To Change or Not to Change? A Study regarding the Satisfaction of Care Workers and Adolescents with the Motivational Interviewing Based Residential Youth Care Training Program Up2U.

Long-term behavioral change is often difficult to achieve with adolescents staying in residential youth care. To achieve long-term behavioral change, we developed the Up2U training program to enhance these adolescents' intrinsic motivation for change. Based on motivational interviewing and solution-focused therapy, Up2U is designed for conducting one-on-one conversations with adolescents in residential youth care.

Exploring Change in Children's and Art Therapists' Behavior during 'Images of Self', an Art Therapy Program for Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Repeated Case Study Design.

(1) Background: 'Images of Self' (IOS) is a recently developed and evaluated art therapy program of 15 sessions to reduce difficulties in 'sense of self', 'emotion regulation', 'flexibility', and 'social behavior' of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this paper, it is explored whether change in the child's behaviors corresponds to the therapist's actions during IOS and 15 weeks later. (2) Method: In a repeated case study design, twelve children and seven therapists participated.

The mediating role of social climate in the association of youth and residential service characteristics and quality of life.

Previous research has shown that social climate (SC) is important for the daily life of youths living in therapeutic residential youth care (TRC). However, little is known on how SC can promote a positive quality of life (QoL) for the heterogeneous TRC population. This study, therefore, investigates how TRC and youth characteristics are associated with SC and QoL.

Development of atypical parental behavior during an inpatient family preservation intervention program.

Since failed reunification is a detrimental outcome for children, particularly infants and toddlers, the aim of this study was to gain insight into support to families in multiple-problem situations to help them achieve sustainable good-enough parenting. Therefore, we examined outcomes of an assessment-based inpatient family preservation program. We prepared a thorough target-population description (n = 70) using file analysis.

The Best Interests of the Child from Different Cultural Perspectives: Factors Influencing Judgements of the Quality of Child-Rearing Environment and Construct Validity of the (BIC-Q) in Kosovo and Albania.

Child-rearing practices and beliefs of what determines a 'good quality' of child-rearing differ across cultural contexts and more than one interpretation can be given to "a child's best interests". This study aims to examine the cultural factors that influence judgements of the quality of children's rearing environment, and the construct validity of the Best Interests of the Child-Questionnaire (BIC-Q) scale when used in the Western Balkans. In our research on migrant children who returned to Kosovo and Albania, the BIC-Q is used to assess the quality of the child-rearing environment from a local cultural perspective on child-rearing.

Heuristic decision-making in foster care matching: Evidence from a think-aloud study.

Complex decisions are often based on heuristics, which are shortcuts or simple 'rules of thumb'. Since the matching decision in family foster care is often made in a less-than-ideal setting and riddled with uncertainty, heuristics are expected to be applied in that field of child and youth care on a daily basis. However, the use of heuristics in the matching decision has not been studied empirically until now.

Reasons for placement decisions in a case of suspected child abuse: The role of reasoning, work experience and attitudes in decision-making.

Child welfare and child protection workers regularly make placement decisions in child abuse cases, but how they reach these decisions is not well understood. This study focuses on workers' rationales. The aim was to investigate the kinds of arguments provided in placement decisions and whether these arguments were predictors for the decision, in addition to the decision-makers' risk assessment, work experience and attitudes towards placement.

Meaningful participation for children in the Dutch child protection system: A critical analysis of relevant provisions in policy documents.

Policymakers are increasingly focusing on the participation of children in the child protection system (CPS). However, research shows that actual practice still needs to be improved. Embedding children's participation in legislation and policy documents is one important prerequisite for achieving meaningful participation in child protection practice.

Enrolment of children in psychosocial care: problems upon entry, care received, and outcomes achieved.

Psychosocial care systems have been designed so that specific problems are treated by specific care types. There is insufficient evidence as to which problem types are actually presented to the various care types. This study assessed types and severity of problems among children and adolescents upon enrolment in psychosocial care, compared to children not enrolled; also outcomes after 3 and 12 months, overall and per care type.

The Inside Out? Views of Young People, Parents, and Professionals Regarding Successful Secure Residential Care.

Although adolescents often seem to improve in their functioning during residential care, there still is little knowledge on what factors are important in achieving these changes. The present study aims to identify the care factors that are important for adolescents' behavior change during secure residential care. We conducted in-depth interviews with eight adolescents, their parents, eight group care workers and seven teachers concerning their in-care experiences.

Serious child and adolescent behaviour disorders; a valuation study by professionals, youth and parents.

Background: In child and youth care, quantitative estimates of the impact of serious behaviour problems have not yet been made. Such input is needed to support decision making on investments in treatment. The aim of this paper was to elicit valuations of social and conduct disorders in children and adolescents from three different perspectives: professionals, youth, and parents.

ASSESSING PARENTING IN THE CONTEXT OF REUNIFICATION OF INFANTS/TODDLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES: HOW TO FACE THE CHALLENGES?

Since a substantial portion of infants and toddlers reenter care after reunification, the question of whether family reunification is feasible needs to be answered very cautiously. How parenting is assessed is of major importance in answering this question, but the quality of these assessments is often poor. With an eye to improving current practice, we conducted an integrative review, in which we analyzed the challenges related to the assessment of parenting vis-à-vis reunification and linked relevant knowledge from research with significant know-how from practice.

Therapists' continuations following I don't know-responses of adolescents in psychotherapy.

Objective: In psychotherapy clients' I don't know-responses (IDK-responses) to therapists' questions are typically considered to be non-cooperating behaviors. How therapists actually handle these behaviors remains unclear. This study therefore aims to assess client-therapist interactions following IDK-responses.

Less reduction of psychosocial problems among adolescents with unmet communication needs.

Patient-professional communication has been suggested to be a major determinant of treatment outcomes in psychosocial care for children and adolescents. However, the mechanisms involved are largely unknown and no longitudinal studies have been performed. Our aim was, therefore, to assess over the course of 1 year, the impact of patient-centered communication on psychosocial problems of adolescents in psychosocial care, including the routes mediating this impact.

Cost-effectiveness of multisystemic therapy versus usual treatment for young people with antisocial problems.

Background: Behavioural problems are common among adolescents. The burden on society in social disturbance, health, failures to contribute and costs has triggered innovative community-based interventions such as multisystemic therapy (MST).

Aims: Our aim was to compare the cost-effectiveness of MST and treatment as usual (TAU).

Psychometric properties of the Barriers to Treatment Participation Scale-Expectancies.

Expectations concerning barriers to children's psychosocial care seem to be major drivers when seeking help, but validated questionnaires measuring expectations are not available. Therefore, this study examined the psychometric properties of the parent and adolescent versions of the Barriers to Treatment Participation Scale-Expectancies (BTPS-exp), in terms of consistency, structure, parent-child agreement, and validity. The authors obtained data via questionnaires on 1,382 Dutch children aged 4-18 years (response rate 56.

Expectations of barriers to psychosocial care: views of parents and adolescents in the community.

Parents with a child suffering from psychosocial problems frequently experience barriers to psychosocial care, which may hinder access. Expectations of barriers may have the same effect, but evidence is lacking. The aim of this study is to examine parents' and adolescents' expectations of barriers regarding psychosocial care for the child, along with associated child and family characteristics.

Decision making in child protection: An international comparative study on maltreatment substantiation, risk assessment and interventions recommendations, and the role of professionals' child welfare attitudes.

Child welfare professionals regularly make crucial decisions that have a significant impact on children and their families. The present study presents the Judgments and Decision Processes in Context model (JUDPIC) and uses it to examine the relationships between three independent domains: case characteristic (mother's wish with regard to removal), practitioner characteristic (child welfare attitudes), and protective system context (four countries: Israel, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland and Spain); and three dependent factors: substantiation of maltreatment, risk assessment, and intervention recommendation. The sample consisted of 828 practitioners from four countries.

Cohort Profile: Tracing Achievements, Key processes and Efforts in professional care for Children and Adolescents REsearch; TAKECARE.

TAKECARE is a prospective cohort study designed in The Netherlands to obtain evidence on the care chain for children and adolescents with psychosocial problems, and its long-term outcomes. Little is known about the content of care as offered and on whether the care is adequate. The cohort consists of children and adolescents entering care for psychosocial problems (care sample, n = 1382) and a random sample of the general population (community sample, n = 666).

Discrepancies between adolescents' attributed relevance and experiences regarding communication are associated with poorer client participation and learning processes in psychosocial care.

Objective: To examine adolescents' attributed relevance and experiences regarding communication, and whether discrepancies in these are associated with clients' participation and learning processes in psychosocial care.

Methods: Adolescents receiving psychosocial care (n=211) completed measures of communication in three domains: affective communication, information provision, and shared decision-making. Participation involved clients' attendance and adherence (professional-reported).

Priorities in the communication needs of adolescents with psychosocial problems and their parents.

Background: In patient-centred care, professionals should recognize their patient's needs and adapt their communication accordingly. Studies into patients' communication needs suggest priorities vary depending on sociodemographic characteristics, and type and severity of the complaints. However, evidence lacks on priorities in the communication needs of adolescents in psychosocial care and their parents.

Enrolment of children and adolescents in psychosocial care: more likely with low family social support and poor parenting skills.

Knowledge about determinants of child and adolescent enrolment in psychosocial care concerns only single types of care and usually only socio-demographic factors. The social environment is also a likely key determinant but evidence is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between family social support, parenting skills and child and adolescent enrolment in psychosocial care.