ABSTRACT
This nonrandomized trial aimed to demonstrate how an established evidence-based parenting intervention could be implemented in a telemental health environment. The study aimed to explore how socially acceptable the newly designed platform was and to explore parent satisfaction, engagement patterns, and process outcomes. The design was a 2 (group: clinic-based vs. e-health parenting intervention) × 3 (time: pre, post, and 3-month follow-up) repeated measures trial comparing families who received treatment online (N = 22) to a matched sample that received clinic-based treatment (N = 25). Participants were 47 families with a child between 3 and 12 years of age with a primary diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder. Parents in both groups indicated they were satisfied with treatment, with parents in the e-health group indicating the website was interesting, easy to use, efficient, and innovative. Parents agreed that they were engaged with therapy sessions regardless of the medium; however, clinicians indicated that clinic-based parents were more engaged. Parents’ ratings of the therapeutic alliance were equivalent between the two groups, whereas clinicians’ ratings were significantly higher for the e-health group. Overall clinicians indicated feeling more empowered and having higher self-efficacy to treat clinic-based families.
Acknowledgment
We thank the families and clinicians who participated in this research.
Declaration of interest
Mark R. Dadds and David J. Hawes own copyright and benefit financially from the sales of the clinic-based manualized parent training program referred to in the study.
Funding
Funding for this project was received from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Grant APP1056878.