Symposia
ADHD - Child
Suzanne de Jong, M.S.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Barbara van den Hoofdakker, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Groningen
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Jaap Oosterlaan, PhD
Professor
VU
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Marjolein L Luman, PhD
associate professor
VU
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Parent training is an effective treatment for children with externalizing behavior, but accessibility may be problematic, which can be solved by offering a self-help program. We developed a 15-week self-help parenting program aims to teach parents behavioral techniques in order to modify their child’s behavior, using a manual, online program, and (optional) telephonic support. We assessed the efficacy of the self-help program in reducing children’s externalizing behavior and improving parenting skills and parent wellbeing. In addition, we exploratively compared two versions of the program: one with and one without biweekly telephonic support. Candidate moderators (child and parent factors) for the effects on externalizing behavior were examined. Hundred-and-ten parents participated in a randomized controlled trial including three arms: support, no support and waitlist condition. Outcome measures consisted of parent-reported externalizing child behavior – assessed with daily telephonic measurements of problem behavior and the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) – parenting skills (Parenting Practice Interview), parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index), and parental self-efficacy (Parenting Sense of Competence Scale). Data were collected at baseline (T0), 8 weeks (T1), 15 weeks (T2) and at follow up (28 weeks, T3). Main analyses compared outcomes in the combined support and no support condition (intervention condition) versus waitlist at T2, using longitudinal regressions with T0 as fixed factor. Results showed that at T2, the intervention compared to waitlist significantly reduced externalizing behavior of the child as seen by lower ECBI scores (d = -0.51) and lower daily measurements of problem behavior (d = -0.43), and by higher levels of positive parenting (d = 0.52), lower levels of negative parenting (d = -0.61) and lower levels of parenting stress (d = -0.28). Parenting sense of competence did not differ between conditions. Furthermore, no differences in efficacy between the support and no support condition were found. No significant child- or parent-related moderators were found. Our self-help program was efficacious in reducing externalizing behavior and improving parents’ skills and wellbeing, independent of whether additional support was provided, in a self-enrolled population. The program may increase access to evidence-based care for children with externalizing behavior.