Suchergebnisse

Converting research evidence into practice is an issue of growing importance to many fields of policy and practice worldwide. This book, by a leading implementation specialist in child welfare and mental health, addresses the frustrating gap between research conducted on effective practices and the lack of routine use of such practices. Drawing on implementation science, the author introduces a model for reducing the gap between research and practice. This model highlights the roles of social networks, research evidence, practitioner/policymaker decision-making, research-practice-policy partnerships, and cultural exchanges between researchers and practitioners and policymakers. He concludes with a discussion of how the model may be used to develop more widespread use of evidence-based practices for the prevention and treatment of behavioural and mental health problems in youth-serving systems of care, as well as partnerships that promote ongoing quality improvement in services delivery

Converting research evidence into practice is an issue of growing importance to many fields of policy and practice worldwide. This book, by a leading implementation specialist in child welfare and mental health, addresses the frustrating gap between research conducted on effective practices and the lack of routine use of such practices. Drawing on implementation science, the author introduces a model for reducing the gap between research and practice. This model highlights the roles of social networks, research evidence, practitioner/policymaker decision-making, research-practice-policy partnerships, and cultural exchanges between researchers and practitioners and policymakers. He concludes with a discussion of how the model may be used to develop more widespread use of evidence-based practices for the prevention and treatment of behavioural and mental health problems in youth-serving systems of care, as well as partnerships that promote ongoing quality improvement in services delivery.

This book addresses the frustrating gap between research conducted on effective practices and the lack of routine use of such practices. The author introduces a model for reducing this gap, highlighting the roles of social networks, research evidence, practitioner/policymaker decision-making, and research-practice-policy partnerships.

Achieving the goals of social work requires matching a specific solution to a specific problem. Understanding why the problem exists and why the solution should work requires a consideration of cause and effect. However, it is unclear whether it is desirable for social workers to identify cause and effect, whether it is possible for social workers to identify cause and effect, and, if so, what is the best means for doing so. These questions are central to determining the possibility of developing a science of social work and how we go about doing it. This article has four aims: (1) provide an overview of the nature of causality; (2) examine how causality is treated in social work research and practice; (3) highlight the role of quantitative and qualitative methods in the search for causality; and (4) demonstrate how both methods can be employed to support a "science" of social work.

This article examines the influence of physical and social environmental stressors on the short-term and long-term health and well-being of 358 enlisted U.S. Navy personnel who wintered-over in Antarctica between 1964 and 1974. Station size and severity of physical environment were significantly inversely associated with symptomatology of the winter-over syndrome. These characteristics of station environments were also significantly inversely associated with subsequent risk of total first hospital admissions relative to a group of 2,396 enlisted Navy men who volunteered for winter-over duty and were evaluated as medically and psychologically qualified for such duty but who were assigned elsewhere. The results suggest that adaptation to extreme social and physical environments may provide long-term health benefits for certain individuals.

This commentary reviews three articles linked together by two themes (a) the use of cultural adaptation of evidence-based practices to reduce disparities in health and services delivery and (b) the importance of collaboration involving intervention developers, practitioners, and consumers when delivering services. Both themes illustrate a process of cultural exchange, enabling researchers to develop interventions that are more meaningful and acceptable to consumers; providers to develop a stronger therapeutic alliance with consumers; and consumers to develop greater understanding and acceptance of treatment process. Such exchanges lead to improved consumer outcomes and greater satisfaction with services. By serving as a culture broker or change agents, social workers can play a leadership role in the translation of research to practice.

1. Introduction -- 2. Evidence-based practice -- 3. Evidence and its sources -- 4. Supporting evidence-based practice -- 5. Challenges of using EBP in social work practice -- 6. Controversies -- 7. Globalization of evidence-based practice -- 8. Creating a professional culture for evidence-based practice.

Seasonal variation in mood and behavior was examined in 87 American men and women who spent the 1991 austral winter at three different research stations in Antarctica. The South Pole station (90° S) crew reported a significant decline in tension/anxiety, depression, anger, confusion, and fatigue from March to August, followed by a significant increase in tension/anxiety and fatigue and a significant decline in vigor from August to October. The McMurdo station (78°51'S) crew also reported a significant decline in tension/anxiety from March to July and a significant increase in tension/anxiety from July to August. In contrast, the Palmer station (64°46'S) crew experienced no significant changes in any mood subscale from May to October. The nonlinear pattern of change in mood suggests that adaptation to prolonged isolation and confinement in an extreme environment occurs in two or three stages.