Objective and design: This study aimed to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a parent training programme for parents of children with neurological conditions and behaviours that challenge.
Setting: Child and adolescent mental health service within a specialist children's hospital.
Participants: Parents of 31 children with neurological conditions and behaviours that challenge.
Interventions: Parents attended a 6-week evidence-based behavioural parenting programme delivered in a group format, either face-to-face or remote.
Main outcome measures: Feasibility was determined by attendance rates. Effectiveness was analysed primarily using parent-reported measures of child behaviour (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Paediatric Quality of Life and Goal-Based Outcomes). Secondary measures of parental well-being were also reported (Brief Parental Self-Efficacy Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale Short Form and Parental Sense of Competence). Paired t-tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were conducted to analyse differences preintervention and postintervention.
Results: The attendance rates for the face-to-face and remote groups were 80% and 79%, respectively. Medium to large effect sizes were reported for most measures of child behaviour and parental well-being. There were statistically significant improvements found postintervention in children's behaviour (p=0.014), quality of life (p<0.001), goal-based outcomes (p<0.001), parental self-efficacy (p<0.001) and parental anxiety (p=0.030). Anecdotal feedback showed that parents indicated the group format was acceptable.
Conclusions: The group parenting intervention for parents of children with heterogeneous neurological conditions and behaviours that challenge appears feasible and effective in improving child behaviour and parental well-being.
Keywords: Child Health Services; Mental health; Neurology; Paediatrics; Psychology.
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