Problem-solving Training Research Articles

Improving Coping Styles in Family Caregivers of Psychiatric Inpatients Using Planned Behavior Problem-Solving Training.

The consequences and high costs of psychiatric disorders impact family caregivers greatly. Health services should identify and provide accessible support programs to facilitate effective caregiver coping. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a theory-of-planned-behavior-based problem-solving training program on the coping styles of family caregivers of psychiatric inpatients. In this two-group, randomized control trial, 72 family caregivers were randomly assigned to either a control group receiving standard care or an intervention group receiving a training program (eight sessions over 4 weeks). Demographic information was recorded at baseline, and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations was administered to both groups at baseline, immediately postintervention, and 1-month follow-up. Immediately after the intervention, the intervention group earned significantly higher task-oriented coping style scores (mean difference = 5.03, p = .015) than the control group, but no significant difference was detected between the two groups for either emotion- or avoidance-oriented coping style scores. At 1-month follow-up, the intervention group earned significantly higher scores than the control group for task-oriented (mean difference = 8.56, p < .001) and emotion-oriented (mean difference = 7.14, p = .002) coping styles. No improvement in avoidance-oriented coping style at the postintervention or follow-up time points was detected. Implementation by nurses and other health professionals of problem-solving training programs that are based on the theory of planned behavior is recommended to strengthen the use of task- and emotion-oriented approaches that help family caregivers of psychiatric patients better cope with stress.

Effectiveness of applying problem-solving training on depression in Iranian pregnant women: Randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND:Depression during pregnancy is one of the major concerns in mental health, hence using interventional methods for the treatment or reducing the rate of depression is considered a priority for maternal and fetal health. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of problem-solving training in reducing depression in pregnant women.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This randomized clinical trial was conducted on seventy pregnant women referring to Prenatal Care Clinics, Najmiyeh hospital in Tehran, Iran. The participants were randomly allocated divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was given routine prenatal care training at the clinic along with problem-solving skills training based on the Identify, Define, Explore, Act, Look back model in five sessions, but the control group only received routine prenatal care training. Data were collected using the Beck's Depression Inventory at the beginning of the study and at the immediately and 1 month after two groups. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests.RESULTS:In the experimental group, the mean depression score significantly reduced from 16.06 ± 4.73 before intervention to 12.83 ± 4.10 and 13 ± 4.24 after intervention and at follow-up (P < 0.05). While in the control group, the mean depression from 15.34 ± 2.94 before intervention to 14.80 ± 2.76 and 14.86 ± 2.924 after intervention and at follow-up. It was not statistically significant in the control group (P > 0.05).CONCLUSIONS:Problem-solving training can be used as an optional method of reducing depression in pregnant women, and it is recommended that should be implemented by the health-care team.

Education and Skills Development in China-Africa Cooperation

Education, skills, and the development of an African workforce are at a critical moment. While it is recognized that Chinese firms hire local people, the focus of the debate is more on the position and opportunities for training and advancement. As such, the paper tries to answer the following questions. Does China really contribute to skills development in Africa? Does China employment, education, and skills transfer pattern contribute to Africa’s own structural transformation and benefit African workforce? In attempting to answer these questions, this paper first lays out the current magnitude of demand for skills in Africa and the priorities for education and skills transfer that can successfully address Africa’s skills shortage. Significantly, this will enable researchers and non-researchers to understand the diversity of Chinese firms’ skills transfer patterns and the reasons behind these patterns. In order to present a comprehensive and precise picture as well as understand the context for China and Africa education and skills transfer development, the paper draws from various data collected from diverse sources, including government statistics, firm reports, second-hand academic literature, local and international news media, official government reports, and research studies. The paper suggests that the assessment of skills transfer pattern should not only consider employees’ and employers’ direct interests, but also in the short run, skills transfer should focus on offering short, practical courses to secondary and higher education graduates involving primarily on-the-job training. In the long run, there is a need to change the way employees and students are trained, including curriculum reforms that favor science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Emphasis should also be placed on critical thinking, problem-solving, discovery, and experiential training.

Supercomputers to improve the performance in higher education: A review of the literature

The use of Supercomputers is currently very widespread, constituting an essential component in many fields of science. The interest in the use of high performance computation is increasing in a wider and more diverse population of higher education students, mainly senior undergraduates and postgraduates, because the use of these infrastructures allows learners to improve their skills and the results of their training. For this reason, the demand of courses related to supercomputing increases continuously. In this paper we propose, through a wide review of primary studies, several questions that have been considered as a way of knowing the most widely-used contents in Supercomputing training. We have focused on the factors considered for improving training in Supercomputing, in order to improve the results of researchers in higher education organizations, to identify the limitations of Supercomputing training, and to provide solutions for these limitations. During the search procedure for answering research questions, 1911 studies were considered in the first selection. Through the definition of inclusion and exclusion codes in the results of searching databases, 136 published articles were studied. Finally, using quality criteria, 34 studies were identified as relevant in answering the research questions. Several factors were described, such as the way in which courses related to Supercomputing are organized, the adaptations that are currently being applied in curricula related to the students of these techniques, the use of problem-solving training and the qualification of teachers, among the most relevant ones, as well as several limitations of this type of training and the identification of solutions for these limitations. Data was collected by searching keywords related to Supercomputing training and education in the most important databases used in Computational Science, finding empirical evidence to support the positive effect of High Performance Computers (HPC) on educators and researchers. The implications of this study are: first, it provides a summary of the most relevant factors in improving training, as well as the factors that improve the results through the use of a Supercomputer; and second, it provides the analysis of the limitations found for a better performance of learners and the solutions for these limitations.

A Case Report of the Treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in a Non-specialist, Resource-Limited Environment Using the Co-care Approach

As the incidence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) continues to grow, non-specialist mental health providers, particularly those in rural and remote areas, were access to mental health services are limited, will be increasingly called upon to treat this disorder. This will be particularly true for general practitioners, family physicians, paediatricians, mid-level providers and others, given the relative scarcity of clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health providers in such settings. It is important for non-mental health specialists to recognise and have a basic understanding of how ODD can be treated in such settings. As such, this case report presents a typical ODD patient in such a setting, and details the course of the successful treatment of the patient using a variety of approaches, including parent-child interaction training, family therapy, social skills training, problem solving training in a co-care arrangement with a specialist mental health provider.

Military Health Provider Training and Evaluation of a Problem-Solving Intervention to Reduce Distress and Enhance Readiness Among Service Members.

Department of Defense (DoD) has identified problem-solving training (PST) as a promising prevention/early intervention for mental health disorders. PST is a four-session group intervention that emphasizes building problem-solving and coping skills to mitigate emotional dysregulation and the adverse effects of stressful events. It was adapted from problem-solving therapy, which is an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral approach that has shown effectiveness with treating depression and managing suicide risk. The current evaluation examined a pilot program that: (1) trained DoD providers in the delivery of PST, (2) conducted PST intervention groups with active duty personnel, and (3) developed PST master trainers to train other providers. Clinical (e.g., psychologists) and non-clinical (e.g., chaplains) providers attended a 2.5-day workshop of didactic coursework and experiential training on conducting PST, with a subset of providers selected to attend an additional workshop to become master trainers in PST. Providers (n = 82) who attended a PST Facilitator Workshop completed pre- and post-workshop assessments of self-efficacy in PST skills. Eight providers evaluated a Master Trainer Workshop. After completing workshop training, providers conducted PST intervention groups with service members (n = 435), who were experiencing distress, with or without a mental health diagnosis, and whose needs were appropriate for a prevention/resiliency-based skills group. Service members completed the following pre- and post-PST group outcome measures: (a) Outcome Questionnaire-30 (OQ-30) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as measures of distress; and (b) Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) to assess resilience, which contributes to readiness. They also completed the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised: Short Form (SPSI-R:S), as a process measure for the intervention. The SPSI-R:S, which assesses how individuals cope when faced with problems, includes the following subscales: (1) positive problem orientation, (2) negative problem orientation, (3) rational problem-solving, (4) impulsivity/carelessness style, and (5) avoidance style. Service members also completed a post-group evaluation of PST. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, paired sample t-tests, and correlational analyses. Providers showed pre- to post-facilitator workshop increases in self-efficacy of PST skills (all p < 0.001) and those selected as master trainers evaluated their workshop training favorably, particularly the role-playing exercises. Analyses of pre- vs. post-PST group intervention measures among service members indicated that OQ-30 and PHQ-9 scores declined, while BRS and SPSI-R:S total scores increased (all p < 0.001). In addition, correlational analyses of change scores showed that the SPSI-R:S subscales negative problem orientation and avoidance style were negatively correlated with BRS and positively correlated with OQ-30 and PHQ-9 (all p < 0.001). Service members gave positive post-group evaluations of PST effectiveness and program materials. DoD providers reported increased self-efficacy in skills required for the delivery of a four-session PST group intervention after participating in a pilot program of training workshops. The pilot of the PST group intervention showed an association with improvements on service members' self-reported measures related to distress, readiness, and coping. In addition, changes in problem-solving measures were associated with changes in outcome measures. Follow-on research is needed to further investigate if PST is effective in preventing more severe forms of distress.

Efficacy of the Flexible Lifestyles Empowering Change intervention on metabolic and psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (FLEX): a randomised controlled trial

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes commonly have poor glycaemic control. We aimed to test the efficacy of a newly developed adaptive behavioral intervention (Flexible Lifestyles Empowering Change; FLEX) on metabolic and psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Young people (13-16 years, type 1 diabetes duration >1 year, HbA1c of 64-119 mmol/mol [8·0-13·0%], and without other serious medical conditions or pregnancy) from two clinical sites (Colorado and Ohio, USA) were eligible for enrolment. One caregiver was required to participate actively in the study. Adolescent participants were randomly assigned to the FLEX intervention, which used motivational interviewing and problem-solving skills training to enhance patients' self-management, or usual care control. Intervention fidelity was assessed by a behavioral psychologist with specific expertise in motivational interviewing and who was not otherwise involved in the study via audiotaped sessions. The primary outcome was measurement of glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at 18 months. Secondary outcomes included motivation and intention, problem solving skills, self-management behaviors, symptoms of depression, health related quality of life, fear of hypoglycemia, diabetes family conflict, risk factors for T1D complications (BMI, blood pressure, and plasma lipids), and hypoglycemia derived from continuous glucose monitoring (percent time below 3·0 and 3·9 mmol/l [54 and 70 mg/dl]). Intention-to-treat analyses used mixed effects models, with fixed effects including site, timepoint, intervention group, intervention by timepoint, and baseline level of primary (HbA1c) or secondary outcomes (α=0·05). FLEX is registered on clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT01286350. Young people recruited from May 1, 2014 to April 4, 2016 were randomly assigned to FLEX (n=130) or usual care control (n=128). Mean diabetes duration was 6·4 (SD 3·8) years, and 71% (181 out of 256) of patients used insulin pump therapy. Retention was 93%, with 241 out of 258 completing the 18-month assessment. The intervention fidelity score was 4·40 of 5·00 for motivational interviewing and 97% for session content. At 18 months, HbA1c was not significantly different between intervention (83 [13] mmol/mol at baseline; 84 [19] mmol/mol at follow-up); and control (80 [14] mmol/mol at baseline; 82 [17] mmol/mol at follow-up); change in intervention versus control was -0·7 mmol/mol (95% CI -4·7 to 3·4, p=0·75). The intervention was associated with improved scores for motivation (p=0·011), problem solving (p=0·024), diabetes self-management profile (p=0·013), youth report of overall quality of life (p=0·0089), selected domains related to fear of hypoglycaemia (p=0·036 for youth's helplessness or worry; p=0·0051 for parent's efforts to maintain high blood glucose), parent report of diabetes family conflict (p=0·0001), total cholesterol (p=0·038), and diastolic blood pressure (p=0·015). A total of 54 serious adverse events were identified; 34 of these were diabetes-related, including low blood glucose requiring assistance (n=3) and high blood glucose with diabetic ketoacidosis and emergency response (n=25). The FLEX intervention did not significantly change HbA1c among these adolescents with elevated HbA1c, but did positively affect several psychosocial outcomes over 18 months. Further analyses will provide information regarding drivers of positive response to the intervention and will point to future directions for improvement in the approach. National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Diabetes Digestive Diseases and Kidney and the Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Effectiveness of a strength-oriented psychoeducation on caregiving competence, problem-solving abilities, psychosocial outcomes and physical health among family caregiver of stroke survivors: A randomised controlled trial

BackgroundFamily caregivers provide the foundation for long-term home care of stroke survivors. The overwhelming stress associated with caregiving hinders the ability of family caregivers to utilise their internal and external resources to cope with this situation, thereby placing their own health at risk. We conducted a randomised controlled trial of a strength-oriented psychoeducational programme on conventional stroke rehabilitation for family caregivers. ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of a strength-oriented psychoeducational programme on the caregiving competence, problem-solving coping abilities, caregiver’s depressive symptoms, caregiving burden and resources (family functioning, social support) and physical health (such as caregiving-related injury), as well as potential placement of stroke survivors. DesignA prospective multi-centre and single-blinded randomised controlled trial stratified by survivors’ history of stroke. Setting and participantsAdult stroke patients and their family caregivers were recruited from the medical wards of a regional acute and two rehabilitation hospitals in the Eastern New Territories of Hong Kong. MethodsThe design of the trial was based on the relational/problem-solving model. Family caregivers of stroke survivors who had been admitted to the study hospitals completed a set of questionnaires before randomisation, immediately, one- and three-months post-intervention. The control group received usual care, whereas the intervention group received an additional 26-week strength-oriented psychoeducational programme (two structured individual face-to-face pre-discharge education sessions on stroke and its associated caregiving skills and six biweekly post-discharge telephone-based problem-solving coping skills training sessions). Data were analysed using the generalized estimating equation and multiple regression models and chi-square tests. ResultsWe recruited 128 caregiver–survivor dyads. The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements throughout the study (p < 0.01) in terms of caregiving competence, problem-solving coping abilities and social support satisfaction. This group also displayed significantly greater improvements in terms of family functioning (p < 0.05) at one-month post-intervention, an increased number of social support (p < 0.001) and a lower level of burden at three-month post-intervention. However, there was no significant effect on enabling stroke survivors to remain in their home. Post-hoc analysis showed a significant and indirect effect of problem-solving coping abilities, which suggested its mediating effect on caregiving competence of stroke caregivers. ConclusionsFindings suggest that incorporating a strength-oriented psychoeducational programme into the existing stroke rehabilitation protocol can foster a healthy transition to caregiving among family members of stroke survivors.

Steps to Effective Problem-Solving in group homes

Aggressive/challenging behaviors (A/CB) are a major public health problem for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). A leading reason for psychiatric hospitalizations and incarcerations, such behaviors are costly to the health care system, agencies, and families. Social problem-solving (SPS) training programs for individuals with ID have had positive behavioral results, but most were conducted in clinical or forensic settings. None was a community-based preventive intervention, none examined whether the behaviors decreased in residential and work settings, and none addressed cost-effectiveness. In preliminary work, we modified an effective SPS training program (ADAPT: Attitude, Define, Alternatives, Predict, and Try out), using input from individuals with ID and residential staff, as a community-based preventive intervention that we delivered in group homes (STEPS: Steps to Effective Problem-solving). Individuals with ID have high rates of obesity, and our attention-control condition is a nutrition intervention: Food for Life. We describe the protocol for a randomized clinical trial to: (1) test the efficacy of the STEPS intervention for improving SPS skills and reducing A/CB compared to an attention-control nutrition intervention in group homes; (2) assess the mediating effect of residential staff SPS skills, group-home level SPS skills, and group cohesiveness on the improvement of SPS skills and reductions in A/CB; and (3) evaluate the cost-effectiveness of STEPS. We expect to show that STEPS is a preventive strategy to reduce A/CBs among individuals with ID and improve the cost-effectiveness of their care.

The Effect of TRIZ (OTSM) Training on Preschoolers’ Creativity and Philosophy of Use in Beh- Bahan

This study aimed to analyze the effect of TRIZ training on preschoolers’ creativity and philosophy of use in Beh-Bahan, Iran. The correspondents of the study included sixty (60) boy and girl Preschoolers that were randomly selected from different kindergarten schools in Beh-Bahan, Iran. The research instrument included Ravens, progressive mattris test, Torrance’s picture creativity question air; Alhen’s reasoning skill question air and TRIZ (OTSM) training method of inventive problem solving. The preschoolers were assimilated with Raven’s progressive matris test. The selected sixty (60) correspondents were then divided in to two groups of control and experimental groups. Both control and experimental groups were pre- tested with respect to creativity and philosophy of use, and then the experimental groups were trained by TRIZ training method for eight (8) weeks. Both control and experimental groups were post tested. After the training period, the gathered data was further examined by t- test, and analyzed by SPSS statistical tools. The findings of the study showed that: The posttest mean score and t-test value of both preschoolers’ creativity and philosophy of use differed significantly from those of pre- test. This indicated that TRIZ (OTSM) training of inventive problem solving had significant effect on both preschoolers’ creativity and philosophy of use.

The Flexible Lifestyles Empowering Change (FLEX) Intervention Trial for Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes—Primary and Secondary Outcomes

Youth with T1D often have poor glycemic control and compromised health and well-being. Our aim was to test the efficacy of the FLEX adaptive behavioral intervention on the primary (HbA1c) and secondary (psychosocial and metabolic) outcomes at 18 months. Youth (n=258) aged 13-16 years, diagnosed &amp;gt;1 year with T1D with HbA1c from 8.0-13.0%, were randomized at two sites to FLEX or usual care control. Mean (sd) duration of diabetes was 6.4 (3.8) years, 50% were girls, 78% non-Hispanic white, mean HbA1c was 9.6% (1.2) and 71% used insulin pump therapy. FLEX used motivational interviewing and problem-solving skills training to enhance self-management. Intervention fidelity was assessed via random selection of audiotaped sessions for counseling strategy and session content. Intent-to-treat analyses used mixed effects models, with fixed effects of site, timepoint, intervention group, intervention by timepoint and baseline level of primary or secondary outcomes, with a random intercept (alpha=0.05). Retention was 97%, with intervention fidelity 4.6 out of 5 for counseling strategy and 97.4% complete for session content. HbA1c was not statistically significantly different between intervention and control at 18 months. Among secondary outcomes at 18 months, the intervention was associated with improved scores for symptoms of depression (p=0.04), quality of life (p=0.01), motivation (p=0.009), problem-solving (p=0.04), and diabetes self-management profile (p=0.01), as well as better total cholesterol (p=0.04), and better diastolic blood pressure (p=0.01). The FLEX intervention did not change the primary outcome, but did positively effect psychosocial outcomes over the 18 months of the trial. Further analyses will reveal information regarding drivers of positive response to the intervention and will point to directions for improvement in the approach, perhaps incorporating more specific direction towards achievement of glycemic targets. Disclosure E.J. Mayer-Davis: None. F.K. Bishop: None. K.A. Driscoll: None. C.M. Hunter: None. D.M. Maahs: Advisory Panel; Self; Insulet Corporation. Consultant; Self; Abbott. Research Support; Self; Medtronic, Bigfoot Biomedical, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Roche Diabetes Care Health and Digital Solutions. M. Seid: None. D. Standiford: None. J. Thomas: None.

The Impact of Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Skills on Mental Health Status among Industrial Workers through Life-Skills Education

Background: Essential Skills such as Decision-making and Problem-solving skills training through inculcating Life-skills education have shown a decrease in negative effectively on mental health status in workers. Objective: The study was aimed to examine “the impact of decision-making and problem-solving skills on mental health status among industrial workers through Life-skills education.” Methodology: The research was an experiment with pretest-posttest control group design. A sample of 100 workers was randomly selected from HMT Watches Ltd, Bangalore, India. The sample included an equal number of male (N=50) and female (N=50) workers. The samples were allocated to experimental and control group. Both groups were pre-tested by using research tools, such as mental health scale, decision making, and problem-solving skills self-assessment questionnaires for data collection. Research objectives through hypothesis guided the study. The experimental group received training in decision-making and problem-solving skills through life-skills education for 5 sessions, 2 hours per session per week. Both groups were post-tested, collected data was processed at inferential and descriptive levels using SPSS and for analytic analysis “T” test was used for variables. Findings: Findings of the study indicated that training in decision-making and problem-solving skills significantly found a positive effect on mental health, i.e., increased mental health status relatively reduced mental health problems. Conclusion: Decision-making and Problem-solving skills training through Life-skills education were proved effective in reducing mental health problems by enhancing mental health status.

Efforts to Improve Mathematics Teacher Competency Through Training Program on Design Olympiad Mathematics Problems Based on Higher Order Thinking Skills in The Junior High School

The goal to analyse a improvement of teacher competence after being trained in preparing high-order math olympicad based on high order thinking skills in junior high school teachers in Pesisir Selatan Regency. The sample of these activities are teachers at the MGMP junior high school in Pesisir Selatan District. Evaluation of the implementation is done by giving a pre test and post test, which will measure the success rate of the implementation of this activities. The existence of the devotion activities is expected to understand the enrichment of mathematics olympiad material and training in the preparation of math olympiad questions for the teachers of South Pesisir district junior high school, motivating and raising the interest of the participants in order to follow the mathematics olympiad with the enrichment of mathematics materials and the training of problem solving about mathematics olympiad for junior high school teachers, the participants gain experience and gain insight, as well as the ins and outs of junior mathematics olympiad and implement to teachers and students in olympic competitions. The result of that the post-test is better than the result of pretest in the training of mathematics teacher competence improvement in composing the mathematics olympiad problem based on high order thinking skills of junior high school (SMP) in Pesisir Selatan District, West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Low-intensity, evidence-based cognitive-behavioural therapy of a patient with Crohn's disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and colitis ulcerosa) is a chronic, long-term condition that causes chronic inflammation in the digestive tract, and shows an increasing incidence and prevalence worldwide. Changes in disease activity over time affect psychological distress which increases the risk of exacerbations. Beside somatic symptoms (such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss), psychiatric comorbidity (in particular major depression, anxiety, social phobia) is common in patients with Crohn's disease. This case study illustrates the management and stabilization of a 21-year-old adult male patient with active Crohn's disease and with severe psychiatric comorbidity. The patient was diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder and dysruptive mood dysregulation disorder based on the results of psychodiagnostics (SCID-II structured clinical interview, MMPI personality inventory and disease-specific clinical questionnaires such as Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Social Cognition Questionnaire, Anger Expression Scale, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale). The main aim of psychotherapy is to increase the adherence to pharmacotherapy, to promote psychosocial functioning, to improve well-being and to enhance adaptive coping strategies. Low-intensity cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy was used which included psychoeducation, motivational interview, behavioural activation, patient diary, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving training, and family consulting. Twenty-five sessions were held weekly in outpatient form and 3 sessions of crisis intervention after the surgery at the hospital. The efficacy of the treatment was measured by self-reported questionnaires at baseline and at two follow-up sessions which corroborated a very significant decrease in the severity of depression, hopelessness, while emotional regulation and self-esteem became more adaptive. The remission of the above-mentioned psychiatric symptoms resulted in the improvement of the pharmacotherapy adherence and the quality of life. Low-intensity psychosocial interventions are proven to be an effective way of delivering evidence-based psychotherapy. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(9): 363-369.

The Effect of Problem-Solving Skills Training on the Anxiety of Female Candidates for Intrauterine Insemination Treatment

The Effect of Problem-Solving Skills Training on the Anxiety of Female Candidates for Intrauterine Insemination Treatment

Understanding and Managing Quality Circles: A Theoretical Perspective

“Quality Circle is small group of employees who work in same work area are doing a similar type of work who voluntarily meet regularly for above an hour every week identify, analyze and resolve work related problems, leading to improvement in their total performance, and enrichment of the work life”. Quality Circle is a group of employees which meets regularly to solve problems affecting their work area. Group carries on regularly as part of organization wise control activities self development and mutual development, control, improvement within the workplace utilizing quality control technique with all the members participation. Members receive training in problem solving, statistical quality control and group process. It is a best solution for quality and productivity problem which may be implemented by management.

The Effects of Problem-Solving Skills Training on Self-control Behaviors and Psychotic Symptoms Among Community-Dwelling Patients With Schizophrenia

Purpose: Our aim was to evaluate the effects of problem-solving skills training (PSST) on self-control behaviors and the positive and negative psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia in community-dwelling patients.Method: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 63 adult community-dwelling outpatients with schizophrenia in Taiwan. The control group (n=28) received routine life skills training alone, while the experimental group (n=35) received both routine life-skills and problem-solving training. The data were collected at four time points (at baseline, and at week 6, 12, and 16 [4 weeks after training ended]). This study measured outcome variables including problem-solving skills (using the Self-control Schedule [SCS]), and psychiatric syndromes (using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS]).Results: Our generalized estimating equation (GEE) model showed a significant improvement in the self-control behavior score in the experimental group at week 12 and 4 weeks after training ended, compared with the control group. In addition, the negative symptoms score was significantly improved at week 12 and 4 weeks after training end, compared with baseline.Conclusion: These results demonstrated that PSST and routine living skills training have a positive impact on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia patients and could improve their problem-solving capacity and skills for dealing with daily life and health problems and could moderate negative psychotic symptom severity.

Comparison of The Effects of A Positive Reappraisal Coping Intervention and Problem-Solving Skills Training on Depression during The Waiting Period of The Result of Intrauterine Insemination Treatment: A Randomized Control Trial.

BackgroundThe outcomes of fertility treatments are unpredictable, and levels of depressive symptoms increase in patients during the waiting period of the result of intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI) and problem-solving skills training (PSS) on depression during the waiting period of the result of IUI Treatment.Materials and MethodsThis randomized control clinical trial was done among 108 women undergoing IUI treat- ment. In the control group, the women received routine care. In the PRCI group, women attended two training sessions and were asked to complete coping thoughts cards and fill out daily monitoring forms during the waiting period. In the PSS group, PSS were taught over three sessions. The depression was measured by the beck depression inventory.ResultsOn the 10th day of the IUI waiting period, there were significant differences between the control group (21.42 ± 11.42) and the PSS group (12.52 ± 8.05) and PRCI groups (13.14 ± 9.7) (P<0.001), but no significant difference between the PRCI group and the PSS group.ConclusionAccording to the results of this randomized control trial there is no difference between a PRCI and PSS on depression during the waiting period of the result of IUI treatment. This suggests that both interventions can be used to help infertile women combat depression during the waiting period of the result of fertility treatments (Registration number: IRCT2016020926490N1).

Effects of problem-solving skill training on emotional intelligence of nursing students: An experimental study.

BACKGROUND:Nursing students are generally trained to acquire the knowledge, skills, and approaches required for solving problems and contradictions in life and at work. In fact, problem-solving skills are the core of effective nursing activities. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of problem-solving training on the promotion of emotional intelligence in nursing students.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This interventional case–control study used a pretest-posttest design. All senior nursing students (n = 43) attending the seventh semester of their undergraduate studies at Hazrat Fatemeh School of Nursing and Midwifery of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were recruited in the present study. The participants were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 20) or the control group (n = 23). The collected data were analyzed with SPSS software version 16.RESULTS:While the mean standardized scores of Emotional Quotient Inventory of the two groups were not significantly different before the intervention, the scores were significantly higher in the intervention group both immediately and 2 months after the intervention. Comparison of the standardized emotional intelligence scores revealed the intervention group to have significantly higher mean scores immediately and 2 months after the intervention compared to baseline scores (105.87 ± 9.82 and 109.44 ± 9.56 vs. 101.22 ± 10.93; P < 0.001). Such significant differences were absent in the control group.CONCLUSION:Using the results of this research in nursing education, it is possible to improve the level of nurses’ knowledge and personal skills and to increase the level of services and increase the satisfaction of the clients.

Comparative study on the effectiveness of two methods of Problem-Solving and bibliotherapy training on increasing the ability of Problem-Solving skills among undergraduate students

Comparative study on the effectiveness of two methods of Problem-Solving and bibliotherapy training on increasing the ability of Problem-Solving skills among undergraduate students