Evaluating community based psychosocial programmes: why, what & how?

Evaluation of psychosocial programmes can be carried out for a variety reasons. It is the nature of these reasons that determines what is exactly is evaluated, what criteria and which methods are used. In this article, the focus is on evaluation as a pathway to learn from experience and develop expertise. Some evaluation criteria are discussed, and a step-by-step plan is described.

Keywords: effectiveness, evaluation criteria, impact, indicators

 

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Recommendations on evaluating community based psychosocial programmes

This article reports the 25 recommendations made by a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Evaluation of Community based Psychosocial Programmes in Areas Affected by War and Terrorism that took place in April 2007. It summarises the workshop’s agreements on how evaluators should combine values, evidence and their experience, and that of programme providers, when they design and conduct their work.

 

Introduction

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Issues arising in the development of UNICEF guidance on the evaluation of psychosocial programmes in emergencies

This paper describes the development of a guide on evaluation, commissioned by UNICEF for their field officers in 2006. The consultation process in developing the content of the guide is discussed, revealing varying perceptions of what is known and practiced in the field in relation to evaluation. Broader findings about evaluation design and methods are also discussed, based on a review by the Mailman School of Public Health. The paper then focuses on specific aspects of evaluation of psychosocial programmes that seem to generate particular difficulties in practice.

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Prioritizing Care During the Acute Phase: The Prominent Role of Basic Psychosocial Life Support

TAP REPORT

Abstract

The issue of basic psychosocial life support during and after disasters is important. People who are affected by disasters can experience severe distress and may need psychosocial support. However, there still are many questions about service design and effectiveness of psychosocial support.

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Treatment of Complicated Grief : A Comparison Between Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Supportive Counseling

Few studies have examined treatments for complicated grief—a debilitating condition that can develop after the loss of a loved one. This study compared the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy with a nonspecific treatment with supportive counseling (SC).

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Psychobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder in pediatric injury patients : A review of the literature

Research suggests that about a quarter to a third of children with traffic-related injuries develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Early symptoms of PTSD have been found to predict poor mental and physical outcome in studies of medically injured children. However, these symptoms are rarely recognized by physicians who provide emergency care for these children. In addition, there is insufficient knowledge about predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms in this specific pediatric population.

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Parental Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms as a Moderator of Child’s Acute Biological Response and Subsequent Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Pediatric Injury Patients

Objective:  To examine how parental responses following pediatric injury may influence their child’s posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).

Methods: Heart rate (HR) from 82 pediatric injury patients was measured during emergency medical services (EMSs) transport and following hospital admission. Twelve-hour urinary cortisol levels were assessed upon admission. Child PTSS and parental PTSS and general distress were assessed 6 weeks and 6 months after trauma.

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From War to the Rule of Law : Peace Building after Violent Conflicts

War, civil war and other political violence often revisit countries after brief periods of ‘peace’ or armistice. Some countries are ravaged by multifarious violent conflict during two to four decades. Many cease-fires and peace agreements do not cure the underlying social pathology which led to the bloodshed in the first place. I started this study to explore how a country which has gone through civil war might be helped to avoid the next war.

 

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The influence of symptoms of prolonged grief disorder, depression, and anxiety on quality of life among bereaved adults: A prospective study

Objective
Research has shown that symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD, formerly called Complicated Grief) are distinct from those of depression and anxiety, and have incremental validity in that they predict impairments in functioning, independent of depression and anxiety. This study sought to replicate these findings using a prospective design, a heterogeneous sample of mourners, and the most recent criteria to define PGD.
Method

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A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Augmentation Topiramate for Chronic Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Background: Topiramate, a novel anticonvulsant, has been reported to rapidly reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in an open-label trial. The present study was designed as a test of topiramate's efficacy as adjunctive therapy in a 7-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Methods: Forty male veterans with PTSD in a residential treatment program were randomized to flexible-dose topiramate or placebo augmentation. The primary outcome measures were PTSD symptom severity and global symptom improvement.

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