Pilot trial of a telepsychotherapy parenting skills intervention for veteran families: Implications for managing parenting stress during COVID-19.

Abstract

Changes in daily life created by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have resulted in a largely unprecedented situation for millions of families worldwide. Families are under considerable stress, and parents may experience greater psychological distress and disruptions in the parent-child relationship. Some parents may be particularly vulnerable to recent stressors, including those with preexisting psychological disorders and family dysfunction. In the United States, military veterans are one such at-risk population. Recent challenges may exacerbate preexisting conditions and heighten parenting stress, thereby negatively impacting child and family functioning. In this article, we share our experiences developing and piloting a telepsychotherapy parenting skills program for military veterans. The intervention, Online Parenting Pro-Tips (OPPT), combined web-based educational modules addressing child development and positive parenting with live coaching (via videoconferencing link) of parenting skills. Forty-one veterans with a child between the ages of 3 and 9 years enrolled in this trial and 22 completed the 6-session intervention. Veterans who completed the intervention experienced significant reductions in depression, parenting stress, and family dysfunction, with medium to large effect sizes (Cohen's d ranged from .53 to .98). Veterans also reported significant improvements in their child's behaviors. These findings have important implications pertaining to the feasibility and Editor's Note. This article received rapid review due to the time-sensitive nature of the content, but our standard high-quality peer review process was upheld.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits

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Measuring COVID-19 Related Anxiety in Parents: Psychometric Comparison of Four Different Inventories

“…We encourage policy makers to focus on families as an important societal functional unit. Initial support for burdened parents is urgently needed at all levels to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health in parents and children by providing public health education [ 113 ], offering positive parenting training and psychological support via telehealth [ 114 , 115 ], providing funding to mitigate economic hardship [ 116 ], strengthening couple relationships, and promoting general family functioning for building resilience [ 117 ].…”

Implementing Group Parent Training in Telepsychology: Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Promising approaches have included (a) the use of webinars and other parent-paced learning tools ( DuPaul et al., 2018 ) and (b) individualized therapy using telepsychology ( Gurwitch et al., 2020 ; Sibley et al., 2017 ). Recent research has further illustrated that individualized BPT can be delivered effectively in other populations experiencing similar needs (e.g., parenting-related stress, Riegler et al., 2020 ; family adjustment to neurological conditions, Wade et al., 2020 ). Emerging evidence also supports implementation of group parenting interventions using telepsychology ( Reese et al., 2015 ; Xie et al., 2013 ).…”