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In this chapter, we explore group counseling interventions for Black males and explain the Achieving Success Everyday (ASE) group model for racial and mathematical development. We use critical race theory (CRT) as a framework to analyze school counseling (SC) and mathematics literature that focuses on Black male students to inform the reconceptualization of the ASE group model for school counselors. We examine the programs and interventions that have been published with Black male participants in school settings within the SC literature. We also examine programs and interventions that have been specially designed to improve Black males' mathematics skills. We specifically focus on gathering findings that provide successful outcomes for Black males in public schools. We examine literature that reflects the role school counselors (SCs) take when supporting Black male students' academic, social, emotional, college, and career identity development. We believe uncovering ideas to capture Black males' experiences in school settings could shed light on how to foster Black excellence. Gaining an understanding of programs and interventions for Black male students through a CRT lens could inform future research, policy, and practice in SC while combating ongoing racism that continues to persist.

In this chapter, we describe the policy and practical decisions one school district and school had to make to implement a progress monitoring and Response to Intervention (RtI) model in an historically low-achieving school with a substantial population of students at risk tfor academic failure – characteristics that are common to many public schools across the nation. We contrast the lofty goals and theoretical orientations of RtI described in a burgeoning literature in special and general education with the “real life” burdens of capacity, resources, time, and school culture in a struggling school.

Here, this study aims to report a case study of the initial design and programme theory of an interdisciplinary work-focused relational group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) treatment programme for moderate-severe depression using realist methods.

This case study shows how the authors designed the intervention using component analysis of existing literature and focus groups of frontline practitioners and former service users and mind-mapping analysis to establish its operational logic and evaluated the theory underpinning the intervention using realist synthesis and evaluation to establish its conceptual logic.

An iterative hybrid approach of literature review, component analysis, focus group discussion and realist methods established the initial design and programme theory for the new intervention. The intervention focused on three areas of therapy, three inter-dependent outcomes, in a group format, with opportunities created for peer interaction. The main theoretical principles most likely to promote efficacy were to accelerate and optimise activation of one or more of six hypothesised mechanisms: realise, reflect, regulate, resolve, relate and retain/resume in the context of skilfully facilitated group psychotherapy.

This study outlines a methodological approach based on the layered ontology of critical realist philosophy, applied to a successful example, which will be useful during the early stages of the design and development of new group-based psychotherapeutic interventions.

By adopting the critical realist approach, the authors identified underlying mechanisms of change in relational group CBT. The theoretically integrated approach involving service users and practitioners from different professional backgrounds was unique and meant that the treatment programme was multi-modal rather than informed by a single therapeutic or theoretical approach.

In this study, targeted interventions were applied in a natural quasi-experimental setting to taxpayers engaged in sales tax theft and evasion to gauge both the direct and indirect impacts of a responsive regulation approach to compliance enforcement. The approach adopted included substantial engagement with targeted businesses and deferral of more punishing forms of deterrence based on the target's level of cooperation and effort to return to and maintain compliance. Results were was found to be 2.17:1. Additionally, the impact of the targeted responsive regulation interventions greatly exceeded the results obtained in deterrence-only control groups in terms of tax assessments compared to multiple control groups to determine the indirect impact of the interventions and to compare the responsive regulation approach to traditional deterrence-only enforcement results. The indirect versus direct impact of the targeted responsive regulation enforcement regimen overall and assessment per dollar of cost ($322.19 vs. $5.21).

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the effect of a physical activity intervention using a combination of Facebook and standing banners on improvements in metabolic syndrome.

In all, 120 (82.8 per cent) government employees with metabolic syndrome completed the programme. A Lifecorder e-STEP accelerometer (Suzuken Company Limited, Nagoya, Japan) was utilized to quantify physical activity. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to “Harmonized” definition at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up.

There were significantly higher step counts in the intervention group as compared to the control group over time. There were significant within-group differences in the step count at the baseline, post-intervention and follow-up assessments (p < 0.001) in both the intervention and control groups. The step count of the intervention group increased by 4,522 steps in the post-intervention assessment compared to the assessment at baseline. The step count of the intervention group in the follow-up assessment was lower than in the post-intervention assessment, but it was still 2,126 steps higher than at baseline. For control group, the difference between the post-intervention assessment and the assessment at baseline was 520 steps per day, while the difference between the follow-up assessment and assessment at baseline was 379 steps per day. The greatest decrease in the percentage of metabolic syndrome was observed in the intervention group, with a reduction of 88.6 per cent in the post-intervention assessment as compared to that at baseline.

Future studies should incorporate measures which will be of interest to employers. Greater understanding and assessment of desirable employer-related outcomes are warranted, such as decreased job stress, turnover, absenteeism and improved job satisfaction, productivity and exploration of how these associated with physical activity.

The findings show that delivering information on physical activity through an easily implemented and low-cost physical activity intervention via a combination of Facebook and standing banners was successful in improving step counts and metabolic parameters among individuals with metabolic syndrome.

The findings draw on supporting evidence for advocacy, which is about influencing the larger environment of public policy, and raising awareness of a single programme is insufficient to create lasting social change. Public policy must be shaped in a way that will sustain change across institutions.

Despite the well-documented health benefits of physical activity, a growing number of people not achieving the recommended levels of physical activity necessary for good health. Importantly, the study provides a new insight on lifestyle-based physical activity interventions capable of improving step counts and metabolic parameters.

This study aims to pilot test a new multi-component worksite intervention for weight loss in a primary healthcare setting.

This randomized trial involved 88 participants (43, 45; intervention, control group). The intervention group enrolled in a 12-week lifestyle program that involved modification of dietary intake by community Registered Dietitian (RDs) and increasing high-intensity interval training (HITT) with motivational interviewing (MI) to support changes. The control group received traditional counselling and weekly aerobic exercise from Medical Officer and physiotherapist. The primary outcome measure was the changes in body weight. Secondary measures were changes in blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, fasting blood lipid and dietary changes. Assessments were repeated at a three-month interval.

There was a significant reduction in body weight and waist circumference within groups. Intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in all cardiometabolic risk factors. This study showed that primary healthcare setting can be successful locations in promoting short-term health benefits. RDs were more successful and HITT appeared to be a favorable workout with MI in achieving drastic weight loss.

The short-term worksite intervention and not recording of body composition were the major drawbacks in this study.

The efficacy of multi-component worksite intervention (Diet–HITT–MI) in primary healthcare setting has not been clearly defined.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of an individual oriented positive psychology intervention on positive emotions, self‐efficacy, and work engagement.

The online self‐enhancement intervention program consists of three types of online assignments: happiness assignments, goal setting assignments, and resource building assignments. The authors expected the self‐enhancement intervention group to show a significantly stronger increase in the outcome variables compared to a self‐monitoring control group.

The results revealed that the self‐enhancement group showed a stronger increase in positive emotions and self‐efficacy compared to the control group, but not on engagement. Additional analyses showed that the positive effects of the self‐enhancement intervention are present for employees who are initially low in engagement, but not for those medium or high in engagement.

The study was conducted via a semi‐public web site. The participants were all working in different organizations throughout the country and did not have the advantage of having the support of their supervisors and colleagues who were participating in a similar intervention.

Positive psychology interventions should target employees who are low in engagement, because they have the most unused potential and therefore have more to gain.

Traditionally speaking, individual interventions are carried out when something is wrong or malfunctioning, and with the sole objective of fixing it. The intervention presented in this paper includes the entire workforce, because it is based on the belief that improving employee well‐being is relevant for all.

Female prisoners are a vulnerable group in society, often exposed to emotional deprivation and violent experiences and in need of support and attention due to mental health problems. The purpose of this study is to find out whether logotherapy, as an existential approach that emphasizes finding the true meaning in life, can affect imprisoned women’s level of hope, as well as investigating the relationship between participants’ criminological and demographic factors.

This study comprised a clinical trial with pre-test and post-test, carried out in two groups of intervention and control. The research environment for the study was the Prison Training Center of Shiraz. In total, 90 imprisoned women participated in the study, with the intervention group attending 10 sessions of group logotherapy. Two questionnaires, the Miller Hope scale and demographic and criminological information questionnaires were used for assessment. Participants were evaluated in three periods before, immediately after and one month after the intervention.

The results showed that logotherapy had a significant effect on increasing the feeling of hopefulness (p = 0.001). Therefore, using the logotherapy approach in other vulnerable groups is recommended.

This study can be a basis for further research due to limited studies on the mental health of women prisoners in the country.

The purpose of this paper is first to examine whether standard hospital food met patients' requirements and second, to evaluate the effect of individualized dietary intervention on weight, BMI and body composition of the patients.

In total, 69 patients (37 in the intervention group and 32 in the control group) were randomly selected. Weight, height and body composition measurements were performed in both groups within 24 h after admission and at discharge. In the intervention group, encouraging with eating and drinking, replacing missed meals with supplements or enteral nutrition were used as strategies to improve dietary intake. Frequency, chi‐square, Wilcoxon and paired t‐test were used to analyze data.

Before intervention daily energy and protein intake were significantly lower than required amounts in both groups. After intervention energy intake met requirements in the intervention group while it was still less than requirements in the control group. Protein intake met requirements in both groups. There were no significant changes in body weight, BMI and body composition in the intervention group during hospitalization but in the control group weight, BMI and body protein decreased significantly.

This paper shows the importance of individualized dietary intervention to prevent weight and body protein loss of patients during hospitalization.

This paper aims to evaluate the relative effectiveness of four‐hour ServSafe^® food safety training, a theory‐based intervention targeting food service employees' perceived barriers to implementing food safety practices, and a combination of the two treatments. Dependent measures include behavioral compliance with and perceptions of control over performing hand washing, use of thermometers, and handling of work surfaces.

Four groups are compared: employees receiving only ServSafe^® training, intervention alone, training and intervention, and no treatment. Employees complete a questionnaire assessing perceived barriers to practicing the targeted behaviors. Then, employees are observed in the production area for behavioral compliance.

Training or intervention alone is better than no treatment, but the training/intervention combination is most effective at improving employees' compliance with and perceptions of control over performing the behaviors.

Research is limited to restaurant employees in three states within the USA, in only 31 of the 1,298 restaurants originally contacted. Future research should identify barriers of other types of food service employees and evaluate the effectiveness of these and other intervention strategies.

ServSafe^® training can be enhanced with a simple intervention targeting food service employees' perceived barriers to food safety. Providing knowledge and addressing barriers are both important steps to improving food safety in restaurants.

No previous research has used the theory of planned behavior to develop an intervention targeting food service employees' perceived barriers to implementing food safety practices. Research also has not attempted to improve the effectiveness of ServSafe^® food safety training by adding an intervention.