Preliminary evaluation of a school-based resilience-promoting intervention in a high-risk population: Application of an exploratory two-cohort treatment/control design.

Applying innovative methodology, we explored the efficacy of SPARK Resilience Programme--a new universal school-based resilience-promoting programme--regarding effects on depression symptoms and resilience in a high risk population in England. Quantitative and qualitative methods were combined in an exploratory two cohort treatment/control design with one cohort serving as the control group (single assessment) and a subsequent cohort as the treatment group (assessed before and immediately after treatment as well as 6 and 12 months after treatment ended), involving a total of 438 11-13 year old girls, According to analyses, depression symptoms were significantly lower directly after treatment and at 6 months but no longer at 12 months. Resilience scores, on the other hand, were significantly higher in the treatment cohort compared to the year-ahead control cohort at post-treatment and both follow-up assessments.

Understanding barriers to exercise implementation 5-year post-breast cancer diagnosis: a large-scale qualitative study.

Due to the amount of literature supporting exercise participation after cancer diagnosis, there has been recent interest in barriers to exercise engagement among cancer patients. However, little is known regarding reasons why people choose to disengage and how this disengagement occurs over time. This study aimed to qualitatively study the perceived barriers to exercise implementation, 5-year post-breast cancer diagnosis.

Five-year follow-up of participants in a randomised controlled trial showing benefits from exercise for breast cancer survivors during adjuvant treatment. Are there lasting effects?

Purpose: In an earlier randomised controlled trial, we showed that early stage breast cancer patients who received a supervised exercise programme, with discussion of behaviour change techniques, had psychological and functional benefits 6 months after the intervention. The purpose of this study was to determine if benefits observed at 6 months persisted 18 and 60 months later.

Methods: Women who were in the original trial were contacted at 18 and 60 months after intervention.

Post-traumatic growth and life threatening physical illness: a systematic review of the qualitative literature.

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is the phenomenon of positive change through the experience of trauma and adversity (O'Leary & Ickovics, 1995). Research suggests that the type of trauma sustained could have differing processes and outcomes from each other (Demark-wahnefried et al., 2000; Sabiston, McDonough, and Crocker, 2007).