Clinical Trial: Parent Training to Promote Early Identification and Treatment of Childhood Behavioral Disorders

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Advanced Parenting Education in Pediatrics: The APEP Project

Brief Summary: This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a parent training program in improving parenting skills and reducing behavioral symptoms in young children who are at risk for developing childhood behavior disorders.

Detailed Summary:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) are common childhood behavior disorders. Children with ADHD experience hyperactivity, distractibility, poor concentration, and impulsivity. If left untreated, ADHD can continue into adulthood, and can cause problems in family, social, and work environments. Children with ODD exhibit an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behavior toward authority figures. Symptoms of ODD, including frequent temper tantrums, anger, resentment, and vindictiveness, may interfere with a child's everyday functioning. The Incredible Years parent training program has been shown to be effective in multiple settings at training parents to manage their child's behavior. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the Incredible Years training program within a pediatric office setting at improving parenting skills and reducing behavioral symptoms in young children who are at risk for developing childhood behavior disorders.

Participants in this open-label study will be randomly assigned to the Incredible Years training program or a waitlist condition, in which they will begin the program after a 1-year waiting period. Parent training sessions will take place once per week for 10 weeks, and will last approximately 2 hours each. Sessions will focus on teaching positive parenting skills, such as appropriate play and use of praise and rewards, as well as limit-setting techniques, such as ignoring, allowing children to experience the natural consequences of their actions, and assigning time-outs. Self-report assessments and phone interviews will be used to assess outcomes. Additionally, follow-up visits will occur immediately post-intervention and 6 and 12 months post-intervention. Children will attend one visit before the program begins, as well as the follow-ups held immediately post-interventio
Sponsor: Tufts Medical Center

Current Primary Outcome:

  • Parenting behavior [ Time Frame: Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups ]
  • Child disruptive behaviors [ Time Frame: Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups ]


Original Primary Outcome:

  • Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups: Parenting behavior
  • Child disruptive behaviors


Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Child and parent functional status/impairment [ Time Frame: Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups ]
  • Parenting stress [ Time Frame: Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups ]
  • Family functioning [ Time Frame: Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups ]
  • Consumer perspectives [ Time Frame: Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups ]
  • Cost of services [ Time Frame: Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups ]
  • Barriers to treatment [ Time Frame: Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups ]


Original Secondary Outcome:

  • Measured post-intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups: Child and parent functional status/impairment
  • Parenting stress
  • Family functioning
  • Consumer perspectives
  • Cost of services
  • Barriers to treatment


Information By: Tufts Medical Center

Dates:
Date Received: November 20, 2006
Date Started: November 2006
Date Completion:
Last Updated: February 11, 2013
Last Verified: February 2013