PC2073: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial with Filipino Parents of School Age Youth: A Multigenerational Approach to Improving Child Depression, Anxiety, and Parenting Practices Through Virtual Parenting Programs

Background: Filipino youth living in the United States have significant behavioral health problems, including high rates of adolescent depression and suicidal behavior. The COVID-19 pandemic has added additional stressors to Filipino families given 25% of adults are frontline health care workers, the disproportionate share of Filipino nurses that died from COVID-19, and rising youth mental health issues exacerbated by increasing Anti-Asian discrimination. Suboptimal parent-child relationships and harsh discipline are critical risk factors for behavioral health problems among youth. Evidence-based parenting programs are designed to promote positive parenting practices and improve child behavior, yet few have been implemented in a virtual setting.

Methods: This study aims to test the efficacy of the Incredible Years® School Age Program, a virtual evidence-based parenting intervention among Filipino parents living in California. Forty-nine parents of children aged 8 to 12 years were recruited from churches, schools, clinics, community-based organizations, and social media and were then randomly assigned to either an intervention or a waiting-list control group. Parent perceptions of child behavior, parenting practices, and parenting stress were obtained at baseline using validated assessments. Parents in the experimental group attended Incredible Years (IY) classes, which consisted of 12 weekly 2-hour sessions. Following IY, follow-up assessments were completed in the experimental and wait-list control groups. Analysis of covariance adjusting for baseline measures was used to compare 3-month changes in trial outcome in the intervention group versus the control group.

Results: Thirty-nine parents completed both a baseline and follow-up survey with a median attendance of 11 out of 12 classes for the intervention group (n=18). Sixteen parents (33%) were frontline workers. Analysis of variance comparing 3-month changes (pre/post intervention) revealed that the program had a statistically significant positive impact on parenting practices (positive verbal discipline, praise and incentives, and clear expectations), and parent’s perception of their child’s behavior (internalizing symptoms). A statistically significant reduction was also found in the following child-reported symptoms for youth in the intervention group: total anxiety problems and panic related problems using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related. In addition to this, the Child Depression Inventory reported a significant decrease in parent-reported functional problems and child-reported total problems. Disorders Sample feedback from parents include: “Thank you for the informative and transformative 12 weeks.; I appreciated how we talked about being Filipino and how that has impacted us in our parenting.”

Conclusion: Results support the feasibility of offering a virtual evidence-based parenting program to promote positive parenting and decreasing child internalizing behaviors. This multigenerational approach has the potential to promote mental health equity among Filipino youth.