One Family at a Time: A Prevention Program for At‐Risk Parents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a psychoeducational parenting program with at‐risk parents of young children. At‐risk was defined as excessive parental use of verbal and corporal punishment combined with low‐income status. All families were seen for 10 weeks, either individually or in very small groups. Results showed that compared with the control group, parents participating in the program significantly decreased their levels of verbal and corporal punishment, anger, stress, and reported child behavior problems; results were maintained at follow‐up. Implications for counselors are provided.

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

“…Specifically, only mothers were recruited for 13 studies (Chronis et al, 2006;DeGarmo et al, 2004;Farrar et al, 2005;Feliciana, 2005;Gammon & Rose, 1991;Greaves, 1997;Gutierrez, 2007;Hiscock et al, 2008;Lipman & Boyle, 2005;Niccols, 2009;Odom, 1996;Sirbu, Cotler, & Penman, 1978;Wolfe & Hirsch, 2003). 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).…”

“…Nineteen studies evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral parenting program (Blakemore et al, 1993;Chronis et al, 2006;Gammon Rose, 1991;Gardner et al, 2006;Greaves, 1997;Gross et al, 1995;Gross et al, 2003;Gross et al, 2009;Hutchings et al, 2007;Joyce, 1995;Larsson et al, 2009;Lipman & Boyle 2005;McGillicuddy et al, 2001;Nicholson et al, 2002;Nixon & Singer, 1993;Patterson et al, 2002;Spaccerelli et al, 1992;Taylor et al, 1998;Webster Stratton et al,1988). These programs combined the basic behavioral-type strategies with cognitive strategies aimed at helping parents to identify and change distorted patterns of belief or thought that might be influencing their behavior.…”

“…Aims were to teach participants more effective skills for coping with problems resulting from their adolescent's substance abuse. Nicholson (2002) To examine the effectiveness of a parenting program with at-risk parents of young children.…”

Treatment Outcomes for At-Risk Young Children With Behavior Problems: Toward a New Definition of Success

“…Multiple studies have reported the efficacy of the PYC model for young children with behavior problems, notably including at-risk children living in poverty Nicholson, Anderson, Fox, & Brenner, 2002), children with developmental delays (Holtz, Carrasco, Mattek, & Fox, 2009) and children from different ethnic backgrounds (Gresl, Fox, & Fleischmann, in press). In addition, a mental health clinic providing in-home PCT services to at-risk children with developmental delays and severe behavior problems has reported successful treatment outcomes for the past decade (Fox, Keller, Grede, & Bartosz, 2007).…”

Evaluation of a University-Community Partnership to Provide Home-Based, Mental Health Services for Children from Families Living in Poverty

“…These early intervention programs, which consist largely of cognitive-behavioral procedures that are developmentally appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, have significantly reduced early childhood behavior problems (Brinkmeyer & Eyberg, 2003;Nicholson, Anderson, Author, & Brenner, 2002;Webster-Stratton, 1994). The treatment efficacy research for these early intervention programs is relatively new and initial studies have been conducted in well-controlled, laboratory or clinic-based studies (Lyon & Budd, 2010).…”