Conducting trials and experimental studies for the evaluation of psychological treatments

Description

[Four-session online workshop]

Studies involving randomisation are an integral part of strategies for the evaluation of intervention effects in particular and causal connections more generally. Conducting such studies well also for complex interventions (e.g., MRC framework) are to be evaluated.

This workshop will present in four sessions the key elements and practical steps for planning, developing, conducting, and reporting randomised studies of psychological interventions. First, the core logic and statistical arguments for an experimental study of a psychological intervention will be re-iterated to clarify when an experimental study (and which type of such a study) is indicated. Second, the main part of the workshop will deal with how to plan, design, and report such a study, covering both quantitative and qualitative elements. We will discuss the use of international guidelines and how and when to prepare protocols, statistical analysis plans, and/or registered reports. Finally, perspectives for advanced problems such as missing data and multi-site integration will be discussed. At the end of the workshop participants will be able to confidently assess published randomised studies of psycho-social interventions and know about the steps and resources needed to develop their own study.

Recommended readings
MRC (2006). Developing and evaluating complex interventions. Direct link to pdf: www.mrc.ac.uk/complexinterventionsguidance
Hayes et al. (2019). Promoting mental health and wellbeing in schools: examining Mindfulness, Relaxation and Strategies for Safety and Wellbeing in English primary and secondary schools: study protocol for a multi-school, cluster randomised controlled trial (INSPIRE). Trials, 20, 640.
Munafo et al. (2017). A manifesto for reproducible science. Nature Human Behaviour, 1, 21.

Period	Apr 2021
Event title	Dundee Methods Workshops
Event type	Conference