Brief behavioral parent training for children with behavior problems

A Randomized Controlled Trial on Brief Behavioral Parent Training Versus Care as Usual in Children With Behavioral Difficulties

This study tests a new, shorter parent training program to help families with children aged 2 to 12 who have behavior problems like aggression and hyperactivity, making it easier for them to get support compared to regular programs.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 93 (estimated)
• Ages: 2 Years to 11 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Accare (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Groningen)
• Trial ID: NCT05591820 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This project aims to improve access to behavioral parent training for children aged 2 to 12 years who exhibit disruptive behaviors such as aggression and hyperactivity. It evaluates a new, brief, and individually tailored parent training program that includes optional booster sessions to help prevent relapse, comparing its effectiveness to standard care. The study addresses barriers like the scarcity of certified therapists and long waiting lists, which often hinder families from starting or completing traditional behavioral parent training programs.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are children aged 2 to 12 years who exhibit at least four behavioral difficulties at home, such as hyperactivity or defiance.

Not a fit: Patients who may not benefit from this study include those currently taking psychotropic medication or those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make behavioral parent training more accessible and effective for families dealing with children's behavioral difficulties.

How similar studies have performed: Other studies have shown success with similar brief and tailored approaches to behavioral parent training, indicating potential for this method.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* The child is aged between 2 and 12 years;
* Parents have to identify at least four behavioral difficulties of the child that occur in the home setting and that they want to target in the training, using an adapted version of a list of target behaviors (Van den Hoofdakker et al., 2007; Hornstra et al., 2021). This list contains 29 behaviors that can be targeted in the training, such as hyperactive, impulsive, inattentive, oppositional and defiant behavior. The items are derived from target problems that parents mentioned in previous behavioral parent training groups and concern child behaviors that are commonly targeted in behavioral parent training in clinical practice, confirming ecological validity (Van den Hoofdakker et al., 2007).

Exclusion Criteria:

* The child uses psychotropic medication (currently or in the month before the screening);
* The child has at any time received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in clinical practice, as (parents of) children with ASD may have different needs and therefore may require different treatments than children with behavioral difficulties without ASD;
* The child has a known IQ-score below 70, as (parents of) children with intellectual disabilities may have different needs and therefore may require different treatments than children with behavioral difficulties and typical intellectual abilities;
* Parents received behavioral parent training aimed at reducing the behavioral difficulties of the concerned child in the year prior to the start of the study;
* It is not a suitable period for the parents and/or the child to participate in the study (e.g., moving, divorce);
* The child is not living in the same household as the parent(s) who participate(s) in the trial during at least four weekdays (to ensure that our primary outcome can be reported by the same informant(s) and that parents can apply the intervention plans at home).

Where this trial is running

Groningen

• Accare — Groningen, Netherlands (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Barbara J. Van den Hoofdakker, Prof. dr. — Accare Child Study Center; University Medical Center Groningen; University of Groningen
• Study coordinator: Roos S. van Doornik, MSc.

Conditions: Disruptive Behavior, Behavior Problems, Behavioral Problems, Problem Behaviors, Behavioral Symptoms, Behavioral Difficulties, Parent Training, Behavioral Parent Training