Parenting Resilient Kids: Evaluating a Personalised Online Parenting Program

The intervention consists of an online, mobile-compatible parenting program ('Parenting Resilient Kids') which is part of a larger research translation program (Parenting Strategies; www.parentingstrategies.net). Parents will first complete an online Parent Survey (developed specifically for use in this study) that assesses their current parenting practices against the recommendations in the Guidelines 'How to reduce your child's risk of depression and clinical anxiety: strategies for parents of primary-school aged children' (Parenting Strategies Program, 2014; henceforth the Guidelines). Based on their responses to this survey, parents in the intervention group will then (1) receive an individually-tailored feedback report that highlights areas where they are doing well (i.e., concordant with the Guidelines) and areas where they can improve (i.e., not concordant with the Guidelines), and (2) be given access to the web- and app-based parenting intervention (up to 12 modules) to support them in making changes to the identified areas of weakness in their parenting. Specific modules are recommended to parents based on their responses to the baseline Parent Survey. Feedback messages are brief, with practical strategies provided in dot point form, and are designed to motivate behaviour change. Parents in the intervention group will view their feedback report online immediately after submitting their online baseline assessment and being randomly allocated to the intervention group. They will also be emailed a copy of their feedback report and the Guidelines (in pdf). Five days later, parents will be emailed instructions for accessing the interactive parenting program with their recommended modules. Upon logging in to their parenting program, parents will see their recommended modules as well as other available modules. They can further tailor their parenting program at this stage by deselecting recommended modules and/or selecting additional modules. They then confirm their selection and can commence their personalised program. The 12 modules comprising the intervention are derived from topics covered in the Guidelines. Modules include illustrations, vignettes, interactive activities, goal-setting exercises, and an end-of-module quiz with immediate feedback to consolidate learning. The module topics include: 1) Show affection and acceptance 2) Be involved 3) Encourage autonomy 4) Make time to talk 5) Encourage healthy habits 6) Establish family rules and consequences 7) Help set goals and solve problems 8) Help your child manage emotions 9) Encourage supportive relationships 10) Manage conflict in the home 11) Help your child manage anxiety 12) Seek help. After completing the last module in their original program, parents can elect to complete other modules if desired. Each module takes 15-25 minutes to complete. Parents are encouraged to complete one module per week. The website is programmed to unlock one module per week from each parent's program, until all modules in their personalised program have been unlocked. Once parents have completed all the modules in their personalised program, they have ongoing access to all 12 modules in the program. Their access to their parenting program will remain open indefinitely. All parent participants, regardless of group, will receive a 5-minute weekly phone call from a researcher, starting 7 days after completing their baseline survey, and every week thereafter for at least 8 weeks. Parents in the intervention group will receive a minimum of 8 weekly calls in total, or more if they have more than 7 modules (the total number of calls will match the total number of modules selected plus one). Research staff will be trained to make these calls following a standard script (i.e. a standard list of questions and prompts), and will not provide individual advice or therapy. The aims of these calls are to address any study-related questions that arise, ascertain that parents progress through their allocated intervention each week till completion, and enhance retention.