Parent training and the training of parent trainers

In the child mental health and child welfare fields, parent training has become a highly valued treatment and prevention service. As a national model to make parent-training services more available through public agencies, a program to train agency personnel to deliver a variety of parent-training services was developed. The program consisted of one-day conferences to showcase parent-training approaches and intensive workshops. Results of the first two training cycles were positive as graduates impacted thousands of persons but agency support was not uniform. Program modifications and expansions are indicated.     

Effective group training techniques in job-search training

The aim was to examine the effects of group training techniques in job-search training on later reemployment and mental health. The participants were 278 unemployed workers in Finland in 71 job-search training groups. Five group-level dimensions of training were identified. The results of hierarchical linear modeling demonstrated that preparation for setbacks at the group level significantly predicted decreased psychological distress and decreased symptoms of depression at the half-year follow-up. Trainer skills at the group level significantly predicted decreased symptoms of depression and reemployment to stable jobs. Interaction analyses showed that preparation for setbacks at the group level predicted fewer symptoms of psychological distress and depression, and shared perceptions of skilled trainers at the group level predicted fewer symptoms of depression among those who had been at risk for depression.     

Robot assisted treadmill training: mechanisms and training strategies

The rehabilitation engineering community is working towards the development of robotic devices that can assist during gait training of patients suffering from neurologic injuries such as stroke and spinal cord injuries (SCI). The field of robot assisted treadmill training has rapidly evolved during the last decade. The robotic devices can provide repetitive, systematic and prolonged gait training sessions. This paper presents a review of the treadmill based robotic gait training devices. An overview of design configurations and actuation methods used for these devices is provided. Training strategies designed to actively involve the patient in robot assisted treadmill training are studied. These training strategies assist the patient according to the level of disability and type of neurologic injury. Although the efficacy of these training strategies is not clinically proven, adaptive strategies may result in substantial improvements. We end our review with a discussion covering major advancements made at device design and training strategies level and potential challenges to the field.     

Prior training and recommendations for future training of clinical research faculty members

A survey was conducted of the first authors of half of the research papers published in 18 leading peer-reviewed medical journals over a six-month period in 1986. The first authors of every other article (that is, alternate articles) published during this period were sent a questionnaire that assessed their previous research training and their recommendations for training of clinical research faculty members. Of the 772 physicians sent the questionnaire, 482 responded. Of these, 57% had had some research training in medical school, 52% had received such training during residency, and 87% had received it during their fellowships. Fifty-six percent had taken a formal statistics course, 31.4% had taken some computer training, and 87% had received research supervision in a nonstructured format (that is, no formal course work). Introductory biostatistics was the only formal course in any of the seven subject areas listed in the questionnaire that more than one-third of the respondents had taken, yet at least two-thirds recommended that researchers take formal courses in all of the seven areas listed. The investigators recommend for medical students and postgraduate trainees a graduated experience of research training and exposure that includes formal courses.     

The effects of soccer training and timing of balance training on balance ability

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a soccer training session on the balance ability of the players and assess whether the effectiveness of a balance program is affected by its performance before or after the regular soccer training. Thirty-nine soccer players were randomly divided into three subject groups (n=13 each), one control group (C group), one training group that followed a balance program (12 weeks, 3 times per week, 20 min per session) before the regular soccer training (TxB group), and one training group that performed the same balance program after the soccer training (TxA group). Standard testing balance boards and the Biodex Stability System were used to assess balance ability in the C, TxB, and TxA groups at baseline (T0) and after completing the balance program (T12). The same tests and additional isokinetic knee joint moment measurements were carried out in the TxB and TxA groups pre- and post-soccer training. Two main results were obtained: (1) No differences (p>0.05) were found in balance ability and knee joint moment production between pre- and post-soccer training. (2) The balance program increased (p<0.01) the balance ability in the TxB and TxA groups, and the improvement in the TxA group was greater (p<0.05) than that in the TxB group post-soccer training. Result (1) is in contrast to the notion of a link between fatigue induced by a soccer training session or game and injury caused by impaired balance, and result (2) has implications for athletic training and rehabilitation.     

Life skill training: psychoeducational training as mental health treatment

Fifty-four patients of a Veterans Administration Medical Center were assigned to either a life-skill training program that emphasized psychoeducational instruction and skill building or to a group counseling control condition. Subjects assigned to life-skill training were provided with 28 hours of instruction in interpersonal communication, purpose in life problem solving, and physical fitness/health maintenance. Control subjects received equal time engaged in psychiatric treatment that emphasized the analysis and exploration of personal problems, but with no direct coping skill training. Significant differences between the two groups were found on measures of interpersonal communication and meaningful purpose in life. Both groups received lower staff ratings on psychopathological behavior and demonstrated improvement on ratings of health and physical fitness upon completion of treatment. Twelve- and 24-month follow-up data that include rehospitalization rates are presented for each group.     

District nurse training

Training for district nursing is being reviewed. By 1981 district nurses will have a new administrative structure, a new curriculum, and a new examination. Training for nursing, like that for general practice, is to become mandatory. The history of the development of district nurse training is briefly described.