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Background Methods Results Conclusions Parenting interventions are effective for improving child conduct problems (CPs), but online self‐directed interventions are required to improve reach and impact. Mothers are the main users of such programmes; fathers show low participation rates despite evidence of increased efficacy when they participate.This randomised controlled trial examined the efficacy of Family Man, a brief, self‐directed online parenting intervention for fathers and mothers of children with CPs. The intervention involves several innovative design features to maximise the engagement of fathers. Families (N = 103; 102 mothers, 78 fathers) seeking help with managing their 2‐ to 8‐year‐old child's CPs were randomly assigned to either the Family Man intervention condition (n = 53) or a 4‐week waitlist control group (n = 50). Primary outcomes were frequency and severity of child CPs and secondary outcomes included dysfunctional parenting, parenting efficacy, parenting stress, parental psychological distress, household disorganisation and interparental conflict.Repeated measures ANOVAs/MANOVAs found that at 4‐week post‐assessment, parents in the intervention group reported significantly lower levels of child CPs than waitlist. Significant effects for the intervention group relative to waitlist were also found across all secondary outcomes examined. Intervention effects were maintained at 2‐month follow‐up for the intervention group. Outcomes did not significantly differ for mothers and fathers.Results support the efficacy of this brief, self‐directed online parenting intervention in improving child CPs and a range of parent and family outcomes, both for fathers and mothers. Implications for improving the reach and impact of parenting interventions and increasing father engagement, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early childhood is a critical period for child development. Effective approaches to support families in low‐resource settings in the use of responsive and stimulating parenting are needed. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the Reach Up early childhood parenting programme on children's development, parenting attitudes and practices, when delivered through early childhood development (ECD) centres in Zimbabwe. Methods: A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in Sanyati, a rural district in Zimbabwe. Twenty‐four of 51 available centres were randomised to intervention (n = 12) or control (n = 12) groups. Sixteen mothers with a child aged 12–30 months were recruited from each centre's catchment area (n = 189 intervention; n = 193 control). The intervention comprised two home visits per month delivered by centre teaching assistants over a period of 27 months. Primary outcomes were child Developmental Quotient (DQ), Language, Eye and Hand coordination, Performance and Practical Reasoning subscale scores assessed at follow‐up. Secondary outcomes were mothers' attitudes about child development, parenting practices and maternal depressive symptoms all measured at baseline and follow‐up. Intention to treat analyses was conducted using mixed‐effects regression models with the standard error adjusted for cluster and inverse proportionality weights to adjust for attrition. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: A total of 285 (74.6%) of 382 children enrolled were tested, with 97 children lost to follow‐up. The intervention improved the children's DQ by 3.55 points (95% CI 0.82 to 6.28), Eye and Hand by 3.58 (95% CI 0.59 to 6.56) and Practical Reasoning by 4.19 (95% CI 0.96 to 7.42). No significant improvements to Performance or Language scores, parenting attitudes, parenting practices and depressive symptoms were identified. Conclusions: A home visiting intervention delivered by ECD teaching assistants promoted children's development. This suggests that outreach from preschools may be an effective platform for delivery of parenting interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Parents Plus Special Needs (PPSN) programme, a seven‐week parenting group intervention for parents of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Method: In a cluster randomised controlled trial, 24 intellectual disability services supporting families of adolescents with an intellectual disability were assigned to PPSN (12 services; 141 parents) or waitlist control group (12 services; 136 parents). Primary outcomes were parent‐reported parenting practices, family adjustment, problem behaviours, emotional problems, and prosocial behaviours. Secondary outcomes were parental satisfaction, parental self‐efficacy, and goal attainment. Results: Compared to the waitlist group, participants in the PPSN group reported improvements in parenting practices, problem behaviours, parental satisfaction, parental self‐efficacy and goal attainment, which were retained at 3‐month follow‐up. There were additional gains for family adjustment at follow‐up. Conclusion: The PPSN is effective in improving parenting behaviour, family relationships, and problem behaviours in adolescents, but not in improving emotional difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the International Child Development Programme (ICDP), a group‐based parenting programme used internationally and implemented nationally in Norway. We used a cluster randomized controlled trial in which 81 groups were randomly assigned to either the intervention or waitlist control condition after the baseline data collection. A total of 590 parents completed at least one of three questionnaires (administrated before and after ICDP and 4 months after completing the intervention). Primary outcomes included parental self‐efficacy, parental emotion sensitivity and positive involvement with their child. Secondary outcomes included parents' perceptions of their relationship with the child, child‐rearing conflicts and the child's psychosocial health. We found significant effects favouring the intervention arm following the intervention and at follow‐up on two primary outcomes (parental self‐efficacy and emotion sensitivity). For the secondary outcomes, we found a significant reduction in child‐rearing conflict at the 4‐month follow‐up, increased closeness to the child, reduced child internalizing difficulties and increased prosocial behaviour immediately following the intervention. However, ICDP seems to have limited effects on parent‐reported changes in children. We conclude that ICDP as a universal preventive programme offered to parents in groups can be effective in strengthening parental self‐efficacy and improving parental emotion sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pakistan is home to 4.6 million children who have been orphaned. Limited data on caregiving in orphanages suggests that caregivers do not have specialized training and experience heavy workloads and high‐stress levels. Supporting these caregivers to provide responsive and consistent caregiving can improve their well‐being along with the psychological and physical development of children who have been orphaned. This research explored the main caregiving‐related challenges faced by caregivers in orphanage settings, their professional and personal needs and perceived emotional and behavioural problems manifesting in children under their care. Method: This research adopted a qualitative research design with a thematic analysis approach. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 14 caregivers who were currently caring for four to 12‐year‐old children in Pakistani orphanages. Results: Five main themes: (1) religiosity, (2) economic relief, (3) caregivers' needs and well‐being, (4) caring for children who have been orphaned and (5) need for context specific training, emerged from the data, which included several subthemes. Findings revealed the presence of positive religious views regarding the upbringing and care of children who have been orphaned. Work‐provided accommodation was an important economic relief. Caregivers' psychological, physiological and personal lives were affected by job‐related stress and demands. Many helpful and unhelpful parenting practices were documented, and challenges such as children's verbal and physical aggression, stealing, non‐cooperation and poor social skills were reported. The main professional issues included low salary, high numbers of children in care and lack of context specific professional caregiving training provided. Conclusion: This study established the need for a tailored programme that suits the context specific caregiving needs in Pakistani orphanages to support the training and professional growth of caregivers and promote their wellbeing along with positive developmental outcomes in the children under their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, conducted in a real‐world setting, evaluated the effect of a parenting programme offered to families receiving child protection services (CPS) for child neglect. With a retrospective quasi‐experimental design, the study used administrative data to examine the association between participation in the Incredible Years® (IY) parenting programme and the likelihood that the family's CPS case file would be closed. The intervention group included all children involved with CPS for neglect who had at least one parent who participated in the IY between 2007 and 2015 (n = 299) whereas the comparison group consisted of 299 children with substantiated neglect but who received care as usual in CPS, during the same time period. The children were matched by a propensity score calculated using several variables. A Cox regression comparing intervention and comparison groups revealed that the participation in the programme increased the probability of case closure by 43%. Thus, participation in the programme can contribute to restoring the family's ability to care for the child, thus reducing the time spent in CPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess parents' satisfaction and perceived usefulness of the Incredible Years® (IY®) parenting programme in the Child Protection Services (CPS) context, where children's behaviour problems are common. Evidence‐based programmes are rarely offered in CPS, and little is known about how they are perceived by parents. We compared parents (N = 62) with (N = 43) and without (N = 19) CPS contact regarding their satisfaction with the IY® parenting programme, with information gathered from weekly and final evaluation forms. The attendance rate of parents to the weekly sessions (max 19) was also calculated. Comparisons between CPS and non‐CPS clients were analysed using multilevel models. Satisfaction scores ranged between 5.8 and 6.2 (max 7) for all studied domains. Mean attendance rate to the group sessions was 11.5 (SD 5.9), and 74% of participants attended at least nine out of 19 sessions. No group differences emerged in satisfaction or attendance between CPS and non‐CPS parents. Parents in CPS committed well to the programme and found it as useful as parents without CPS contact. IY® appears to be acceptable to parents involved in CPS, and their engagement to the programme can be considered as reasonably good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with developmental disabilities tend to develop challenging behaviours. Parenting programmes that focus on behaviour management may help parents address these difficult behaviours by increasing parenting self‐efficacy. However, the literature on parenting self‐efficacy is still limited due to measurement variability in conceptualization and operationalization of the construct, and heavy reliance on cross‐sectional data. Method: This study utilized hierarchical linear regression to examine the predictors of parenting self‐efficacy in 284 mothers who attended a parenting programme in a hospital's Department of Child Development in Singapore. Results: Our model was able to explain 37% of variance in parenting self‐efficacy. After controlling for general stress and specific parenting hassles, the programme was still found to be effective in improving mothers' parenting self‐efficacy. Conclusions: Results are discussed in terms of their implications for developing a model for parenting self‐efficacy, and possible improvements to be made on the parenting programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Parental language is associated with children's later language development. Parenting programmes, based on social learning theory, enhance a range of parenting behaviours, yet there is limited evidence for their effect on parental language. Aim To assess the benefits of a behavioural-based parenting programme, which features components of language and communication, to enhance parental language. Method Parents of toddlers, aged 12 to 36 months, were recruited from eight Flying Start early intervention centres across Wales. Participants were randomised 2:1 either to a parenting programme ( n = 60) or to a wait-list control group ( n = 29). Researchers were blind to participant allocation throughout the trial. Fifteen-minute video-recorded observations of parents and children interacting during free-play, both at a pre-intervention and at 6-month follow-up, provided the data for the study. Five observed measures of parental language were assessed; quantity and variety, encouraging, critical, child-led and parent led interactions. Intervention The Incredible Years Parent- Toddler Programme ( IYPTP) is a 12-week group-based behavioural intervention that teaches effective relationship and behavioural management skills including social, emotional and persistence coaching to enable parents to better support their children's development. Results Of 89 dyads that completed pre-intervention assessments 81 (54 intervention and 27 control) met the criteria for the current study. Intention to treat analysis indicated that child-led language interactions significantly benefited from the intervention [regression coefficient ( B) = −1.44, 95% confidence intervals ( CI) = −2.59 to −0.29, P = 0.015, effect size ( ES) = 0.47] and a positive trend for encouraging language in favour of the intervention sample was evident. Per-protocol sample analysis replicated these findings with encouraging language reaching statistical significance ( B = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.11 to 2.03, P = 0.03, ES = 0.52). No further benefits were evident. Conclusions The IYPTP has limited evidence as an effective programme for enhancing some aspects of parental language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The importance of early intervention approaches for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD) has been increasingly acknowledged. Parenting programmes ( PPs) are recommended for use with preschool children with ADHD. However, low 'take-up' and high 'drop-out' rates compromise the effectiveness of such programmes within the community. Methods This qualitative study examined the views of 25 parents and 18 practitioners regarding currently available PPs for preschool children with ADHD-type problems in the UK. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to identify both barriers and facilitators associated with programme access, programme effectiveness, and continued engagement. Results and conclusions Many of the themes mirrored previous accounts relating to generic PPs for disruptive behaviour problems. There were also a number of ADHD-specific themes. Enhancing parental motivation to change parenting practice and providing an intervention that addresses the parents' own needs (e.g. in relation to self-confidence, depression or parental ADHD), in addition to those of the child, were considered of particular importance. Comparisons between the views of parents and practitioners highlighted a need to increase awareness of parental psychological barriers among practitioners and for better programme advertising generally. Clinical implications and specific recommendations drawn from these findings are discussed and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Practitioner Messages SafeCare is a structured training programme for parents, developed in America for families where there were concerns about possible neglect or abuse., SafeCare has been implemented in six NSPCC sites. An evaluation is considering whether and how it can contribute to the prevention and amelioration of child neglect in the UK., The service development and early implementation experiences are outlined, including the varying practitioner responses to the implementation of a structured, manualised programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Many parents with intellectual disabilities (ID) want and/or need professional guidance and support to learn skills and strategies to prevent and manage child behaviour problems. However, the available support is rarely suitable, and suitable support is rarely available. The aim of this study was to determine whether a popular mainstream parenting training programme, known as 'Group Triple P' (Positive Parenting Program), could be successfully modified for this parent group. Method A pilot study was undertaken to determine whether a modified version of Group Triple P would engage and retain parents with ID. A non-experimental, pre-test post-test study, involving a total of 30 parents with ID, was then undertaken to obtain preliminary efficacy data. Results Parent engagement and participation levels were high. No parent 'dropped out' of the programme. After completing the modified Group Triple P programme, parents reported a decrease in psychological distress, maladaptive parenting and child conduct problems. Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the information and support they received. Conclusion Research-informed adaptation of mainstream behavioural family interventions, such as Group Triple P, could make 'suitable support' more readily available, and more engaging for parents with ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The Triple P Positive Parenting Program is a multilevel system of behaviour-based parenting training and support. The aim of this study was to determine whether implementation of levels 2 and 3 of the Triple P system, designed for primary care settings, enhances parent, child and family outcomes compared with services-as-usual in Alberta, Canada. The study employed a quasi-experimental, single-blind and post-test-only design. A survey incorporating outcome measures was administered to a sample of 1296 parent-clients. A total of 923 parents responded, including 172 parents who had received a Triple P (level 2 and/or 3) intervention during the previous 12 weeks. A significant interaction was found between participation in a group-based parent education programme and receipt of Triple P. Parents who participated in a group-based parent education programme, and who received a Triple P intervention reported somewhat higher levels of need satisfaction than parents who participated in a group-based parent education programme but who did not receive a Triple P intervention. No significant difference was found between Triple P and service-as-usual groups on any secondary outcome measures including parenting stress, positive interaction, family functioning and child problem behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conduct disorder (CD) places huge costs on the individual, family and society. Parenting programmes can reduce CD symptomatology, but economic evaluations of their cost-effectiveness are rarely undertaken. The objective of this paper was to conduct the first specific systematic review of the published economic evidence of parenting programmes as a means to support families with children with or at risk of developing CD. A systematic search of 12 electronic databases was conducted. We identified 93 papers, of which six fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The search found one review article, mainly focusing upon clinical evidence with secondary focus on cost-effectiveness, one cost-effectiveness study, two partial economic evaluations and two cost studies. The costs of group parenting programme delivery ranged from £629.00 to £3839.00. Cost-effectiveness was influenced by intervention type and delivery method, i.e. individual versus group programme. The review highlights a need for a more standardized approach towards the comparison of the cost-effectiveness of parent programmes. In future studies it may be helpful to adopt a 'complex intervention approach', exploring in detail the attribution of cause and effect, the role of socio-economic setting and ripple effects, e.g. benefits to other family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After describing the common problems of children placed for adoption from local authority care and the views and concerns of adopters as recipients of services, the article describes two contrasting interventions designed to enhance new adopters’ parenting skills and understanding. Aspects covered are the empirical and theoretical justifications for the interventions, the process of manualisation and the plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions in a randomised controlled trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting styles and parent–child relationships are a determinant of emotional and behavioural problems in children. Controlled trials of parenting programmes have been shown to be effective in helping parents of children with clinical levels of behaviour problems, but there is little research on the impact of such programmes in families where children's development falls in the‘normal’ range. Also, such trials do not shed light on why or how programmes do, or do not, work, or how they might be improved.A qualitative study of the impact of the Webster-Stratton‘Parents and Children Series’ programme on participants in a controlled trial of this programme, whose children's behaviour was below average, but, for the majority, in the normal range. Data were gathered in interviews, open-ended questions on a questionnaire and tape recordings of group leader supervision sessions.Parents reported increased confidence, better relationships with their children, successful use of new behaviour management techniques and improvements in their children's behaviour as a result of the programme. One parent found the programme unsuitable because she was already using the techniques that were taught, and another parent felt the programme was designed for parents of younger children. Many parents reported that additional sessions would have been useful to consolidate what they had learnt, and some parents felt the course would have been more effective if their partners had attended.The Webster-Stratton Parenting Programme is useful for parents of ‘normal’ children as well as for parents of children whose behaviour is in the clinical range. Follow-up sessions and attendance by both parents might increase effectiveness. The findings of this study suggest greater benefits to parents and children than were apparent in the controlled trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]