Journal articles
Allen K, Harris D, Arthur T, Wood G, Buckingham G, Allen K (In Press). Investigating how Prior Knowledge Influences Perception and Action in Developmental Coordination Disorder. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
Hobbs T, Santana De Lima E, Bevington D, Preece C, Allen K, Barna P, Berry V, Booker T, Davies K, Davis G, et al (2023). Kailo: a systemic approach to addressing the social determinants of young people’s mental health and wellbeing at the local level.
Wellcome Open Research,
8, 524-524.
Abstract:
Kailo: a systemic approach to addressing the social determinants of young people’s mental health and wellbeing at the local level
The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is deteriorating. It is increasingly recognised that mental health is a systemic issue, with a wide range of contributing and interacting factors. However, the vast majority of attention and resources are focused on the identification and treatment of mental health disorders, with relatively scant attention on the social determinants of mental health and wellbeing and investment in preventative approaches. Furthermore, there is little attention on how the social determinants manifest or may be influenced at the local level, impeding the design of contextually nuanced preventative approaches. This paper describes a major research and design initiative called Kailo that aims to support the design and implementation of local and contextually nuanced preventative strategies to improve children's and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The Kailo Framework involves structured engagement with a wide range of local partners and stakeholders - including young people, community partners, practitioners and local system leaders - to better understand local systemic influences and support programmes of youth-centred and evidence-informed co-design, prototyping and testing. It is hypothesised that integrating different sources of knowledge, experience, insight and evidence will result in better embedded, more sustainable and more impactful strategies that address the social determinants of young people’s mental health and wellbeing at the local level.
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Green F, Axford N, Eastmond N, Berry V, Mannes J, Allen K, Callaghan L, Hobbs T (2023). Transporting an Evidence-based Youth Development Program to a New Country: a Narrative Description and Analysis of Pre-implementation Adaptation.
J Prev (2022),
44(6), 729-747.
Abstract:
Transporting an Evidence-based Youth Development Program to a New Country: a Narrative Description and Analysis of Pre-implementation Adaptation.
There is a pressing need to prevent and address youth crime and violence owing to its prevalence, harms and cost to society. Interventions with proven effectiveness in doing this exist. Adopting and adapting them in new contexts is potentially cost-effective. However, more research is needed into how to make adaptations that enhance intervention implementation, effectiveness and maintenance in new settings. This article reports the pre-implementation adaptation work involved in transporting Becoming a Man (BAM) from the US to the UK. BAM is a selective school-based youth development program for 12-18 year-old boys that aims to improve school engagement and reduce interactions with the criminal justice system. We describe the nature of and rationale for adaptations and identify learning for future adaptation efforts. An adaptation team comprising the intervention developers, new providers and the evaluators met weekly for 10 weeks, applying a structured, pragmatic and evidence-informed approach to adapt the BAM curriculum and implementation process. Changes were informed by documentary analysis, group-based discussions and site visits. The group agreed 27 changes to the content of 17/30 lessons, at both surface (e.g. cultural references) and deep (key mechanisms or concepts) levels. of 28 contextual factors considered, 15 discrepancies between the US and UK were identified and resolved (e.g. differences in staffing arrangements). Strengths of the process were the blend of expertise on the adaptation team in the program and local context, and constant reference to and ongoing refinement of the program theory of change. Limitations included the lack of involvement of school staff or students. Further research is needed into potential conflicts between stakeholder perspectives during adaptation and whose views to prioritise and when.
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Allen K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Ford T, Bonell C, Finning K, Fredlund M, Gainsbury A, Berry V (2022). Family focused interventions that address parental domestic violence and abuse, mental ill-health, and substance misuse in combination: a systematic review.
PLoS One,
17(7).
Abstract:
Family focused interventions that address parental domestic violence and abuse, mental ill-health, and substance misuse in combination: a systematic review.
Parental domestic violence and abuse (DVA), mental ill-health (MH), and substance misuse (SU) are three public health issues that tend to cluster within families, risking negative impacts for both parents and children. Despite this, service provision for these issues has been historically siloed, increasing the barriers families face to accessing support. Our review aimed to identify family focused interventions that have combined impacts on parental DVA, MH, and/or SU. We searched 10 databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL, Education Research Information Centre, Sociological Abstracts, Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from inception to July 2021 for randomised controlled trials examining the effectiveness of family focused, psychosocial, preventive interventions targeting parents/carers at risk of, or experiencing, DVA, MH, and/or SU. Studies were included if they measured impacts on two or more of these issues. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2 was used to quality appraise studies, which were synthesised narratively, grouped in relation to the combination of DVA, MH, and/or SU outcomes measured. Harvest plots were used to illustrate the findings. Thirty-seven unique studies were identified for inclusion. of these, none had a combined positive impact on all three outcomes and only one study demonstrated a combined positive impact on two outcomes. We also found studies that had combined adverse, mixed, or singular impacts. Most studies were based in the U.S. targeted mothers, and were rated as 'some concerns' or 'high risk' of bias. The results highlight the distinct lack of evidence for, and no 'best bet', family focused interventions targeting these often-clustered risks. This may, in part, be due to the ways interventions are currently conceptualised or designed to influence the relationships between DVA, MH, and/or SU. Trial registration: PROSPERO registration: CRD42020210350.
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Allen K, Hansford L, Hayes R, Longdon B, Allwood M, Price A, Byford S, Norwich B, Ford T (2022). Teachers' views on the acceptability and implementation of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme in English (UK) primary schools from the STARS trial.
Br J Educ Psychol,
92(3), 1160-1177.
Abstract:
Teachers' views on the acceptability and implementation of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme in English (UK) primary schools from the STARS trial.
BACKGROUND: the Incredible Years® (IY) Teacher Classroom Management (TCM) programme may reduce disruptive behaviour in the classroom and improve child and teacher mental health; however, few studies have considered how acceptable TCM is to teachers or what facilitators and barriers there are to its implementation. AIMS: in this paper we examine the acceptability of the full 6-day TCM programme and teachers' perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation in the English (UK) primary school context. SAMPLE: Forty-four English (UK) primary school teachers who attended the TCM programme as part of the STARS trial. METHODS: We completed focus groups and telephone interviews with participating teachers 2 months after they completed the TCM programme. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data, and a framework approach was applied to organize and summarize themes. RESULTS: Teachers liked the structure of the course, the peer group learning environment, delivery methods, and the opportunity to reflect outside the classroom on their practice. They reported that the video clips used lacked cultural relevance and highlighted the importance of group leadership style. Perceived facilitators to implementation included an understanding of the theory underpinning TCM and adaptability of the TCM strategies. Barriers included perceived gaps in the course content in relation to challenging behaviour, applying strategies with older children and the school context within which teachers were working. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest high levels of acceptability to TCM overall, but also highlight the need for a whole school approach to combat potential barriers to implementation.
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Harris DJ, Allen KL, Vine SJ, Wilson MR (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between flow states and performance.
International Review of Sport and Exercise PsychologyAbstract:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between flow states and performance
Flow is an optimal experience that has received particular interest within sport because of a possible relationship with enhanced athletic performances. Yet, the strength and direction of the putative flow–performance relationship remain unclear. Consequently, a PRISMA guided systematic review was conducted in May 2020 to examine the empirical evidence for a flow–performance relationship, to examine potential mechanisms, and to assess the quality of current evidence. Peer-reviewed articles that examined the relationship between flow and performance in sport or computer gaming tasks were searched for using five online databases. The results were collated into a narrative synthesis and a meta-analysis. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria, featuring 22 studies that were appropriate for meta-analysis. The overall quality of the studies was fairly good, with a mean quality assessment score of 76.5% (SD = 9.7). The pooled effect size (r = 0.31, 95% CI [0.24; 0.38]) indicated that across a range of sport and gaming tasks there was a medium-sized flow–performance relationship. However, current evidence is unable to determine the causal direction of this relationship or the mechanisms that mediate it. A number of conceptual and methodological challenges facing the study of flow are discussed and recommendations for future work are outlined.
Abstract.
Arthur T, Harris D, Allen K, Naylor C, Wood G, Vine S, Wilson M, Tsaneva-Atanasova K, Buckingham G (2021). Visuo-motor attention during object interaction in children with developmental coordination disorder.
CortexAbstract:
Visuo-motor attention during object interaction in children with developmental coordination disorder
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) describes a condition of poor motor performance in the absence of intellectual impairment. Despite being one of the most prevalent developmental disorders, little is known about how fundamental visuomotor processes might function in this group. One prevalent idea is children with DCD interact with their environment in a less predictive fashion than typically developing children. A metric of prediction which has not been examined in this group is the degree to which the hands and eyes are coordinated when performing manual tasks. To this end, we examined hand and eye movements during an object lifting task in a group of children with DCD (n=19) and an age-matched group of children without DCD (n=39). We observed no differences between the groups in terms of how well they coordinated their hands and eyes when lifting objects, nor in terms of the degree by which the eye led the hand. We thus find no evidence to support the proposition that children with DCD coordinate their hands and eyes in a non-predictive fashion. In a follow-up exploratory analysis we did, however, note differences in fundamental patterns of eye movements between the groups, with children in the DCD group showing some evidence of atypical visual sampling strategies and gaze anchoring behaviours during the task.
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Allen K, Hansford L, Hayes R, Allwood M, Byford S, Longdon B, Price A, Ford T (2020). Teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the Incredible Years<sup>®</sup> Teacher Classroom Management programme on their practice and on the social and emotional development of their pupils.
British Journal of Educational Psychology,
90(S1), 75-90.
Abstract:
Teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme on their practice and on the social and emotional development of their pupils
Background: the Incredible Years® (IY) Teacher Classroom Management (TCM) programme may be an effective way to reduce teacher stress levels, improve child behaviour, and promote positive socio-emotional development. However, few studies have considered what teachers think of the course and how it might work. Aims: in this paper, we examine teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the TCM programme and how it might work in the classroom. Sample(s): Forty-four UK primary school teachers who attended the TCM programme as part of the STARS trial (Ford et al. 2018, Psychol. Med. 49, 828). Methods: Focus groups and interviews were held with teachers two months after completing the TCM programme. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, Qual. Res. Psychol. 3, 77) was employed to explore the subsequent data. Results: Three main themes were identified: impact on the teacher; on children; and on parent-teacher relationships. Impact on the teacher included a positive change in their ethos. Teachers reported being more able to see things from the child's perspective; placing a greater focus on building positive relationships; thinking before responding; feeling calmer, more confident, and in control; and employing strategies to create positive interactions with children. Teachers felt this had had a positive impact on their pupils’ development and relationships with parents. Feedback on whether or not TCM was effective in tackling particularly challenging behaviour was more mixed. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that teachers experience the TCM programme as beneficial. This is discussed alongside other qualitative and quantitative studies in this field.
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Hayes RA, Titheradge D, Allen K, Allwood M, Byford S, Edwards V, Hansford L, Longdon B, Norman S, Norwich B, et al (2019). The Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme and its impact on teachers’ professional self-efficacy, work related stress and general well-being: results from the STARS randomised controlled trial.
Journal of Educational PsychologyAbstract:
The Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme and its impact on teachers’ professional self-efficacy, work related stress and general well-being: results from the STARS randomised controlled trial
Background
Teaching is a stressful occupation with poor retention. The Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management (TCM) programme is a training program that past research has demonstrated may be an effective intervention for children’s mental health, but little research has explored any impacts there may be on the teachers’ own professional confidence and mental health.
Aims
In this paper we evaluate whether TCM may lead to changes in teachers’ wellbeing, namely a reduction in burnout and an improvement in self-efficacy and mental health.
Sample
Eighty schools across the South West of England were recruited between September 2012 and September 2014. Headteachers were asked to nominate one class teacher to take part.
Methods
Eighty teachers were randomised to either attend a TCM course (intervention) or not (control). TCM was delivered to groups of up to twelve teachers in six whole-day workshops that were evenly spread between October and April. At baseline and nine months follow-up we measured teachers’ mental health using the Everyday Feelings Questionnaire (EFQ), burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and self-efficacy using the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale-Short (TSES-Short).
Results
Using linear regression models there was little evidence of differences at follow-up between the intervention and control teachers on the outcomes (the smallest p-value was 0.09).
Conclusions
Our findings did not replicate previous research that TCM improved teachers’ sense of efficacy. However, there were limitations with this study including low sample size.
Abstract.
Ford T, Hayes RA, Edwards V, Logan GS, Norwich B, Allen KL, Hansford L, Longdon BM, Norman S, Price A, et al (2019). Training teachers in classroom management to improve mental health in primary school children: the STARS cluster RCT. Public Health Research, 7
Titheradge D, Hayes R, Longdon B, Allen K, Price A, Hansford L, Nye E, Ukoumunne O, Byford S, Norwich B, et al (2018). Psychological distress amongst primary school teachers: a comparison with clinical and population samples. Public Health, 166, 53-56.
Ford T, Hayes RA, Byford S, Edwards V, Fletcher M, Logan G, Norwich B, Pritchard W, Allen K, Allwood M, et al (2018). The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme in primary school children: results of the STARS cluster randomised controlled trial.
Psychological MedicineAbstract:
The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme in primary school children: results of the STARS cluster randomised controlled trial
Abstract
Background. We evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management (TCM) programme as a universal intervention, given schools’ important influence on child mental health.
Methods. A two-arm, pragmatic, parallel group, superiority, cluster randomised controlled trial recruited three cohorts of schools (clusters) between 2012 and 2014, randomising them to TCM (intervention) or Teaching As Usual (TAU-control). TCM was delivered to teachers
in six whole-day sessions, spread over 6 months. Schools and teachers were not masked to allocation. The primary outcome was teacher-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Total Difficulties score. Random effects linear regression and marginal logistic regression models using Generalised Estimating Equations were used to analyse the
outcomes. Trial registration: ISRCTN84130388.
Results. Eighty schools (2075 children) were enrolled; 40 (1037 children) to TCM and 40 (1038 children) to TAU. Outcome data were collected at 9, 18, and 30-months for 96, 89, and 85% of children, respectively. The intervention reduced the SDQ-Total Difficulties score at 9 months (mean (S.D.):5.5 (5.4) in TCM v. 6.2 (6.2) in TAU; adjusted mean difference
= −1.0; 95% CI−1.9 to −0.1; p = 0.03) but this did not persist at 18 or 30 months. Cost-effectiveness analysis suggested that TCM may be cost-effective compared with TAU at 30-months, but this result was associated with uncertainty so no firm conclusions can be drawn. A priori
subgroup analyses suggested TCM is more effective for children with poor mental health.
Conclusions. TCM provided a small, short-term improvement to children’s mental health particularly for children who are already struggling.
Abstract.
Allwood M, Allen K, Price A, Hayes R, Edwards V, Ball S, Ukoumunne OC, Ford T (2018). The reliability and validity of the pupil behaviour questionnaire: a child classroom behaviour assessment tool.
Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties,
23(4), 361-371.
Abstract:
The reliability and validity of the pupil behaviour questionnaire: a child classroom behaviour assessment tool
This paper assesses the reliability and validity of the teacher-completed Pupil Behaviour Questionnaire (PBQ), by comparing it to the already extensively validated teacher-completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Participants included 2074 primary school children participating in a universal school-based trial and 41 vulnerable children who were taking part in a study exploring the impact of exclusion from school. Exploratory factor analysis results (first factor accounts for 80.8% of the variation in the items) and the high Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.85 indicate that the PBQ consists of one substantive factor/dimension. Strong correlations between the total PBQ score and the conduct sub-scale (Spearman’s correlation coefficient (rs) = 0.67) and total difficulties score (rs = 0.59) of the SDQ indicate convergent validity. This study suggests that the PBQ is a reliable measure, and provides some evidence of validity. Further work is needed to test the PBQ in an older, more diverse populations and to measure sensitivity to change.
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Price A, Allen K, Ukoumunne OC, Hayes R, Ford T (2017). Examining the psychological and social impact of relative age in primary school children: a cross-sectional survey.
Child Care Health Dev,
43(6), 891-898.
Abstract:
Examining the psychological and social impact of relative age in primary school children: a cross-sectional survey.
BACKGROUND: a number of studies demonstrate that children who are younger within their school year have poorer academic attainment and are more likely to have special educational needs. Few, however, have considered the impact relative age may have on child mental health, behaviour and happiness in school. METHODS: This paper utilized data from the Supporting Teachers and Children in Schools study (2075 pupils aged 5 to 9 years from 80 primary schools) to explore the relationship among relative age, behaviour and happiness in school. Behavioural and emotional development was assessed by using the teacher-reported and parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Pupil Behaviour Questionnaire. Children's happiness within school was assessed by using the How I Feel About My School Questionnaire. RESULTS: Relatively younger children had higher Total Difficulties scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire than their peers. There was a mean increase per 30-day decrease in relative age of 0.09 (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.16; p = 0.007) in teacher-reported and 0.08 (0.001 to 0.16; p = 0.05) in parent-reported scores. There was little evidence of a relationship between relative age and children's behaviour and happiness in school. CONCLUSIONS: for children with complex difficulties, being relatively young for their school year may be an additional stressor that may undermine mental health.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Allen K, Marlow R, Edwards V, Parker C, Rodgers L, Ukoumunne O, Chan Seem E, Hayes R, Price A, Ford T, et al (2017). ‘How I feel About My School’: the construction and validation of a measure of wellbeing at school for primary school children. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55
