Supporting Parents with Childhood Behavioural Problems: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial

• In Event: Childhood and Adolescent Delinquency: New Research on Risk Factors and Interventions

Abstract

Behavioural difficulties may arise as a child's response to coping with multisystemic strains and may also manifest as predictors of a youth's future social, physical, and mental health issues. Parenting interventions are considered effective early strategies for intervening with externalising behaviours. However, there is still a substantial lack of parenting interventions available in non-Anglosphere countries. Therefore, this double-blinded feasibility randomised controlled trial aimed to implement a parenting intervention in Portugal to: a) test key feasibility parameters (e.g., acceptability and fidelity), and b) explore the effectiveness of the programme in childhood behaviour problems and parental sense of competence. Participants were primary caregivers of a child between the ages of two and 11 years old who identified difficulties in managing their child’s behaviour. Families were randomly assigned to an intervention or a waitlist control arm, and those in the intervention arm participated in the Being a Parent programme (Portuguese version: Ser Pai & Ser Mãe), an eight-week English parenting group intervention. Our findings suggest that it is feasible to implement the Being a Parent programme in Portugal and effectively reduce childhood behaviour problems and increase parents' sense of competence. Inherent challenges and clinical implications are discussed.

Authors

• Laura Maciel, William James Center for Research, Ispa-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal

• Crispin Day, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service Research Unit, King's College London / Centre for Parent and Child Support, South London / Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

• Miguel Basto-Pereira, William James Center for Research, Ispa-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal