A Brief Online Motivational Tool to Promote Early Help-Seeking in Men Using Abuse and Violence in Relationships: A Feasibility Trial.

Men's use of domestic violence is a major public health issue globally. However, the potential for technology to address this issue has been limited within research and practice. This study aimed to test the feasibility and acceptability of an online healthy relationship tool (BETTER MAN) for men who have used domestic violence to encourage help-seeking. A pre- and postsurvey with a 3-month follow-up was used. One hundred and forty men enrolled, with retention rates of 79% (111) immediately after BETTER MAN and 62% (86) at 3 months. Participants were diverse men (mean age of 32 years, 33% born outside Australia, 19% in same-sex relationships, and 2% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander). The majority (70%, 58) of men reported behaviors classified as moderate risk (e.g., checked partner's phone, picked on partner, and controlled money) and 24% (20) as high-risk behaviors (e.g., scared partner, physical force, and unwanted sexual activities). Post BETTER MAN, there was a significant increase in mean intention to contact counseling service (baseline 5.8, immediately 6.7, and 3-month follow-up 7.2) and mean confidence in the ability to seek help (baseline 3.7, immediately 5.1, and 3-month follow-up 7.2). Men's readiness to make changes in behavior median score significantly moved from baseline (5.9-I am not ready to take action), immediately (6.7-I am ready to make some changes), and 3-month follow-up (7.2-I have begun to change my behavior). At 3-month follow-up, 55% (47/86) of men reported accessing counseling services compared with 34% (46/140) of men at baseline. Findings suggest that it is feasible that BETTER MAN might work to engage men to seek help and is acceptable to men using domestic violence. However, a large-scale randomized controlled trial is needed to determine the effectiveness of BETTER MAN on help-seeking behaviors for men's use of domestic violence.

"Help Me Realize What I'm Becoming": Men's Views on Digital Interventions as a Way to Promote Early Help-Seeking for Use of Violence in Relationships.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major global issue with huge impacts on individuals, families, and communities. It is also a gendered problem, with the vast majority of IPV perpetrated by men. To date, interventions have primarily focused on victim/survivors; however, it is increasingly recognized that men's use of violence must also be addressed. Despite this, there remain limited options for doing this in practice. In most high-income countries, men's behavior change programs (MBCPs) or their equivalent are the typical referral pathway, with men often mandated to attend by the criminal justice system. Yet, these programs have limited evidence for their effectiveness and recidivism and dropouts are major challenges. Moreover, an entire subset of men-those uninvolved with criminal justice settings-remain under-serviced. It is clear that a critical gap remains around early engagement with men using violence in relationships. This study explores the potential for digital interventions (websites or apps) to fill this gap through qualitative analysis of data from focus groups with 21 men attending MBCPs in Victoria, Australia. Overall, we interpreted men's perceptions of digital interventions as being able to facilitate connection with the "better man inside," with four sub-themes: (a) Don't jump down my throat straight away; (b) Help me realize what I'm becoming; (c) Seeing a change in my future; and (d) Make it simple and accessible. The findings of this study suggest that there is strong potential for digital interventions to engage early with men using IPV, but also some key challenges. Websites or apps can provide a safe, private space for men to reflect on their behavior and its consequences; however, the lack of interpersonal interaction can make it challenging to balance non-judgmental engagement with accountability. These issues should be considered when designing digital interventions for men using violence in relationships.

Trajectories of Early Childhood Developmental Skills and Early Adolescent Psychotic Experiences: Findings from the ALSPAC UK Birth Cohort.

Objective: The aim of this study was to use prospective data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to examine association between trajectories of early childhood developmental skills and psychotic experiences (PEs) in early adolescence. Method: This study examined data from n = 6790 children from the ALSPAC cohort who participated in a semi-structured interview to assess PEs at age 12. Child development was measured using parental report at 6, 18, 30, and 42 months of age using a questionnaire of items adapted from the Denver Developmental Screening Test - II. Latent class growth analysis was used to generate trajectories over time for measures of fine and gross motor development, social, and communication skills. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations between developmental trajectories in each of these early developmental domains and PEs at age 12. Results: The results provided evidence that decline rather than enduringly poor social (adjusted OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.10-1.92, p = 0.044) and communication skills (adjusted OR 1.12, 95% CI = 1.03-1.22, p = 0.010) is predictive of suspected or definite PEs in early adolescence, than those with stable and/or improving skills. Motor skills did not display the same pattern of association; although gender specific effects provided evidence that only declining pattern of fine motor skills was associated with suspected and definite PEs in males compared to females (interaction OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.09-1.97, p = 0.012). Conclusion: Findings suggest that decline rather than persistent impairment in social and communication skills were most predictive of PEs in early adolescence. Findings are discussed in terms of study's strengths, limitations, and clinical implications.

Child literacy and psychotic experiences in early adolescence: findings from the ALSPAC study.

The aim of this study was to use prospective data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to examine the differences in literacy skills in children who later completed the psychotic like symptoms (PLIKS) interview at 12 years of age. We further examined the association between literacy skills over time in relation to the likelihood of reporting psychotic experiences (PEs). This study examined data from n=6790 children from the ALSPAC cohort who participated in the PLIKS semi-structured interview. Literacy skills such as spelling, basic real and non-real word reading, and reading skills and comprehension were assessed by an ALSPAC spelling task, Wechsler Objective Reading Dimension, and the revised Neale Analysis of Reading Ability (NARA II) respectively. Relative to the group unaffected by PEs, we found a lower performance in all measurements of child literacy skills in those with suspected or definite PEs. The majority of these differences persisted after adjusting for a range of covariates. In addition, both a consistently low pattern of performance and a decline were associated with suspected or definite PEs. Implications for preventative intervention models focussed on children at risk of developing psychotic disorders are discussed within the context of speech and language development.