A Review of Parenting Programs in Developing Countries: Opportunities and Challenges for Preventing Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties in Children

Abstract

Many children in developing countries are at risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties, which are likely to be elevated due to the effects of poverty. Parenting programs have shown to be effective preventative strategies in high-income countries, but to date the research on their effectiveness in lower-income countries is limited. International organizations such as the World Health Organization have called for the implementation of programs to prevent behavioral difficulties through the development of stable relationships between children and their parents. The aim of the present paper was to review the literature on parenting programs in developing countries in order to identify challenges, opportunities and directions for further research. First, reports of international organizations were reviewed in order to gain a preliminary overview of the field. In a second stage, a non-systematic review was carried out. Databases were searched in order to identify empirical evaluations of parenting programs in low-income countries. Finally, a systematic review was carried out to specifically identify evaluations of programs targeting emotional or behavioral outcomes. Only one study had a strong methodology among those designed to prevent emotional and behavioral outcomes. Opportunities for further program development and research are identified.

Exploration of Mechanisms behind Changes after Participation in a Parenting Intervention: A Qualitative Study in a Low‐Resource Setting

“…First, it was a qualitative study, allowing for an in-depth exploration from parents' own point of view. Second, it was carried out in a socioeconomic and cultural context that is often underrepresented in parenting research (Knerr et al, 2013;Mejia et al, 2012). Through exploration of parents' perspective, it was possible to identify potential processes that explain the intervention effects found in the RCT.…”

“…However, there is insufficient evidence on how they work, or in other words, the mechanisms and processes that take place behind changes. More importantly, recent systematic reviews suggest a gap in research on the efficacy and fit of these programs in low-and middleincome countries (LMIC) (Knerr, Gardner & Cluver, 2013;Mejia, Calam & Sanders, 2012).…”

Towards an Understanding of Mothers’ Dream, Design and Destiny Processes in Their Relationship With Their Children in a Low Socio-Economic Environment: An Appreciative Inquiry

“…Most programmes to date have been primarily intended to prevent physical and neurocognitive difficulties in children (Meja, Calam & Sanders, 2012) and focus on children who may be at higher risk of emotional and behavioural difficulties. The needs identified pointed towards research investing in resources for evaluation and implementation of evidence-based parenting interventions in developing countries, the use of alternative technologies to provide access to hard-to-reach parents, collaboration between different fields, and considering culturally appropriate measures and interventions (Meja, Calam & Sanders, 2012).…”

Um Estudo de caso com o programa parental ACT para educar crianças em ambientes seguros

“…Nesse sentido, os programas parentais têm sido designados a fornecer suporte por meio do treinamento de habilidades parentais para garantir o bem-estar da criança (Mejia, Calam, & Sanders, 2012). Tal treino corresponde a uma ferramenta importante de orientação a pais e cuidadores para disciplinar crianças e adolescentes, objetivando a promoção de comportamentos adequados em seus fi lhos e favorecendo sua socialização (Bolsoni-Silva & Marturano, 2002;Carvalho & Gomide, 2005).…”

“…Os programas parentais têm se mostrado estratégias preventivas efi cazes em países desenvolvidos, entretanto, os resultados de estudos relativos à sua efi cácia em países em desenvolvimento ainda são limitados, havendo inclusive obstáculos na determinação de prevalência de difi culdades comportamentais e emocionais nesses países (Mejia et al, 2012). Em estudo de revisão internacional Prada e Williams (2010) relembram que durante a década de 1960, os programas de intervenção parentais seguiam o modelo triádico, no qual o terapeuta seria um mediador entre os pais e a criança na redução dos problemas comportamentais.…”