Developing the Technology-based Parenting Young Children Check-Up Intervention for Disruptive Behavior Problems in Early Childhood

Behavioral parent training programs show clear efficacy/effectiveness in response to young children’s disruptive behavior problems, but limitations in engagement and accessibility prevent many families from benefiting from these programs. The Parenting Young Children Check-up (PYCC) is a technology-based program being created to overcome these barriers and increase the reach of behavioral parent training. Developed for use in pediatric healthcare settings, the PYCC includes three parts: 1) an initial check-up designed to motivate program involvement; 2) text messages; and 3) a parent training website involving interactive video-based content to teach parenting skills. Following an established intervention development framework, this report details initial steps to refine PYCC intervention materials. Seventeen mothers and 17 primary care physicians (pediatricians or family medicine physicians) participated in this mixed methods data collection across three iterations. During semi-structured interviews, participants provided feedback regarding early drafts of the three parts of the PYCC; participants also completed a feedback questionnaire. Refinements were made to the PYCC materials after iterations 1 and 2. A third iteration of data collection revealed saturation of qualitative input, positive qualitative feedback, and positive quantitative ratings on the feedback questionnaire. This project represents an example of using mixed method input to refine and create a technology-based, behavioral intervention. Project completion led to a full version of the PYCC, which will be tested in a proof-of-concept trial and a subsequent pilot randomized clinical trial.

Interactive Virtual Reality versus Vignette-Based Assessment of Children’s Aggressive Social Information Processing

This study examined whether interactive Virtual Reality (VR) provides a more ecologically valid assessment of children’s aggressive social information processing (SIP) and aggressive responses than a standard vignette-based assessment. We developed a virtual classroom where children could meet and play games with virtual peers. Participants were boys (N = 184; ages 7–13) from regular education and special education for children with disruptive behavior problems. They reported on their SIP in four scenarios (i.e., two instrumental gain and two provocation scenarios) presented through both interactive VR and vignettes. Teachers reported on children’s real-life aggressive behavior and reactive and proactive motives for aggression. Results demonstrated that children found the interactive VR assessment more emotionally engaging and immersive than the vignette-based assessment. Moreover, compared to vignettes, the interactive VR assessment evoked higher levels of aggressive SIP and responses in provocation scenarios only. Results supported the enhanced predictive validity of the interactive VR assessment of children’s aggressive SIP and responses, which predicted children’s real-life aggression above and beyond the vignette-based assessment with 2 to 12% additional explained variance. Similar results were found for children’s real-life reactive and proactive motives for aggression, with 3 to 12% additional variance explained by interactive VR above and beyond vignettes. Interactive VR did not, however, evoke larger individual differences (i.e., variances) in children’s aggressive SIP and responses than vignettes. Together, these findings suggest that interactive VR provides a more ecologically valid method to assess children’s aggressive SIP and responses than hypothetical vignettes.

Vanhemmuuteen liittyvät huolenaiheet ja psyykkinen hyvinvointi neuropsykiatrisesti oireilevien lasten huoltajilla

Lähtökohdat. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin äitien ja isien vanhempana toimimiseen liittyviä huolia ja psyykkistä hyvinvointia tilanteessa, jossa lapsella esiintyy kliinisesti merkittävää neuropsykiatrista oireilua ja samanaikaisia tunteiden säätelyn ja käyttäytymisen pulmia. Menetelmät. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin perhelähtöisen hoito-ohjelman alkaessa. Hoito-ohjelma on tarkoitettu lapsille (5–12-vuotiaat), joille on asetettu neuropsykiatrinen diagnoosi, ja heidän perheenjäsenilleen. Poikkileikkausaineistoon perustuvassa kuvailevassa tutkimuksessa hyödynnettiin lasten huoltajille suunnattua aloitusvaiheen lomakekyselyä, johon vastasi 198 perhettä. Kyselyt toteutettiin varsinaisen hoitoprosessin alkaessa ja niihin vastasi 186 äitiä ja 144 isää. Tulokset. Vanhemmuuteen liittyvien huolenaiheiden esiintyvyys oli yleistä tutkimusaineistossamme. Osalla äideistä (n. 30 %) ja isistä (n. 55 %) huoli vanhemmuudesta oli korkeintaan lievää. Huoltajien esille tuoma merkittävä huoli vanhemmuudesta ei vaihdellut esimerkiksi lapsen ICD-10-tautiluokituksen mukaisten diagnoosiryhmien mukaan. Huoltajien keskinäiset erot muodostuivat tärkeimmäksi tekijäksi aineistossamme. Äidit ilmaisivat enemmän vanhemmuuteen liittyviä huolenaiheita, mielialaoireita, yksinäisyyttä ja ahdistuneisuutta kuin isät. Toisaalta voimakkaampi huoli omasta vanhemmuudesta oli yhteydessä äitien ja isien mielialaoireiluun, heikompaan koettuun elämänlaatuun, yksinäisyyteen ja ahdistuneisuuteen. Päätelmät. Neuropsykiatristen oireiden ja samanaikaisten tunne-elämän ja käyttäytymisen pulmien johdosta hoitoon ohjattujen lasten huoltajien kasvatushaasteet ja psyykkinen kuormittuneisuus tulee tunnistaa. Huoli omasta vanhemmuudesta on yhteydessä huoltajien heikentyneeseen psyykkiseen hyvinvointiin, mikä on tärkeää ottaa huomioon hoidon suunnittelussa ja toteutuksessa. Abstract Parenting related worry and self-expressed psychological wellbeing among parents of children with neuropsychiatric disorders Background. The present study examines parenting related worry and its association with psychological wellbeing in parents enrolled to family intervention. Multi-systemic intervention program is designed for children (aged 5–12) with neuropsychiatric disorders and possible comorbid disruptive behavior problems, and their family members. Methods. We utilized pen-and-paper questionnaires in this correlational and cross-sectional study design. Altogether 186 mothers and 144 fathers from 198 families participated in the study. Results. Parenting related concerns were relatively common in our study sample. Yet, for some parents the concerns were at most mild. Surprisingly, parenting related worry was not related to child-related factors (e.g. ICD-10 diagnostic groups). Mothers expressed more parenting stress than fathers. Mothers were also more likely to express depressiveness, loneliness and anxiety when compared to fathers. Importantly, however, increased parenting related worry was associating with depressiveness, decreased quality of life, loneliness and anxiety among mothers and fathers in a similar way. Conclusions. Children’s neuropsychiatric disorders and possible comorbid disruptive behavior problems are associating with the increased parenting related concerns and difficulties. The relatively strong association between parenting related worry and decreased parental psychological wellbeing should be acknowledged when providing personalized care for children and their families. Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, parenting, psychological stress, cross-sectional study

Home-Based Parent–Child Interaction Therapy to Prevent Child Maltreatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

High treatment attrition and limited reach of mental health services for at-risk families remains an important problem in order to effectively address the global concern of child maltreatment and child disruptive behavior problems. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a home-based and time-limited adaptation of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Twenty families with children (70% boys) aged between three and seven years were randomly assigned to an immediate treatment group (IT, n = 10) or a waitlist control group (WL, n = 10). After receiving treatment and compared to mothers in the WL group, mothers in the IT group reported fewer child behavior problems and more improved parenting skills. Although initial analyses revealed no significant differences, additional analyses showed a significant decrease in the primary outcome of the study, namely child abuse potential, between the baseline and follow-up assessment for the total treated sample. A low treatment attrition rate (15%) was found, indicating higher accessibility of treatment for families. Findings suggest that the brief home-based PCIT is a potentially effective intervention to prevent child maltreatment and disruptive behavior problems in at-risk families. Results also reinforce the importance of addressing the specific needs of these families to increase treatment effectiveness.

Effect of Homebased parent child interaction therapy for families having children with disruptive behavior problems at selected community of Khurda, Odisha, India

Background: Disruptive and inappropriate behaviors of children are actions that interfere with the instructional, administrative or service functions of the organization and family or school. In the early lives of children, the significant risk factors for occurrence of antisocial behavior and criminal activity are the presence of oppositional and disruptive behaviors. Related to this concept, current study was conducted with objectives to identify the families having children with disruptive behavior problems, to determine the effect of (parent child interactive therapy) PCIT on disruptive behavior level, to find out the association between disruptive behavior of the children with selected demographic variable. Methods: A quasi –experimental study was carried out with total 40 number of samples by using total enumeration sampling technique. The intervention was carried out under the guidance of guide and experts. Each Individual was exposed to the therapy for duration of 1 hour, twice a week. Child Directed Session 30 MIN and Parent Directed Session 30 mins. Total no. of 5 session was carried out. After completion of intervention, changing behaviour was assessed by eyeberg scale. Conclusion: Result concluded that in experimental group 90% children shown mild disruptive behavior and 10% children found moderate disruptive behavior before giving intervention, and after intervention 10% children did not show any disruptive behavior and, 90% children had mild disruptive behavior.There was significant difference between the scores of pre-test and post -test level of disruptive behavior of the children in experimental group as ’p’ value (0.025*) at 0.05 level of significant. And there was statistically significant association between disruptive behavior of children with type of family, education of father, education of mother.

Relationship Between Peer Counseling Activities and Pupils’ Discipline in Public Primary Schools in Mathioya Sub-county, Murang’a County,

Cases of disruptive behavior problems such as inattentiveness, bullying, violence, drug abuse, hitting other pupils, teasing others, yelling and complaining amongst pupils in public primary schools in Mathioya Sub-county are on the rise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between peer counseling activities and pupils’ discipline in public primary schools. A sample size of 196 respondents were selected. The study established that there was significant relationship between peer counseling activities and pupils’ discipline at the p<0.05[r = 0.001, p = 0.001]. This indicates that, in public primary schools where teachers frequently engage in peer counseling activities, pupils manifest few cases of indiscipline. The implications of this finding are discussed.