Evaluating the Role of Parent-Child Interactive Groups in a Parent Training Program for Children with Externalizing and/or Internalizing Behavior Problems

SYNOPSIS

Objective: This study evaluated the role of parent-child interactive groups in a group-based parent training program for children with externalizing and/or internalizing behavior problems; Design: A cluster-randomized trial design compared two versions of delivery of the Exploring Together program, with (Exploring Together; ET) and without (Exploring Together-Adapted; ET-Adapted) the parent-child interactive component. Participants were 136 parents and their children (aged 5–10 years) with identified externalizing and/or internalizing problems, recruited from primary schools. Outcome measures were parent- and teacher-reported child externalizing and internalizing problems, assessed at post intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups; Results: Significant reductions in parent- and teacher-reported child externalizing and internalizing problems were evident across both treatment groups (ET and ET-Adapted) at post intervention. At the 6- and 12-month follow-ups significant reductions were maintained across both groups on parent-reported child externalizing and internalizing problems only. No differences were found between the two treatment groups on any of the child outcome variables at any time point; Conclusions: Inclusion of parent-child interactive groups was not associated with greater improvement in child behavior outcomes. This finding suggests service providers would need to consider potential resource (i.e., staffing allocation) and clinical benefit (i.e., coaching parents through behavior management issues in vivo) associated with the two versions of the program.

ADDRESSES AND AFFILIATIONS

Kylie M. Gray, Centre for Developmental Psychiatry & Psychology, Department of Paediatrics, Level 5, Monash Children's Hospital, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia. [email protected]. Sarah Buchanan-Pascall is at Monash University, Glenn A Melvin is at Deakin University and University of Warwick, and Michael S. Gordon is at Monash University and the Early in Life Mental Health Service, Melbourne.

ARTICLE INFORMATION

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Each author signed a form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No authors reported any financial or other conflicts of interest in relation to the work described.

Ethical Principles: The authors affirm having followed professional ethical guidelines in preparing this work. These guidelines include obtaining informed consent from human participants, maintaining ethical treatment and respect for the rights of human or animal participants, and ensuring the privacy of participants and their data, such as ensuring that individual participants cannot be identified in reported results or from publicly available original or archival data.

Funding: This work was supported by funding from The Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria, Australia.

Role of the Funder: None of the funders or sponsors of this research had any role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Acknowledgments: This study has been a partnership between Centre for Developmental Psychiatry & Psychology at Monash University and Early in Life Mental Health Service at Monash Health, in collaboration with trained education staff from the Department of Education and Training Victoria and Catholic Education Melbourne, Australia. We thank the Monash Health CASEA team and all parents, teachers and children who participated in this study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funding from The Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria, Australia.

Notes on contributors

Sarah Buchanan-Pascall

Sarah Buchanan-Pascall is at Monash University.

Glenn A. Melvin

Glenn A Melvin is at Deakin University and the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research at the University of Warwick.

Michael S. Gordon

Michael S Gordon is at Monash University and the Early in Life Mental Health Service, Melbourne.

Kylie M. Gray

Kylie Gray is at Monash University and the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research at the University of Warwick. Email: [email protected]