Evaluating the Back 2 School Program in a Norwegian Setting: A Multicenter Pilot Study

NCT05647499 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: UTromso779193
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 14
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 4

Brief Summary

The goal of this interventional feasibility study is to gain experiences in using the Back 2 School (B2S) program for youth with school attendance problems in Norwegian community school- and health services. The main questions it aims to answer are: • What is the feasibility of the Back 2 School program when implemented in Norwegian community school- and health services? • What are the changes in school attendance rates, measures of psychological difficulties, and school related self-efficacy following the intervention? • How do participants experience the B2S program? 14 youth (10-15 years) with school attendance problems, their caregivers and the school participated in the B2S program provided by an interdisciplinary team during the school term of 2022-2023. Researchers will compare school attendance rates before entrance to the B2S program, at termination of the program and at 3-month follow-up. Also, researchers will compare reports on psychological difficulties, quality of life, and school related-self efficacy at baseline and after the intervention. Researchers investigate participants experiences with the program through qualitative interviews with youths, caregivers, teachers and service providers. The researchers further aim to prepare and establish resources and infrastructure for a large intervention study, and to establish a well-functioning cooperation between researchers, research organizations, and municipalities in different regions.

Conditions

Absence; School Phobia; Truancy; Socialized; Depression, Anxiety

Keywords

School absence problems; Cognitive behavioral intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in School absence data

  The primary outcome measure is change in school absence data registered on paper-form on a daily basis by teachers, parents' and youths. The informants register presence/absence session by session during their school day, including a remark on presence according to their individual schedule. Official school record absence data is recorded retrospectively during a period of 2 weeks prior to initiation of the program (T1), 2 weeks prior to the finalization of the program (T2) and 2 weeks prior to the 3-month follow-up meetings (T3).

  2 weeks prior to initiation of the program (T1), 2 weeks prior to the finalization of the program (T2) and 2 weeks prior to the 3-month follow-up meetings (T3).

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-C/P/T)

  At baseline, and up to 12 weeks (at termination)

• The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS C/P)

  At baseline, and at up to 12 weeks (at termination)

• The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ C/P)

  At baseline, and up to 12 weeks (at termination)

• The Self-efficacy Questionnaire for School Situations (SEQ-SS)

  At baseline, and up to 12 weeks (at termination)

• The Self-efficacy Questionnaire Responding to School Attendance Problems (SEQ-RSAP)

  At baseline, and up to 12 weeks (at termination)

Study Arms (1)

The Back 2 School program (B2S) for problematic school absenteeism

EXPERIMENTAL

The B2S program is a modular trans-diagnostic cognitive behavioral program aimed at helping children and youth with problematic levels of school absenteeism.

Behavioral: The Back 2 School program for problematic school absenteeism

Interventions

The Back 2 School program for problematic school absenteeism BEHAVIORAL

We will use the Danish version of the revised manual developed within the B2S study in Aarhus, Denmark. The B2S program consists of a 3 to 3,5 -hour initial clinical assessment, a clinical conference, 11 sessions where the youth and/or parent are attending, and a booster session after three months including youth and parent. The B2S manual comprise four school meetings with the child, parents, school staff and therapists present. In the Norwegian pilot study, we will add an extended school module to the B2S-program. The school module includes a pre-meeting interview with the schools in week 1 and session 1 with the school in week 2 or 3. The B2S counselor and the school will decide whether there is a need for an additional meeting between school meetings 1 and 2. There is also a booster session with the child, parents, the school and the B2S team 3 months after the program.

Also known as: Modular cognitive behavior therapy

The Back 2 School program (B2S) for problematic school absenteeism

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 16 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Youth enrolled in a public school within the municipality,
• aged 6-16 years and in 1st to -10th grade (excluding second semester of the 10th grade),
• having a level of school absenteeism above 10% during the last 3 months of school (excluding legal absence, e.g., permitted extra holidays),
• The youth and at least one parent/caregiver understand and speak Norwegian sufficiently to participate in the intervention and complete questionnaires,
• At minimum one of the parents is motivated for working on increasing the youth's school attendance,
• The participating families are willing to record baseline levels of school absenteeism and to participate in assessment, intervention procedures, and follow-up assessment,
• Written informed consent from caregiver with judicial parental rights and responsibilities (usually both parents) to take part in the B2S pilot study is obtained.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Tromso: lead
• UiT The Arctic University of Norway: collaborator
• NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS: collaborator
• Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse: collaborator
• University of Bergen: collaborator
• University of Stavanger: collaborator
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology: collaborator

Study Sites (4)

NORCE research center

Bergen, 5008, Norway

Location

Regionssenter for barn og unge (RBUP)

Oslo, 0484, Norway

Location

UiT The Arctic University Norway

Tromsø, 9037, Norway

Location

Norges Tekniske Naturvitenskapelige Universitet

Trondheim, 7491, Norway

Location

Related Publications (9)

• Epstein, N. B., Baldwin, L. M., & Bishop, D. S. (1983). The McMaster Famility Assessment Device. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 9(2), 171-180.

  BACKGROUND

• Heyne, D., Maric, M., & Westenberg, M. (2007). "Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Responding to School Attendance Problems" Unpublished measure. Leiden the Netherlands.

  BACKGROUND

• Ravens-Sieberer U. [Special aspects of the quality of life of children]. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2006 May 12;131(19 Suppl 1):S27-30. doi: 10.1055/s-2006-941737. German.

  PMID: 16688662 BACKGROUND

• Thastum M, Johnsen DB, Silverman WK, Jeppesen P, Heyne DA, Lomholt JJ. The Back2School modular cognitive behavioral intervention for youths with problematic school absenteeism: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2019 Jan 8;20(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s13063-018-3124-3.

  PMID: 30621787 BACKGROUND

• Goodman R. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: a research note. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1997 Jul;38(5):581-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x.

  PMID: 9255702 RESULT

• Costello EJ, Angold A. Scales to assess child and adolescent depression: checklists, screens, and nets. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1988 Nov;27(6):726-37. doi: 10.1097/00004583-198811000-00011. No abstract available.

  PMID: 3058677 RESULT

• Spence SH. A measure of anxiety symptoms among children. Behav Res Ther. 1998 May;36(5):545-66. doi: 10.1016/s0005-7967(98)00034-5.

  PMID: 9648330 RESULT

• Heyne, D., King, N., Tonge, B., Rollings, S., Pritchard, M., Young, D., & Myerson, N. (1998). The self-efficacy questionnaire for school situations: Development and psychometric evaluation. Behaviour Change, 15(1), 31-40. https://doi.org/10.1017/S081348390000588X

  RESULT

• Jeppesen P, Wolf RT, Nielsen SM, Christensen R, Plessen KJ, Bilenberg N, Thomsen PH, Thastum M, Neumer SP, Puggaard LB, Agner Pedersen MM, Pagsberg AK, Silverman WK, Correll CU. Effectiveness of Transdiagnostic Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy Compared With Management as Usual for Youth With Common Mental Health Problems: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021 Mar 1;78(3):250-260. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.4045.

  PMID: 33355633 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Phobia, School; Depression; Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Phobic Disorders; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Frode Adolfsen, PHD

  UiT

  STUDY CHAIR

• Kristin G Askeland, PHD

  NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS

  STUDY CHAIR

• Simon P Neumer, PHD

  Regionssenter for barn og unge

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: The evaluation of changes in school attendance (primary outcome) following the B2S program will be conducted using a multiple - baseline across subjects' design comparing the individuals' baseline levels of school absenteeism with the level of absenteeism following participation in the B2S program. The structure of the multiple baseline design with 14 subjects is comprised of two treatment conditions, a baseline (control) and an intervention condition with N equally spaced measurement occasions (Hedges, Pustejovsky, \& Shadish, 2013). Thus, each subject function as their own control. Changes in secondary outcome measures (psychological wellbeing, school related self-efficacy) are assessed through repeated measurement at pre- (T1), and post intervention (T2).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 30, 2022
• First Posted: December 12, 2022
• Study Start: September 20, 2022
• Primary Completion: August 15, 2023
• Study Completion: August 30, 2023
• Last Updated: June 25, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

NO (4)