Preventing child mental health problems in southeastern Europe: Feasibility study (phase 1 of MOST framework).

The prevalence of child emotional and behavioral problems is an international problem but is higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where there are often less mental health supports for families. Parenting programs can be an effective means of prevention, but must be low-cost, scalable, and suitable for the local context. The RISE project aims to systematically adapt, implement, and evaluate a low-cost parenting program for preventing/reducing child mental health problems in three middle-income countries in Southeastern Europe. This small pre-post pilot study is informed by the Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework and tested the feasibility of the intervention, the implementation, and evaluation procedures: Phase 1 of the three-phase Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) for program adaptation. Local facilitators delivered the Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) for Young Children program to parents of children aged 2-9 in North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova and Romania in 2018. Parents completed assessments pre- and post-program. Results demonstrated positive pre-post change for participating families (N = 140) on various outcomes including child externalizing and internalizing symptoms and parenting behavior, in all three countries, all in the expected direction. Program participation was associated with positive outcomes in participating families. Based on the experiences of this pilot study, we outline the practical implications for the successful implementation of parenting programs in the three countries that will inform our next study phases, factorial experiment, and RCT.

El predominio de los problemas emocionales y conductuales de los niños es un problema internacional, pero es mayor en los países de ingresos bajos y medios donde generalmente hay menos asistencia para la salud mental de las familias. Los programas de crianza pueden ser un medio de prevención eficaz, pero deben ser de bajo costo, escalables y adecuados para el contexto local. El proyecto RISE tiene como finalidad adaptar, implementar y evaluar sistemáticamente un programa de crianza de bajo costo para prevenir o reducir los problemas de salud mental infantil en tres países de ingresos medios del Sudeste de Europa. Este pequeño estudio piloto previo y posterior está fundamentado por el marco de Alcance, Eficacia, Adopción, Implementación y Mantenimiento (RE-AIM, por sus siglas en inglés) y evaluó la viabilidad de los procedimientos de intervención, de implementación y de evaluación: Fase 1 de la Estrategia de Optimización Multifase (MOST) de tres fases para la adaptación del programa. Un grupo de moderadores locales impartió el programa Crianza para la Salud Durante Toda la Vida (Parenting for Lifelong Health, PLH) para Niños Pequeños a padres de niños de entre 2 y 9 años en Macedonia del Norte, República de Moldavia, y Rumania en 2018. Los padres completaron evaluaciones antes y después del programa. Los resultados demostraron cambios positivos después del programa para las familias participantes (N = 140) en varias respuestas, entre ellas, los síntomas de exteriorización y de interiorización de los niños y la conducta de crianza, en los tres países, todos en la dirección esperada. La participación en el programa estuvo asociada con resultados positivos en las familias participantes. Sobre la base de las experiencias de este estudio piloto, describimos las consecuencias prácticas para la implementación satisfactoria de los programas de crianza en los tres países que servirán como base para las fases de nuestro próximo estudio, del experimento factorial y del ensayo controlado aleatorizado.

Provider attitudes towards a brief behavioral intervention for sexual health in Moldova.

BACKGROUND: Brief behavioral interventions are seen as an efficient way to improve knowledge, change behavior, and reduce provider stigma regarding sexual health. When grounded in evidence-based behavioral change techniques and delivered using Brief Sexuality-related Communication (BSC) tools, brief behavioral interventions can address client-driven sexual health goals in a single session with their provider. Evidence for the efficacy of brief interventions for creating gains in sexual health comes largely from resource rich settings, and there is a lack of knowledge of how brief interventions can be implemented in the more resource constrained environments of low- and middle-income countries. As a first step in developing a brief intervention to address sexual health issues in Moldova, this paper reports on qualitative data collected from Moldovan providers to understand their attitudes, willingness and perceived barriers to the brief intervention and its implementation. METHODS: Thirty-nine in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted between February and March 2020, with health providers recruited from three primary health care institutions, two Youth Friendly Health Centers and counselors from three NGOs who work with key populations in Moldova, including health centers selected from two cites - the capital city, Chisinau and from the Comrat Region. The IDI addressed four domains of provider attitudes: 1) attitudes towards the intervention; 2) willingness and motivation to implement the intervention; 3) logistics of providing the intervention and 4) ability to implement the intervention. A coding analysis approach was applied to all interview transcripts. RESULTS: Providers largely reported being willing to be trained in and implement the brief intervention. Willingness to implement the intervention stemmed from two perceptions: that it would improve the ability of providers to talk with their clients about sex, and that vulnerable groups would benefit from these conversations. However, while there were generally positive attitudes towards the intervention, providers consistently reported structural barriers to their perceived ability to implement the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: While providers reported high levels of initial acceptance of a brief behavioral intervention, care is needed to ensure that brief interventions, and the training of providers on brief interventions, incorporate cultural attitudes and norms around sex, particularly in highly patriarchal settings, and provide opportunities for providers to practice the intervention in ways that address their assumptions and implicit biases.

Brief intervention to prevent HIV, STI and unintended pregnancies: preliminary results of a feasibility study from the perspective of healthcare providers in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Brief interventions have proven to be valuable instruments for the treatment and care of clients with diverse health needs, due to their potential to impact both the individual and the population. In this regard, the Brief Sexuality-Related Communication (BSC) is presented as a viable and effective alternative for addressing sexual and reproductive health problems, assessing risk behaviors and motivating clients to generate behavioral change. Since health providers are key actors in treatment and prevention, it is essential to know their perceptions about the BSC intervention, as well as its acceptability in different contexts, with diverse client populations. Thus, the following paper reflects the findings of the perceptions and experiences of health providers in Peru from the first phase of the Feasibility study of a BSC intervention to prevent STIs and unintended pregnancies. METHODS: This is the first phase of a multisite and multiphase study of the feasibility of a BSC intervention. We conducted twenty in-depth interviews (IDI) with health care providers (physicians, obstetricians, psychologists, nurses and peer counselors) recruited from three health care institutions in Peru: The Tahuantinsuyo Bajo Maternal and Child Center (CMI) and the San José Maternal and Child Center, both located in the capital city, Lima; and La Caleta Hospital located in Chimbote, northern coast of Peru. Participating health providers included those working at the HIV/STI Reference service and the family planning/reproductive health service. The IDI addressed three domains: 1) Acceptability of the BSC intervention; 2) Perceived willingness to implement the BSC intervention; and 3) Considerations for the Implementation of the BSC intervention. RESULTS: Health providers expressed high acceptance of the BSC intervention, considering it as a useful and effective instrument to address sexual and reproductive health problems with all clients; however, some providers had some concerns about the real impact of the intervention to achieve significant behavior change. On the other hand, health providers showed high willingness to learn and implement the BSC intervention, affirming their commitment to learn new techniques and strategies that could allow them to improve their knowledge and the quality of their care. Health care providers consider it necessary to take into account the barriers that arise in the implementation of the BSC intervention, such as the structural limitations to access, the providers' abilities to deliver the intervention effectively, and the participants' reception of the intervention. Finally, providers consider it essential to establish the BSC intervention in a normative framework that allows it to receive the support of the health departments and eventually enforces implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Health providers consider the BSC intervention as an interesting and exciting behavioral intervention to deal with the sexual and reproductive health issues existing in different populations, and seemed highly willing to adapt and implement it, hoping that it become beneficial to all client populations to prevent HIV/STIs and unintended pregnancies.

The feasibility and acceptability of collaborative learning in improving health worker performance on adolescent health: findings from implementation research in Moldova.

BACKGROUND: Collaborative learning has been shown to be effective in improving health worker performance, but relatively little is known about the feasibility or acceptability of collaborative learning in youth-friendly health services (YFHS). This paper describes the characteristics, feasibility and acceptability of a collaborative learning approach implemented in YFHS in Moldova as part of a national scaling up process. METHODS: We gathered and analysed data on the number, location, themes, and participants of sessions, as well as benefits and challenges of collaborative learning, using two information sources: 1) formal reports on collaborative learning sessions, and 2) two questionnaires conducted with participants and moderators. RESULTS: Collaborative learning sessions have been implemented in 30 out of 35 YFHS in Moldova. In 2016, 464 collaborative learning sessions were conducted. Sessions were conducted one to three times per month, had a mean of 15 participants and an average duration of two - three hours. 74.3% of participants (n = 6942) were from rural areas and 55.1% were health professionals. The most common topics in 2016 were adolescent health and YFHS (159 of 464 sessions), sexual and reproductive health (103 sessions), and violence (76 sessions). Reported benefits for participants of collaborative learning fell into three categories: 1) improved knowledge on adolescent health / development and use of evidence-based resources; 2) strengthened teamwork and cooperation; and 3) empowerment to provide high quality, youth-friendly care. Moderators identified benefits for the quality, youth-friendliness, and positioning of YFHS as centres of excellence on adolescent health. Challenges included the time and resources required to start and maintain the program, developing a constructive multi-disciplinary learning culture, and ensuring the involvement of stakeholders from outside YFHS. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that collaborative learning within YFHS is feasible and acceptable, and offers benefits to both participants and YFHS. Collaborative learning may be a valuable strategy to improve the quality and youth-friendliness of services. It may also be relevant to key challenges in scaling up YFHS such as increasing utilisation and achieving long-term sustainability. Further research is required to confirm our results in other settings and to examine the effects of collaborative learning at the outcome and impact level.

Cost analysis and exploratory cost-effectiveness of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services in the Republic of Moldova.

BACKGROUND: Youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services (YFHS) have high priority in many countries. Yet, little is known about the cost and cost-effectiveness of good quality YFHS in resource limited settings. This paper analyses retrospectively costs and potential cost-effectiveness of four well performing youth-friendly health centres (YFHC) in Moldova. This study assesses: (1) what were the costs of YFHSs at centre level, (2) how much would scaling-up to a national good quality YFHS programme cost, and (3) was the programme potentially cost-effective? METHODS: Four well performing YFHCs were selected for the study. YFHS costs were analysed per centre, funding source, service and person reached. The costing results were extrapolated to estimate cost of a good quality national YFHS programme in Moldova. A threshold analysis was carried out to estimate the required impact level for the YFHSs to break-even (become cost saving). RESULTS: Average annual cost of a well performing YFHC was USD 26,000 in 2011. 58% was financed by the National Health Insurance Company and the rest by external donors (42%). Personnel salaries were the largest expense category (47%). The annual implementation costs of a good quality YFHSs in all 38 YFHCs of Moldova were estimated to be USD 1.0 million. The results of the threshold analysis indicate that the annual break-even impact points in a YFHC for: 1) STI services would be >364 averted STIs, 2) early pregnancy and contraceptive services >178 averted unwanted pregnancies, and 3) HIV services only >0.65 averted new HIV infections. CONCLUSIONS: The costing results highlight the following: 1) significant additional resources would be required for implementation of a good quality national YFHS programme, 2) the four well performing YFHCs rely heavily on external funding (42%), 3) which raises questions about financial sustainability of the programme. At the same time results of the threshold analysis are encouraging. The result suggest that, together the three SRH components (STI, early pregnancy and contraception, and HIV) are potentially cost saving. High cost savings resulting from averted lifetime treatment cost of HIV infected persons are likely to off-set the costs of STIs and unwanted pregnancies.

Family-focused intervention to promote adolescent mental health and well-being in Moldova and North Macedonia (FLOURISH): feasibility study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Family-Focused Adolescent & Lifelong Health Promotion (FLOURISH) project will adapt, implement and evaluate a programme to support adolescent mental health and well-being through strategies, such as strengthening parenting practices, adolescent-caregiver relationships, adolescent and parent socioemotional skills, and social support. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The project will focus on adolescents aged 10-14 years and their caregivers in North Macedonia and Moldova. The countries were selected based on implementation readiness of two organisations and a need for accessible evidence-informed services to help mitigate health risks due to economic, social and political challenges. Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) for Parents and Teens is a family-based programme developed for low-resource settings. PLH has been adapted with input from advisory groups. The programme includes additional components to strengthen impacts on adolescents: adolescent mental health tools, based on UNICEF's Helping Adolescents Thrive, adolescent peer support and participation booster. This pilot is first of three study phases. The pilot will be a feasibility testing of the adapted intervention and the assessment and implementation procedures to determine further refinements. The pilot will examine if the adapted programme is acceptable for adolescents, their families and providers, explore contextual factors relevant to embedding this programme into longer-term scale-up and investigate whether the programme can be delivered with fidelity and participation; whether the participants report changes in adolescent emotional and behavioural problems, well-being and other outcomes; and whether the study tools are feasible and appropriate. Pre-post adolescent and caregiver questionnaires will provide outcome data. Process evaluation will include attendance and fidelity data, and focus groups. We will examine delivery cost and resource requirements. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved at the University of Klagenfurt (Austria), Medical Faculty at St. Cyril and Methodius University (North Macedonia) and National Committee of Ethical Expertise for Clinical Trials (Moldova). Through stakeholder engagement and dissemination, FLOURISH will advance scale-up of open-source family interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Trial registration: ID101095528; project page: https://www.flourish-study.org/about.html; https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-study/.

Prevention of child mental health problems through parenting interventions in Southeastern Europe (RISE): study protocol for a multi-site randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Childhood adversities, such as poor parental practices, exposure to violence, and risk behaviours strongly impact children's future mental and behavioural problems. Adversities affect families living in disadvantaged environments and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to a greater extent than in high-income countries. Parenting programmes are an effective way to alleviate them, although their outreach and scalability is still limited in LMICs. METHODS/DESIGN: A multi-site randomised controlled trial will be conducted in North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova and Romania to test the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an optimised version of the promising Parenting for Lifelong Health Programme for Young Children (PLH-YC, 5 sessions), against a standard lecture on parenting issues (control group, 1 session). At least 864 participants who report having children between 2 and 9 years old who display elevated levels of behavioural difficulties will be randomised on a 1:1 basis to the intervention and control groups. The primary outcome will consist of parent report of child oppositional aggressive behaviour. Post-test (four months) and follow-up (12 months) assessments will provide information on short- and longer-term effects of PLH-YC compared to the parenting lecture in the control group. DISCUSSION: This randomised trial will test the efficacy of PLH-YC in alleviating child behavioural problems and assess the cost-effectiveness, transportability across three different cultural contexts, and potential for scalability of the programme. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ., Registration number: NCT04721730 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04721730 ). Registered 13.01.2021.

Prevention of child mental health problems in Southeastern Europe: a multicentre sequential study to adapt, optimise and test the parenting programme 'Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children', protocol for stage 1, the feasibility study.

INTRODUCTION: Families in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) face multiple challenges (eg, poverty and adverse childhood experiences) that increase the risk for child mental health problems, while the context may provide them with few resources. Existing prevention-oriented parenting programmes have been shown to be effective in reducing child behaviour problems and associated risk factors. This project has the overall goal of adapting, implementing and testing a parenting intervention in three Southeastern European LMIC and uses the Multiphase Optimisation Strategy and dimensions of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework. It is implemented over three phases: (1) preparation, (2) optimisation and (3) evaluation. The preparation phase, the subject of this paper, involves the adaptation and feasibility piloting of the parenting programme. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This protocol describes the assessment of an evidence-informed indicated prevention programme for families with children aged 2-9 years (Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children) for implementation in FYR of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova and Romania. In this phase, officials, experts, parents and practitioners are interviewed to explore their views of suitability and needs for further adaptation. In addition, a small pre-post pilot study will test the feasibility of the programme and its implementation as well as the evaluation measures in the three countries with 40 families per country site (n=120). Quantitative data analysis will comprise a psychometric analysis of measures, testing pre-post differences using ANCOVA, χ2 tests and regression analysis. For qualitative data analysis, a thematic approach within an experiential framework will be applied. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The ethics review board of the Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt and ethical review boards in the three LMIC sites have approved the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03552250.

Preventing child mental health problems through parenting interventions in Southeastern Europe (RISE): Protocol for a multi-country cluster randomized factorial study.

BACKGROUND: Child mental health problems continue to be a major global concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Parenting interventions have been shown to be effective for reducing child behavior problems in high-income countries, with emerging evidence supporting similar effects in LMICs. However, there remain substantial barriers to scaling up evidence-based interventions due to limited human and financial resources in such countries. METHODS: This protocol is for a multi-center cluster randomized factorial trial of an evidence-based parenting intervention, Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children, for families with children ages 2-9 years with subclinical levels of behavior problems in three Southeastern European countries, Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, and Romania (8 conditions, 48 clusters, 864 families, 108 per condition). The trial will test three intervention components: length (5 vs. 10 sessions), engagement (basic vs. enhanced package), and fidelity (on-demand vs. structured supervision). Primary outcomes are child aggressive behavior, dysfunctional parenting, and positive parenting. Analyses will examine the main effect and cost-effectiveness of each component, as well as potential interaction effects between components, in order to identify the most optimal combination of program components. DISCUSSION: This study is the first factorial experiment of a parenting program in LMICs. Findings will inform the subsequent testing of the optimized program in a multisite randomized controlled trial in 2021. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03865485 registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on March 5, 2019.

Experiențele adverse din copilărie și comportamentele asociate de risc pentru sănătate la studenţii din instituţiile de învăţământ superior din Republica Moldova

Studiul privind experien ele adverse din copilarie (EAC) a fost realizat pe un e antion de 1.534de studen i, cu vârstele cuprinse între 18  i 27 ani, înmatricula i în 14 institu ii de înva amântsuperior din Republica Moldova. Studen ii au completat un chestionar auto-raportat privindexpunerea la EAC, atât în aspect de maltratare a copilului, cât  i de disfunc ionalita i la nivel defamilie, în primii 18 ani de via a. Studiul demonstreaza ca pâna la împlinirea vârstei de 18 ani,majoritatea responden ilor (59,6%) s-ar fi confruntat cu unul sau mai multe episoade de EAC,iar 12,5% au raportat patru sau mai multe astfel de episoade. Cele mai frecvent raportate tipuride EAC au fost disciplinarea fizica (20,2%), abuzul emo ional (15,1%)  i neglijarea emo ionala(13%). Tipurile predominante de disfunc ii la nivel de familie au reprezentat divor ul sausepararea parin ilor (19,5%), prezen a unui membru al familiei cu probleme de abuz de alcool(14,9%)  i tratarea violenta a mamei în prezen a copilului (13,1%). A fost determinat un grad înalt de corelare între expunerea la EAC  i adoptarea unor comportamente de risc  i problemelor de sanatate. Riscul autovatamarii, consumul de alcool sau substan e psihotrope  i fumatul este considerabil mai mare la studen ii cu patru sau mai multe EAC. Studiul sugereaza necesitatea instituirii unor ac iuni intersectoriale pentru prevenirea maltratarii copiilor sau a altor EAC.

Adverse childhood experiences and health-risk behaviours in university students from the Republic of Moldova

This survey of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was undertaken with 1534 university students aged 18–27 years from 14 universities in the Republic of Moldova. Students completed a self-report questionnaire on whether they had experienced ACEs, defined as both child maltreatment and household dysfunction, during the first 18 years of their life. The study shows that most respondents (59.6%) encountered one or more ACEs during the first 18 years and 12.5% reported four or more.

The most frequently reported types of negative childhood events were corporal punishment (20.2%), emotional abuse (15.1%) and emotional neglect (13%). The most prevalent types of household dysfunction identified were in the form of parental divorce or separation (19.5%), the presence of a family member who abused alcohol (14.9%) and witnessing the mother being treated violently (13.1%).

The association between experiencing ACEs and adopting risky health behaviours was strong. The risks of self-harm, drug and alcohol use, and smoking increased substantially in students with four or more ACEs. The study suggests there is a need for intersectoral action to prevent child maltreatment and other ACEs from occurring.