Mobile app support for young children's behavior problems
Reach and Scalability of Digital Therapeutics for Childhood Behavior Problems
This project compares a parent-facing app used alone versus with coach support to help parents of 5–8 year-olds manage disruptive behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11170414 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your child would use an app called UseIt! that teaches parent management training (PMT) and cognitive-behavioral (CBT) skills. Families will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: the standalone app, the app plus coach support, or a control app, with 324 parent-child pairs taking part. Researchers will track whether parents learn and use the skills (target engagement) and whether children's disruptive behaviors decrease after treatment and again at six months. All treatment is delivered remotely through the mobile system to improve reach and scalability.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are parents or primary caregivers of children aged 5–8 who are experiencing disruptive behavior and are willing to use a smartphone app (and possibly brief coach contacts).
Not a fit: Families without reliable smartphone access, children outside the 5–8 age range, or children who need urgent in-person psychiatric care are less likely to benefit from this app-based approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make proven parenting therapies easier to access through a phone app and help reduce disruptive child behaviors without needing in-person visits.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows parent-management training and some coach-supported digital programs can help child behavior, but fully standalone app-only treatments are less established.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lindhiem, Oliver James — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Lindhiem, Oliver James
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.