Behavioral activation (BA) treatments for depression require patients to increase overt behavior to bring them in contact with reinforcing environmental contingencies. This meta-analysis sought to identify all randomized controlled studies of BA, determine the effect of this approach, and examine the differential effectiveness of variants. Thirty-four studies with 2,055 participants reporting symptoms of depression were included.The pooled effect size indicating the difference between BA and control conditions at posttest was 0.78. For participants who satisfied the criteria for major depressive disorder, the overall effect size of 0.74 remained large and significant. No differences in effectiveness between BA and cognitive therapy were found. BA may be considered a well-established and advantageous alternative to other treatments of depression.

The capacity for a parent to self-regulate their own performance is argued to be a fundamental process underpinning the maintenance of positive, nurturing, non-abusive parenting practices that promote good developmental and health outcomes in children. Deficits in self-regulatory capacity, which have their origins in early childhood, are common in many psychological disorders, and strengthening self-regulation skills is widely recognised as an important goal in many psychological therapies and is a fundamental goal in preventive interventions. Attainment of enhanced self-regulation skills enables individuals to gain a greater sense of personal control and mastery over their life. This paper illustrates how the self-regulatory principles can be applied to parenting and family-based interventions at the level of the child, parent, practitioner and organisation. The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program, which uses a self-regulatory model of intervention, is used as an example to illustrate the robustness and versatility of the self-regulation approach to all phases of the parent consultation process.

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One of the most promising ways to increase well-being is to engage in valued and enjoyable activities. Behavioral activation (BA), an intervention approach most commonly associated with the treatment of depression, is consistent with this recommendation and can easily be adapted for non-clinical populations. This study reports on a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies to examine the effect of BA on well-being. Twenty studies with a total of 1353 participants were included. The pooled effect size (Hedges's g) indicated that the difference in well-being between BA and control conditions at posttest was 0.52. This significant effect, which is comparable to the pooled effect achieved by positive psychology interventions, was found for non-clinical participants and participants with elevated symptoms of depression. Behavioral activation would seem to provide a ready and attractive intervention for promoting the well-being of a range of populations in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Reluctance by practitioners to follow manuals is often cited as a reason for the lack of adoption of empirically supported treatments (ESTs). We contend that rigid adherence to the therapeutic techniques described in a manual is neither necessary nor desirable. Rather, practitioners should flexibly deliver interventions to meet the diverse needs of consumers, but in such a way that the intervention is not moved beyond its evidence base.This tension between adherence and flexibility is reframed as an issue of practitioner generalization. The present article draws on the authors' experiences from disseminating the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program to describe a number of strategies that can both safeguard the fidelity with which ESTs are delivered and encourage their flexible delivery.

Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP) is the first in a series of programs based on the Triple P -Positive Parenting Program that has been specifically designed for families who have a child with a disability. This paper presents the rationale, theoretical foundations, historical development and distinguishing features of the program. The multi-level intervention adopts a self-regulation framework in consulting with parents that involves the promotion of parental self-sufficiency, self-efficacy, self-management skills, personal agency and problem-solving skills. 2.1Rationale for the development of Stepping Stones Triple PThe rationale for the development of SSTP relates both to prevalence of serious behaviour difficulties in children with a disability and the consequent stress on caregivers. The duality of developmental and behavioural problems creates difficulties on a number of levels. The parents and siblings of children with both disability and disruptive behaviour problems report experiencing substantial levels of stress (Cuijpers, 1999). The presence of behaviour problems has also been identified as having a strong influence on parent's decisions to find out-of-home placement. At a community level, problem behaviours in people with developmental disabilities result in the use of more resources from multiple agencies, and more intense and costly interventions such as institutionalisation. What is Stepping Stones Triple P?The SSTP model has 5 levels of intervention strength designed to cater for the differing levels of support families require. Triple P principles of parenting are explored throughout the program and include: ensuring a safe, interesting environment; creating a positive learning environment; using assertive discipline; having realistic expectations; and taking care of oneself as a parent. Two additional principles related to parenting a child with a disability are explored in SSTP. They are family adaptation to having a child with a disability and being part of the community. SSTP aims to: (1) increase parent's competence in managing common behaviour problems and developmental issues found among children with disabilities; (2) reduce parents' use of coercive and punitive methods of disciplining children;(3) improve parents' personal coping skills and reduce parenting stress; (4) improve parents' communication about parenting issues and help parents support one another in their parenting roles; and (5) develop parents' independent problem-solving skills. Summary and implicationsSSTP involves the application of a self-regulation framework to an active skills-based approach to train parents to change parenting behaviours and practices. The approach aims to build the skills and competencies of both parents and through them their children to deal with common everyday situations. The program has been evaluated in two randomised controlled trials that have demonstrated the value of the approach in reducing behavioural problems in children. Further research examining the social acceptability of the various ...

IntroductionThe provision of peer mentoring may improve tertiary education outcomes of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study evaluated the pilot year of the Curtin Specialist Mentoring Program (CSMP), a specialised peer mentoring program for university students with ASD aimed at improving self-reported well-being, academic success and retention in university studies.MethodsA single group pre-test, post-test design was employed. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations were undertaken with 10 young adults with ASD to explore the effectiveness and acceptability of the CSMP program. Students completed a battery of questionnaires focused on general anxiety, state communication apprehension, perceived communication competence, and communication apprehension both prior to, and five months after commencing enrolment in the CSMP. Information regarding academic success and retention was also obtained. Interviews with participants provided further insight into their experience of the program.ResultsStudents enrolled in the CSMP showed significant improvement in social support and general communication apprehension assessment scores. Interviews revealed key features of the CSMP that may have contributed to these positive outcomes.ConclusionsThe current study provides preliminary evidence that a specialised peer mentoring program can improve the well-being of students with ASD, and highlights the importance of interventions which are individualised, flexible, based on a social model, and target environmental factors such as social support.

Objective: While it is widely accepted that fire and emergency work is of high risk for potentially traumatic event exposure and post-trauma pathology, there has been limited published data regarding Australian fire and emergency service workers. The relationship between trauma exposure and mental health outcomes, in particular the significance of social support and coping style was explored. Method: Participants were 210 Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) career firefighters in Western Australia (WA). This study employed a cross-sectional, correlational design, with a combination of self-selection and random sampling. Results: Results found that DFES career members were exposed to trauma at significantly higher rates than the general population and reported elevated rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. Trauma exposure, social support, and coping style significantly contributed to variation in PTSD symptomatology, with maladaptive coping strategies accounting for more PTSD variance than adaptive coping. Conclusions: Elevated rates of PTSD identify WA DFES members as a high risk population. There was evidence that trauma exposure, social support, and coping style significantly contributed to levels of PTSD symptomatology. Maladaptive coping strategies, such as distraction, substance use, venting and self-blame, accounted for more variance in PTSD symptomatology than adaptive coping strategies, indicating that prevention or treatment interventions may be most effective by targeting reduction of maladaptive coping strategies, with a secondary focus on building adaptive coping strategies.