Penn Resiliency Programme (PRP) Op Volle Kracht (On Full Power; the Netherlands) UK Resiliency Programme (UK) - a school-based group intervention teaching cognitive behavioural and social problem-solving skills
At a glance
Country of origin
- USA
Level(s) of intervention
- Indicated prevention,
- Selective prevention,
- Universal prevention
The Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) is a school-based group intervention that teaches cognitive behavioural and social problem-solving skills. PRP strives to teach students to think flexibly and accurately about the challenges and problems that they confront. Students learn about (a) the link between beliefs, feelings, and behaviours; (b) cognitive styles, including pessimistic explanatory styles; and (c) cognitive restructuring skills, including how to challenge negative thinking by evaluating the accuracy of beliefs and generating alternative interpretations. PRP sessions meet after school once each week in a 90-minute session over 12 weeks.
Op Volle Kracht (OVK; On Full Power) is a Dutch adaptation that incorporates cultural and content-related modifications. It comprises 16 weekly 50-minute group sessions. The first 8 lessons are devoted to explaining and practising the CBT derived principles. Lessons 9 to 16 are directed at social and coping skills, self-esteem, problem solving, and decision-making.
The programme has also been evaluated in the UK with some adaptations. It is called the UK Resiliency Programme (UKRP). It is delivered over 18 hours, with the length of each session and the gap between sessions being flexible for schools to base on their timetables. There are minor changes in examples and adaptations to programme vocabulary.
Keywords
No dataLinks to this programme in other registries
Implementation Experiences
Read the experiences of people who have implemented this programme.Contact details
Rutger Engels
Voorzitter - Raad van Bestuur
Hoogleraar Developmental Psychopathology, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
T +31 30 29 71 102 F + 31 30 29 71 111 M + 31 6 40 70 33 77
Email: rengels[a]trimbos.nl
Da Costakade 45 - 3521 VS Utrecht
Postbus 725 - 3500 AS Utrecht
Jane Gillham, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Penn Resiliency Project
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Psychology
Solomon Laboratories
3720 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6241
Email: info[a]pennproject.org
Overview of results from the European studies
Studies overview
The programme has been evaluated in four randomised controlled trials in the Netherlands and one quasi-experimental study in the UK.
In a cluster randomised controlled trial in the Netherlands, in which schools were randomised, 118 female adolescents, aged 11 to 15 years, with elevated depressive symptoms participated. Depressive symptoms (but not controlling for baseline values) were significantly different between conditions at posttest and 6-month follow-up, but not at 1-month follow-up.
A second cluster randomised controlled trial in the Netherlands, evaluated the programme on a universal prevention level. Secondary schools in which at least 30% of their pupils lived in low-income areas were eligible. 61 classes including 1440 adolescents aged 11-16 were randomly allocated. A latent growth curve approach found the increase or decrease in depressive symptoms across follow-ups did not differ between the intervention and control condition.
Another cluster randomised controlled trial in the Netherlands, evaluating the programme as universal prevention, randomised 9 schools. 1341 adolescents, with a mean age of 13.9 years participated. There was no significant intervention effect on level of depressive symptoms or the number of adolescents with elevated symptoms at posttest, one and two-year follow-ups. An iatrogenic effect was found at post-test, where adolescents in the intervention condition reported less optimism, less active coping, less social self-efficacy and lower school grades; these effects were not sustained at follow-ups.
A randomised controlled trial, randomising individuals, has also been conducted in the Netherlands 208 Dutch female adolescents (mean age 13 years) with elevated depressive symptoms. The study compared Op Volle Kracht against another intervention (SPARX), a combination of Op Volle Kracht and SPARX and a self-monitoring control group, where participants completed questionnaires weekly to monitor their depressive symptoms. There was a significant time effect across conditions, but there were no significant intervention effects. The control group was not a treatment-as-usual or no-treatment control group, and thus the study cannot be considered to provide definite evidence of intervention ineffectiveness.
The English study included 2910 children aged 11 or 12 years at baseline. There was a significant, positive effect of the intervention on depressive symptoms at posttest (but not at one- or two-year follow-up). No significant effects were found for anxiety or behaviour problems at any post-baseline assessment period.
Countries where evaluated
- Netherlands,
- United Kingdom
Characteristics
Protective factor(s) addressed
- Individual and peers: Problem solving skills
Risk factor(s) addressed
- No defined risk factors
Outcomes targeted
- Emotional well-being
- Depression or anxiety
- Other mental health outcomes
- Other behaviour outcomes
Description of programme
The Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) is a group intervention that teaches cognitive behavioural and social problem-solving skills. PRP strives to teach students to think flexibly and accurately about the challenges and problems that they confront. Students learn about (a) the link between beliefs, feelings, and behaviours; (b) cognitive styles, including pessimistic explanatory styles; and (c) cognitive restructuring skills, including how to challenge negative thinking by evaluating the accuracy of beliefs and generating alternative interpretations. Students also learn a variety of techniques for coping and problem-solving, including assertiveness, negotiation, decision making, and relaxation. Students apply the cognitive and problem-solving techniques in their lives through group discussions and weekly homework assignments. PRP sessions meet after school once each week in a 90-minute session over 12 weeks.
Op Volle Kracht (OVK; On Full Power) is a Dutch adaptation that incorporates cultural and content-related modifications. It was developed to meet the need in the Netherlands for a school-based depression prevention programme for adolescents. It comprises 16 weekly 50-minute group sessions that have a cognitive-behavioural focus similar to the original program, and it targets, among other skills, cognitive biases, coping skills and social skills. The first 8 lessons are devoted to explaining and practising the CBT derived principles. Lessons 9 to 16 are directed at social and coping skills, self-esteem, problem solving, and decision-making. During every lesson, the theory behind the techniques is shortly explained followed by actively practicing the skills by students. Teaching occurs through discussions, role-plays and skits. Each lesson includes homework for the next lesson.
The programme has also been evaluated in the UK with some adaptations. It is called the UK Resiliency Programme (UKRP). It is delivered over 18 hours, with the length of each session and the gap between sessions being flexible for schools to base on their timetables. There are minor changes in examples and adaptations to programme vocabulary.
