EBP Exchange - UMB School of Social Work

THe NIH just issued a press release heralding the latest results of the work of social worker Arthur Reynolds and his colleagues related to their findings. It was titled, “Children Who Complete Intensive Early Childhood Program Show Gains in Adulthood: Greater College Attendance, Lower Crime and Depression“.  The study is not a randomized clinical trial but still considered one of the best controlled longitudinal studies of involving parents and providing enriched early childhood education. Every social worker (and policy maker) should know about it, in my view.   I’ve provided an nonstandard citation and the abstract, below.

 Arthur J. Reynolds, PhD; Judy A. Temple, PhD; Suh-Ruu Ou, PhD; Dylan L. Robertson, PhD; Joshua P. Mersky, PhD; James W. Topitzes, PhD; Michael D. Niles, PhD.  Effects of a School-Based, Early Childhood Intervention on Adult Health and Well-being A 19-Year Follow-up of Low-Income Families, Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(8):730-739 Objective: To determine the effects of an established preventive intervention on the health and well-being of an urban cohort in young adulthood. Design: Follow-up of a nonrandomized alternative interventionmatched-group cohort at age 24 years.Participants: A total of 1539 low-income participants who enrolled in the Child-Parent Center program in 20 Chicago sites or in an alternative kindergarten intervention.Interventions: The Child-Parent Center program provides school-based educational enrichment and comprehensive family services from preschool to third grade.Main Outcome Measures: Educational attainment, adult arrest and incarceration, health status and behavior, and economic well-being.Results: Relative to the comparison group and adjusted for many covariates, Child-Parent Center preschool participants had higher rates of school completion (63.7% vs 71.4%, respectively; P=.01) and attendance in 4-year colleges as well as more years of education. They were more likely to have health insurance coverage (61.5% vs 70.2%, respectively; P=.005). Preschool graduates relative to the comparison group also had lower rates of felony arrests (16.5% vs 21.1%, respectively; P=.02), convictions,incarceration (20.6% vs 25.6%, respectively; P=.03), depressive symptoms (12.8% vs 17.4%, respectively; P=.06), and out-of-home placement. Participation in both preschool and school-age intervention relative to the comparison group was associated with higher rates of fulltime employment (42.7% vs 36.4%, respectively; P=.04), higher levels of educational attainment, lower rates of arrests for violent offenses, and lower rates of disability.Conclusions: Participation in a school-based intervention beginning in preschool was associated with a wide range of positive outcomes. Findings provide evidence that established early education programs can have enduring effects on general well-being into adulthood. 

FYI. The International Conference for the Advancement of Professional Practice in Clinical social Work is having a conference between October 11 and 14, with the title shown above, in lovely Newport RI.  More information is available from www.icapp-csw.com.  I can’t vouch for the organization or conference, but have high praise for their choice of topic and locale.