Brief Parenting Seminars for Preventing Child Behavioral and Emotional Difficulties: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
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| Title: | Brief Parenting Seminars for Preventing Child Behavioral and Emotional Difficulties: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. |
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| Authors: | Foskolos, Konstantinos, Gardner, Frances, Montgomery, Paul |
| Source: | Journal of Child & Family Studies. Oct2023, Vol. 32 Issue 10, p3063-3075. 13p. 1 Diagram, 4 Charts. |
| Subjects: | Pilot projects, Parenting education, Behavior disorders in children, Randomized controlled trials, Pre-tests & post-tests, Emotions, Statistical sampling, Adult education workshops, Educational outcomes |
| Geographic Terms: | Greece |
| Abstract: | Early parenting programs can prevent the development of child behavioral and emotional difficulties. Despite the high prevalence of these difficulties in Greek children aged 2 to 12, no evidence-based parenting programs have been tested in randomized trials in Greece. We pilot-tested the efficacy of a brief parenting intervention for universal prevention of child behavioral and emotional difficulties. Parents from the general population (N = 124) were randomly assigned to receive the Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) Seminar Series (n = 83), or leaflet information on child health (n = 41). Most participants were highly educated mothers with boys and girls aged 2–12, from middle-income, inner-city households. Participants reported on child behavior, parenting style and parenting adjustment, before and after the intervention and six months later. At post-intervention, parent-reported behavioral problems were reduced in the intervention group, but increased in the control group (p = 0.001); these differences remained at 6-month follow-up. Of those in the clinical range (28%) at baseline, significantly more intervention children than control children moved to normal range six months later. Disrupted parenting practices were reduced more in intervention parents at post-intervention but were not maintained at follow-up. No significant differences were found in secondary child behavioral difficulties, child emotional difficulties, parenting confidence and distress over time. This Seminar Series is a brief, easily replicable and likely cost-effective early intervention leading to significant medium-sized reductions over six months in behavioral difficulties, and improvements in disrupted parenting. These findings broadly support other evidence about effective transportability of parenting interventions across countries. Highlights: We examined a brief parenting program to prevent behavioral and emotional difficulties in Greek children aged 2 to 12. Parents who received the Seminar Series reported significantly less child difficulties over time than control parents. Parents reported significantly less disrupted parenting practices after receiving the Seminar Series but not six months later. There may be clinical effects on child behavior provided that parents attended at least one seminar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Early parenting programs can prevent the development of child behavioral and emotional difficulties. Despite the high prevalence of these difficulties in Greek children aged 2 to 12, no evidence-based parenting programs have been tested in randomized trials in Greece. We pilot-tested the efficacy of a brief parenting intervention for universal prevention of child behavioral and emotional difficulties. Parents from the general population (N = 124) were randomly assigned to receive the Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) Seminar Series (n = 83), or leaflet information on child health (n = 41). Most participants were highly educated mothers with boys and girls aged 2–12, from middle-income, inner-city households. Participants reported on child behavior, parenting style and parenting adjustment, before and after the intervention and six months later. At post-intervention, parent-reported behavioral problems were reduced in the intervention group, but increased in the control group (p = 0.001); these differences remained at 6-month follow-up. Of those in the clinical range (28%) at baseline, significantly more intervention children than control children moved to normal range six months later. Disrupted parenting practices were reduced more in intervention parents at post-intervention but were not maintained at follow-up. No significant differences were found in secondary child behavioral difficulties, child emotional difficulties, parenting confidence and distress over time. This Seminar Series is a brief, easily replicable and likely cost-effective early intervention leading to significant medium-sized reductions over six months in behavioral difficulties, and improvements in disrupted parenting. These findings broadly support other evidence about effective transportability of parenting interventions across countries. Highlights: We examined a brief parenting program to prevent behavioral and emotional difficulties in Greek children aged 2 to 12. Parents who received the Seminar Series reported significantly less child difficulties over time than control parents. Parents reported significantly less disrupted parenting practices after receiving the Seminar Series but not six months later. There may be clinical effects on child behavior provided that parents attended at least one seminar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10621024 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10826-023-02653-6 |
