Negative treatment outcomes of behavioral parent training programs

Abstract

The purposes of this review were to: (a) outline the literature on negative treatment outcomes of behavioral parent training programs, (b) detail variables found to be predictive of negative treatment outcomes, and (c) suggest future directions of study. We suggest that despite scores of studies documenting positive outcomes of behavioral parent training programs, negative treatment outcomes occur for a sizeable minority of families. Existing research has documented a relationship between a number of contextual stressors and negative outcomes. More research is necessary before the knowledge of the current literature can be applied to clinical practice. Suggestions for needed research are given, including determining which contextual life stressors play a critical role in the relationship, assessing the effect of contextual stressors on various treatments, and determining how contextual life stressors impact the treatment process.

Preliminary evaluation of a self-directed video-based 1-2-3 Magic parenting program: A randomized controlled trial

“…The overall attrition rate from pre-to post-intervention assessment was 22.5% (intervention group 30.9%, control group 13.1%), and from post-to follow-up assessment 20.7%. These attrition rates are within the range of those reported by comparable studies investigating self-directed parenting programs (Assemany & McIntosh, 2002;Markie-Dadds & Sanders, 2006;Montgomery et al, 2009).…”

Parental Autonomy Support and Student Learning Goals: A Preliminary Examination of an Intrinsic Motivation Intervention

“…Thus, even though the treatment group parents' initial motivation to change likely played a role in establishing the treatment effect, the findings from this study still provide useful information about how this intervention may play out when applied to children who are initially perceived by parents as struggling motivationally. All of the parents completed the two month study, which is striking since reviews of the parent training literature have found that the average reported drop-out rate for parent training is near 30% (Assemany and McIntosh 2002). In a future study, it may be best to utilize wait list controls, so that groups are matched on the perceived need for services.…”

Increases in Parent Attendance to Behavioral Parent Training Due to Concurrent Child Treatment Groups

“…Several recent reviews have examined the issue of attrition and engagement in child treatment programs, seeking to highlight the importance of the issue and laying the groundwork for additional research (Assemany and McIntosh 2002;Nock and Ferriter 2005;Staudt 2007) This problem is certainly not specific to BPT programs alone, but is generally true of child treatment interventions with studies finding that only one third of families in need of services actually receive them (Leaf et al 1996). Still, only half of those families actually complete treatment (Armbruster and Kazdin 1994;Harpaz-Rotem et al 2004;Kazdin and Mazurick 1994).…”