An evaluation of the FRIENDS programme: a cognitive behaviour therapy intervention to promote emotional resilience

Stallard, Paul; Simpson, Neil; Anderson, Sue; Carter, Tim; Osborn, Caroline; Bush, Sophie

doi:10.1136/adc.2004.068163

Cited by 89 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…CBT treatments have the advantage over some other treatment approaches in that they are generally manual-based, meaning that non-psychologist health professionals (e.g. nurses) can be trained in their delivery [49,50,53,56,71]. This enables CBT programmes, including potential CBT programmes for treating obesity in adolescents, to be widely disseminated, increasing the availability of effective treatment programmes.…”

Section: Cognitive Behavioural Therapymentioning

confidence: 98%

Treatment of adolescent overweight and obesity

et al. 2007

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Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of obesity, and adolescent weight tracks strongly into adulthood. Previous reviews of treatment strategies have failed to discriminate between adolescents and children, thereby, disregarding the uniqueness of this population. Hence, this review aims to summarise the evidence for treatment approaches for adolescent obesity. Pubmed, OVID, EBSCOhost and Google Scholar were searched for randomised controlled trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews testing treatments for overweight/obese adolescents (aged 12-19 years), published from 1982-2006 in English. Eligible studies had to assess either weight, percentage overweight, body mass index (BMI) or body fat. Thirty-four randomised controlled trials were eligible. The results of this review indicate that the safety and efficacy of surgical and pharmacotherapy treatments for adolescent obesity is uncertain. Diet and physical activity approaches may improve obese status in the short term. However, obesity interventions appear more effective when strategies are combined, rather than when used in isolation. Psychological interventions, such as behavioural and cognitive behavioural therapy, show promise in achieving the necessary lifestyle changes for obesity reduction; however, long-term follow-up studies are needed. There were multiple limitations in appraising the literature. Inconsistent definitions of overweight/obesity make comparisons between studies difficult. Many studies have not used direct adiposity measures, have failed to assess pubertal status or have not used an exclusive adolescent sample. We conclude that, despite these limitations, current evidence indicates that behavioural and cognitive behavioural strategies combined with diet and physical activity approaches may assist in reducing adolescent obesity,although long-term follow-up studies are needed.

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Section: Cognitive Behavioural Therapymentioning

confidence: 98%

Treatment of adolescent overweight and obesity

et al. 2007

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“…Furthermore, the percentage of students who moved to sub-threshold diagnostic status following the FRIENDS intervention was significantly higher than in the control condition (73% vs. 38%, Bernstein et al, 2005;69% vs. 6%, Shortt et al, 2001). In addition, separate analyses were conducted for those students identified as at-risk within several universal-prevention studies (Lowry-Webster et al, 2001;Stallard et al, 2005;Stallard, Simpson, Anderson, Hibbert, & Osborn, 2007), therein identifying significant effects for this targeted group in addition to those identified for the larger population studied. Taken together, these results suggest that the FRIENDS program may benefit all students through the teaching of coping skills.…”

Section: General Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the exception of two studies by Stallard et al (2005Stallard et al ( , 2007, in which school nurses delivered program content, the remaining investigations relied upon trained researchers or therapists to implement the curriculum. As a result, little is currently known about the cost involved, the training and support required, or the feasibility of implementing FRIENDS with typical school personnel.…”

Section: Key Features and Descriptive Or Supplemental Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the Prevalence of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: An Evaluation of the Evidence Base for the FRIENDS for Life Program

Briesch

Sanetti

Briesch

2010

School Mental Health

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Current estimates suggest that between 8 and 22% of children and adolescents may suffer from an anxiety disorder. Effective intervention efforts are therefore clearly needed to reduce the likelihood of anxious symptoms and promote healthy functioning. One intervention that appears feasible for use in schools and was designed to target anxiety symptoms is the FRIENDS for Life program. Evaluation of FRIENDS has been limited in the United States; however, criteria for evaluation of such programs are available. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to review the research base regarding the FRIENDS for Life program and apply coding procedures to examine program effectiveness. Overall, results suggested promise for use in school-based settings, given demonstrated effectiveness in reducing anxiety symptoms in both universal and targeted populations when implemented within the school ecology. Limitations of the existing evidence base, however, are discussed, thus providing direction for future research.

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“…Studies of the effectiveness of the FRIENDS for Life program have been conducted at the universal, selective, and indicated level of prevention (i.e, Barrett & Turner, 2001; Lowry-Webster, Barrett & Dadds, 2001;Lock & Barrrett, 2003, Barrett, Farrell, Ollendick & Dadds, 2006, Stallard, Simpson, Anderson, Osborn & Bush, 2005. However, only three of them have focused on evaluating the social validity of the program.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Validity evaluation of the FRIENDS for Life Program with Mexican Children

Guajardo¹,

Romero²,

Garza-Tamez³

et al. 2013

Journal of Education and Training Studies

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This study is the first social validity evaluation of the Spanish version of the FRIENDS for Life program with Mexican children. FRIENDS for Life is a cognitive-behavioral intervention aimed at increasing social and emotional competence and decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms in children. The program is designed to empower children and families by teaching relaxation techniques, coping and interpersonal skills, and positive thinking. Participants were 498 students, ages 9 to 11. Upon completion of the program, students, parents, and teachers were surveyed regarding their perceptions on the utility and enjoyability, and their global satisfaction. Results indicate that students, parents, and teachers evaluate the program as helpful and enjoyable. Gender differences were found, girls reported the program as more useful and enjoyable than boys. The skill that students and parents found more useful was changing negative thoughts into positive, and positive correlations were also found between level of satisfaction and outcome measures.

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An evaluation of the FRIENDS programme: a cognitive behaviour therapy intervention to promote emotional resilience

Cited by 89 publications

References 21 publications

Treatment of adolescent overweight and obesity

Treatment of adolescent overweight and obesity

Reducing the Prevalence of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: An Evaluation of the Evidence Base for the FRIENDS for Life Program

Social Validity evaluation of the FRIENDS for Life Program with Mexican Children

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