Mark Sinyor1, Donaleen Hawes2, Neil A Rector3, Amy H Cheung4, Marissa Williams5, Christian Cheung6, Benjamin I Goldstein7, Mark Fefergrad8, Anthony J Levitt9, Ayal Schaffer10. 1. Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. Psychiatrist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario. 2. Psychologist and Superintendent of Education, Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, Kemptville, Ontario. 3. Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. 4. Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Psychiatrist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario. 5. Research Coordinator, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada; Master of Counselling Psychology Student, Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta. 6. Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario. 7. Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Psychiatrist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario. 8. Assistant Professor and Post-Graduate Training Director, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Psychiatrist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario. 9. Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. 10. Head, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: A number of school-based interventions for preventing and attenuating symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth have been developed worldwide but evidence of their effectiveness is mixed. None of these curricula stem from existing children's literature, however, the Harry Potter (HP) series has been identified as potentially imparting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy concepts. METHODS: This study aimed to broadly capture, at an interim stage, the feasibility of a pilot HP curriculum aimed at imparting CBT skills to middle-schoolers in order to inform full development of the curriculum. The study design further included a non-randomized, Group (HP; Control) by Time (Baseline, Post-Intervention, Follow-up) mixed factorial approach retrospectively examining change in scores on a "Well-Being and Resiliency Survey" (WBRS) which assessed multiple symptomatic and social domains. RESULTS: In total, 232 grade seven and eight students participated in the curriculum over two years with no dropouts. Compared to 362 controls, there were no significant differences in WBRS scores between groups at post or one-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of rapid and broad implementation of the intervention. Preliminary analyses showed no indication of effectiveness which may be the product of the intervention being in an interim stage during the study period and/or the retrospective design and limitations in data quality. Specifically, these results suggest that the WBRS may be a suboptimal instrument for measuring the effectiveness of this intervention. A prospective trial of the complete, revised curriculum with validated measures is required to provide an adequately assessment of its impact.
OBJECTIVES: A number of school-based interventions for preventing and attenuating symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth have been developed worldwide but evidence of their effectiveness is mixed. None of these curricula stem from existing children's literature, however, the Harry Potter (HP) series has been identified as potentially imparting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy concepts. METHODS: This study aimed to broadly capture, at an interim stage, the feasibility of a pilot HP curriculum aimed at imparting CBT skills to middle-schoolers in order to inform full development of the curriculum. The study design further included a non-randomized, Group (HP; Control) by Time (Baseline, Post-Intervention, Follow-up) mixed factorial approach retrospectively examining change in scores on a "Well-Being and Resiliency Survey" (WBRS) which assessed multiple symptomatic and social domains. RESULTS: In total, 232 grade seven and eight students participated in the curriculum over two years with no dropouts. Compared to 362 controls, there were no significant differences in WBRS scores between groups at post or one-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of rapid and broad implementation of the intervention. Preliminary analyses showed no indication of effectiveness which may be the product of the intervention being in an interim stage during the study period and/or the retrospective design and limitations in data quality. Specifically, these results suggest that the WBRS may be a suboptimal instrument for measuring the effectiveness of this intervention. A prospective trial of the complete, revised curriculum with validated measures is required to provide an adequately assessment of its impact.
Authors: Danuta Wasserman; Christina W Hoven; Camilla Wasserman; Melanie Wall; Ruth Eisenberg; Gergö Hadlaczky; Ian Kelleher; Marco Sarchiapone; Alan Apter; Judit Balazs; Julio Bobes; Romuald Brunner; Paul Corcoran; Doina Cosman; Francis Guillemin; Christian Haring; Miriam Iosue; Michael Kaess; Jean-Pierre Kahn; Helen Keeley; George J Musa; Bogdan Nemes; Vita Postuvan; Pilar Saiz; Stella Reiter-Theil; Airi Varnik; Peeter Varnik; Vladimir Carli Journal: Lancet Date: 2015-01-09 Impact factor: 79.321
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