The Efficacy of Parent Training for Promoting Positive Parent—Toddler Relationships

Abstract

The effectiveness of a parent training program for promoting positive parent-child relationships was examined among families of 2-year-olds. Forty-six mothers and fathers and their toddlers were assigned to either an intervention or comparison group. Intervention group parents participated in a 10-week program that focused on principles for effectively interacting with their toddlers. Parents completed measures of parenting self-efficacy, depression, stress, and perceptions of their toddler's behaviors and were videotaped playing with their toddlers preintervention, postintervention, and 3 months following the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that the parent training program led to significant increases in maternal self-efficacy, decreases in maternal stress, and improvements in the quality of mother-toddler interactions. No significant effects were found among fathers. Explanations for obtaining different outcomes for mothers and fathers are discussed and directions for future research are recommended.

Group-Based Parenting Programs for Improving Parenting and Psychosocial Functioning: A Systematic Review

“…Some exceptions existed in that four studies recruited not only biological parents but also grandparents, foster parents, stepparents, and relatives (Gross et al, 2003;Gross et al, 2009;Nicholson, Anderson, Fox, & Brenner, 2002;Treacy et al, 2005). Both mothers and fathers were recruited in 19 studies (Blakemore et al, 1993;Fanning, 2007;Gross, Fogg, & Tucker, 1995;Hanisch et al, 2010;Hutchings et al, 2007;Irvine, Biglan, Smolkowski, Metzler, & Ary, 1999;Larsson et al, 2009;Matsumoto et al, 2007;Matsumoto et al, 2010;McGillicuddy, Rychtarik, Duquette, & Morsheimer, 2001;Nixon & Singer, 1993;Pisterman et al, 1992a;Pisterman et al, 1992b;Schultz et al, 1993;Taylor et al, 1998;van den Hoofdakker et al, 2007;Wang, 2005;Webster-Stratton, Kolpacoff, & Hollinsgworth, 1988;Wolfson et al, 1992). In contrast, 12 studies recruited either the mother or the father, but not both parents (Bradley et al, 2003;Cunningham, Bremmer, & Boyle, 1995;Fantuzzo et al, 2007;Gallart & Matthey, 2005;Gardner et al, 2006;Joachim et al, 2010;Martin et al, 2003;Morawska & Sanders, 2009;Patterson et al, 2002;Spaccerelli, Cotler, & Pehnman, 1992;Turner et al, 2007).…”

“…Most of the studies were two-condition comparisons of group-based parenting programs against a control group (n = 37). Seven studies used a no-treatment control group (DeGarmo et al, 2004;Gammon & Rose, 1991;Greaves, 1997;Gross et al, 1995;Hanisch et al, 2010;Patterson et al, 2002;Schultz et al, 1993). Three studies used a treatment-as-usual control group (Fantuzzo et al, 2007;Hiscock et al, 2008;van den Hoofdakker et al, 2007), and three studies used an attention placebo control group (Farrar, 2005;Gutierrez 2007;Sirbu et al, 1978).…”

Training Programme for Parents of Teenagers: Active Parental Participation in Development and Implementation

“…While earlier parental training programmes, in Sweden (Socialstyrelsen, 1978(Socialstyrelsen, , 1980, as well as internationally (Bronfennbrenner, 1974;Godson and Hess, 1976;Clark-Steward and Apfel, 1978;Dembo et al, 1985;Anderson and Fox, 1990;Todres and Bunston, 1993;Mullin et al, 1994;Gross et al, 1995;Barlow, 1997;Sanders, 1999;Barlow and Stewart-Brown, 2000;Cowen, 2001;Long et al, 2001), have primarily focused on parents of young children, 'The Oxie Parents' School -Up To 19' was aimed at parents of teenagers.…”

“…Furthermore, studies have shown the possibility of an impact on general aspects of maternal functioning such as depression, self-efficacy and stress (Mullin et al, 1994;Gross et al, 1995;Long et al, 2001). Parental programmes may also have an effect on parents' levels of clinical anxiety and depression (Long et al, 2001), and on the quality of mother-toddler interactions (Gross et al, 1995).…”

“…Parental programmes may also have an effect on parents' levels of clinical anxiety and depression (Long et al, 2001), and on the quality of mother-toddler interactions (Gross et al, 1995).…”