Addressing Methodological Challenges in Follow-Up RCTs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of the Good Behavior Game and MyTeachingPartner™ on Teacher Burnout and Self-Efficacy.

Retention of early career teachers is a critical issue in education, with burnout and self-efficacy serving as important precursors to teachers leaving the field. An integration of the PAX Good Behavior Game (GBG; Barrish et al., 1969) and MyTeachingPartner (MTP; Allen et al.

Collateral effects of Coping Power on caregiver symptoms of depression and long-term changes in child behavior.

A large body of research demonstrates positive impacts of the Coping Power Program as a preventive intervention for youth behavioral outcomes, but potential collateral effects for caregivers is less known. The current study examined whether the youth-focused Coping Power Program can have a secondary impact on caregiver self-reported symptoms of depression and in turn result in longer-term impacts on child disruptive behavior problems including aggression, conduct problems and hyperactivity. Data from 360 youth/caregiver pairs across 8 waves of data (grades 4 through 10) were analyzed.

Intervention format and therapist-child agreement associated with therapeutic alliance and outcomes.

Objective: The study examined the effects of therapeutic alliance (TA; relational bond, task collaboration) on externalizing behavior outcomes, how TA can operate differently when children are seen in individual versus group sessions, and how therapist-child disagreement in perceptions of TA affects outcomes.

Method: Three hundred sixty children (Ages 9.2-11.

Harmonizing Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Constructs in Prevention Science: Digging into the Weeds of Aligning Disparate Measures.

While integrative data analysis (IDA) presents great opportunity, it also necessitates a myriad of methodological decisions related to harmonizing disparate measures collected across multiple studies. There is a lack of step-by-step methodological guidance for harmonizing disparate measures of latent constructs differently conceptualized or operationalized across studies, such as social, emotional, and behavioral constructs often utilized in prevention science. The current paper addressed this gap by providing methodological guidance and a case illustration focused on harmonizing measures of disparately conceptualized and operationalized constructs.

Future Orientation Among Children Affected by Parental HIV in China: An Exploratory Analysis of Complex Interactions.

We utilized an exploratory analytic approach to examine predictors of children's future beliefs, an internal asset associated with resilience among children affected by HIV, with emphasis on complex interactions among multisystem factors. Children ( = 1221) affected by parental HIV in China reported on psychosocial functioning, as well as internal, familial, and community resilience assets. Exploratory data analysis was conducted using a binary segmentation program.

Contextualizing the Association Between School Climate and Student Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Rurality.

Background: In rural communities, understanding and improving school climate may benefit youth facing unique contextual challenges to well-being. As education research rarely focuses on rural schools, we aimed to examine school climate and student well-being with a particular focus on rural schools, compared to suburban schools.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 62,265 students in 22 rural and 78 suburban Maryland middle and high schools.

Buffering Effects of Racial Discrimination on School Engagement: The Role of Culturally Responsive Teachers and Caring School Police.

Background: Urban black adolescents' wellbeing in the early high school years can be negatively impacted by exposure to racial discrimination. These impacts may be buffered by supportive relationships with adults at school. We considered both the protective and promotive effects of culturally responsive teachers and caring school police on school engagement for students exposed to racial discrimination across settings.

Improving understanding of how mentoring works: Measuring multiple intervention processes.

The objective is to develop and test dimensionality and validity of a new measure of five mentoring intervention processes drawn from emphases across prior mentoring efforts that might be the basis for effects: identification with the mentor, social and emotional support, teaching and education, and advocacy, and shared time and activity. Partial validation of value was drawn from moderation role in a meta-analysis of mentoring (Tolan, Henry, Lovegrove, Schoeny, & Nichols, 2014. J.

Pilot randomized trial of brief school-based mentoring for middle school students with elevated disruptive behavior.

We report a pilot study of a brief (i.e., 10 sessions) goal-focused mentoring program for middle school students with elevated disruptive behavior.

Triangulating School Climate: Areas of Convergence and Divergence Across Multiple Levels and Perspectives.

Students often have differing perceptions of their school's climate. Although these subjective perceptions can be meaningful outcome predictors, discrepancies create challenges for those seeking to globally characterize or intervene to improve the climate of a school. Trained, independent  observers can provide insights on perceptible and ostensibly malleable aspects of the school; however, the extent to which these observations help us to understand differences in students' report of school climate has not been examined.

Fitting Large Factor Analysis Models With Ordinal Data.

A simulation study was conducted to investigate the model size effect when confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models include many ordinal items. CFA models including between 15 and 120 ordinal items were analyzed with mean- and variance-adjusted weighted least squares to determine how varying sample size, number of ordered categories, and misspecification affect parameter estimates, standard errors of parameter estimates, and selected fit indices. As the number of items increased, the number of admissible solutions and accuracy of parameter estimates improved, even when models were misspecified.

Evaluating a Method to Estimate Mediation Effects With Discrete-Time Survival Outcomes.

The utility of evaluating mediation effects spans across research domains. The model facilitates investigation of underlying mechanisms of event timing and, as such, has the potential to help strengthen etiological research and inform intervention work that incorporates the evaluation of mediating variables. In order for the analyses to be maximally useful however, it is critical to employ methodology appropriate for the data under investigation.

Evaluating Factorial Invariance: An Interval Estimation Approach Using Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling.

In this study, we introduce an interval estimation approach based on Bayesian structural equation modeling to evaluate factorial invariance. For each tested parameter, the size of noninvariance with an uncertainty interval (i.e.

Mediators of Social Connection in a Group Teleconference Intervention.

Background And Purpose: Social connection has a positive influence on cancer survivorship and has been targeted in intervention work. We examined whether the formation of social connection is influenced by fear, fatalism, and isolation.

Methods: We conducted a mediation analysis on data from an intervention study with African American breast cancer survivors to investigate whether fear, fatalism, and isolation conveyed effects on social connection.

Best (but oft-forgotten) practices: mediation analysis.

This contribution in the "Best (but Oft-Forgotten) Practices" series considers mediation analysis. A mediator (sometimes referred to as an intermediate variable, surrogate endpoint, or intermediate endpoint) is a third variable that explains how or why ≥2 other variables relate in a putative causal pathway. The current article discusses mediation analysis with the ultimate intention of helping nutrition researchers to clarify the rationale for examining mediation, avoid common pitfalls when using the model, and conduct well-informed analyses that can contribute to improving causal inference in evaluations of underlying mechanisms of effects on nutrition-related behavioral and health outcomes.

Abuse and Diversion of Immediate Release Opioid Analgesics as Compared to Extended Release Formulations in the United States.

Background: Therapeutic use and abuse of prescription opioids in the United States increased substantially between 1990 and 2010. The Centers for Disease Control estimated deaths related to pharmaceutical opioids reached nearly 19,000 in 2014. Of prescription opioids sold, 10% are extended release (ER) and 90% immediate release (IR).

The Mechanism by Which MYCN Amplification Confers an Enhanced Sensitivity to a PCNA-Derived Cell Permeable Peptide in Neuroblastoma Cells.

Dysregulated expression of MYC family genes is a hallmark of many malignancies. Unfortunately, these proteins are not amenable to blockade by small molecules or protein-based therapeutic agents. Therefore, we must find alternative approaches to target MYC-driven cancers.

Clinically significant hemolytic disease of the newborn secondary to passive transfer of anti-D from maternal RhIG.

Background: RhIG is used worldwide to reduce the incidence of alloimmunization to D during pregnancy. We report a case of clinically significant neonatal hemolysis mediated by maternally administered RhIG.

Case Report: A 25-year-old, O-, primigravid mother with a negative antenatal antibody screen delivered a 6-lb 4-oz, blood group A, D+ baby girl at 36.

Feasibility and preliminary outcomes from a pilot study of an integrated health-mental health promotion program in school mental health services.

The prevalence of unmet health and mental health needs among youth has spurred the growing consensus to develop strategies that integrate services to promote overall well-being. This pilot study reports on the feasibility and outcomes of a theory-driven, family-focused, integrated health-mental health promotion program for underserved adolescents receiving school mental health services. Parent and adolescent assessments conducted prior to and following the brief, 6-session promotion program showed significant improvements in family support, youth self-efficacy, health behaviors, and mental health outcomes.

THE CRITICAL ROLE OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH MOVEMENT.

School mental health (SMH) programs are gaining momentum and, when done well, are associated with improved academic and social-emotional outcomes. Professionals from several education and mental health disciplines have sound training and experiences needed to play a critical role in delivering quality SMH services. School psychologists, specifically, are in a key position to advance SMH programs and services.