Parenting in a Pandemic: Preliminary Support for Delivering Brief Behavioral Parent Training Through Telehealth. Issue 1 (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Holzman, Jacob B. W.; Hawks, Jessica L.; Kennedy, Sarah M.; Anthony, Bruno J.; Anthony, Laura G.
• Is Part Of: Behavior modification. Volume 47:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 128
• Page End: 153
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: behavioral parent training -- telehealth -- brief intervention -- behavioral problems; Behavior modification -- Periodicals; Behavior therapy -- Periodicals; 153.85
• DOI: 10.1177/01454455221103226
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0145-4455

Abstract

Behavioral problems, such as noncompliance and aggression, are a common referral reason to mental health services for young children. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is the leading intervention for addressing behavioral problems and leads to benefits in a variety of parental factors (e.g., parenting efficacy and parenting stress). While the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically shifted service delivery toward telehealth services, limited work has evaluated the effectiveness of BPT when delivered in a brief, group format through telehealth. The current retrospective chart review study evaluated the engagement to and preliminary effectiveness of a brief version of BPT delivered through telehealth to 64 families of 3- to 7-year-olds referred for behavioral problems. Families attended an average of 4.55 of 6 sessions and most families had two caregivers who engaged in the intervention. Significant reductions in caregivers' report of children's behavioral problems and improvements in parenting self-efficacy resulted. Future research and clinical implications are discussed.