Session: Abstract of Distinction: Innovative Research Methods to Optimize Child and Youth Interventions (Society for Prevention Research 26th Annual Meeting)

There is substantial evidence regarding the effectiveness of child and youth programs to improve child wellbeing and reduce child adversities. Many of these programs are complex multicomponent interventions delivered on multiple levels (e.g., individual, family, school), for multiple beneficiaries (e.g., child, parent, teacher), using multiple behavioral change techniques (e.g., parenting, mindfulness, classroom management), with a variety of process elements (e.g., group problem solving, role-plays, practicing skills), and structural components (e.g., group sessions, home visits, web-based learning). Many have also been tested using randomized controlled trial designs, demonstrating positive effects in individual trials and meta-analyses. At the same time, there is limited knowledge regarding the essential components for child and youth interventions and whether interventions contain either superfluous or even harmful components that undermine effectiveness, implementation, and dissemination.

This dynamic 20x20 presentation will present a diversity of innovative research methods that can be used to optimize child and youth interventions at the development, evaluation, and implementation phase of prevention research. It is in alignment with the special conference theme, “Application of research design and methods for optimizing prevention science.” The papers will highlight different methodologies that have both a scientific value regarding how psychosocial problems develop and the mechanisms of change, as well as an applied value in terms of improving the effectiveness, efficiency, scalability, transferability, adaptability, and tailoring of evidence-based interventions.

The first paper provides an overview of the need for optimization of child and youth interventions, some of the key research methods, and the strengths and weaknesses of these methods. The second paper highlights the utility of combining individual participant data analysis and aggregate multilevel meta-analysis to test differential age effects of parenting interventions. The third paper focuses on the cross-synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence of a teacher classroom management program in order to optimize systematic review results for policymakers. The fourth paper uses qualitative comparative analysis to identify content and delivery components necessary for program effectiveness of online parenting support programs on child behavior problems and parental mental health. The fifth paper presents a real-world application of the Multiphase Optimization Strategy to optimize a parenting program for effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and scalability in Southeastern Europe. And finally, the sixth paper considers the importance of adaptation to optimize the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based interventions.

In summary, this 20x20 will illuminate the benefits of considering novel methodologies to optimize child and youth interventions from the development to dissemination stage by providing real world examples of applications of these approaches in the field of prevention science.