Effectiveness of an attachment‐focused manualized intervention for parents of teens at risk for aggressive behaviour: The Connect Program

Abstract

Aggressive, violent and antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents is a growing concern across the globe. Targeting parent-teen relationships is critical in reducing problem behaviour. 'Connect' is a manualized ten-week program for parents or alternative caregivers of at-risk teens that focuses on the building blocks of secure attachment: parental sensitivity, cooperation, reflective capacity, and effective dyadic affect regulation. Through didactic and experiential activities, parents develop the competence necessary to identify, understand and respond to the needs of their teen in a manner that provides structure and safety while safeguarding the quality of the parent-teen relationship. In Study 1, twenty parents reported significant increases in perceived parenting satisfaction and efficacy and reductions in adolescents' aggression, antisocial behaviour and other mental health problems following completion of Connect as compared to a waitlist control period. These effects were sustained and additional small effects were noted in decreases in conduct problems, depression and anxiety at a 12-month follow-up. The program was then transported to 17 communities serving 309 parents through standardized training and supervision of group leaders. Study 2 summarizes significant pre-to post-treatment reductions in teen externalizing and internalizing problems; enhanced social functioning; and improvements in affect regulation. Parents also reported significant increases in parenting satisfaction and perceived efficacy and reductions in caregiver burden.

Adolescents’ Subtypes of Attachment Security with Fathers and Mothers and Self-Perceptions of Socioemotional Adjustment

“…Such designs may focus on enhancing the quality of parent-adolescent attachment relations, including strategies for empowering parents to establish a secure base for their adolescent offspring such as encouraging collaborative rather than coercive parenting strategies, understanding the role of conflict in adolescence, and dealing with youngsters' emerging need for autonomy (Diamond, Siqueland, & Diamond, 2003;Moretti & Obsuth, 2009). Further studies attempting to develop such programs should examine their effectiveness in buffering adolescents' socioemotional and behavioral problems.…”

The Development of Dating Violence: What Doesn’t Develop, What Does Develop, How Does it Develop, and What Can We Do About It?

“…Because these understandings about relationships develop first in the family contextwhere these youths often feel unappreciated and unwanted, it is necessary to include parents in prevention or intervention efforts. In her work with seriously antisocial children, Moretti and her colleagues (Moretti and Obsuth 2009) have developed the Connect program -an intervention for parents and caregivers based on attachment theory with a focus on parental sensitivity, cooperation, reflective capacity, and effective dyadic affect regulation. Initial evaluations for this program, which focuses solely on parents, show increases in parenting satisfaction and perceived efficacy and reductions in caregiver burden (Moretti and Obsuth 2009).…”

“…In her work with seriously antisocial children, Moretti and her colleagues (Moretti and Obsuth 2009) have developed the Connect program -an intervention for parents and caregivers based on attachment theory with a focus on parental sensitivity, cooperation, reflective capacity, and effective dyadic affect regulation. Initial evaluations for this program, which focuses solely on parents, show increases in parenting satisfaction and perceived efficacy and reductions in caregiver burden (Moretti and Obsuth 2009). Consistent with the transactional processes in parent-child relationships, it is encouraging to note that there was a parallel increase in youths' social functioning and a decrease in their problem behaviors following the program.…”

Effects of Parent Training Programmes on Parents’ Sense of Competence in a General Population Sample

“…A previous study of referred families has reported large effect sizes in self-rated parental efficacy and medium-effect sizes in parental satisfaction (Moretti & Obsuth, 2009). These effect sizes were slightly higher than in the present study.…”