Poster #169 - Randomized Trial of Parent Training for Mothers Being Released from Incarceration: Follow-up and Mediation Effects

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - Prevention and Interventions

Integrative Statement

Children of incarcerated mothers are at high risk for delinquency and antisocial behavior later in life (Murray, Farrington, & Sekol, 2012). This increased risk can be explained by children’s exposure to multiple risk factors in multiple domains (Bijleveld & Wijkman, 2009).
Many risk factors accumulate in families affected by parental incarceration, such as high levels of parenting stress, less optimal parenting behavior, mother’s depressive symptoms, and reduced family income (Loper & Tuerk, 2006; Menting, De Castro, & Matthys, 2017; Murray et al., 2012). Parent training programs have been shown to prevent escalation of disruptive behavior in high-risk children by improving parenting behaviors (Gardner, Burton, & Klimes, 2006; Hutchings et al., 2007; McCart, Priester, Davies, & Azen, 2006). Within the population of incarcerated parents, short-term effects of parent training programs seem promising in preventing children’s disruptive behavior problems (The Authors, 2014), however, sustained intervention effects are unknown. In addition, it is unknown whether the intervention effects on children’s disruptive behavior are mediated by improvements in parenting.
The present study examined effects of the Incredible Years Parent Training enhanced with home visits for mothers being released from incarceration. First, we examined 8-month follow-up effects on parenting behavior (i.e., positive parenting and inconsistent discipline), parenting stress, and disruptive child behavior. Second, we examined whether these effects were mediated by changes in parenting behavior and parenting stress (see Figure 1). In total 91 (formerly) incarcerated mothers, with 133 2- to 10-year-old children (M = 6.4 years), were randomly assigned to the intervention group or control group. Eight assessments took place, including a follow-up assessment eight months after intervention. Children’s disruptive behavior was measured using the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory. In addition, mothers filled out the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire to assess parenting behavior, and the Parenting Stress Index to assess parenting stress. Follow-up effects were analyzed by examining differences in change over the eight assessments between the intervention and control group, conducting intention-to-treat multi-group latent growth models. Mediation effects were assessed with the parallel-process latent growth modeling method.
Results showed follow-up effects of the parent training on mothers’ inconsistent discipline: whereas’ inconsistent discipline increased and remained high at follow-up in the control group, it did not increase among mothers receiving the parenting training (see Table 1). However, although the intervention reduced parenting stress and children’s disruptive behavior, effects were not maintained at follow-up, and no intervention effects were found for positive parenting. Mediation analyses showed that parenting behavior and parenting stress did not mediate effects on child behavior.
Our research shows that the maintenance of short-term intervention effects at follow-up seems hard for high-risk delinquent families, suggesting that more ongoing family support is needed. However, some findings do suggest that in this population effects on parenting can be sustained eight months after the intervention.

Authors

• Sophie Alsem, Utrecht University
  Presenting Author

• Ankie Menting, Utrecht University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Bram O. De Castro, Utrecht University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Walter Matthys, Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, and Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht
  Non-Presenting Author