Investigation of the factor structure of the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) was conducted with an Australian sample of 849 mothers and 329 fathers. Two factors of Satisfaction and Efficacy were found that were largely consistent with previous research. In addition, a third factor reflecting interest in the parenting role emerged. The Satisfaction factor was strongly correlated with measures of child behaviour, parent wellbeing, and parenting style. Efficacy and Interest showed few correlations with these variables. Parent and child gender were not related to factor scores and child age showed a small relationship with PSOC scores for very young children. Use of the revised scale with separate scoring keys for mothers and fathers is recommended.

Background This paper reviews recent research to provide an updated perspective on the effectiveness of parent training interventions for parents with intellectual disability. The degree to which these studies meet previous recommendations for future research is explored, particularly with regard to the influence of context on intervention outcomes. Materials and Methods Seven studies are reviewed, which have been published in the peer-reviewed literature since 1994. Results Evidence from this review supports the use of individually administered home-based behavioural intervention for parents with intellectual disability. However, the effect of parent training interventions on child outcomes and the generalization of parenting skills is rarely investigated. Contextual factors that may be associated with intervention success (or failure) are also neglected. Conclusions There is reasonable evidence of the effectiveness of parent training for parents with intellectual disability. However, investigators have yet to determine the influence of immediate or more distal contextual factors on intervention outcomes. This presents a significant gap in the literature in contrast to other areas of parenting intervention research where the influence of family and the broader community context has been shown to influence the effectiveness of parent training interventions.

Finally, there were minimal differences among the three modes of delivery on the measures used, although families who used the self-directed mode were less likely to complete the materials. Implications of these results for service delivery are discussed.

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There are few well-controlled, published evaluations of sleep interventions for children with developmental disabilities. This paper evaluates a parent training programme using behavioural principles to reduce sleep problems in children with autism or fragile X syndrome (FXS). Training included bedtime routines, reinforcement, effective instructions, partner support, and extinction (removing reinforcement to reduce a behaviour). Programme efficacy was demonstrated by using a multiple baseline across-participant design. Social validity was also assessed. Five children with autism and one with Asperger syndrome (four males, two females; mean age 5y 6mo; age range 3y 5mo to 7y 4mo) and their parents; and seven children with FXS (six males, one female; mean age 4y 9mo; age range ly 11mo to 9y 1mo) and their parents participated. Ten families completed intervention within the multiple baseline design. Most parents' goals were achieved and visual analysis of the sleep data indicated improvement. Settling problems, night waking, and co-sleeping were effectively reduced. The programme had high social validity and outcomes were clinically significant and maintained at follow-up.

Empirical evidence supports parental monitoring as a moderator of adolescent problem behaviours. A methodological review shows that monitoring has been measured using self-report questions based on parental knowledge of adolescent free-time use; however, inconsistencies in the definition of monitoring have created confusion. A process model of parental monitoring is proposed. This proposed model conceptualises monitoring interactions in a temporal sequence. It proposes that parental monitoring occurs in two distinct stages: before the adolescent goes out and when they return home. Parental and adolescent responses to monitoring interactions impact on future monitoring episodes. The proposed model demonstrates that a functional understanding of parent and adolescent monitoring behaviours is essential to clinical prevention and intervention.

Objective To better understand mental health service users’ experiences of stigma and discrimination in different settings. Method An annual telephone survey of people with a mental health diagnosis conducted to evaluate the Time to Change antistigma campaign in England. Of 985 people who participated in 2013, 84 took part in a qualitative interview which was audio recorded. Of these, 50 interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed to explore accounts of discrimination. We analysed common types of behaviour; motivations ascribed to the discriminators; expectations of what fair treatment would have been; and the impact of discrimination on participants. Results Discrimination was most common in five contexts: welfare benefits, mental health care, physical health care, family and friends. Participants often found it hard to assess whether a behaviour was discriminatory or not. Lack of support, whether by public services or by friends and family, was often experienced as discrimination, reflecting an expectation that positive behaviours and reasonable adjustments should be offered in response to mental health needs. Conclusion The impact of discrimination across different settings was often perceived by participants as aggravating their mental health, and there is thus a need to treat discrimination as a health issue, not just a social justice issue.

This study is among one of the first to report the mental health of fathers of children with a disability in Australia. Findings highlight that some fathers of children with ID are at heightened risk of experiencing mental health difficulties, underscoring the importance of the provision of information and interventions to promote their mental health.