Families in regional and rural NSW have gained virtual parenting support through a live trial led by researchers at UNSW Sydney. The findings were recently published in the journal Behavior Therapy.
The trial was aimed at young children aged between 1.5 and 4 years old with ongoing behavioural problems, such as persistent tantrums, defiance, and aggressive behaviour. They had all been referred to the program by medical professionals or a community parenting service.
“This online intervention was powerful for improving child behaviour,” says Dr Georgette Fleming, postdoctoral research fellow at UNSW Science’s School of Psychology and lead author of the study.
“Almost 90 per cent of children who completed treatment rated in the normal range of functioning by the end of the program.”
Parents also benefited greatly, with findings showing that online parent management training can lead to large and observable improvements in effective parenting skills.
The therapy took place over an average of 10 parent-child play sessions. The therapist – who was watching via a live video call – paid close attention to the child’s disruptive behaviours and the parent’s response. They then coached the parent in how to manage different negative behaviours as they occurred in real time via a wireless headset worn by the parent.
This is the first time online parent management training has been tested in a real-world setting – that is, delivered by community practitioners to families in regional and rural areas. The intervention was run in partnership with parenting service Karitane.
“It’s an exciting step in taking university-based research into the real world,” Dr Fleming says.
The findings couldn’t have come at a better time, with COVID-19 prompting many in-person psychological therapies to move online.
“We hope this effectiveness study will be encouraging to practitioners and families at a time where anxieties and uncertainties are high,” says Dr Fleming.
The UNSW Parent-Child Research Clinic, which Dr Fleming works at, is currently transitioning its services online to comply with physical distancing measures.