AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.

Developing effective prevention services for the real world: a Prevention Service Development Model.

American Journal of Community Psychology

| June 01, 2005 | Sandler, Irwin; Ostrom, Amy; Bitner, Mary Jo; Ayers, Tim S.; Wolchik, Sharlene; Daniels, Vicki-Smith | COPYRIGHT 2005 Springer. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)Copyright

There is a growing awareness that our current models for prevention research are not working as intended. The dominant current model (Mrazek & Haggerty, 1994) describes a progression of scientific studies in which research on the development of problems leads to the development and evaluation of interventions, which in turn lead to research on the widespread dissemination and implementation of effective interventions. However, despite considerable progress in developing scientifically validated preventive interventions (Durlak, 1997; Greenberg, Domitrovich, & Bumbarger, 1999), there is little evidence that these interventions have been widely implemented or that they have led to a significant reduction in the rates of behavioral health problems in the population (e.g., Biglan & Taylor, 2000). The purpose of this paper is to present a new research model for more rapid development and widespread implementation of effective prevention programs. The model integrates concepts and methods from business with those traditionally used in prevention research. Business models have been very successful in guiding the development of a broad range of products and services that are widely used by the public (Cooper & Edgett, 1999), but these models are not commonly used in behavioral health contexts where the primary aim is well-being of the public rather than profit. Prevention research models have been very effective in developing programs that have demonstrated a potential to benefit the public, but have not facilitated their wide-scale implementation. Integration of these two models is needed for rapid development and wide-scale implementation of effective prevention programs.

The paper will first present a version of the current dominant model of the Prevention Research Cycle (PRC), review sources of dissatisfaction with this model and describe proposals to increase its utility. We will then describe a model of service development in the business literature, the New Service Development Process (NSDP). A new model, the Prevention Services Development Model (PSDM), that integrates concepts from business and prevention research will then be presented. Studies from our research with children from divorced families and bereaved children will be used to illustrate activities proposed by the integrated PSDM.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Stakeholder Dissatisfactions With Prevention Research Cycle and Some Proposed Solutions

A five-phase version of the PRC, derived from alternative versions described previously (Greenberg & Cullen, 1984; Mrazek & Haggerty, 1994; Price, 1983; Roosa, Wolchik, & Sandler, 1997) is presented in Fig. 1. The phases describe a logical series of studies (with multiple feedback-loops) that lead from the identification of potentially modifiable risk and protective factors, design of interventions to change these factors, well-controlled trials of the efficacy of the intervention under optimal conditions, evaluation of program effectiveness when delivered under more naturalistic conditions, and finally widespread dissemination and ongoing evaluation. Multiple stakeholders have expressed concerns about the PRC model. Prevention scientists express concern that prevention programs that have been demonstrated to be efficacious in well-controlled experimental trials often do not get delivered on a large scale to the public (Rotheram-Borus & Duan, 2003). In contrast, programs that have little or no research support are sometimes widely disseminated. For example, a national survey of school-based prevention programs (Gottfredson & Gottfredson, 2001) found that DARE is the most widely disseminated substance abuse prevention program, despite the fact that evaluations of this program have failed to demonstrate positive effects (Clayton Cattarello, & Johnstone, 1996; Lynam et al., 1999). Even when evidence-based prevention programs are adopted, they are often not implemented with fidelity by community agencies, and thus are not likely to be effective (Gottfredson et al., 2002).

Community agency stakeholders express concern about the lack of fit between research-based prevention programs and their organizational capabilities as well as key stakeholders' (e.g., parents, mental health advocates, providers) preferences or values. Furthermore, there is concern about the applicability of the findings on program effectiveness to any particular community given that the clients, providers, and organizational context are likely to differ from those in the original evaluation of the program (Green, 2001; Green & Mercer, 2001).

Multiple approaches have been proposed to bridge the gap between research-based prevention programs and prevention services in the community. One approach has been to identify effective research-based programs using strong scientific criteria, to publicly certify their efficacy, and to provide funding for training and implementation of these programs in the community. A second approach involves building community or agency capability to identify and adopt programs that meet the community's needs (Hawkins, Catalano, & Associates, 1992; Morissey et al., 1997). For example Wandersman, Imm, Chinman, and Kaftarian (2000) developed a 10-step process (empowerment evaluation) in which communities identify their needs and research-based programs that meet these needs, assess how well these programs are implemented and obtain feedback to improve implementation of these programs in the local community. A third approach is to build stronger community-university collaborations to develop and evaluate prevention programs (Jensen, Hoagwood, & Trickett, 1999; Nelson, Pancer, Hayward, & Kelly, 2004).

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, and more
New prevention programs funded - more prevention research needed. (editorial)
Newspaper article from: The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory and Application Lewis, David C. January 1, 1990 700+ words
...commitment to prevention programs that either government...Can we tell if prevention programs work? We really...efficacy, leaving prevention research as a distant...the lookout for prevention research to condense...
Prevention programs and scientific nonsense.(drug abuse and violence prevention...
Magazine article from: Policy Review Gorman, D.M. February 1, 2003 700+ words
...widely advocated prevention programs was an ad hominem...practice in prevention research. Science and...Society for Prevention Research conference...and violence prevention programs deemed by an...science-based prevention programs and ...
NIDA Initiative Provides Increased Funding for Science-Based Drug Abuse...
Press release article from: PR Newswire August 9, 2001 700+ words
...developing effective drug abuse prevention programs," Dr. Leshner said. The National Drug Abuse Prevention Research System will include two components...effectiveness of drug abuse prevention programs in diverse populations and...
HIV prevention programs can be effective.
Newspaper article from: AIDS Weekly October 24, 1994 700+ words
...found that HIV prevention programs can be effective...literature on AIDS prevention programs so we could determine...research: Have AIDS prevention programs had long-term...Where should HIV prevention research be heading? To...
School-based alcohol prevention programs.
Magazine article from: Alcohol Health & Research World Hansen, William B. January 1, 1993 700+ words
Alcohol prevention research is beginning to...school-based prevention programs attempt to stop...However, these prevention programs may also attempt...school-based prevention programs, how they are...
Suicide prevention research, MH parity, top policy priority list.(mental health...
Newspaper article from: Mental Health Weekly February 5, 2007 700+ words
...youth suicide prevention programs. The Substance...youth suicide prevention programs, according to...toward suicide prevention research initiatives...evaluating violence prevention programs. NVDRS now operates...
Risk as a moderator of the effects of prevention programs for children from...
Magazine article from: Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Dawson-McClure, Spring R. Sandler, Irwin N. Wolchik, Sharlene A. Millsap, Roger E. April 1, 2004 700+ words
...evidence that prevention programs reduce children...the efficacy of prevention programs have been referred...Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 2002...benefit more from prevention programs. This type of...
CSAP launches online distribution of science-based prevention...
Newspaper article from: Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly May 29, 2000 700+ words
...substance abuse prevention programs to communities...information on model prevention programs and is designed...science-based prevention research; and connect...Registry of Effective Prevention Programs are those developed...
Pennsylvania Gov. Ridge Announces 2000-01 Budget Will Direct $11.1 Million To...
Press release article from: PR Newswire February 4, 2000 700+ words
...Partnership) and the prevention programs it supports -- doubling...ensure that its violence-prevention programs continue long after his...Commonwealth now participate in prevention programs, including after-school...synthesized 40 years of prevention research and ...
Society of Prevention Research.(2001 Public Service Award presented to...
Newspaper article from: Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly June 11, 2001 700+ words
The Society of Prevention Research this month presented its 2001 Public Service Award to Pennsylvania...Partnership, the state has more than 50 science-based prevention programs in use, according to the society. Pennsylvania also is...
For more facts and information, see all results
©2009 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
About us | FAQs | Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms and conditions
Other Gale sites: Encyclopedia.com | HighBeam Research | Acquire Content | Books & Authors | Goliath | MovieRetriever | Smart QandA