Predictors of Retention and Recidivism of Justice-Involved Women in a Community-Based Gender-Responsive CBT Program

The purpose of this study was to evaluate pretreatment differences between program completers and noncompleters, as well as those who recidivated and those who did not, among a sample of 112 justice-involved women referred to a gender-responsive cognitive-behavioral program as part of supervision recommendations. Risk scores, adverse childhood experiences, emotion dysregulation, self-control, and various demographic variables were examined as predictors of program completion and 1-year recidivism. Results of logistic regression indicated that higher risk scores significantly predicted program noncompletion and 1-year recidivism, and noncompleters were 6 times more likely to recidivate than completers. These findings reveal characteristics of women as they relate to the likelihood of completing criminal justice treatment programs, and indicate a greater need for intensive support among high-risk women.

The Coping Power Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior Problems

Flexible adaptations of the Coping Power Program have been made for the delivery of the program. Coping Power is a structured, manualized cognitive-behavioral program, with components for children and parents designed to alter targeted mechanisms that contribute to children’s aggressive behavior problems. The program originated as a targeted prevention program, delivered in school settings, but also has been applied and tested in clinical settings. The contextual social-cognitive model is described, followed by a brief description of program components, of fidelity assessment, and of results from several initial randomized controlled efficacy studies. The bulk of the chapter describes two types of adaptations of the program. The first adaptation is evident in a field trial study of real-world school counselors’ use of the program, and was affected by the intensity of training that counselors received and by their own characteristics and the characteristics of their work setting. Appropriate and inappropriate adaptions were observed, with appropriate adaptations illustrating the concept of flexibility within fidelity. The second type of adaptation involves efforts to optimize the program and to test planned changes. The chapter describes evaluations of planned adaptations to the length of the program (including Internet components), to program targets through inclusion of mindfulness training, to delivery of the program in group versus individual formats, and to a variety of changes made in the structure and cultural relevance of the program in international adaptations.

Assessing the Delivery of the Thinking for a Change Program in Modified Formats: An Experimental Approach

This paper evaluates whether participation in the Thinking for a Change cognitive behavioral program produces improvement in social problemsolving skills in a prison context. Data are derived from a randomized experiment, with a focus on whether improvement in social problemsolving skills varies across modified delivery formats, and whether improvements are attributable to program completion or program dosage. We find that there are significant improvements in social problem solving between the pre- and post-test, and that delivery of the curriculum using video conferencing technology or inmate co-facilitated formats produces equivalent outcomes relative to traditional classroom administration. On average, significant improvements accrue to participants who receive greater program dosage. However, program completion, commonly viewed as a primary marker of satisfactory program performance, is not associated with improvement in social problem solving. Implications of the findings for rehabilitation programming are discussed, including considerations in a pandemic context.

Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Group Program for Mental Health Promotion of University Students

This study aimed to explore the effects of a group cognitive behavioral program on depression, self-esteem, and interpersonal relations among undergraduate students. A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. A convenient sample of 37 undergraduates (18 in the experimental group and 19 in the control group) at K university located in Changwon, South Korea was used. Data were collected from February 4, 2019 to June 18, 2019. The experimental group received eight sessions of the program, which were scheduled twice a week, with each session lasting 90 min. Collected data were analyzed using a chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, independent t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA by SPSS/WIN 23.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The interaction of group and time was significant, indicating that the experimental group showed an improvement in depression, self-esteem, and personal relationship compared to the control group. A significant group by time interaction for depression, self-esteem, and personal relationship was also found between the two groups. The study results revealed that the group cognitive behavioral program was effective in reducing depression and improving self-esteem and interpersonal relation. Therefore, the group cognitive behavioral program can be used for promoting the mental health of students as well as for preventing depression in a university setting.

Delivering Anger Management Treatment through a Web-Based Intervention Supplemented with Brief Coaching: A Pilot Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Dysregulated anger as part of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can disrupt interpersonal functioning and negatively impact mental and physical health. However, many individuals are not able or willing to access clinic-based services. Self-management interventions, such as web-based programs, OBJECTIVE This paper describes a pilot study investigating a self-directed web-based anger management intervention, combined with brief clinician-level support, for veterans.can reach those who need treatment but are not obtaining care from clinics. METHODS The Anger and Irritability Management Skills (AIMS) course is an eight-session cognitive-behavioral program. This intervention was augmented with weekly phone-based coaching to enhance treatment engagement. Six males living on the Hawaiian Islands enrolled in the study. RESULTS Results broadly supported the feasibility, efficacy, and usability of the AIMS intervention with briefing coaching. Four of the six (67%) participants completed the study. Three of these four (75%) demonstrated statistically significant reductions in anger symptoms. AIMS received high usability ratings. Participants reported phone coaching to be helpful in completing the intervention and learning anger management skills. Individuals who terminated treatment early had higher anger and mental health scores at baseline compared to those who completed the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The AIMS intervention with brief clinician-level coaching performed well across several indicators, including feasibility, usability, treatment engagement, and initial efficacy. Results highlight the utility of self-management interventions along the continuum of care.