Evidence-based weight-loss treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are lacking. Therefore, a parent-based weight-loss treatment for children with ASD (PBT-ASD) was developed. A pilot study was conducted to test the initial efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of this intervention. Parents of 20 children with ASD and…

Introduction: Caregivers of autistic children and caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience considerable stress. However, what is unique or similar across these groups remains understudied. This study explored how female caregivers of children with FASD who registered to participate in a caregiver focused mental…

In 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General declared a children's mental health crisis, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in the prevalence of youth mental health needs stating that adolescents are in crisis (Reinert et al., 2021). Since 2021, a significant amount of literature has been published, indicating that,…

About 16.5% of school-aged children had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the United States in 2016. The most common mental health disorders among children include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. This report describes the percentage of U.S. children aged 5-17 years who have taken…

Although evidence-based practices (EBPs) exist to support emotional and behavioral health for children and their families, their adoption in community settings remains startlingly low. While therapist training is a promising method to promote the successful adoption of EBPs, there is often a lack of agreement on the foundational skills therapists…

The goal of this paper was to conduct a review of studies from 2008 to 2019 that evaluated community-based caregiver or family interventions to support the mental health of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in sub-Saharan Africa, across four domains: (a) study methodology, (b) cultural adaptation and community participation, (c) intervention…

Background: School-based health centers (SBHC) can address unmet mental health needs. Little is known about how students seek care from different providers at SBHCs. We describe and compare how students' SBHC visits differ for students seen by mental health providers (MH group) relative to students seen only by primary care providers (PC group).…

Background: Childhood malnutrition is commonplace among poor rural communities in China. In 2012, China launched its first nationwide school-feeding program (SFP) to address this problem. This study examines the prevalence of malnutrition before and after the SFP and identifies possible reasons for the trends observed. Methods: Ordinary least…

This evaluation investigated the implementation and outcomes of Be You over the period July 2021 to June 2023, undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The focus of this evaluation was on implementation processes, the Be You workforce, and the experiences of Be You users -- the pre-service and current educators who…

Background: Although access to dental care has improved over time, many children still face difficulty in obtaining services. One strategy to increase access is through mobile dental services, often in collaboration with schools, Head Start programs, and school-based health centers. This study evaluates a large mobile dental care program based in…

The long-term nature of mental health needs after disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, continues to require attention. Research that emerged during the anniversaries of the storm has shown Katrina and its aftermath to be associated with posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior, and somatic complaints in children and…

Youths' perspectives are often unexplored in youth program development and implementation. This article examined youths' perspectives of a 4-H youth prevention program called "Health Rocks!" that is designed to promote healthful decision-making skills, stress coping, and socioemotional skills related to substance use. Qualitative and…

Despite the high prevalence of and documented impairment associated with pediatric anxiety disorders, less than half of youth access mental health services. This study examined (a) the utilization of eight school services and supports (e.g., seen a school counselor for a mental health reason, placement in a special class for a behavior or…

Mental health clinicians often report significant challenges when delivering evidence-based interventions in community settings, particularly when unexpected client stressors (or emergent life events) interfere with the therapy process. The current study sought to extend the study of emergent life events to children with autism spectrum disorder…

Social work is embracing scientific inquiry as a guiding principle; however, scientific advancement has often outpaced modifications in the academic arena necessitating reenvisioning the curriculum. This article describes how a large western School of Social Work addressed the need to create a practice curriculum rooted in empirical evidence by…