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

NCT05626244 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: EPEC_PT_2020
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 53
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Childhood Behavior Problems; Positive Parenting Skills; Parental Concerns; Parents' Sense of Competence

Keywords

Parenting Interventions; Childhood; Behavior Problems; Positve Parenting

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• 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 Outcomes (3)

• Change in the Parental Concerns Scale (Castro, 2012)

  Through study completion, up to 11 months

• Change in the Parental Sense of Competence (PSOC; Johnston & Mash, 1989; portuguese version: Nunes et al., 2014)

  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)

  Through study completion, up to 11 months

Other Outcomes (1)

• Research Qualitative Interview

  Through study completion, up to 11 months

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention group will be receiving the parenting intervention (name of the intervention: Being a Parent).

Behavioral: Being a Parent

Waitlist Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

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.

Interventions

Being a Parent BEHAVIORAL

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).

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

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

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• ISPA - Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Psicologicas, Sociais e da Vida: lead
• Fundação Cecília Zino: collaborator
• King's College London: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Ispa - Instituto Universitário

Lisbon, 1100-304, Portugal

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Maciel L, Basto-Pereira M, Day C. Reducing childhood externalizing behavior: A feasibility RCT of the being a Parent program. Behav Res Ther. 2025 Jun;189:104737. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2025.104737. Epub 2025 Apr 1.

  PMID: 40239337 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Laura Maciel, Ph.D. student

  Ispa - Instituto Universitário

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Ph.D. Student

Model Details: This randomized controlled trial will have two arms, namely the intervention group and the waitlist control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 15, 2022
• First Posted: November 23, 2022
• Study Start: December 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 9, 2023
• Study Completion: December 9, 2023
• Last Updated: December 15, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PT (1)