Managing Youth Trauma Effectively: Evaluating the virtual delivery of a brief psychoeducational group for caregivers of trauma-exposed young children

Abstract

Although nearly half of children who experience trauma are younger than age six, few parenting programs target parenting practices for caregivers of young children who have experienced trauma or adversity. The current study preliminarily evaluates the virtual delivery of a brief psychoeducational group—Managing Youth Trauma Effectively (MYTE)—which was developed to meet this need, regardless of whether children show trauma-related symptoms. During the Covid-19 pandemic, both the train-the-facilitator training and caregiver group sessions were delivered virtually. This study examines perceptions of virtual training, virtual group delivery, parenting changes, and parent perceptions of child changes. The data, collected in the United States, included two tiers: facilitators who were trained to deliver the curriculum (n = 21), and caregivers who participated in the group (n = 61). Caregivers were majority female (70%) and non-Hispanic White (79%). Caregivers completed an anonymous online survey using a retrospective pre-post design. Both facilitators and caregivers perceived the virtual format to be useful, appropriate, and high quality. After participating in MYTE, caregivers perceived changes in specific parenting practices and changes in their child, including improved compliance, increased soothing, and an enhanced relationship. Results provide promising preliminary support for the virtual delivery of a brief psychoeducational group to support caregivers of children ages birth through five who have experienced trauma or adversity.