Efficacy of the »Tuebinger-Intensiv-Programm für Eltern« in Treating Childhood Anxieties - A Pilot Study

Abstract

Anxiety problems among young children are highly prevalent and related to family factors such as parenting behavior or parental psychological health. The current pilot study examined the effectiveness of the non-specific, short-term, behavioral-hypnotherapeutic parent training Tipe in treating abnormal childhood anxieties. Childhood anxiety, parenting behavior, parenting sense of competence, and psychological stress of the parents were measured at three points in time (pretest, posttest, 3-month follow-up). Obtained data was compared to a waiting-list control condition. After participating, parents of the treatment condition reported less dysfunctional parenting behavior, less psychological stress, and higher parenting sense of competence. Their children were significantly less anxious. These effects were stable after three months. Families of the waiting-list control condition, however, showed no significant changes. We conclude that a general behavioral-hypnotherapeutic parent training positively affects the course of childhood anxiety problems.