Michael Saini

Systematic synthesis of qualitative research

Preface Part I. The Integration of Qualitative Research within Evidence-Based Practice 1. Evolution of Qualitative Synthesis within Systematic Reviews 2. Methods to Aggregating, Integrating, and Interpreting Qualitative Research 3. Mixed Method Designs for Including Qualitative Research 4. Clarifying Methodological Issues: A Way Forward Part II. Systematic Approach for Qualitative Synthesis 5. A Systematic Approach for Conducting Qualitative Synthesis 6. Searching and Screening Qualitative Studies 7. Appraising the Evidence of Qualitative Studies Part III. Qualitative Synthesis as Evidence for Social Work Practice and Policy 8. Reporting Systematic Qualitative Synthesis 9. Future Directions for Social Work Practice and Policy Appendix A. Systematic Information Retrieval Coding Sheet Appendix B. Critical Appraisal Tool Glossary References Index

Interventions to Prevent and Reduce Cyber Abuse of Youth: A Systematic Review

Objectives: The Internet has created a new communication tool, particularly for young people whose use of electronic communication is exploding worldwide. While there are many benefits that result from electronic-based communication, the Internet is concurrently a potential site for abuse and victimization. Methods: This paper systematically reviews the effectiveness of cyber abuse interventions in increasing Internet safety knowledge and decreasing risky online behavior. Results: Significant results were found between pre- and posttest scores related to Internet safety knowledge. Most results related to risky online behavior were not significant. Conclusions: Results provide evidence that participation in psychoeducational Internet safety interventions is associated with an increase in Internet safety knowledge but is not significantly associated with a change in risky online behavior.

Types of parental involvement in CBT with anxious youth: A preliminary meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE Meta-analytic studies have not confirmed that involving parents in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for anxious children is therapeutically beneficial. There is also great heterogeneity in the type of parental involvement included. We investigated parental involvement focused on contingency management (CM) and transfer of control (TC) as a potential outcome moderator using a meta-analysis with individual patient data. METHOD Investigators of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CBT for anxious children, identified systematically, were invited to submit their data. Conditions in each RCT were coded based on type of parental involvement in CBT (i.e., low involvement, active involvement without emphasis on CM or TC, active involvement with emphasis on CM or TC). Treatment outcomes were compared using a 1-stage meta-analysis. RESULTS All cases involved in active treatment (894 of 1,618) were included for subgroup analyses. Across all CBT groups, means of clinical severity, anxiety, and internalizing symptoms significantly decreased posttreatment and were comparable across groups. The group without emphasis on CM or TC showed a higher proportion with posttreatment anxiety diagnoses than the low-involvement group. Between posttreatment and 1-year follow-up, the proportion with anxiety diagnoses significantly decreased in CBT with active parental involvement with emphasis on CM or TC, whereas treatment gains were merely maintained in the other 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS CBT for anxious children is an effective treatment with or without active parental involvement. However, CBT with active parental involvement emphasizing CM or TC may support long-term maintenance of treatment gains. RESULTS should be replicated as additional RCTs are published.

Executive Function Impairments in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Do They Differ between School and Home Environments?

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to compare parent and teacher reports of executive function (EF), as measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), on a sample of children who had been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If differences were found, the secondary purpose was to explore these differences by determining which of the 8 BRIEF scales, each representing a different EF, would best predict symptoms of ADHD by the 2 proxy reporters. Method: We performed a secondary data analysis on the assessment information pertaining to 240 children, aged 5 to 15 years, accessing services at an urban Toronto psychiatric program specializing in ADHD. We compared parent and teacher ratings and applied logistical binary regressions to predict the probability of a childs meeting the criteria for clinically significant inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity on the ADHD Rating Scale-IV. Results: As expected, teachers reported more variety and severity of EF impairments than did parents. In addition, teachers used inhibition, organization of materials, and planning and organizing as predictors of ADHD symptoms, whereas parents relied predominantly on inhibition, working memory, and planning and organizing as the risk factors. Conclusion: Consistent with the current theory, EF impairments, particularly in inhibition, appear to underlie the behavioural manifestation of ADHD. However, parents and teachers do not always agree when reporting EF impairments at home and in school. Thus information from both types of informants is essential for understanding and treating children with this disorder.

A scoping review of qualitative studies about children experiencing parental separation

This article explores a scoping review of qualitative studies about children’s experiences and feelings during times of parental separation. The purpose of the review was to explore children’s feelings and attitudes about their parents’ separation and how their voices are heard during times of parental separation. The scoping review examined 44 studies in 13 countries involving 1525 children. While the studies examine how and why children’s voices are important in the decision-making process adults typically remain the gatekeepers of their voices. Children’s participation in child custody decision-making must include them at all levels of practice, policy and research.

A Qualitative Synthesis of Children’s Participation in Custody Disputes

Objectives: This qualitative synthesis explores the voices of children in the context of child custody disputes over the last 20 years. The purpose was to (1) systematically retrieve qualitative studies to explore children’s views and preferences in the context of decision making postseparation and divorce and (2) explore how children’s voices are being heard or not. Method: Qualitative studies were identified through a systematic retrieval process using an inclusion and exclusion criteria. A meta-ethnographic approach was used for the qualitative synthesis of included studies. Results: Thirty-five qualitative studies were included in the final analysis, involving 1,325 children from 11 countries. Conclusions: Findings reveal that children generally want to be engaged in the decision-making process regarding custody and access, even if they are not making the final decisions. Implications for social work practice and policy are discussed, including providing space for children’s voices within the context of this work.

Development, inter-rater reliability and feasibility of a checklist to assess implementation (Ch-IMP) in systematic reviews: the case of provider-based prevention and treatment programs targeting children and youth

BackgroundSeveral papers report deficiencies in the reporting of information about the implementation of interventions in clinical trials. Information about implementation is also required in systematic reviews of complex interventions to facilitate the translation and uptake of evidence of provider-based prevention and treatment programs. To capture whether and how implementation is assessed within systematic effectiveness reviews, we developed a checklist for implementation (Ch-IMP) and piloted it in a cohort of reviews on provider-based prevention and treatment interventions for children and young people. This paper reports on the inter-rater reliability, feasibility and reasons for discrepant ratings.MethodsChecklist domains were informed by a framework for program theory; items within domains were generated from a literature review. The checklist was pilot-tested on a cohort of 27 effectiveness reviews targeting children and youth. Two raters independently extracted information on 47 items. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using percentage agreement and unweighted kappa coefficients. Reasons for discrepant ratings were content analysed.ResultsKappa coefficients ranged from 0.37 to 1.00 and were not influenced by one-sided bias. Most kappa values were classified as excellent (n = 20) or good (n = 17) with a few items categorised as fair (n = 7) or poor (n = 1). Prevalence-adjusted kappa coefficients indicate good or excellent agreement for all but one item. Four areas contributed to scoring discrepancies: 1) clarity or sufficiency of information provided in the review; 2) information missed in the review; 3) issues encountered with the tool; and 4) issues encountered at the review level. Use of the tool demands time investment and it requires adjustment to improve its feasibility for wider use.ConclusionsThe case of provider-based prevention and treatment interventions showed relevancy in developing and piloting the Ch-IMP as a useful tool for assessing the extent to which systematic reviews assess the quality of implementation. The checklist could be used by authors and editors to improve the quality of systematic reviews, and shows promise as a pedagogical tool to facilitate the extraction and reporting of implementation characteristics.

Victims of Sexual Violence in the Canadian Criminal Courts

Abstract The literature on victims of sexual violence in the criminal justice system has overwhelmingly pointed to the negative impact of these encounters. This research project sought to explore various aspects that might contribute to harm by conducting in-depth qualitative interviews and collecting limited quantitative data on 31 victims who had encountered various processes in the justice system. Results indicated a wide range of experiences, indicating that no interactions within the system were universally harmful or helpful. Victim experience was shaped by the attitudes and behaviors of specific people within the system demonstrating the importance each individual plays in their official capacity. In the final analysis however, victim satisfaction with the jail term was key to understanding experiences of harm.

Parenting Online: An Exploration of Virtual Parenting Time in the Context of Separation and Divorce

With each successive generation, the growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) is exponential as a central fixture within our society. The increased use of technology has spawned a new area of research to explore childrens reconfiguration of intimate relationships after separation. There is growing interest in the use and impact of ICT to facilitate parent–child relationships in child custody disputes. This review of both the legal cases and social science literature explores whether virtual parenting time can facilitate, maintain, enhance, or replace in-person parent–child contact. The review highlights the benefits and drawbacks of virtual parenting time and provides suggestions for considering the optimal use of ICT within parenting plans.

A Qualitative Synthesis of Children's Experiences of Shared Care Post Divorce

Objectives: Children’s views and experiences of shared care arrangements post separation were explored to provide their voices to the ongoing discussions of shared parenting.Methods: Qualitative synthesis included a systematic and transparent method for retrieval, screening, and analysing qualitative studies. The inclusion criteria accepted studies that were: qualitative in design; included children as participants in shared care parenting time post-separation.Results: Ten qualitative studies in six different countries with 466 children and young adults were included in the final analysis. Children’s experiences of shared care parenting post separation were mixed and varied depending on contextual factors related to their relationship with both parents, as well the quality of these relationships and the flexibility/rigidity of the parenting arrangement.Implications: Hearing from children and young adults directly helps to move the shared care debate away from binary arguments about sole versus shared care based on parents’ rights and advocacy views.