PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF PATHS PROGRAM (PERSIAN VERSION) EFFECTS ON BEHAVIORAL ANTECEDENTS OF DRUG ABUSE: A DEVELOPMENTALLY ORIENTED PREVENTION STRATEGY
Abstract ID: 447 Presentation Type: Oral
Submission Author: Behnam Behrad
Behnam Behrad1
1. Assistant Professor of Health Psychology, Research Institute of Education
Background and Aim : According to UNODC international standards on drug use prevention (2013), prevention is a developmentally oriented process initiated from prenatal and infancy, early childhood, middle childhood . . . to adulthood. Drug abuse as a risk behavior is rooted in some antecedents before adolescence specifically in early childhood developmental period. Although all of these periods are important but early childhood and middle childhood are critical periods of development that education and preventive interventions in these periods have great effects on prevention of drug abuse in adolescence and early adulthood. Also according to UNODC (2013, 2015) and NIDA (2003) regardless of universal alcohol and tobacco policies, preventive efforts in early and middle childhood are the best strategies for prevention of drug abuse. Furthermore
researches showed that only evidence based programs had preventive effects on drug abuse (NIDA, 2003, 2014).Thus, any effort or practices are not effective and only the evidence based programs are effective for prevention of drug abuse. PATHS(Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) is an universal evidence based program that was confirmed by NIDA as exemplary program (2003), SAMHSA's NREPP(2007) as model program, as well as blueprint certified model program in early and middle childhood (Blueprints for healthy youth development, 2016). PATHS is an universal Program for prevention of behavioral antecedents of drug abuse as well as other problem behaviors for grades k-6. The program also helps to healthy development of children, and promoting of their social and emotional competency. Persian version of the program recently has been translated and adopted culturally (Behrad, 2014). The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of PATHS program on reduction of behavioral antecedents of drug abuse such as aggression, low social and emotional skills, etc.
Methods : The sample of the study was 900 k-6 grades students in two primary schools of district 2 education. The samples were selected conventionally and randomly assigned in two experimental and control groups (Quasi-experimental Design). The students were assessed by PATHS evaluation kit as well as CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist) before and after of intervention.
Results : Some preliminary findings of the first year implementation of the program are presented in this article. The ANCOVA results showed that problem behaviors such as aggression, emotional dysregulation and some destructive behaviors decreased (p<0.01) . Results also indicated supportive factors such as positive social and emotional behaviors that help children resist to risk behaviors include initiating drug abuse increased (p<0.01).
Conclusion : The prevention of drug abuse and consequently addiction is a national priority. Initiating of drug abuse in adolescence is rooted in some behavioral antecedents in early and middle childhood. Therefore Prevention of addiction is a developmentally oriented process that must be initiated before of adolescence and through evidence based programs. PATHS is an evidence based universal intervention that is implemented in over 30 countries around world. First year implementation of the Persian version of the PATHS program confirmed promising effects of the program on reduction of behavioral antecedents of risk behaviors such as drug abuse.
Keywords : PATHS program, Prevention, Problem Behavior, Drug abuse, Behavioral antecedents
Annual International Addiction Science Congress (2016). Razi Convention Center, Tehran, Iran. September 14-16,
The application of Bhatt’s Knowledge Management Strategy in the Organization of Schools with the use of Self-organized Teams of Teachers
HassaniShalmani, Mohammad Hassan., & Toorani, Heidar.
Abstract
Education, to make maximum use of its human and physical resources, needs to establish social space-generating capacity to meet its goals. The most important problem, according to experts’ opinions, which has damaged the effectiveness of schools, is the lack of a competitive environment schools. Therefore, it is required to draw up a framework to increase competition among schools. To establish such structure, several factors which facilitate implementation are required. Therefore, using the theoretical framework and experiences of countries, facilitating factors in applying the self-organized teams were extracted. Attitudes of teachers and administrators in relation to these factors should be investigated to measure the preparedness of education to apply these factors. This article with considering KAP research, which is focused on preparedness (knowledge), attitudes and behavior, attempts to concentrate on the establishing teachers’ level of preparedness and achieving self-organized teams. For this purpose, using a questionnaire, attitudes of elementary school principals in Tehran were evaluated. The results show preparedness and a positive attitude of principals and teachers about the desired factors.
Keywords: knowledge management, self-organized teams of teachers, factors affecting the development of self-organized teams of teachers.
HassaniShalmani, M.H., & Toorani, H. (2016). The application of Bhatt's knowledge management strategy in the organization of schools with the use of self-organized teams of teachers. Problems and Perspectives in Management. 14 (3): 65 – 75.
doi:10.21511/ppm.14(3).2016.06
Please refer to the research institute's website for full coverage.