A web-enabled, school-based intervention for bullying prevention (LINKlusive): a cluster randomised trial.

Background: There is a need for more sustainable interventions and for assessing the effectiveness of school-based universal anti-bullying programmes in vulnerable populations. We assessed the efficacy of a multicomponent, web-enabled, school-based intervention that aims to improve school climate and reduce bullying (LINKlusive) relative to conventional practices (control condition). Methods: We conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial in primary and secondary schools in Madrid, Spain. The primary outcome measure was peer-reported bullying victimisation after the 12-week intervention (study endpoint). We analysed data using longitudinal mixed-effects models. The trial was registered with the ISRCTN registry (15719015). Findings: We included 20 schools (10 in each group); 6542 students participated at baseline; 6403 were assessed at study endpoint. After the intervention, there was a statistically significant reduction in bullying victimisation in both the intervention (OR 0.61, 95% CI [0.41, 0.90]) and control groups (OR 0.69, 95% CI [0.51, 0.92]), with no evidence of differences in the whole sample (OR 0.89, 95% CI [0.58, 1.36]; aOR 0.89, 95% CI [0.58, 1.37]). Subgroup analyses showed a statistically significant effect of LINKlusive on bullying victimisation in primary education (aOR 0.68, 95% CI [0.47, 0.98]). In students with peer-reported bullying victimisation at baseline, LINKlusive showed a statistically significant effect on depression (-1.43, 95% CI [-2.46, -0.40], adjusted standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.41) and quality of life (2.18, 95% CI [0.80, 3.56], adjusted SMD 0.45). Interpretation: LINKlusive could be effective in reducing bullying victimisation in primary school students. Sustainable whole-school interventions to promote mental health and reduce risk factors are warranted to improve outcomes in young people, especially in the early years of education. Funding: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Efficacy of a Web-Enabled, School-Based, Preventative Intervention to Reduce Bullying and Improve Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: Study Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Bullying is a major preventable risk factor for mental disorders. Available evidence suggests school-based interventions reduce bullying prevalence rates. This study aims to test the efficacy of a web-enabled, school-based, multicomponent anti-bullying intervention to prevent school bullying and to assess its effects on mental health and quality of life. Methods and analysis: Cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 20 publicly funded primary and secondary schools in Madrid, Spain. Schools are randomly allocated to either the intervention arm (n = 10) or conventional practices arm (n = 10). The web-enabled intervention (LINKlusive) lasts ~12 weeks and consists of three main components: (i) an online training program for teachers and parents, (ii) a web-guided educational program for students, focusing on promoting respect for diversity, empathy, and social skill development, and (iii) a web-guided, teacher-delivered, targeted intervention program for bullying situations identified based on peer-support strategies and individual intervention for those involved (i.e., bullying victims and perpetrators). The primary objective is to compare differences between peer-reported bullying victimization in the intervention and control arms at the end of the intervention. Secondary outcome measures are additional measures of bullying victimization and perpetration, mental health symptoms, self-esteem, and quality of life. A follow-up assessment is conducted 1 year after the end of the intervention. Treatment effects will be tested using multilevel mixed models, adjusting for school-, classroom-, and student-related covariates. Considering the increased bullying rates in children with special educational needs, a specific subgroup analysis will test the efficacy of the intervention on bullying prevalence, mental health, and quality of life in this particularly vulnerable population. Ethics and Dissemination: The Deontology Commission of the School of Psychology, Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain reviewed the study protocol and granted ethical approval on 21st January 2019. The results of the trial will be disseminated in relevant peer-reviewed journals and at conferences in the field. Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN15719015.

Bullying and depression: the moderating effect of social support, rejection and victimization profile / Acoso escolar y depresión: el efecto moderador del apoyo social, el rechazo y el perfil de la victimización

Peer relationships can be shaped as influential factors in the prevalence of bullying episodes. This research aims to analyze the effect of school bullying on the levels of depression of the victims and to what extent it is affected by social support and status in the group and by the profile of victimization. Several hierarchical linear regression analyses were calculated, in a sample of 1063 students aged 10 to 14 (47.8% of girls, M = 11.59 years, SD = 1.21 years), from 10 school of the Region of Madrid. The degree of influence of the studied variables was observed: lack of social support, peer rejection, withdrawal and impulsivity behaviors, and the relationship of all of them with victimization and depression. Findings revealed the influence of the lack of social support on the depression of victimized students. However, peer rejection did not show influence on the levels of depression of the victims. In addition, victimization associated with internalizing characteristics showed a greater association with depression than victimization associated with an externalizing profile

Las relaciones dentro del grupo de iguales pueden conformarse como factores influyentes en la prevalencia de los episodios de acoso escolar. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo analizar el efecto del acoso escolar sobre los niveles de depresión de las víctimas y en qué medida se ve afectado por el apoyo social, el estatus en el grupo y por el perfil de la victimización. Se calcularon varios modelos de regresión jerárquica lineal, en una muestra de 1063 alumnos, entre 10 y 14 años (47.8 % de chicas; M = 11.59 años, DT = 1.21 años), de 10 centros educativos de la Comunidad de Madrid. Se observó el grado de influencia de las variables estudiadas: falta de apoyo social, rechazo de los pares, conductas de retraimiento y de impulsividad, y la relación de todas ellas con la victimización y la depresión. Los resultados revelaron la influencia de la falta de apoyo social en los alumnos victimizados sobre la depresión. Sin embargo, el rechazo de los iguales no mostró influencia sobre los niveles de depresión de las víctimas. Además, las víctimas con características de tipo internalizante mostraron una mayor asociación con la depresión que las víctimas con características externalizantes

Efecto de la estimulación táctil pasiva en la actividad cerebral de niños con déficit de atención / The effect of passive tactile stimulation in the brain activity of children with attention deficit

Introducción. Los potenciales evocados N200 y P300 han demostrado ser una herramienta de gran utilidad en el seguimiento de niños con trastorno por déficit de atención (TDA). Objetivo. Evaluar el procesamiento cerebral de la información mediante los componentes N200 y P300 en modalidad táctil en niños con TDA. Sujetos y métodos. Se registraron los componentes N200 y P300 de los potenciales evocados durante una tarea oddball de estimulación táctil en un grupo experimental de 17 niños con TDA al principio y al final de un entrenamiento mediante estimulación táctil diaria, en otro de 12 niños con TDA y en 21 niños control sin TDA que no recibieron estimulación táctil. Los tres grupos tenían edades comprendidas entre 7 y 11 años. Resultados. Los resultados indican una disminución significativa de la latencia de las ondas N200 y P300 en el grupo experimental al final del estudio. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en la N200 en el grupo experimental en áreas temporales parietales y occipitales, mientras que, en la P300, las diferencias se localizan en áreas poscentrales y parietales. Conclusión. La estimulación táctil de manera sistemática, ordenada y organizada en niños con TDA puede ser efectiva para la mejora de la latencia de los potenciales evocados N200 y P300, así como para una mayor plasticidad cerebral parietal, asociada a la atención perceptiva (AU)

Introduction. The N200 and P300 evoked potentials have proved a useful tool in monitoring children with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Aim. To assess brain information processing by the N200 and P300 in touch modality in children with ADD. Subjects and methods. The P300 and N200 components to oddball tactile stimulation paradigm were recorded in an experimental group of 17 children with ADD at the beginning and the end of the daily training tactile stimulation, another 12 children with ADD and 21 control children without ADD who no received tactile stimulation. Three groups aged between 7 and 11 years. Results. Results show a significant decrease in latency of N200 and P300 waves in the experimental group at the study end. N200 significant differences in the experimental group temporal parietal and occipital areas were found, while the differences in the P300 are located in postcentral and parietal areas. Conclusion. Systematic, orderly and organized tactile stimulation in children with ADD can be effective to improve N200- P300 latencies providing greater parietal brain plasticity, associated to perceptive attention (AU)

[Passive tactile stimulation and its clinical and neurophysiological repercussions (P300) in blind children with symptoms of attention deficit disorder]. / Estimulación táctil pasiva y su repercusión clínica y neurofisiológica (P300) en niños ciegos con sintomatología de trastorno por déficit de atención.

INTRODUCTION: Tactile stimulation is key for the posterior brain re-organization activity and attention processes, however the impact of tactile stimulation on attention deficit disorder (ADD) in blind children remains unexplored. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We carried out a study with children having or not ADD (four per group). The subjects have been exposed during six months to tactile stimulation protocol consisting in two daily sessions (morning and afternoon sessions) of 30 minutes each. We have measured the ability to detect an infrequent tactile stimulus, reaction time, latency of P300, sources of brain activity, and ADD clinical symptoms, before and after tactile training. RESULTS: Passive tactile stimulation significantly improves ADD clinical symptoms, particularly attention, behavior and self-control of involuntary movements and tics. In addition, tactile stimulation changes the pattern of brain activity in ADD blind children inducing activity in frontal and occipital areas, which could be associated to a compensation of the attention deficit. CONCLUSION: Passive tactile stimulation training may improve ADD clinical symptoms and can reorganize the pattern of brain activity in blind ADD children.

TITLE: Estimulacion tactil pasiva y su repercusion clinica y neurofisiologica (P300) en niños ciegos con sintomatologia de trastorno por deficit de atencion.Introduccion. La estimulacion tactil es clave en la reorganizacion de la actividad cerebral y en los procesos de atencion, pero todavia no esta clara su eficacia en trastornos por deficit de atencion (TDA) en niños ciegos. Sujetos y metodos. Para valorar la eficacia de la estimulacion tactil realizamos un estudio en niños ciegos con TDA y sin TDA, consistente en un protocolo de estimulacion tactil diaria en dos sesiones (mañana y tarde), de media hora por sesion, durante seis meses. Se midio la capacidad para detectar un estimulo tactil infrecuente, el tiempo de reaccion, la latencia P300, las fuentes de actividad cerebral y la sintomatologia del TDA, tanto al inicio como al final del entrenamiento. Resultados. La estimulacion tactil en los niños ciegos con TDA mejora significativamente la sintomatologia del TDA, especialmente la atencion, la conducta y el autocontrol de los movimientos involuntarios y tics. Ademas, se observa que el entrenamiento tactil en niños ciegos con TDA cambia el patron de actividad cerebral induciendo una mayor actividad en las areas frontales y occipitales, que podrian estar asociadas a una compensacion del deficit de atencion. Conclusion. La estimulacion tactil pasiva diaria mejora la sintomatologia clinica y reorganiza la actividad cerebral en areas frontooccipitales de niños ciegos con TDA.

Estimulación táctil pasiva y su repercusión clínica y neurofisiológica (P300) en niños ciegos con sintomatología de trastorno por déficit de atención / Passive tactile stimulation and its clinical and neurophysiological repercussions (P300) in blind children with symptoms of attention deficit disorder

Introducción. La estimulación táctil es clave en la reorganización de la actividad cerebral y en los procesos de atención, pero todavía no está clara su eficacia en trastornos por déficit de atención (TDA) en niños ciegos. Sujetos y métodos. Para valorar la eficacia de la estimulación táctil realizamos un estudio en niños ciegos con TDA y sin TDA, consistente en un protocolo de estimulación táctil diaria en dos sesiones (mañana y tarde), de media hora por sesión, durante seis meses. Se midió la capacidad para detectar un estímulo táctil infrecuente, el tiempo de reacción, la latencia P300, las fuentes de actividad cerebral y la sintomatología del TDA, tanto al inicio como al final del entrenamiento. Resultados. La estimulación táctil en los niños ciegos con TDA mejora significativamente la sintomatología del TDA, especialmente la atención, la conducta y el autocontrol de los movimientos involuntarios y tics. Además, se observa que el entrenamiento táctil en niños ciegos con TDA cambia el patrón de actividad cerebral induciendo una mayor actividad en las áreas frontales y occipitales, que podrían estar asociadas a una compensación del déficit de atención. Conclusión. La estimulación táctil pasiva diaria mejora la sintomatología clínica y reorganiza la actividad cerebral en áreas frontooccipitales de niños ciegos con TDA (AU)

Introduction. Tactile stimulation is key for the posterior brain re-organization activity and attention processes, however the impact of tactile stimulation on attention deficit disorder (ADD) in blind children remains unexplored. Subjects and methods. We carried out a study with children having or not ADD (four per group). The subjects have been exposed during six months to tactile stimulation protocol consisting in two daily sessions (morning and afternoon sessions) of 30 minutes each. We have measured the ability to detect an infrequent tactile stimulus, reaction time, latency of P300, sources of brain activity, and ADD clinical symptoms, before and after tactile training. Results. Passive tactile stimulation significantly improves ADD clinical symptoms, particularly attention, behavior and selfcontrol of involuntary movements and tics. In addition, tactile stimulation changes the pattern of brain activity in ADD blind children inducing activity in frontal and occipital areas, which could be associated to a compensation of the attention deficit. Conclusion. Passive tactile stimulation training may improve ADD clinical symptoms and can reorganize the pattern of brain activity in blind ADD children (AU)

[Is the early brain organisation of spatial information conveyed by tactile stimuli performed in different ways in congenital and acquired blind children? A pilot study]. / Es distinta la organizacion cerebral temprana de la informacion espacial transmitida a traves de estimulos tactiles en ninos invidentes congenitos y adquiridos?: un estudio piloto.

Cortical reorganization after congenital blindness is not sufficiently known yet it does offer an optimum window of opportunity to study the effects of absolute sensorial deprivation. Cross-modality in people with blindness has been documented, but it may differ in congenital blindness and in early blindness. Vibrotactile passive stimulation of lines and letters generates different electroencephalographic patterns with different source localizations in two children with blindness, aged 9 and 10, respectively with congenital blindness and early blindness with some remnants of vision. Most of the brain electrical activity is centered in auditive areas in P50 and P100 in the case of the child with congenital blindness, while the other shows activity in multiple areas. Reaction times to letters are shorter than to lines of different orientation in both children.

¿Es distinta la organización cerebral temprana de la información espacial transmitida a través de estímulos táctiles en niños invidentes congénitos y adquiridos?: un estudio piloto / Is the early brain organisation of spatial information conveyed by tactile stimuli performed in different ways in congenital and acquired blind children? A pilot study

La reorganización cortical subyacente a la ceguera congénita no se conoce suficientemente, pero esta última ofrece una ventana óptima para el estudio de los efectos de la deprivación sensorial absoluta. Se sabe también que existe cross-modality en el cerebro de los invidentes, pero ésta difiere en niños con ceguera congénita y aquellos otros con restos de visión. La estimulación vibrotáctil pasiva de líneas y letras genera patrones electroencefalográficos y de localización de fuentes distintos en dos niños de 9 y 10 años, respectivamente, con ceguera congénita y ceguera con restos de visión. En la niña con ceguera congénita, la mayor actividad eléctrica cortical se centra en áreas auditivas en P50 y P100, mientras que en el niño invidente con restos de visión, la actividad se distribuye en múltiples áreas. Los tiempos de reacción a las letras son menores que a las líneas de diferente orientación en ambos niños (AU)

Cortical reorganization after congenital blindness is not sufficiently known yet it does offer an optimum window of opportunity to study the effects of absolute sensorial deprivation. Cross-modality in people with blindness has been documented, but it may differ in congenital blindness and in early blindness. Vibrotactile passive stimulation of lines and letters generates different electroencephalographic patterns with different source localizations in two children with blindness, aged 9 and 10, respectively with congenital blindness and early blindness with some remnants of vision. Most of the brain electrical activity is centered in auditive areas in P50 and P100 in the case of the child with congenital blindness, while the other shows activity in multiple areas. Reaction times to letters are shorter than to lines of different orientation in both children (AU)