Ines Conrad

School-based prevention programs for depression and anxiety in adolescence: a systematic review.

School-based interventions are considered a promising effort to prevent the occurrence of mental disorders in adolescents. This systematic review focuses on school-based prevention interventions on depression and anxiety disorders utilizing an RCT design, starting from the year 2000. Based on an online search (PubMed, Scirus, OVID, ISI) and bibliographic findings in the eligible articles, 28 studies providing information were reviewed. The search process ended on 2 May 2011. The majority of interventions turn out to be effective, both for depression (65%) and anxiety (73%). However, the obtained overall mean effect sizes calculated from the most utilized questionnaires can be considered rather small (CDI: -0.12; RCMAS: -0.29). The majority of the reviewed school-based interventions shows effectiveness in reducing or preventing mental disorders in adolescents. However, effect size computation revealed only small-scale effectiveness. Future studies have to consider the impact of program implementation variations.

The psychometric properties of the German version of the WHOQOL-OLD in the German population aged 60 and older

BackgroundThe WHOQOL-OLD is an instrument for the assessment of subjective quality of life in elderly people. It is based on the WHO definition of quality of life and is available in more than 20 languages. However, in most countries, the psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-OLD have been assessed only on the basis of small local samples and not in representative studies. In this study, the psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-OLD are evaluated based on a representative sample of Germanys elderly population.MethodsFace-to-face interviews with 1133 respondents from the German population aged 60 years and older were conducted. Quality of life was assessed by means of the WHOQOL-BREF, the WHOQOL-OLD and the SF12. Moreover, the GDS, the DemTect and the IADL were applied for the assessment of depressive symptoms, cognitive capacities and capacity for carrying out daily activities. Psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-OLD were evaluated by means of classical and probabilistic test theory, confirmatory factor analysis and multivariate regression model.ResultsCronbachs alpha was found to be above 0.85 for four and above .75 for two of the six facets of the WHOQOL-OLD. IRT analyses indicated that all items of the WHOQOL-OLD contribute considerably to the measurement of the associated facets. While the six-facet structure of the WHOQOL-OLD was well supported by the results of the confirmatory factor analysis, a common latent factor for the WHOQOL-OLD total scale could not be identified. Correlations with other quality of life measures and multivariate regression models with GDS, IADL and the DemTect indicate a good criterion validity of all six WHOQOL-OLD facets.ConclusionsStudy results confirm that the good psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-OLD that have been found in international studies could be replicated in a representative study of the German population. These results suggest that the WHOQOL-OLD is an instrument that is well suited to identify the needs and the wishes of an aging population.

Info-Pocket-Guides als Beitrag zur Prävention psychischer Erkrankungen

OBJECTIVE To assess how Info-Pocket-Guides (IPG) are judged as an overall concept, with specific consideration for their content and design in terms of a successful contribution to the prevention of mental illnesses. METHODS Altogether, eight student focus groups were conducted and differentiated according to sex, age, and educational system. RESULTS Mainly, the respondents consider the IPGs as an appealing design, as well as a convenient and well-liked source of information. Some amendments regarding the range of topics were suggested. CONCLUSIONS While there were doubts on the direct benefit of IPGs for the affected person, they were considered highly valuable for relatives and friends. For the acceptance of IPGs, an age-appropriate and context-involving mediation was found decisive.

Unterstützte Elternschaft – zur Umsetzung des Artikels 23 der UN-BRK

Zusammenfassung Die vom Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS) geförderte Studie liefert aus der Sicht von Jugend- und Sozialämtern, Projekten und Eltern mit Beeinträchtigungen eine Bestandsaufnahme zu Angeboten, Bedarfsgerechtigkeit und Finanzierungskonzepten sowie Aussagen zu Herausforderungen bei der Realisierung des Rechts auf selbstbestimmte Elternschaft. Die Ergebnisse belegen einen hohen Bedarf an Weiterbildung und an einem flächendeckenden Ausbau bedarfsgerechter Angebote zur Unterstützung der Eltern gemäß Artikel 23 der UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention (UN-BRK) und Artikel § 78 des Bundesteilhabegesetzes (BTHG).

Lebensqualität im Alter

Es existiert eine Vielzahl an Theorien zum Konstrukt Lebensqualitat (LQ) im Alter. Dies spiegelt sich auch bei der Erfassung der LQ alterer Menschen wider - bis heute besteht keine allgemeingultige Theorie. In der Gerontologie wurde von Anfang an das Subjektive Wohlbefinden bzw. die Lebenszufriedenheit als Indikator fur erfolgreiches Altern betrachtet. In den letzten Jahren ist ein deutlicher Trend zu erkennen, LQ verstarkt als individuumsbezogenes und multidimensionales Konstrukt aufzufassen. Nur wenige Instrumente zur Erfassung der LQ sind fur altere Menschen entwickelt worden. Aktuelle Studien belegen, dass es sich zwar um eine sehr heterogene Gruppe handelt, jedoch Faktoren, wie z. B. chronische Erkrankungen, Depressivitat oder kognitiver Status, die LQ beeinflussen konnen.

The film festival “AUSNAHME|ZUSTAND” (State of Emergency)--do feature films and documentaries on mental health reduce stigma and influence help-seeking attitudes?

The study aims at evaluating the impact of the Germany-wide film festival “AUSNAHME|ZUSTAND” on social distance and help-seeking attitudes of the adolescent audience. The festival, on the subject of mental health, was staged for the second time, aiming to give a podium to the topic mental health and to inform and entertain an adolescent audience that has not been in close contact with the subject before. A pre-post test was carried out to look for the effect of feature films and documentaries on social distance of the audience towards people with mental illness and on the change in help-seeking attitudes. A total of 532 young people with a mean age of 15.6 were questioned during the film festival in Leipzig. As the results show, the effect on the viewers׳ social distance and their help-seeking attitudes strongly depend on the content of the feature films and documentaries. Two films improved attitudes – one both social distance and help-seeking, one only help-seeking. One film increased social distance, and two films did not affect either outcome. Age, gender, and knowing someone with mental health problems also turned out to be decisive factors influencing the development of social distance and help-seeking attitudes. Feature films or documentaries about mental illness can reduce social distance or influence help-seeking attitudes, but effects strongly depend on the particular film.

Evaluation des Projekts „Schulcoaches – Seelische Fitness stärken und Selbsthilfe aktivieren„

− Evaluation eines primarpraventiven Ansatzes zum Erwerb und zur Starkung von Schlusselkompetenzen bei Schulern − zweijahrige Intervention, vom Verein „Irrsinnig Menschlich e.V.“ entwickelt − Implementierung eines Schulcoaches unter Einbeziehung aller Beteiligten des Systems Schule (Schuler, Lehrer, Eltern) − Aufbau von funktionierendem Netzwerk und Kommunikationsstruktur zur nachhaltigen Schaffung von gesundem Schulklima − Fokus im systemischem Arbeiten des Schulcoaches verstarkt auf der Forderung und dem Erhalt der psychischen Gesundheit − Projektschulen: zwei Gymnasien und drei Mittelschulen in Leipzig und im Landkreis Gorlitz (Berucksichtigung regionaler Spezifika)