Intervention For Parents Of Children Research Articles

Symptom network analysis of parent-child depression and anxiety in treatment-seeking youth.

Youth of parents who are experiencing psychopathology are more likely to develop emotional concerns, and these mental health symptoms can have a deleterious impact on parents' mental health. However, the relationship between the presentation of specific symptoms in parents and youth is infrequently examined. Symptom network analysis is an analytic approach that is increasingly being used to better understand the relationship of symptoms within and between disorders and can also be used to examine symptom relations within a dyad. The present study used symptom network analysis to examine bidirectional relationships among depressive and anxiety psychopathology in a transdiagnostic sample of treatment-seeking youth and their primary caregiver. Parental anhedonia and child worthlessness exhibited the greatest centrality within the network, suggesting that these may act as risk and maintenance factors for parent-child psychopathology and may be important intervention targets. Findings support the use of symptom network analysis to inform an understanding of the complex relationships among parent and child depressive and anxiety symptoms. Future research should consider the use of network analytic methods to examine the temporal relationships between parent and child psychopathology and to inform joint parent-child interventions for those with internalizing concerns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Considerations in cultural adaptation of parent-child interventions for African American mothers and children exposed to intimate partner violence.

African American women are at disproportionate risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and consistently report more severe and recurrent IPV victimization in comparison to their White and Hispanic counterparts. IPV is more likely to occur in families with children than in couples without children. Parenting in the wake of IPV is a challenging reality faced by many African American women in the United States. Despite the urgent need to support mothers who have survived IPV, there is currently no culturally adapted parenting intervention for African American mothers following exposure to IPV. The aim of this review is to summarize and integrate two disparate literatures, hitherto unintegrated; namely the literature base on parenting interventions for women and children exposed to IPV and the literature base on parenting interventions through the lens of African American racial and cultural factors. Our review identified 7 questions that researchers may consider in adapting IPV parenting interventions for African American women and children. These questions are discussed as a possible roadmap for the adaptation of more culturally sensitive IPV parenting programs.

Practitioners' experiences of delivering parenting interventions remotely: A mixed‐methods study

AbstractGroup Stepping Stones Triple P (GSSTP), is an evidence‐based intervention for parents of children with intellectual disability that aims to improve child behavioural difficulties. GSSTP was designed to be delivered face‐to‐face, but during the COVID‐19 pandemic some services started delivering it remotely. The evidence base for remote intervention is growing, but few studies have focused on the experiences of practitioners delivering the interventions and the consequences of their service provision. We aimed to explore UK practitioners' experiences of delivering remotely GSSTP. The objectives were to identify the advantages and disadvantages of remote GSSTP, to determine whether adjustments were made to enable delivery, and to assess perceived acceptability. Participants were identified using consecutive sampling from the Triple P UK practitioner network. Eleven practitioners, who had experience of delivering GSSTP remotely and face‐to‐face, reported their experiences in an online survey. Ten participants also took part in semi‐structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. According to 55% of practitioners, parent attendance had increased with remote delivery, and 73% of practitioners found remote GSSTP equally or more effective than face‐to‐face. Survey findings about managing parent engagement remotely were mixed and building rapport with patients was considered equally or more difficult remotely. The key themes from the thematic analysis were the practitioners' ‘sincere enthusiasm’ over the advantages of the remote GSSTP provision, the ‘person‐centered strategies’ that characterised their practice, the emergence of ‘remote delivery as the way forward’ for parenting services and finally, the ‘challenges of remote delivery’. Remote GSSTP was perceived to be acceptable to participants and practitioners; the advantages of remote delivery appeared to outweigh the disadvantages. Practitioners reported strategies to prompt engagement and recreate group interactions in the remote setting that could be integrated in the practice of other group parenting providers.

Acceptance and utilization of web-based self-help for caregivers of children with externalizing disorders

BackgroundWeb-based self-help interventions for parents of children with ADHD and other externalizing disorders have been proven to be effective. In order to recommend individualized and optimized interventions, a better understanding of the acceptance and utilization of this innovative treatment approach is needed. Previous research has frequently employed subjective reports of utilization, but the validity of these studies may be limited.MethodsData from the German WASH study were used. Participants (n = 276) were randomly assigned to the intervention condition (a) web-based self-help or (b) web-based self-help with optional telephone-based support calls. Data collection took place at baseline (T1) and 12 weeks later (T2). Utilization data were tracked using a log file generated for each participant at T2. Prediction models were calculated using CART (Classification and Regression Trees), a method known mostly from the field of machine learning.ResultsAcceptance, of the intervention as defined in this paper was very high on objective (89.4% have taken up the intervention) and subjective measures (91.4% reported having used the intervention and 95.3% reported they would recommend the intervention to a friend). The average number of logins corresponded to recommendations. Predictors of acceptance and predictors of utilization were similar and included, e.g., child’s externalizing symptoms, parental psychopathology, and above all additional telephone-based support by counselors.ConclusionsThrough a detailed identification of acceptance and utilization, and the predictors thereof, we were able to gain a better understanding of the acceptance and utilization of web-assisted self-help for a parent management intervention in the treatment of children with ADHD and ODD. These findings can be used to recommend web-based interventions to particularly suitable families. It should be noted that some form of support is required for an intensive engagement with the content of the program.Trial RegistrationThe protocol of the study (German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00013456 conducted on January 3rd, 2018) was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital, Cologne.

Effects of a Nurse-Led Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Parents of Children With Epilepsy

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of a nurse-led cognitive behavioral intervention for parents of children with epilepsy (CWE). MethodsThe study recruited 238 CWE from the neurology ward of Xiangya Hospital from March 2019 to August 2022. According to the interventions after discharge, the children and their parents were randomly divided into 117 parent-child dyads in the intervention group and 121 parent-child dyads in the control group. The seizure severity and treatment compliance in CWE as well as the parents’ psychological states and satisfaction with the care provided by nurses were compared before and after intervention. ResultsThe follow-up six months after discharge showed that the seizure frequency among CWE in the intervention group was significantly less than the controls (P = 0.048). Compared with the controls, the intervention group also reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, better sleep quality, and more positive attitudes toward epilepsy, as well as higher nursing satisfaction (P < 0.001). The correlation analysis indicated the correlation of CWE’s seizure severity was correlated with the compliance, parents' psychological states, and parents' satisfaction with the care provided by nurses. ConclusionsThe adoption of the nurse-led cognitive behavioral intervention on parents of CWE can improve the parents’ mental health status and their satisfaction with the nurses, which can have a positive association with the seizure severity of CWE. In light of this information, this nursing intervention may be a new method for the long-term disease management of CWE.

Correctly identifying and reacting to others’ sadness: investigating three parent-child interventions for limited prosocial emotions

ABSTRACT Recognizing and appropriately responding to others’ emotional expressions is important for children’s moral and social development. Impairments in the emotion recognition of individuals high on Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits are thought to explain their reduced empathic responding, interpersonal problems, and persistent antisocial behaviour. The current study uses accuracy ratings and physiological measures to assess changes in identifying and reacting to others’ sadness, respectively, among children high on CU traits who received one of three brief parenting interventions designed to address their emotional deficits. Participants were 68 children (M age = 7.50 years, SD = 1.49, 46% female), selected from a larger screening sample (N = 1,283). The study assessed emotional accuracy and skin conductance reactivity during the presentation of sad video scenes pre- and post-intervention. Parents and children participated in three intervention programmes (i.e., Parent-Child Interaction Therapy-CU, Coaching and Rewarding Emotional Skills, Emotional Engagement) designed to target the emotional deficits of children with CU traits. Findings support the amenability of emotional deficits related to empathic responding to others’ sad expressions among children high on CU traits. Specifically, children showed improved ability to accurately identify sad emotions as well as increased autonomic reactivity (i.e., skin conductance) to sad expressions at post-intervention. Our findings draw attention to the importance of parenting interventions aiming to enhance the emotional functioning of children high on CU traits.

Coaching for parents of children with type 1 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of a standardized bi-weekly six-month telephone coaching intervention for parents of children with type 1 diabetes. MethodsThis single-blind randomized controlled trial followed participants for 12 months. The primary outcome was children’s health-related quality of life. Secondary outcomes included treatment adherence, diabetes-related family conflict, and hemoglobin A1c. Data was collected using validated questionnaires and health records. We compared groups using a linear mixed effects model. Results102 families were randomized (control: n = 49; intervention: n = 53). Coaching had no impact on children’s overall health-related quality of life or overall secondary outcomes; however, there were patterns in subsections that suggest the possible impact of coaching. Coaching was perceived as a positive addition to routine care by 80% of families and 82% would recommend working with a coach to another family. 58% of participants would continue coaching beyond the study. ConclusionCoaching did not impact overall quality of life or secondary outcomes; however, coaching was well received by families who perceived significant benefits. Patterns in subsections warrant further study. Practice implicationsAdding a health coach into diabetes multidisciplinary care supports families in a way that is unique from their routine clinical care.

Family‐based preventive intervention for children of parents with severe mental illness: A randomized clinical trial

AbstractBackgroundChildren of parents with a severe mental illness have an increased risk of developing a lifetime mental illness. We aimed to compare the effects of a preventive family‐based intervention, VIA Family, with treatment as usual (TAU) on these children's global functioning.MethodsBetween 2017 and 2021, we conducted a pragmatic, rater‐blinded, two‐arm parallel‐group superiority trial in Denmark. Families with at least one child aged 6–12 years and at least one biological parent with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, or recurrent major or moderate depression were included. We randomly allocated 95 families with their 113 children to VIA Family or TAU (ratio 1:1). VIA Family was individually tailored and based on case management. The intervention included options for psychoeducation, parental support, and treatment for emerging child psychiatric symptoms. Blinded raters assessed children and their families at baseline and after 18 months. The primary outcome was the difference in change between groups at end‐of‐treatment in daily global functioning measured with the Children's Global Assessment Scale. Secondary outcomes were emotional and behavioral problems and days absent from school. We analyzed data blinded to allocation.ResultsAt post‐intervention, differences in mean change from baseline between VIA Family and TAU were non‐significant (CGAS: −1.20, 95% CI = −6.61; 4.21, p = 0.66), as were the differences on the secondary and exploratory outcomes.ConclusionContrary to our hypothesis, we did not find a superior effect of VIA Family compared with TAU. The short follow‐up period and large sample heterogeneity might explain the null findings. Therefore, a possible long‐term, preventive treatment effect has yet to be explored.

Effect of Foot Reflexology Massage on Sleep Habits in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Sleep plays a crucial role in children's motor, mental, and cognitive development. Due to the significant prevalence of sleep problems in children with autism and the side effects of pharmacological therapy, complementary interventions should be considered. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of foot reflexology massage on sleep habits in children with autistic spectrum disorder. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 60 children with autistic spectrum disorder in Mashhad, Iran. The control group received routine care from the family. In the intervention group, in addition to the routine family care, a foot reflexology massage was performed for 15 min by parents for 30 nights before bedtime for children. The standard Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) was completed 3 times in both groups. In the control group, the questionnaire was completed at the beginning of the study, on the 15th day, and on the 30th day after entering the study. In the intervention group, the questionnaire was completed before the intervention, on the 15th day after the intervention, and on the 30th day after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 by the independent t-test, Mann-Whitney test, and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Among the children included in the study, 78.3% were male, and their mean age was 8.56 ± 2.4 years. The mean total score of children's sleep habits before the intervention was not significantly different between the control and intervention groups (P = 0.71). After the intervention, the mean total score of children's sleep habits was significantly different between the control and intervention groups (P = 0.001). The foot reflexology massage, with a score reduction of 8.13 ± 3.95 points, had a significant impact on the score of sleep habits in the intervention group (P = 0.002). Conclusions: Foot reflexology massage improves the quality of sleep in children with autism and can be recommended as a safe intervention for parents of children with autism.

Meta-Analysis of Positive Psychotherapy Interventions for Parents of Children with Special Needs in Iran

Objective: The purpose of this research was to conduct a meta-analysis of positive psychotherapy interventions for parents of children with special needs in Iran. Method: This study determined the effect size of positive psychotherapy interventions for these parents by synthesizing the results of various studies. The data sources included the National Publication Database, the Academic Jihad Science Information Center, and the Noor Specialized Journals Database. Out of 18 studies, 12 met the inclusion criteria and were selected, utilizing a meta-analysis checklist as the research tool. The study was based on 348 samples and 12 effect sizes. Findings: The meta-analysis revealed that the effect size of positive psychotherapy interventions for parents of children with special needs is d = 1.19 (p = 0.05), which is considered high according to Cohen's scale. The highest effect size was reported by Rezaei Kalantari et al. (2019), with a d = 2.31, titled "Effect of positive psychotherapy on perceived stress and life purposes in mothers of children with autism," and the smallest effect sizes were found in the study by Nili et al. (2019), with d = 0.2 and d = 0.23, titled "Effectiveness of positive training on irrational beliefs and happiness in mothers of deaf children." Conclusion: Overall, the results indicate that positive psychotherapy interventions are effective for parents of children with special needs, and researchers can utilize this program to enhance mental health components.

App-based intervention for parents of children with crying, sleeping, and feeding problems: Usability, usefulness and implications for improvement

BackgroundThere is a lack of evidence-based app guidance for parents of children with crying, sleeping, and feeding problems who are often highly burdened and not likely to seek professional help. A new psychoeducational app for parents providing scientifically sound information via text and videos, a diary function, selfcare strategies, a chat forum and a regional directory of specialized counseling centers may serve as a low-threshold intervention for this target group. ObjectiveWe investigated how parents perceived the app in terms of the following: (1) overall impression and usability, (2) feedback on specific app functions regarding usefulness and (3) possible future improvements. MethodsOur clinical sample of N = 137 parents of children aged from 0 to 24 months was recruited from a cry baby outpatient clinic in Southern Germany between 2019 and 2022. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to collect and analyse cross-sectional data on app evaluation. After app use within the framework of a clinical trial, parents filled in an app evaluation questionnaire. ResultsMost participants used the app at least once a week (86, 62.8 %) over an average period of 19.06 days (SD = 15.00). Participants rated overall impression and usability as good, and the informational texts, expert videos and regional register of counseling centers as appealing and useful. The diary function and chat forum were found to be helpful in theory, but improvements in implementation were requested, such as a timer function for the diary entry. Regarding future functionality, parents posed several suggestions such as the option to contact counseling centers directly via app, and the inclusion of the profile of their partners. ConclusionsPositive ratings of overall impression, usability, and specific app functions are important prerequisites for the app to be effective. App-based guidance for this target group should include easy-to-use information. The app is intended to serve as a secondary preventive low-threshold offer and to complement professional counseling.

The Effects of a Parent-Focused Social Media Intervention on Child Sun Safety: Pilot and Feasibility Study.

Middle childhood (ages 8-12 years) is a critical period for forming behavioral habits and reducing the risk for the development of skin cancer later in life. During this time, children develop more autonomy and spend more unsupervised time away from their parents. Professional agencies recommend that all children engage in regular sun protection behaviors and avoid the sun during peak daytime hours. Unfortunately, in middle childhood, child sun protection often declines and UV radiation exposure increases. Effective parenting involves balancing ways to encourage the child's increasing independence while providing practical assistance to ensure sun protection is implemented. The goal was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of Sun Safe Families, a Facebook group intervention for parents of children between 8 and 12 years of age. The team developed Facebook messages targeting parent knowledge, normative influences, sun safety barriers, planning and goal setting, confidence in implementing sun safety, communication, forming habits, and managing sun safety in risky situations. A total of 92 parents were enrolled, and the groups ran for 6 weeks. Feasibility was measured by enrollment and retention rates. Acceptability was measured by engagement in the Facebook groups. Satisfaction was assessed by a treatment evaluation. At pre- and post-intervention, parents completed measures of child sun protection, UV radiation exposure, sunburn, sun safety knowledge, child risk, barriers, sun protection self-efficacy, planning, sun safe habits, norms for child sun safety, and communication about sun safety. Enrollment (64.3%, 92/143) and retention (94.6%, 87/92) were good. On average, participants viewed 67.6% (56.8/84) of posts, "liked" 16.4% (13.77/84) of posts, commented on 14.8% (12.43/84) of posts, and voted on 46% (6.4/14) of polls. Satisfaction was excellent. From pre- to post-intervention, there were significant increases in child sun protection, sun exposure, and sunburn (P<.01; moderate effect sizes), as well as statistically significant increases in planning and self-efficacy (P<.05) and family norms and parent communication (P<.01). This study demonstrated high survey retention, acceptability, and satisfaction with the intervention. There were promising preliminary effects on child sun protection behaviors and parent sun protection attitudes and communication with their child. Replication with a larger sample size and a comparison condition is warranted.

Long-term psychological intervention for parents of children with prolonged disorders of consciousness: a pilot study

BackgroundChildren with prolonged disorders of consciousness experience severe intellectual and behavioral disabilities that will last for decades or even a lifetime. Parents generally experience severe anxiety, stress, sadness, or family conflicts, which can lead to abnormal parenting behavior and can, in turn, adversely affect the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral well-being of the children. This causes a serious burden on children, families, and society. Psychological interventions targeting parents using online conversations provide an opportunity to improve the overall well-being of the parents, their children, and the family as a whole.MethodsA total of 13 patients completed the protocol. Six were girls (46.2%), the mean age was 4.5 ± 3.0 years, and the length of time before emergent from minimally consciousness state was 244 ± 235 days. A staff member with psychological counseling qualifications implemented all psychological interventions. Regular online psychological interventions were performed annually before and after discharge. Evaluation data were collected before discharge and at 1 and 3–5 years post-discharge.ResultsWith the extension of intervention time, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale scores showed significant improvement (p &amp;lt; 0.05), while the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy scores did not. With the extension of intervention time, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Total Difficulties scores, TD) scores showed significant improvement (p &amp;lt; 0.05), while the scores did not after 1 year compared with before intervention. The Index of Child Care Environment evaluation scores declined significantly (p &amp;lt; 0.05).ConclusionPsychological interventions aimed at the parents of children with prolonged disorders of consciousness performed at least once per year resulted in significant improvements in negative parental emotions, parental self-efficacy, and emotional and behavioral problems in their children. However, the childcare environment continued to decline.

Spirituality-based interventions for parents of children with disabilities: A systematic review.

Spirituality-based interventions for parents of children with disabilities: A systematic review.

Supplemental Material for Spirituality-Based Interventions for Parents of Children With Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Supplemental Material for Spirituality-Based Interventions for Parents of Children With Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Resilience and family quality of life in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders.

Resilience and quality of life (QOL) can involve a positive approach in group interventions for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study aims to evaluate resilience and family QOL at the start of a psychoeducational group. Cross-sectional assessment of resilience and family QOL used the Family Quality of Life Scale (ECVF) and 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14). The study group showed high levels of resilience. Parents considered the resources/support domain crucial, although satisfaction in this area was comparatively lower. Concerns about low satisfaction with available resources and support were notable. Gender differences were observed but not statistically significant. The study's findings support prior research on parental resilience in families of children with ASD. The literature on the QOL for these families presents mixed findings. The importance of parental involvement in service planning is highlighted. This study emphasizes the importance of resilience in parents of children with ASD, suggesting it as a potential therapeutic target. The findings underscore the need to address the perceived low quality of available resources and support. Further investigation is needed.

Group-based parent training programme for children with neurological conditions: a feasibility study

Objective and designThis study aimed to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a parent training programme for parents of children with neurological conditions and behaviours that challenge.SettingChild and adolescent mental...

Parenting Self-Efficacy, Hardiness and Psychological Well-Being of Parents of Children with ASD

The aim of the study was to find the correlations between parenting self-efficacy, hardiness and psychological well-being in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research subjects were 125 participants, with 92 females (M=32, SD=6.2) and 33 males (M=36, SD=7), obtained using a purposive sampling technique from a population with the following criteria: parents of children with ASD who came from Yamet community in Central Java. Data was collected using the following scales: parenting self-efficacy (α=0.81), hardiness (α=0.84) and psychological well-being (α=0.91). The data was processed to test the hypothesis using multiple regression analysis techniques. The results are F-value: 41.22 &gt; F table, and a significance level of 0.00 &lt;0.05, so it can be determined that there is a significant association between parenting self-efficacy and hardiness in relation to the psychological well-being of parents with ASD children. The research shows no significant differences between the participant groups based on the analysis results using a different test (t-test) on participant demographic data. These results of the study can be used to formulate further research regarding interventions for parents of children with ASD based on the theory of parenting self-efficacy and hardiness because these approaches had effectively increased psychological well-being.

The effectiveness of group-based, parent-only weight management interventions for children and the factors associated with outcomes: a systematic review.

Obesity in Childhood is a significant public health issue, which requires both a preventative and treatment approach. International guidelines continue to recommend family-focused, multicomponent, childhood weight management programmes and many studies have investigated their effectiveness, however, findings have been mixed and primarily based on weight. Thus, the aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of group-based parent-only interventions on a broad range of child health-related outcomes and to investigate the factors associated with intervention outcomes. An electronic database search was conducted using CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: 522 articles were identified for full text review and 15 studies were selected. The quality of studies were appraised and data were synthesised according to the review aims. Parent-only group interventions are effective in changing children's weight status, as well as other outcomes such as health behaviours and self-esteem, although these were reported inconsistently. Parent-only interventions were generally found to be similar to parent-child interventions, and minimal contact interventions but better than a waiting list control. Factors found to be associated with treatment outcomes, included session attendance, the child's age and weight at baseline, socioeconomic status of families and modification to the home food environment. The methodological quality of the studies included in the review was low, with only six studies rated to be methodologically adequate. Parent-only interventions may be an effective treatment for improving the health status of children and their families, particularly when compared with waitlist controls. However, results need to be interpreted with caution due to the low quality of the studies and the high rates of non-completion.

A qualitative study of children's experiences with school-based divorce groups led by teachers in Denmark.

New interventions are offered to children of divorced parents in Danish schools. Establishing conversation groups can be seen as part of this overall effort to increase pupils' well-being. This new practice leads to new professional challenges when teachers facilitate group processes and call for in-depth studies of children's own perspectives on their participation in these interventions. This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork and asks the following research question: 'How do children make sense of the professionals' double role as both group leader and teacher when facilitating the conversation-groups in schools?' The study draws on 23 interviews with children and observations in four conversation groups in Denmark. Theory of social representations is used as an analytical tool to explore the dilemmas of school interventions for children of divorced parents. The analysis presents three dominant themes: the group leader's problematic double role, balancing the duty of confidentiality and trusting the group members. The analysis shows that children struggle to express feelings about their home situation in the school context. The importance of balancing the duty of confidentiality as a group leader is clearly reflected as a key factor, seen from the perspective of the child.