Being a Parent: Evaluation of a Parenting Intervention for Childhood Behavioral Problems

Ser Pai & Ser Mãe: Avaliação de Uma intervenção Parental Para crianças Com Problemas

This randomized controlled trial aims to test the efficacy of an early parenting intervention for childhood behavior problems in the portuguese community. More specifically, this research intends to: 1) examine the effects of the parenting intervention in childhood behavior problems, positive parenting skills and parental concerns; 2) test participants' adherence, acceptability and dropout rates of the parenting intervention; and 3) qualitatively analyze the experience of parents' who received the intervention.

Researchers will compare an intervention group with a waitlist control group to see if there are any significant differences between these groups regarding childhood behavior problems and the aforementioned parenting dimensions.

Participants in both groups will be able to participate in the parenting intervention that has a duration of 9 weeks. Furthermore, they will be asked to fill in pre and post data.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Childhood Behavior Problems; Positive Parenting Skills; Parental Concerns; Parents' Sense of Competence
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Being a Parent

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 53
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Portugal
  • Lisboa, Portugal, 1100-304
    • Ispa - Instituto Universitário

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Primary caregivers who identify difficulties managing the behavior of a child between the ages of 2 and 11 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Primary caregivers of children with serious neurodevelopmental or cognitive disorders diagnosed;
• Primary caregivers of children institucionalized;
• Primary caregivers who do not comprehend, read or write in portuguese;
• Primary caregivers inability to commit to weekly sessions.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention Group; The intervention group will be receiving the parenting intervention (name of the intervention: Being a Parent).	Behavioral: Being a Parent; Being a Parent (BaP) is a group parenting intervention for parents of children (2-11 years old) with behavioral problems. It consists of 2-hour sessions facilitated by psychologists for between 8-12 parents. Based on attachment, family systems, and cognitive-behavioral theories, BaP successfully integrates knowledge acquisition, behavior change with adult learning and social support. Each course session is highly interactive involving an engaging blend of small and large group discussion, role play, demonstrations, information sharing and reflection. This enables parents to practice and use new skills to achieve specific goals (Day et al., 2020).
No Intervention: Waitlist Control Group; The control group will be in a waitilist condition, in which they will not receive any intervention during the trial, but posteriorly will have the opportunity to receive the parenting intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in the Child Behavior Checklist for Preschool and School Years (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001; Portuguese version: Achenbach et al., 2014)	Based on parents' reports, it assesses behaviors that have been present for the past six months in youth between the ages of 1.5 and 18 years old. Each item is assessed using a 3-point Likert scale, ranging from Not True to Completely True. Only the broadband Externalizing Domain and its subdimensions will be used, which assesses behavioral problems, and comprises 28 items for the Preschool Years and 71 for the School Years.	Through study completion, up to 11 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in the Parental Concerns Scale (Castro, 2012)	It is constituted by 21 items, divided into five concern dimensions, namely family and school problems; eating, sleep and physical complaints; preparation; fears; and negative behaviors. Parents must answer using a 5-point Likert scale (Not concerned to Extremely concerned).	Through study completion, up to 11 months
Change in the Parental Sense of Competence (PSOC; Johnston & Mash, 1989; portuguese version: Nunes et al., 2014)	Measures parental sense of competence as perceived by parents, by examining two dimensions, namely Efficacy and Satisfaction.	Through study completion, up to 11 months
Change in the Parental Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ; Robinson et al., 2001; portuguese version: Pedro et al., 2015)	Analyzes dysfunctional parenting practices.	Through study completion, up to 11 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Research Qualitative Interview	Qualitative interviews will be carried out with a selection of parents who received the parenting intervnetion in order to analyze they experience and overall satisfaction of the parenting intervention	Through study completion, up to 11 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: ISPA - Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Psicologicas, Sociais e da Vida
• Collaborators: King's College London; Fundação Cecília Zino
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Laura Maciel, Ph.D. student, Ispa - Instituto Universitário

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Projects' website

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 9, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 9, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 15, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 22, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): November 23, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 15, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 9, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Childhood; Behavior Problems; Parenting Interventions; Positve Parenting
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Problem Behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: EPEC_PT_2020

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No