PROTOCOL: Arts‐based interventions for offenders in secure criminal justice settings to improve rehabilitation outcomes: An evidence and gap map

This is the protocol for a Campbell review. The objective of this evidence and gap map is to presents the existing research on the impact of arts-based interventions in secure criminal justice settings (SCJS) that aim to improve desistance outcomes for offenders. It will indicate the quality of available evidence, highlighting the gaps and informing future research priorities. Importantly, it will also identify where the evidence could be systematically reviewed. This would clearly produce a more comprehensive understanding of the available knowledge and an opportunity to move forward in a more direct and focussed way, with the potential to influence research, intervention development, and inform funding decisions

The Experiences of Adults Experiencing Homelessness When Accessing and Using Psychosocial Interventions: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

Background: Adults experiencing homelessness in high‐income countries are more likely to have mental ill‐health and engage in problematic substance use. They are also more likely to experience challenges when accessing services. Psychosocial interventions are increasingly used with this group. Most of the evidence around these interventions is not specific to their use with adults experiencing homelessness. Objectives: To summarise the best available evidence of the views and experiences of adults experiencing homelessness in high‐income countries about psychosocial interventions. Search Methods: This review is based on evidence identified in an Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) on interventions for people experiencing homelessness. The EGM searches were conducted in September 2021. Additionally, we undertook a call for evidence and hand searches of key journals. Selection Criteria: We included qualitative data from studies of psychosocial interventions. Participants were adults aged 18+ experiencing homelessness in high‐income countries. Only studies that reported the views, opinions, perceptions, and experiences of participants were included. Data Collection and Analysis: Of the 468 studies originally screened, 17 were eligible for full‐text review, which was undertaken independently by two reviewers. Ten were excluded at this stage, and seven were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. Analysis was undertaken using thematic synthesis in three stages: (1) findings data were extracted from studies. Two reviewers independently extracted findings from included studies. These were compared and agreed on which findings to include for analysis; (2) two reviewers gave each line of extracted data a descriptive code (a short descriptive summary). These were compared and a set of codes for inclusion in the next stage of analysis was agreed; (3) the reviewers iteratively examined the descriptive themes, inferring from these themes the experiences of participants and their perceptions of how the intervention worked for them. These analytical themes were discussed with a panel of people with experience of homelessness. Main Results: Seven studies were included in this review, covering several intervention types. A total of 84 adults experiencing homelessness were included in these studies. Three studies were conducted in Canada, three in the United States, and one in Scotland. All were published after 2009. The studies used various qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. None of the included studies were assessed as high quality. The most significant area of concern across the included studies concerned relationships between researchers and research participants, where five included studies were assessed as low quality. Areas of higher quality were clarity of research questions and methods. Overall, 368 lines of findings were extracted and coded under 118 descriptive codes. Of these, 55 related to direct quotes of participants' views and experiences. The remainder were the study authors' interpretations of the research participants' experiences. The 118 descriptive codes were grouped into 14 descriptive themes. The themes are descriptions of patterns in the data (the findings extracted from the included studies). These 14 descriptive themes (and the 118 descriptive codes underpinning them) summarise data from the primary studies. The final analysis stage was interpretation of the descriptive themes and development of analytical themes to answer the review questions. The reviewers were able to answer two of the four review questions: the experiences of participants when using psychosocial interventions, and whether they felt the interventions worked for them. The question concerning underlying theories of how the interventions are intended to work was addressed through a separate analysis. The question of differences between interventions could not be answered because of the small number of included studies. The final analysis stage identified three analytical themes. These are: (1) the individual plays a pivotal role in their recovery and change journey; (2) accessibility is a key component of intervention success; and (3) relationships are an important intervention ingredient. Author's Conclusions: The reviewers draw two broad conclusions from this analysis: (1) it is important to place adults experiencing homelessness at the centre of the design of psychosocial interventions; and (2) it is important to treat adults experiencing homelessness as individuals

Singing for people with Parkinson's disease

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare the efficacy and effectiveness of singing interventions with non‐singing intervention or usual care on QoL, wellbeing, and speech and communication among people with PD. We will assess the QoL and the physical, psychological, and social health and wellbeing of people with PD who receive a singing intervention, compared to non‐singing intervention or usual care

A critical appraisal of research in arts, health and wellbeing

The field of ‘Arts, Health and Wellbeing,’ has witnessed a remarkable growth of interest over the last 20 years. Seminal work has been produced from the beginning of the millennium, which has led to the emergence of the arts and music as topics in health science beyond therapy. Arts and musical activities for health have been explored in contexts including treatment of acute and long-term conditions, health prevention, health literacy, and health promotion. Researchers, health professionals, and arts and music practitioners in the UK, Australia, the United States, Europe, and the Nordic countries have been at the forefront of this growing movement, but interest now extends more widely internationally, emerging literature from China, India, Singapore and a number of African states

The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for reducing problematic substance use, mental ill health, and housing instability in people experiencing homelessness in high income countries: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Background: Adults experiencing homelessness in high income countries often also face issues of problematic substance use, mental ill health, in addition to housing instability, so it is important to understand what interventions might help address these issues. While there is growing evidence of the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for the general population, limited evidence exists specifically for those experiencing homelessness. Objectives: To summarise the existing evidence of whether psychosocial interventions work in reducing problematic substance use, mental ill health, and housing instability for adults experiencing homelessness in high income countries. Search Methods: We used searches undertaken for the Homelessness Effectiveness Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) 5th edition. These were supplemented with hand searches of key journals and a call for evidence. Selection Criteria: We included all Randomised Control Trials and non‐randomised studies where a comparison group was used and which examined psychosocial interventiONS for adults experiencing homelessness. ‘Psychosocial intervention’ is a broad term and covers several interventions, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), contingency management, and motivational interviewing. We focused on studies that measure at least one of three outcomes: reduction in problematic substance use (alcohol and/or drugs); reduction in mental ill‐health; reduction in housing instability. Data Collection and Analysis: For included studies sourced from the EGM, we used the risk of bias assessments reported in the EGM. For included studies sourced from our own searches, we used the same tools used in the EGM to undertake our own assessments. We carried out meta‐analysis where possible, and where not possible, presented included studies narratively. Findings: We included 26 papers covering 23 individual intervention studies. All of the included studies were from the United States. Of the 26 papers, 14 were assessed as having medium or high risk of bias, with main issues being lack of masking/blinding, lack of power calculations, and high levels of drop‐out. Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions: We found that psychosocial interventions overall were better than standard care (−0.25 SD, 95% confidence intervals [CI] [−0.36, −0.13]). This finding covered six different interventions and was subject to a high level of between‐study differences (heterogeneity). We also found that psychosocial interventions were more effective than standard care in relation to all three of our outcomes of interest, although were statistically significant only for substance abuse and mental ill‐health. For substance use, we found an average effect size of (−0.34 SD, 95% CI [−0.48, −0.21]); for mental ill health of (−0.18 SD, 95% CI [−0.34, −0.01]); and for housing instability of (−0.10 SD, 95% [−0.90, 0.70]). Effectiveness of Individual Psychosocial Interventions: We were able to undertake five meta‐analyses (statistical summaries) with respect to four types of intervention: CBT, Contingency Management, Motivational Interviewing, and Brief Motivational Interventions, in relation to specific outcomes. Of these five analyses, we found significant effects for the effectiveness of Contingency Management in reducing problematic substance use (−0.49 SD, 95% CI [−0.85, −0.14]), and of Motivational Interviewing in reducing mental ill‐health (−0.19 SD, 95% CI [−0.26, −0.12]). We also found non‐significant effects in relation to CBT and reducing mental ill health (−0.30 SD, 95% CI [−0.61, 0.002]), Motivational Interviewing and reducing problematic substance use (−0.27 SD, 95% CI [−0.56, 0.01]), and Brief Motivational Interventions and reducing problematic substance use (−0.24 SD, 95% CI [−0.61, 0.13]). Meta‐analysis was not possible for any other interventions or outcomes. Author Conclusions: This systematic review sought to understand the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for adults in high income countries experiencing homelessness, for reducing problematic substance use, reducing mental ill‐health, and increasing housing stability. The review shows potential benefits of these interventions, with some encouraging results for some interventions and outcomes. Where we could calculate effect sizes, these were often small and, in many cases, crossed the line of no effect (i.e., there is a chance that they are equally or less effective than treatment as usual). Significant heterogeneity between studies and high rates of drop‐out in many studies reduces the confidence in the interventions. There are some limitations with the evidence base. The included studies were entirely from the United States. There was a clear gender bias in the included studies, with nearly two‐thirds of participants being men. (This is despite 4 of the 26 included studies focusing on women only.) We also found that the theoretical basis for the approach of interventions was not sufficiently considered, so it was difficult to understand why the intervention expected the outcomes they measured. Finally, many of the studies included were assessed as having high or medium risk of bias

Social media and young people’s involvement in social work education

While service-user involvement in social work education generally is increasing, young people’s involvement has, to date, been limited, and as such their voice is missing. Social media potentially offers mechanisms for addressing this, widening young people’s participation. This article presents the findings of research, conducted in partnership with young people, exploring different types of social media currently available that may have the potential to be used in social work education to provide young people with a voice. Using methods developed from systematic review processes, the research set out to find, synthesise and collate these different resources. The findings suggest social media could provide an appropriate mechanism for enabling young people to share experiences relevant to social care. However, whilst some resources do exist, there are fewer than expected. A need is identified to develop new sustainable ways of enabling young people to have a voice. Current approaches were found to replicate barriers associated with service provision being compartmentalised, service led, and framed by eligibility criteria. Recommendations are made for a united response from social work education institutions supporting approaches that give ownership to young people themselves whilst promoting sustainability and continuity

The Olympic Games and raising sports participation: a systematic review of evidence and an interrogation of policy for a demonstration effect

Research questions: Can a demonstration effect, whereby people are inspired by elite sport, sports people and events to actively participate themselves, be harnessed from an Olympic Games to influence sport participation? Did London 2012 sport participation legacy policy draw on evidence about a demonstration effect, and was a legacy delivered? Research methods: A worldwide systematic review of English language evidence returned 1,778 sources iteratively reduced by the author panel, on advice from an international review panel, to 21 included sources that were quality appraised and synthesised narratively. The evidence was used to examine the influence of a demonstration effect on sport participation engagement and to interrogate sport participation legacy policy for London 2012. Results and findings: There is no evidence for an inherent demonstration effect, but a potential demonstration effect, properly leveraged, may deliver increases in sport participation frequency and re-engage lapsed participants. Despite setting out to use London 2012 to raise sport participation, successive UK governments’ policy failures to harness the potential influence of a demonstration effect on demand resulted in failure to deliver increased participation. Implications: If the primary justification for hosting an Olympic Games is the potential impact on sport participation, the Games are a bad investment. However, the Games can have specific impacts on sport participation frequency and re-engagement, and if these are desirable for host societies, are properly leveraged by hosts, and are one among a number of reasons for hosting the Games, then the Games may be a justifiable investment in sport participation terms

Service engagement in interventions for street-connected children and young people: a summary of evidence supplementing a recent Cochrane–Campbell review

Abstract Background This paper builds on a Cochrane–Campbell systematic review of interventions that reduce harms and promote reintegration in street-connected children and young people focusing on intervention outcomes. The aim of the present analysis is to explore questions raised in the systematic review over the potential role of service engagement in mediating outcomes of relevant interventions. Objective The paper summarises engagement-related findings from quantitative intervention evaluations with street-connected populations of children and young people, as reported by study authors. It seeks to contribute to theoretical and methodological understandings of service engagement with street-connected youth populations and to highlight gaps in current knowledge. Methods Drawing on the original search for the Cochrane–Campbell review, we rescreened search results in our database and included quantitative findings if relevant to our current research questions, regardless of study design. Additionally, we sought new study publications from authors whose work was included in the original systematic review. The discussion explores relevant data from five studies included in the original systematic review, ten studies excluded from the review, and two studies published after the completion of the review. Results The measures of service engagement in the included studies focused on treatment attendance, ‘level of engagement’, and service satisfaction. Evidence on the impact of service engagement on other outcomes in interventions for street-connected children and young people was limited. Available data on the predictors and impact of service engagement were mixed and appear not to provide robust support for common hypotheses in the relevant context