Midlife and older adults exhibit a rapid increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) which is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder recently established the clinical efficacy of high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST), a novel form of physical training with minimal barriers to adherence, for lowering SBP in midlife and older adults in a clinical trial with regular clinic-based, researcher-supervised training.
A new Phase I STTR project seeks to leverage the growing field of digital health technologies by taking the first steps in developing a feasible and acceptable smartphone app that independently guides users through a high-resistance IMST program, a key step to translate IMST for widespread use and improving public health.
The research grant has been awarded to Klein Buendel and will be led by experts in cardiovascular health, aging and high-resistance IMST from the University of Colorado Boulder (Dr. Douglas Seals, Principal Investigator; Dr. Daniel Craighead, Co-Investigator) and digital health technology development and delivery from Klein Buendel (Dr. Kayla Nuss, Co-Investigator). The one-year project will collect feedback and preferences from potential users to guide app development and demonstrate feasibility of such a mobile app.
Specific Aims
Aim 1: Perform iterative focus groups in midlife/older adults with above-normal SBP to collect potential-user information to identify needs and preferences for effective IMST app design.
Aim 2: Design the conceptual model and develop planned app components, including printed wireframes, storyboards, and clickable wireframes.
Aim 3: Conduct beta and usability testing on the clickable wireframes to show feasibility, acceptability, and potential for engagement, and finalize IMST app design.
Successful completion of this Phase I study will provide evidence to support programming and evaluating the full-scale IMST app in a subsequent Phase II project. If awarded, the Phase II project would directly compare the efficacy of at-home, self-guided IMST with the app vs. home BP monitoring alone (usual care control) for lowering SBP in a randomized clinical trial. The ultimate research goal of Phases I and II is to produce a commercially-ready mobile app for at-home implementation of high-resistance IMST, as a cost-effective lifestyle intervention for lowering SBP, decreasing disease risk, and reducing health care costs.
The research is supported by a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health (HL167375; Dr. Douglas Seals, Principal Investigator).
Physical Activity Research with Apps and Wearable Trackers
Klein Buendel Scientist, Dr. Kayla Nuss, was a presenter or co-author on four panels, posters, and presentations at the 44th Annual Sessions and Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona on April 26-29, 2023. The presentations highlighted research Dr. Nuss conducted as a Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Victoria in Canada before joining Klein Buendel as a Scientist in 2022.
Dr. Kayla Nuss at SBM
Presentation 1: Poster Session
“Examining the Effect of Daily Social Media Use of Physical Activity Behaviors: A Daily Diary Study”
Presenters: Ms. Rebecca Coulter, Dr. Sam Liu, and Dr. Kayla Nuss
Previous studies have assessed the effects of health-related social media use on physical activity; however the evidence remains mixed. Currently, little is known about how daily social media use influences daily physical activity behavior. Understanding the influence of social media use on physical activity behavior may help design future interventions. The objective of this study was to examine whether the daily consumption of health-related social media content is associated with daily physical activity behaviors. Results provided evidence that viewing health-related social media content can influence daily physical activity behavior – specifically , exercise intensity. The authors suggested that future studies should focus on within-person variations in behavior based on social media use.
Presentation 2: Symposium 1
“Contextual and Situational Motivation for Physical Activity in Wearable Activity Tracker Users: A Daily Diary Study”
Presenters: Ms. Rebecca Coulter, Dr. Sam Liu, and Dr. Kayla Nuss
Wearable activity trackers (WAT) were developed to support physical activity engagement but little is known about how WAT users are motivated for physical activity. The presenters have identified distinct motivational profiles among WAT users; but no study has assessed the relationship between contextual and situational motivation for physical activity. To evaluate this relationship, intensive daily survey methodology is needed. Understanding the relationship between contextual and situational motivation for physical activity is critical to improve the effectiveness of WAT. The objectives of the study were to: (1) evaluate the feasibility of collecting day-level situational motivation for physical activity using a customized mobile app made by a no-code app development platform; and 2) describe two levels of motivation (contextual and situational) in WAT users using the hierarchical model of motivation. The presenters hypothesized that they would identify distinct motivational profiles and that those profiles would predict differing levels of situational motivation. Collecting situational motivation for physical activity was feasible using a no-code mobile platform. WAT users vary in their contextual motivational profile for physical activity and these predict some types of situational motivation. They suggested that future research should further investigate physical activity motivation in WAT users to identify intervention opportunities.
Presentation 3: Symposium 2
“Implementing Mobile Health Interventions and Observational Studies Using a No-code App Development Platform”
Presenters: Dr. Denver Brown, Dr. Sam Liu, Dr. Kayla Nuss, and Ms. Amanda Willms
Mobile health (mHealth) technology holds tremendous potential to deliver behavior health interventions and understand human behavior. However, a challenge facing researchers when conducting mHealth research is the resources required to develop and maintain mHealth apps. Specifically, a no-code mHealth research app development platform may enable researchers with no previous software programming skills to create apps through a graphical user interface. In this symposium, presenters discussed how a no-code app development platform, was created and used to co-design and implement physical activity mHealth interventions and conduct longitudinal observational studies to understand physical activity behavior. The first presenter provided an overview of the no-code mHealth research platform and discussed its development and usability testing. The second presenter discussed how the platform was used to co-design adaptive mHealth physical activity interventions. Dr. Nuss discussed how the platform was used to implement a daily diary study to examine changes in situational motivation for physical activity based on contextual motivational profile in current wearable activity tracker users over a 14-day period. The final presenter discussed how the platform was used conduct a longitudinal feasibility study examining the influence that first-year roommates have on one another’s device-measured physical activity behavior during the transition to university which included weekly surveys to capture dyadic relations.
Presentation 4: Paper Session
“Reflecting on Physical Activity across Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Predictors if Intention-Behavior Profiles”
Presenter: Dr. Ryan Rhodes
Co-authors: Dr. Sam Liu, Dr. Kayla Nuss, and Dr. Wuyou Sui
The COVD-19 Pandemic has affected how many people engage in regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA). Understanding the correlates of various motivational and behavioral profiles is important to producing effective interventions. The purpose of this study was to predict current and dynamic (across two years of the COVID-19 Pandemic) intention and MVPA profiles using the multi-process action control (M-PAC) framework. Few participants increased MVPA across the pandemic and dynamic patterns of intention-MVPA profiles by pre-pandemic MVPA showed the presence of two at risk groups (relapsed non-intenders relapsed unsuccessful intenders) who have relapsed in MVPA. Collectively, the findings support the joint promotion of reflective regulatory and reflexive processes in the choice of behavior change techniques to promote post-pandemic MVPA intention and behavior.
A Protocol for Cross-Tailoring Integrative Alcohol and Risky Sexual Behavior Feedback for College Students
A research team led by Dr. Anne Ray from the University of Kentucky, and including Dr. David Buller from Klein Buendel, has published (online ahead of print) the protocol for an active research project in JMIR Research Protocols. The study is designed to curb drinking and risky sexual behavior by first-year college students using an innovative, cross-tailored, dynamic feedback (CDF) component. The intervention purposefully integrates content on the relationship between alcohol use and risky sexual behavior and leverages technology to incorporate daily assessments of student behavior and deliver weekly dynamic feedback.
Two-thirds of college students are current drinkers of alcoholic beverages. One in three college students report past month binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row), and one in ten report high intensity drinking (ten or more drinks in a row). Greater student alcohol consumption and heavy drinking on a given day are linked to increased sexual activity and risky sexual behavior, such as unprotected sex and sex with casual partners. This puts students at risk for negative health outcomes, such as sexually-transmitted infections, and other harmful consequences, such as sexual victimization.
A hybrid effectiveness-implementation design will allow the investigators to evaluate the effectiveness of the integrated personalized feedback intervention (PFI) with 600 first-year college students at two college sites in a randomized controlled trial. In addition, formative evaluation with local and national stakeholders (such as students and student affairs staff) will help to better understand factors that influence implementation and ensure its success and sustained use.
According the paper’s abstract: “This study utilizes a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation design and will be conducted in three phases. Phase 1 is a stakeholder-engaged PFI+CDF adaptation guided by focus groups and usability testing. In Phase 2, 600 first-year college students who drink and are sexually active will be recruited from two sites (n=300 per site) to participate in a 4-group randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of PFI+CDF in reducing alcohol-related RSB. Eligible participants will complete a baseline survey during the first week of the semester and follow-up surveys at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 13 months postbaseline. Phase 3 is a qualitative evaluation with stakeholders to better understand relevant implementation factors.” Intervention, recruitment, and implementation plans are described in JMIR Research Protocols.
This research is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health (AA028246; Dr. Anne Ray, Principal Investigator). Collaborators include Dr. David Buller (Co-Investigator) from Klein Buendel. Klein Buendel’s Creative Team is developing the technology-delivered program for college students.
A research team from The Ohio State University, Rush University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Klein Buendel has published a paper describing a 5-year research project to develop and evaluate a technology-based, widely accessible, and effective form of behavioral parent training (BPT) delivery to address the unmet and unique needs of parents of very preterm children.
As presented in the paper published in BMJ Open, children born very preterm (gestational age <32 weeks) are twice as likely to demonstrate behavior problems such as aggression, non-compliance, temper tantrums and irritability compared with their term-born peers. While BPT is a gold standard for prevention and treatment of childhood problem behaviors, there are limited accessible and effective BPT interventions for families with children born very preterm. The paper describes a multi-center, randomized controlled protocol for a factorial design trial evaluating the independent and combined effects of the ezParent BPT intervention plus brief, weekly coaching calls on parent and child outcomes for families with toddlers born very preterm.
The BMJ Openpaper details the study design, aims, intervention, measures, analysis plans, and procedures of the study which will employ a 2×2 factorial randomized design. Parents (n=220) of children aged 20–30 months corrected age who were born very preterm (<32 weeks) will be recruited from two large metropolitan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit follow-up clinics and randomized to one of four conditions: (1) ezParent (2) ezParent + coach, (3) active control or (4) active control + coach. A web-based app will provide behavioral training through brief videos, interactivity, reflection questions, and assessments. Data on parenting and child behavior outcomes will be obtained from all participants at baseline and 3, 6 and 12 months for program evaluation.
This research is being led by Dr. Susan Breitenstein from The Ohio State University (OSU) and Dr. Michelle Greene of Rush University (Multiple Principal Investigators). It is funded by a grant from The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institute of Health (HD104072). Additional co-authors on this publication include Dr. Michael Schoeny and Dr. Kousiki Patra from Rush University; Dr. Sarah Keim from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and OSU; Dr. Mary Lauren Neel from Nationwide Children’s Hospital; Ms. Shea Smoske from OSU; and Ms. Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel.
A collaborative research team from Boise State University, Plymouth State University, the University of Mississippi, and Klein Buendel is launching a Phase II STTR research project to develop and evaluate the impact of a middle school intervention to reduce bullying and its negative consequences. The project is entitled “Translation of an In-Person Brief, Bystander Bullying Intervention (STAC) into a Technology-Based Program.” STAC uses four strategies in its bullying bystander intervention: “Stealing the show,” “Turning it over,” “Accompanying others,” and “Coaching compassion.”
The project will use state-of-the-art technology to adapt a novel, evidence-based bullying bystander intervention to a user-centered, technology-based format for an underserved population with significant mental health disparities. STAC-T will extend the scope of the original STAC intervention by providing a delivery mechanism that increases access and reduces implementation barriers for schools in rural, low-income communities, as well as providing interactive, user-centered content. STAC-T will address both bullying and negative mental health outcomes for targets and bystanders through an evidence-based approach adapted for a broader audience and utilize technology to effectively implement bullying prevention.
Phase II Specific Aims
Develop a fully-programmed, media-rich, interactive STAC-T intervention in English and Spanish consisting of (1) core modules providing interactive training on essential topics (such as bullying, bystander roles, STAC strategies), (2) interactive skills practice with avatars moving through bullying scenarios with feedback, and (3) booster sessions in which students report strategy use and feedback and badges for intervening.
Conduct usability testing of the fully-programmed STAC-T in three middle schools in two states with students and school personnel to evaluate the user interface, ease of use, and perceived barriers in order to optimize the program prior to a large-scale investigation.
Test the fully-programmed, dual language (English and Spanish) STAC-T in six middle schools in four states through a randomized controlled trial to evaluate changes in (1) knowledge, confidence, and use of STAC strategies, (2) bullying and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, and (3) mental health outcomes.
The investigators hypothesize that STAC-T will (1) improve access by reducing implementation barriers for middle schools, particularly those in rural and low-income communities, (2) train bystanders to effectively intervene, reducing bullying while simultaneously improving the mental health of bystanders, and (3) improve program sustainability at the middle school level when bullying behavior peaks.
The STAC-T project is funded by an STTR Phase II grant to Klein Buendel from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (MD014943; Dr. Aida Midgett, Principal Investigator). Dr. Midgett is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Counselor Education at Boise State University. Her collaborators on this research project include Dr. Diana Doumas and Dr. Laura Bond from Boise State University; Dr. Robin Hausheer from Plymouth State University; Dr. Amanda Winburn from the University of Mississippi; and Ms. Mary Buller from Klein Buendel. The STAC-T modules will be programmed by Klein Buendel’s Creative Team.
Promoting Health Equity for Diverse Populations During a Pandemic
Dr. Susan Loeb, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, from the Pennsylvania State University College of Nursing and College of Medicine – and an active Klein Buendel research collaborator – presented on promoting health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic at 34th Annual Scientific Session of the Eastern Nursing Research Society on March 31 through April 1, 2022 in Providence, Rhode Island. The theme of the conference was “Charting the Path of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Through Nursing Science.”
The interruption of face-to-face human subjects’ research by universities and correctional institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated researchers to adopt alternative approaches for proceeding with their work. Adaptations and strategies that the research team employed to keep their study progressing forward in meaningful ways despite a protracted public health emergency were presented. A study focusing on the research and development of highly interactive e-learning modules to prepare incarcerated people to assist corrections staff in caring for people are older and/or approaching the end of life in prison served as an exemplar for the presentation. The study – the Inmates Care Project – is an STTR grant awarded to Klein Buendel by the National Institute on Aging (AG057239; Dr. Susan Loeb and Dr. Barbara Walkosz, Multiple Principal Investigators).
The theoretical framework for the study is the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Framework for Going to Full Scale. Identification of barriers and facilitators, re-envisioning how the team would restructure their day-to-day work, and preparing for the future are just a few of the essential steps that were taken. Examples of daily restructuring included a) approach to weekly team meetings; b) data collection protocols; c) advisory board meetings; and d) opportunities for networking and community building.
Key lessons learned through this experience included the a) importance of taking stock and seizing the opportunity to make investments in team member development; b) writing protocols that detail both in-person and virtual options for data collection to allow the team to pivot quickly when the next challenge arises; and c) reaching out to brainstorm with funding agency program officers, Institutional Review Board analysts, advisory board members, and other researchers from beyond your team.
Well-thought-out adaptations that are approved by funding agencies, offices of research protections, and other stakeholders in the research can result in scientifically sound, public health safe, and pragmatic approaches for moving ahead to remain research-productive, despite public health challenges. Taken together, these approaches can maintain study progress, and scientific integrity, as well as identify alternate ways to achieve study aims in a timeline necessarily relaxed, but as close as possible to the original plan.
Co-authors on the presentation and top poster included Dr. Erin Kitt-Lewis, Sherif Olanrewaju, and Leigh Casey from Penn State University; Dr. Valerie Myers and Savanna Olivas formerly from Klein Buendel; Jeannyfer Reither from Klein Buendel; and Katherine Aiken from the Penn State College of Health and Human Development.
Today, 80-90% of very preterm infants survive. However, preterm birth alters the development of the prefrontal cortex, the brain region heavily involved in behavior regulation and inhibition. This places children born very preterm at high risk for developmental delays and behavioral problems.
Early prevention and intervention can interrupt the development of problem behaviors, reduce active problem behaviors and improve functioning for children and families. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is a gold standard for prevention and treatment of child behavior problems. BPT teaches child management skills and positive parenting strategies. Little is known about the use and effects of BPT programs for former very preterm infants with their unique medical, developmental, and psychological risk profiles.
A research team from Ohio State University, Rush University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Klein Buendel is launching a 5-year research project to develop and evaluate a technology-based, widely accessible, and effective form of BPT delivery to address the unmet and unique needs of parents of very preterm children. The app will be tested alone and in combination with specialized coaching. The project is called “Parent Training for Parents of Toddlers Born Very Premature.” It is being led by Dr. Susie Breitenstein from Ohio State University (OSU) and Dr. Michele Greene from Rush University (Multiple Principal Investigators). The project is funded by The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health (HD104072).
The research project will design and develop a web-based app, similar to one developed previously by Dr. Breitenstein and her team, called ezParent. ezParent was designed for parents of children ages 2-6 years. It provides behavioral training through brief videos, interactivity, reflection questions, and assessments to parents of young children. The new iteration of ezParent,ezPreemie, will assess the independent and combined effects of ezParent and coaching calls on parent and child outcomes in families with very preterm infants.
Dr. Breitenstein, PhD, RN, FNAP, FAAN, is an Associate Professor, Assistant Dean for Research and Innovation, and Senior Director, Community Outreach and Engagement & CHW Training Program in the OSU College of Nursing. Dr. Michelle Greene is an Associate Professor and Director of the Psychology Section in the Department of Pediatrics at Rush Medical College. Research Co-investigators include Dr. Michael Schoeny and Dr. Kousiki Patra from Rush University, Dr. Sarah Keim and Dr. Mary Lauren Neel from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Ms. Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel. The ezPreemie app will be engineered by Klein Buendel’s Creative Team.
Formative research, such as target population focus groups and usability testing, is essential for the design and development of interactive technology-based programs. Usability testing results of a brief web-based middle school bystander bullying prevention program, STAC-T, were published recently in JMIR Formative Research. The research team was led by Dr. Aida Midgett from Boise State University. Key collaborators included Dr. Diana Doumas from Boise State University and Dr. Valerie Myers, formerly from Klein Buendel.
STAC-T translates four strategies to train bystanders to effectively intervene to reduce bullying into a time- and cost-effective web-based program for middle school students and staff. The four strategies are: “Stealing the show,” “Turning it over,” “Accompanying others,” and “Coaching compassion.”
The main purpose of the formative research was to assess the usability and acceptability of a STAC-T prototype in advance of full-scale development. Other aims included understanding school needs and barriers to program implementation, and assessing differences in usability between middle school staff and students.
Sixteen participants from three middle schools in rural, low-income communities completed STAC-T usability testing and a qualitative interview. The publication describes the usability testing methods and outcomes of data analyses, including ratings of prototype program satisfaction, acceptability, feasibility, needs, barriers, and recommendations for program adjustments. Overall, school staff and students reported satisfaction with the web-based program. They found it easy to use, acceptable, and feasible. The findings have encouraged the authors to pursue the full-scale development of the STAC-T web-based bullying prevention app for middle schools.
The STAC-T feasibility project was funded by a small business STTR grant to Klein Buendel from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (MD014943; Dr. Aida Midgett, Principal Investigator). The STAC-T prototype was programmed by Klein Buendel’s Creative Team.
Translation of an In-Person Bystander Bullying Intervention to a Technology-Based Platform
Klein Buendel Senior Scientist, Dr. Valerie Myers, and collaborators from Boise State University will be presenting a poster showcasing the development of a technology-based bullying prevention program during the 42nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine from April 12-16, 2021.
Bullying is a significant problem in the United States, with more than a quarter of middle school students reporting bullying victimization. Bullying is associated with multiple mental health, social, and academic consequences. Although comprehensive school-wide interventions are available, they require significant resources for implementation, reducing access to schools, particularly in rural or low-income communities. Thus, there is a need for bullying programs that effectively address bullying while removing implementation barriers.
The STAC intervention is a brief, bystander bullying intervention that includes psychoeducation and role-plays to increase knowledge and skills to intervene in bullying. STAC stands for four strategies students can use when they witness bullying: “Stealing the show,” “Turning it over,” “Accompanying others,” and “Coaching compassion.” A series of randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of the STAC intervention in reducing bullying perpetration and victimization, as well as depression, anxiety, and alcohol use.
The goal of the project presented in the poster was to translate the STAC program into a technology-based platform (STAC-T) for middle schools. The aims of this study were to: (1) conduct a needs assessment with middle school personnel, (2) develop a web-based prototype based on the in-person STAC intervention through iterative focus groups, and (3) conduct usability testing with middle school students and school personnel. Qualitative data from the needs assessment indicated a strong interest in a technology-based bullying intervention and positive conditions for implementation including administrative support and school technology-readiness. Students who participated in iterative focus groups reported the app concept was easily understood and engaging and identified essential features for a successful prototype.
Results from usability testing indicated participants perceived the STAC-T program to be useful and appropriate for their school and community. Findings from this study showed that the STAC-T program is relevant and feasible for implementation in the middle school settings and is usable for the target audience.
The STAC-T project is funded by an STTR grant to Klein Buendel from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (MD014943; Dr. Aida Midgett, Principal Investigator). A third collaborator, in addition to Dr. Midgett and Dr. Myers, is Dr. Diana Doumas from Boise State University.
STAC-T: A Bystander Bullying Intervention for Middle Schools
Nationally, 20.8% of students age 12-18 report being bullied at school and 11.5% report being cyberbullied (1). Bullying peaks in middle school with 26% of students reporting being a target of bullying (1). Among middle schoolers, bullying victimization is associated with a variety of mental health problems including anxiety, depression, and suicide attempts. In addition, negative consequences linked with bullying extend to students who observe bullying (2). Student bystanders are also at increased risk for mental health problems, such as helplessness, isolation, and guilt. With 8 out of 10 students witnessing bullying (2), students need to know how to appropriately intervene.
The goal of Klein
Buendel’s new Phase I STTR project is to begin to develop and test the
feasibility of a middle school intervention to reduce bullying and its negative
consequences. The project is being led by Dr. Aida
Midgett (Principal Investigator) and Dr. Diana Doumas (Co-Investigator) of
Boise State University, and Dr. Valerie Myers (Co-Investigator) of Klein
Buendel. The project is entitled “Translation of an In-Person Brief, Bystander
Bullying Intervention (STAC) into a Technology-Based Program”.
Research has shown that bystanders can stop bullying by intervening
(3, 4). Yet, most students do not intervene to defend targets because they do
not know what to do (5). Comprehensive, school-wide
bullying programs can be effective (6), but time- and labor-intensive resources
required for program implementation pose significant barriers for schools,
particularly in low-income and rural communities,
which can reduce program uptake. To reduce these barriers, Dr. Midgett
developed a brief bullying bystander intervention, using four strategies: “Stealing the show,”
“Turning it over,” “Accompanying others,” and “Coaching
compassion” (STAC) (7). STAC has been shown to be effective in reducing
bullying perpetration (8,9) and victimization (8) and negative mental health
consequences for bystanders who witness bullying (10-15).
Although
brief
interventions reduce implementation barriers, in-person programs still require training
and delivery by school personnel, placing significant demands on schools. The product developed in this Phase I
project is a technology-based, brief bystander bullying intervention (STAC-T)
that can impact current bullying prevention approaches by: (a) significantly
reducing implementation barriers for middle schools, particularly those in
low-income and rural communities that can face educational, social, and health
disparities; (b) training bystanders to effectively intervene, reducing
bullying while simultaneously improving the mental health of bystanders; and
(c) improving the program sustainability potential at the middle school level
when bullying behavior typically reaches its peak.
This research project is funded by a grant
from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the
National Institutes of Health (MD014943; Dr. Aida Midgett, Principal
Investigator).
References
National Center for Education Statistics. Student Reports of Bullying: Results from the 2015 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. U.S. Department of Education;2016. NCES 2017-015.
Rivers I, Poteat VP, Noret N, Ashurst N. Observing bullying at school: the mental health implications of witness status. Sch Psychol Q. 2009;24(4):211-223.
Salmivalli C, Voeten M, Poskiparta E. Bystanders matter: associations between reinforcing, defending, and the frequency of bullying behavior in classrooms. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2011;40(5):668-676.
Padgett S, Notar CE. Bystanders are the key to stopping bullying. Universal Journal of Educational Research. 2013;1(2):33-41.
Hutchinson M. Exploring the impact of bullying on young bystanders. Educational Psychology in Practice. 2012;28(4):425-442.
Gaffney H, Ttofi MM, Farrington DP. Evaluating the effectiveness of school-bullying prevention programs: an updated meta-analytical review [published online ahead of print July 20]. Aggr Violent Behav. 2018 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.07.001
Midgett A, Doumas D, Sears D, Lundquist A, Hausheer R. A bystander bullying psychoeducation program with middle school students: a preliminary report. Professional Counselor. 2015;5(4):486-500.
Midgett A, Doumas DM, Johnston AD. Establishing school counselors as leaders in bullying curriculum delivery:Evaluation of a brief, school-wide bystander intervention. Professional School Counseling. 2017;21(1):1-9.
Midgett A, Doumas DM, Trull R, Johnson J. Training students who occasionally bully to be peer advocates: is a bystander intervention effective in reducing bullying behavior? Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling. 2017;3(1):1-13.
Moran M, Midgett A, Doumas DM, Porchia S, Moody S. A mixed method evaluation of a culturally adapted, brief, bullying bystander intervention for middle school students. Under review
Doumas DM, Midgett A, Watts AD. The impact of a brief, bullying bystander intervention on internalizing symptoms: Is gender a moderator of intervention effects? [published online ahead of print February 14]. Sch Psychol Int. 2019 doi: 10.1177/0143034319830149
Watts A, Doumas DM, Midgett A. The efficacy of a brief, bystander bullying intervention on alcohol use among high school students. Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling. In press
Midgett A, Doumas DM. The impact of a brief, bullying bystander intervention on depressive symptoms. Journal of Counseling and Development. In press
Midgett A, Doumas DM, Trull R. Evaluation of a bystander bullying intervention program for elementary school students. Professional School Counselor. 2018;20(1):172-183.
Midgett A, Doumas DM, Trull R, Johnston A. A randomized controlled study evaluating a brief, bystander bullying intervention with junior high school students. Journal of School Counseling. 2017;15
