Short talks with therapists helped parents go to more sessions.
MixedThe short version
Parents who had the talks felt more ready and able to change, but were no keener on their child changing.
- 76
- parents of children in clinic therapy
- Randomised
- groups picked at random
- Recorded
- behaviour was recorded
- 2 tools
- tested
The study
Who took part
76 parents of children sent to a clinic for defiant, aggressive or rule-breaking behaviour. Parents were 20 to 66 years old, and most were mothers. The children were 2 to 12 years old.
What they did
Every family got standard parent training for their child's behaviour. About half also had three short talks with their therapist, each 5 to 15 minutes long. In these talks, parents named their own reasons for change and planned ways around obstacles.
What happened
Parents who had the talks went to about 6 sessions on average, against 5. They felt more ready and able to change, but were no keener on their child changing. By session eight, therapists rated them as using skills in more interactions with their child, 72 in 100 against 56. Parents' own ratings were higher too, but not clearly.
What the study found
- MixedMotivation
Parents who had the talks felt more ready and able to change, but were no keener on their child changing.
- Action: Talk through your mixed feelings about changingtested
- Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested
Small randomised trial of 76 parents of children in clinic therapy · vs parents who got usual treatment alone · behaviour was recorded
- HelpedOther outcomes
Parents who had the talks went to more of the therapy sessions.
- Action: Talk through your mixed feelings about changingtested
- Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested
Small randomised trial of 76 parents of children in clinic therapy · vs parents who got usual treatment alone · behaviour was recorded
- HelpedGoals
By the end, therapists rated parents who had the talks as using skills in more interactions with their child.
- Action: Talk through your mixed feelings about changingtested
- Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested
Small randomised trial of 76 parents of children in clinic therapy · vs parents who got usual treatment alone · behaviour was recorded
How solid is this?
- Groups picked at random
- Behaviour was recorded
- Small group
Source
Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Intervention for Increasing Participation in Parent Management Training (2005)
DOI: 10.1037/0022-006x.73.5.872 (opens in a new tab)
