Psychology Commons^™

Motivational Interviewing For Parent-Child Health Interventions: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Belinda Borrelli, Erin M. Tooley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose: Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centered approach focusing on building intrinsic motivation for change. This paper presents a meta-analysis of parent-involved MI to improve pediatric health behavior and health outcomes.

Methods: Study inclusion criteria: (1) examined modifiable pediatric health behaviors (< 18 years old); (2) used MI or motivational enhancement; (3) conducted a randomized controlled trial with a comparison group (non-MI control or active treatment group); (4) conducted the intervention with only a parent or both a parent and child; and (5) were written in English. Twenty-five studies (with 5,130 participants) were included and independently rated. Weighted mean effect sizes, using random-effects assumptions, were calculated.

Results: Relative to comparison groups, MI was associated with significant improvements in health behaviors (e.g., oral health, diet, physical activity, reduced screen time, smoking cessation, reduced second hand smoke) and reduction in body mass index. Results suggest that MI may also outperform comparison groups in terms of dental caries, but more studies are needed. MI interventions were more …

Behavioral Couples Therapy For Smoking Cessation: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial, Heather Lachance, Erin M. Tooley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction—Behavioral couples therapy (BCT) has been found to improve long-term abstinence rates in alcohol- and substance-dependent populations but has not been tested for smoking cessation. This pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of BCT for smoking-discordant couples.

Methods—Forty-nine smokers (smoking >10 cigarettes/day) with non-smoking partners were randomized to receive a couples social support (BCT-S) intervention, or an individually-delivered smoking cessation (ST) treatment. The couples were married or cohabiting for at least one year, with partners who had never smoked or had not used tobacco in one year. Both treatments included seven weekly sessions and 8-weeks of nicotine …

The Role Of Intellectual And Academic Abilities In Detention Placement Among Dually-Diagnosed Juvenile Offenders, Melissa Mcwilliams

Psychology Theses

This study examined the moderating effects of IQ and academic skills in the relationship between dual diagnosis (i.e., co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders) and court-involved, non-incarcerated (CINI) juveniles’ detention placement at 12 months post court evaluation. CINI juveniles who underwent a court clinic forensic mental health evaluation (N = 249) completed a battery of assessments targeting demographic information, psychiatric symptoms, and cognitive/academic functioning (i.e., Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT-2), Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-4)). Previous research demonstrated the predictive ability of co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders on CINI juveniles’ recidivism (Tolou-Shams et al., 2014). While we expected that …

An Examination Of The Individual And Contextual Characteristics Associated With Active Shooter Events, Kyle Gamache, Judith Platania, Matt Zaitchik

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

In recent years, the US has experienced a substantial number of mass shooting incidents. This type of shooting incident has been termed “active shooter event” and encompasses shootings that occur in school settings as well as public settings and workplace venues. Much of the recent published literature addressing active shooter events appears to focus on tactical issues, such as training for and responding to this type of incident. Very little research, however, has examined the individual and contextual characteristics associated with active shooter events. In the current study we examine a number of factors related to 88 active shooting events …