Behavior Problem, Parenting
Conditions
Keywords
early intervention, parenting, homelessness, parent child interaction therapy, child parent psychotherapy, behavior problems, trauma symptoms
Brief summary
This study aims to compare the efficacy in delivering two evidence-based parenting programs to families and young children experiencing homelessness. Outcomes evaluated include feasibility, treatment completion, treatment satisfaction of delivery of interventions as well as child outcomes (e.g., behavior problems, trauma symptoms) and parenting outcomes (parenting stress and parenting skills).
Detailed description
The number of homeless families in the U.S. has increased since the 1980s to over half a million as of 2018. Most troubling, in 2013 (the most recent year for which census data is available) one in every 30 children in the U.S., or 2.5 million, experienced homelessness. In addition to having disproportionally higher rates of unmet health needs (e.g., acute health problems, trauma-related injuries), children experiencing homelessness have staggering mental health needs such that 78% suffer from at least one mental health issue (e.g., depression, behavior problems) along with academic/developmental delays. Given that over half of all homeless children in the US are under the age of 6, it is particularly important to investigate the effectiveness of evidence-based parenting programs within a homeless population. This study aims to compare the efficacy in delivering two evidence-based parenting programs to families and young children experiencing homelessness.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALParent Child Interaction Therapy
Parent-child Interaction therapy (PCIT; Eyberg and Robinson, 1982) s a manualized evidence-based behavioral parent training program that integrates social learning and attachment theories. Parents proceed through two distinct phases: Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) resembles traditional play therapy, and Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI) resembles clinical behavior therapy. During all sessions, the therapist coaches each parent in vivo in their use of the CDI and PDI skills with their child.
BEHAVIORALChild Parent Psychotherapy
Child-parent psychotherapy (CPP; Lieberman et al., 2005) is a relationship-based treatment that integrates attachment, cognitive-behavioral, social-learning, and psychodynamic theories. CPP focuses on the child-parent relationship as a way to improve the child's adaptive functioning. Various treatment strategies are employed including a focus on safety, affect regulation, the joint construction of a trauma narrative, and engagement in developmentally appropriate activities.
Sponsors
Lotus House
Florida International University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Investigator and outcomes assessor are masked to the treatment group
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
2 Years to 5 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Any child between the ages of 2 and 5 and his/her mother who is currently homeless and living in the Lotus House shelter.
Exclusion criteria
* Family is already involved in a parenting program or does not speak English or Spanish.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) | 16 weeks after start of intervention | Change in overall externalizing behavior problems |
| Child and Adolescent Trauma Screener (CATS) | 16 weeks after start of intervention | Change in overall PTSD symptom severity |
| Parenting Stress Index Short Form 4th edition (PSI-SF) | 16 weeks after start of intervention | Change in overall level of parenting stress |
| The Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System | 16 weeks after start of intervention | Change in positive and negative parenting skills observed during 5 minute child led play session |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Therapy Attitude Inventory | 16 weeks after start of intervention | Mothers' satisfaction with treatment |
| Treatment Attendance | 16 weeks after start of intervention | Percentage of families who completed the intervention |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed