Facilitating effective prevention of child internalizing and externalizing problems in the Netherlands: Long-term effects and costs evaluation of PATHS curriculum

Effective prevention of behavioral and emotional problems can only be achieved
if 1) knowledge about the long-term effectiveness of prevention programs on
mental health and (reductions in) health impeding behaviors (e.g., substance
use) is available, and 2) knowledge on the cost-effectiveness of the program,
and knowledge about the influence in implementation fidelity on effectiveness
is available, as this should guide public policy makers in facilitating
nationwide implementation of prevention programs.
The PATHS curriculum was implemented among 989 children (quasi experimental
design) in three cohorts (age 5, 6, 7) years at the beginning of the project)
in 18 elementary schools. PATHS is a social-emotional intervention, aimed at
teaching children to recognize and cope with emotions, and to develop effective
strategies to deal with social situations. Children were followed for two years
(ended 2007). The cohorts will be followed-up till age 12 years.
In the proposed follow-up we aim at establishing the long-term (cost)
effectiveness of PATHS.

1. To assess the long-term outcomes of the PATHS intervention in terms of
symptoms of behavioral and emotional problems at ages 9, 10, 11, 12 years, and
in terms of number of DSM-IV clinical diagnoses (age 12 years), cases of school
failure (underachievement), and the amount of service use, and substance use
prevented by the program;
2. To study the influence of implementation fidelity on effectiveness of PATHS;
3. To study the cost-effectiveness of PATHS;

Quasi-experimental design

PATHS curriculum. PATHS is a social-emotional intervention, aimed at teaching
children to recognize and cope with emotions, and to develop effective
strategies to deal with social situations.

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