Mediators of Outcome in Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy with Youth: A Systematic Review.

This article aimed to provide a systematic narrative synthesis of existing studies on the mediators of change in psychotherapy with adolescents (10-19 years) and transition age youth (TAY) (20-29 years) who have experienced trauma-related symptoms or posttraumatic disorder. Additionally, we were interested in identifying psychotherapy-, trauma type-, and clients' age- and gender-specific mediators of treatment outcome. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, a total of 3,723 studies published in PubMed and PsycINFO databases were screened against inclusion criteria, revealing 15 eligible studies. No studies with only TAY were found; therefore, all results were limited to therapy with adolescents. Cognitive mediators were tested in 66% of selected studies, followed by parents/family-related, mental-health-related, therapy-related, and behavioral mediators. Moderate evidence was found for posttraumatic cognitions, whereas therapeutic alliance seemed to be a promising candidate for future research. Striking absence of non-cognitive-behavioral therapy interventions, emotional and adolescent-specific mediators, as well as studies with males and in non-Western societies was evident. Future original studies would benefit from applying methodological rigor in respect to mediation testing.

Mediators and theories of change in psychotherapy with adolescents: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 75% of mental disorders emerge before the age of 25 years but less than half receive appropriate treatment. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic change of adolescents in psychotherapy. The 'European Network of Individualised Psychotherapy Treatment of Young People with Mental Disorders', funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology, will conduct the first systematic review to summarise the existing knowledge on mediators and theories of change in psychotherapy for adolescents. METHOD: A systematic review will be conducted, conforming to the reporting guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement recommendations. Electronic databases (PubMed and PsycINFO) have been systematically searched on 23 February 2020, for prospective, longitudinal and case-control designs which examine mediators of change. Participants will be adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age who suffer from a mental disorder or psychological difficulties and receive an intervention that aims at preventing, ameliorating and/or treating psychological problems. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this systematic review as no primary data will be collected. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journals and at conference presentations and will be shared with stakeholder groups. The whole data set will be offered to other research groups following recommendations of the open science initiative. Databases with the systematic search will be made openly available following open science initiatives. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020177535.

Theories of Change and Mediators of Psychotherapy Effectiveness in Adolescents With Externalising Behaviours: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Externalising behaviours are becoming a remarkably prevalent problem during adolescence, often precipitating both externalising and internalising disorders in later adulthood. Psychological treatments aim to increase the social functioning of adolescents in order for them to live a more balanced life and prevent these negative trajectories. However, little is known of the intervening variables and mediators involved in these treatments' change mechanisms. We conducted a systematic review, exploring the available evidence on mediators of psychological treatments for externalising behaviours and symptoms amongst adolescents (10 to 19 years old). METHODS: A systematic search was performed on Medline and PsycINFO databases, which identified studies from inception to February 23, 2020. Eligible studies included randomised controlled trials that enrolled adolescents with externalising symptoms and behaviours as, at least, one of the primary outcomes. A group of 20 reviewers from the COST-Action TREATme (CA16102) were divided into 10 pairs. Each pair independently screened studies for inclusion, extracted information from the included studies, and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies and the requirements for mediators, following Kazdin's criteria. Risk of bias of RCTs was assessed by the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Extracted data from the included studies were reported using a narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), after removing duplicates, 3,660 articles were screened. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. In a second stage, 965 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. A total of 14 studies fulfilled all inclusion criteria. The majority were related to systemic psychological treatment approaches. Two types of mediators were identified as potentially being involved in the mechanisms of change for better social improvements of adolescents: to increase healthier parent-adolescent relationships and parental discipline. However, there were significant and non-significant results amongst the same mediators, which led to discussing the results tentatively. CONCLUSIONS: Family variables were found to be the largest group of investigated mediators, followed by relational, behavioural, and emotional variables. No cognitive or treatment-specific mediators were identified. Both adequate behavioural control of adolescents' peer behaviour and a better positive balance in their relationships with their parents seemed to buffer the effects of externalising behaviours in adolescents. Several methodological limitations concerning mediation testing design, outcome measures, and mediator selection have been identified. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was not required. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021231835.

Translation, Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Power of Food Scale for Use by Adult Populations in Portugal.

INTRODUCTION: The Power of Food Scale measures appetite for, rather than consumption of, palatable foods - a construct frequently designated as hedonic hunger. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the Power of Food Scale, namely reliability and construct validity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data was obtained from 1266 adult participants sampled from three different populations in Portugal: two nonclinical samples and one multi-center sample of severely obese candidates for weight-loss surgery. RESULTS: We found that the factor structure of the Portuguese version of the Power of Food Scale is similar to that of the original scale and that the Portuguese version of the Power of Food Scale has good internal structure, test-retest reliability and construct validity. In addition, we provide the first contribution towards defining population norms for Power of Food Scale scores. DISCUSSION: The Portuguese version of the Power of Food Scale proved to have good psychometric properties: it is a valid and reliable tool for measuring hedonic hunger, supporting its use both in clinical and non-clinical samples, as well as in prospective studies. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the Portuguese version of the Power of Food Scale is a useful measure for researchers and clinicians who are interested in exploring the construct of hedonic hunger in Portuguese-speaking populations, including those suffering from obesity.

Introdução: A Power of Food Scale é uma escala que avalia um constructo designado por fome hedónica, frequentemente definido como o apetite por alimentos de elevada palatibilidade, mais do que a sua ingestão propriamente dita. Este estudo teve como objetivo a caracterização das propriedades psicométricas de uma versão portuguesa da Power of Food Scale, nomeadamente da sua fiabilidade e validade de constructo. Material e Métodos: Os dados foram obtidos de 1266 participantes adultos, provenientes de três amostras distintas: duas amostras não clínicas e uma amostra clínica de indivíduos com obesidade severa, candidatos a cirurgia da obesidade. Resultados: Verificamos que a estrutura factorial da versão portuguesa da Power of Food Scale é semelhante à do questionário original e que apresenta fiabilidade teste-reteste e validade de constructo adequadas. Adicionalmente, apresentamos neste estudo o primeiro contributo para a definição de normas populacionais para os scores da Power of Food Scale. Discussão: A versão portuguesa da Power of Food Scale apresentou boas propriedades psicométricas: é um instrumento válido e fiável para a avaliação do constructo fome hedónica, suportando a sua utilização tanto em amostras clínicas como não clínicas, bem como em estudos longitudinais. Conclusão: Estes resultados demostram que a versão portuguesa da Power of Food Scale é um instrumento útil, tanto em contexto clínico, como de investigação, nomeadamente para o estudo do constructo fome hedónica em populações de língua portuguesa, incluindo populações clínicas de indivíduos com obesidade.