After-School Programs and Children's Mental Health

描述(由申请人提供)：这项申请建议调整和试点一种基于功效的、手动的干预措施，以增强参加公共资助的市中心课外项目的儿童的心理健康益处。这项拟议的研究与R34机制的目标(1.新的或适应的干预措施的开发和试点测试，以及2.适应和有效性的试点测试)相一致，成为一个计划中的研究计划，研究心理健康咨询和支持如何加强课后计划对市中心儿童的学习、社交和行为功能的好处。尽管城市社区在课外时间面临着广泛的问题，但很少有实证研究检查儿童对时间的使用、可用的计划的数量和质量、参与率以及计划的潜在心理健康益处。我们建议与一家大型的公共资助的课后项目提供商--芝加哥公园地区的公园儿童项目--合作，以实现三个研究目标。参加其中一个参与项目的1至8年级的儿童(n=318)将被纳入研究。首先，我们将与课后项目工作人员合作，以适应和应用基于功效的手动干预 (Pelham，1985)，以满足他们的计划的需求、能力和限制，我们将提供培训和持续支持。第二，我们将制定和实施一项衡量员工对干预措施忠诚度的措施。第三，我们将使用随机效应回归模型在三个(试验性)课后站点和三个(对照)课后站点对儿童结果的四个领域的干预效果进行初步测试(Hoagwood等人，1996)：症状(儿童的外在和内化问题)、功能(儿童的学习、社会和行为结果)、环境结果(工作人员的心理氛围)和满意度(家长和工作人员)。这项建议回应了最近国家对课后照料的关注，以及在市中心提供精神卫生服务的替代场所的需要(Stephenson，2000；卫生局局长的报告)。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application proposes to adapt and pilot test an efficacy-based, manualized intervention to enhance the mental health benefits for children attending publicly funded, inner city, after-school programs. The proposed study is consistent with objectives of the R34 mechanism (1. Development and Pilot Testing of New or Adapted Interventions, and 2. Adaptation and Pilot Testing for Effectiveness) towards a planned program of research to study how mental health consultation and support can strengthen the benefits of after-school programs for inner city children's academic, social, and behavioral functioning. Despite extensive problems facing urban communities during after-school hours, few empirical studies have examined children's use of time, quantity and quality of programs available, participation rates, and the potential mental health benefits of programs. We propose to collaborate with a large, publicly funded provider of after-school programs - Chicago Park District's Park Kids program - toward three research goals. Children (n=318) in grades 1 to 8 who attend one of the participating programs will be enrolled in the study. First, we will collaborate with after-school program staff toward the adaptation and application of a manualized, efficacy-based intervention (Pelham, 1985) to meet the needs, capabilities, and constraints of their program, and we will provide training and ongoing support. Second, we will develop and implement a fidelity measure of staff adherence to the intervention. Third, we will use random-effects regression models to pilot test the impact of the intervention at three (experimental) after-school sites compared to three (comparison) after-school-as-usual sites on four domains of children's outcomes (Hoagwood et al., 1996): symptoms (children's externalizing and internalizing problems), functioning (children's academic, social, and behavioral outcomes), environmental outcomes (staff psychological climate), and satisfaction (parent and staff). This proposal responds to recent national concerns about after-school care, and the need for alternative venues for mental health service delivery in inner cities (Stephenson, 2000; Surgeon General's report).