky behaviors. The program was presented in 2010 to more than 8,000 middle school youth in Georgia. A post-then-pre evaluation was conducted with youth who completed 10 hours of instruction to determine if changes in youth…

Background: Concepts such as support, quality of life and quality of services are customary in services for people with intellectual disabilities. The identification of the different ways of conceiving, prioritising and implementing these concepts by service providers can help to drive changes to achieve better personal outcomes for this…

Undergraduate college students are at a crucial point in the development of significant health behaviors, most notably related to physical activity and dietary intake. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively determine whether participation in a Lifetime Fitness for Health (LFH) curriculum in college had short-term and long-term benefits…

Background: Parents of children with developmental delays (DD) typically report elevated levels of parental stress compared with parents of typically developing children. Children with DD are also at high risk for exhibiting significant behaviour problems. Parental stress has been shown to impact the development of these behaviour problems;…