Mental illness prevention: more “punch for the pound”

An analysis of the economic pay-offs of mental health strategies provides new tools for making tough funding decisions – and finds that programs can return up to £83 in savings for every £1 spent.

Making wider use of what works

Present tough economic times make the greater use of effective programs uncertain but we have much to learn from how those responsible for policy implementation are guided and act.

Game on!

A recent study conducted in schools in some of Montreal’s poorest neighbourhoods finds that combining a game aimed at reducing classroom disruption with improved teaching can boost attention and literacy skills in low-income students. But can it help children who are inattentive to start with become better readers?

When the gold standard is wrong

LifeSkills Training is massively popular, delivered to millions of students in more than 30 countries as a way to prevent drug use. Government agencies call it a “proven” program. But a starting new analysis of the data claims that reviewers have cherry-picked results. What if LST has no real effect at all?

Bullying prevention: Olweus marks its quarter-century

When teen suicides hit the headlines, the background is often a story of school bullying that has been going on for years. The 25-year history of a major prevention approach shows how a high-profile tragedy transformed approaches to bullying.

Family-based solutions to school-based risks

What’s the best way to help children navigate tough school transitions? An unusual intervention that focuses not on the children but on parents’ relationships is still showing positive results – 10 years later.