On-line Treatment for Conduct Problems

The research evaluates the use of online versions of delivering an effective psychological treatment for children clinically referred for serious oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior. The goal is to develop models of delivery that reach families in need that are not being served by in-person treatment. The project has immediate implications for the treatment of children but more generally addresses several issues critical to treatments that are based on Internet, telepsychiatry, and related technologies.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Conduct Disorder; Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Online Parent Management Training (Interactive); Behavioral: Online Parent Management Training (Recorded)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 86
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Connecticut
    • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06511
      • Yale Parenting Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 6 years to 12 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of Conduct Disorder of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (for the child)
• Residence in the state of CT
• Access to a computer and high-speed Internet access
• English fluency (at least one parent)
• No history of significant developmental delay (for the child)
• Parental consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participation in another form of psychotherapy or counseling that is directed toward the reduction of social, emotional, or behavioral problems
• Evidence of recent suicidality (for the child)
• Current or lifetime diagnosis of a Pervasive Developmental Disorder
• Primary diagnoses of a mood or anxiety disorder
• Acute family crisis
• Parent or guardian who can participate in treatment shows current psychosis or an uncontrolled medical condition

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Online treatment, High therapist contact; Participants receive online Parent Management Training (interactive).	Behavioral: Online Parent Management Training (Interactive)
Experimental: Online treatment, Low therapist contact; Participants receive online Parent Management Training (recorded).	Behavioral: Online Parent Management Training (Recorded)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Child Behavior Checklist	Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in children	Change from pretreatment (Week 0; immediately before the start of treatment) to posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Child Global Assessment Scale	Therapist-rated measure of overall child impairment and functioning	Change from pretreatment (Week 0; immediately before the start of treatment) to posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Interview for Antisocial Behavior	Presence of a broad range of overt and covert antisocial behaviors in children	Change from pretreatment (Week 0; immediately before the start of treatment) to posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Research Diagnostic Interview	Clinical symptoms and diagnoses based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) criteria	Change from pretreatment (Week 0; immediately before the start of treatment) to posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Parenting Stress Index	Sources of stress for the parent	Change from pretreatment (Week 0; immediately before the start of treatment) to posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Beck Depression Inventory	Parental symptoms of depression	Change from pretreatment (Week 0; immediately before the start of treatment) to posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Management of Child Behavior Scale	Parenting practices	Change from pretreatment (Week 0; immediately before the start of treatment) to posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Parent-Therapist Relationship Scale (Therapist version)	Characteristics of the therapeutic relationship according to therapist report	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Parent-Therapist Relationship Scale (Therapist version)	Characteristics of the therapeutic relationship according to therapist report	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Parent-Therapist Relationship Scale (Parent version)	Characteristics of the therapeutic relationship according to parent report	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Parent-Therapist Relationship Scale (Parent version)	Characteristics of the therapeutic relationship according to parent report	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Barriers to Participation in Treatment (Therapist version)	Stressors and obstacles that interfere with treatment	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Barriers to Participation in Treatment (Therapist version)	Stressors and obstacles that interfere with treatment	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Barriers to Participation in Treatment (Parent version)	Stressors and obstacles that interfere with treatment	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Barriers to Participation in Treatment (Parent version)	Stressors and obstacles that interfere with treatment	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Weekly Participation in Treatment	Attendance and participation in treatment sessions	Weekly (during treatment)
Treatment Adherence Inventory (Therapist version)	Parental compliance with specific treatment techniques	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Treatment Adherence Inventory (Therapist version)	Parental compliance with specific treatment techniques	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Treatment Adherence Inventory (Parent version)	Parental compliance with specific treatment techniques	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Treatment Adherence Inventory (Parent version)	Parental compliance with specific treatment techniques	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Therapist Evaluation Inventory	Acceptability of treatment based on therapist report	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Therapist Evaluation Inventory	Acceptability of treatment based on therapist report	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Parent Evaluation Inventory	Acceptability of treatment based on parent report	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Parent Evaluation Inventory	Acceptability of treatment based on parent report	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)
Acceptability of Treatment Modality	Parent-report measure rating the acceptability of online treatment and barriers that may affect participants receiving online treatment specifically	Midtreatment (Week 4 of treatment)
Acceptability of Treatment Modality	Parent-report measure rating the acceptability of online treatment and barriers that may affect participants receiving online treatment specifically	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Perspectives on Treatment Interview	Open-ended interview questions about parents' experiences in treatment and their impressions of different aspects of online treatment delivery	Posttreatment (immediately after treatment is completed; Week 8)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yale University
• Collaborators: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Alan E. Kazdin, Ph.D., Yale University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 22, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 27, 2013
• First Posted (Estimated): April 2, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 23, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Parent training; Online treatment; Treatment of conduct problems
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Oppositional Defiant Disorder; Conduct Disorder; Physiological Phenomena; Pharmacological and Toxicological Phenomena; Pharmacological Phenomena; Drug Interactions
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1108008914; 1R34MH093326-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)