Evaluating a Shortened Version of the Incredible Years (IY) Basic Programme in a Non-clinical Community Sample

Evaluating a Shortened Version of the Incredible Years (IY) Basic Programme in a Non-clinical Community Sample

Evaluating a Shortened Version of the Incredible Years Basic Programme in a Non-clinical Community Sample

Aim of study: To evaluate the effects of the shortened version of the Incredible Years (IY) Basic programme, the study which the parents were recruited to. A randomising experimental control between-group design was used with pre- and post-intervention measurements, and a one-year, four-year and ten-year follow-up. Children and families were randomized to either the shortened basic version (n = 89), or the control group (n = 97).

The IY parent training programme (3-8 years) developed by Webster-Stratton at the Parenting Clinic, University of Washington, is a manualised and video-based training programme for parents of young children with conduct problems (Webster-Stratton and Reid, 2003a). Parents assigned to the short IY Basic (S-IY) condition were divided into groups of 10-12 parents. The S-IY was led by two experienced group leaders and parents met weekly for two-hour sessions at a public health care center in the community. The group leaders led discussions regarding central aspects of parenting on the basis of the video vignettes, role play and homework.

Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (Robinson et al., 1980). The ECBI provides a list of 36 problem behaviours commonly reported by parents of children with disruptive behaviour problems. The inventory assesses behaviour on two dimensions: the frequency of the behaviour and its identification as a problem. The frequency ratings range from 1 (never) to 7 (always), and are summed to yield an overall problem behaviour Intensity score (Cronbach's alpha 1⁄4 0.82) ranging from 36 to 252.

A questionnaire consisting of 12 questions was developed to assess parents' reasons for participating in child rearing classes. Three subscales measure parental concern (five items, a 1⁄4 0.82), motivation to learn (three items, a 1⁄4 0.42), and own/other's opinion (three items, a 1⁄4 0.42). The questionnaire was sent to all participants in the study. Examples of the questions were: ''I was concerned for my child's behaviour'', ''I was uncertain of how to raise my child'', and ''I think it's interesting to learn about children''. All questions were answered using a five-point Likert scale from ''agree'' to ''disagree''.

Parents Sense of Competence (Johnston and Mash, 1989). The PSOC consists of 16 items about parents' confidence on being a parent, answered on a six-point scale ranging from ''strongly disagree'' to ''strongly agree''. Scoring for some items is reversed so that, for all items, higher scores indicate greater parenting self-esteem. Two subscales measure efficacy (seven items, a 1⁄4 0.69) and satisfaction (nine items, a 1⁄4 0.77) in parenting.

Parent Stress Index, Short Form (PSI-SF; Abidin, 1995). The PSI-SF is a 36 item self-report measure of parenting stress, derived from the full version PSI. The PSI-SF yields a total stress (a 1⁄4 0.90) in addition to scores on three scales: parental distress, parent-child dysfunctional interaction, and difficult child.

Parenting Practices Interview (Webster-Stratton et al., 2001). The PPI was adapted from the Oregon Social Learning Centre's Discipline Questionnaire. Two subscales were used; Harsh Discipline (14 items, a 1⁄4 0.79), and Positive Parenting (15 items, a 1⁄4 0.67). Parents reported the probability and the frequency with which they used the different strategies on a seven-point scale.

Inclusion Criteria: No diagnosable behavior problems in child Exclusion Criteria: Diagnosable behavior problems in child

Reedtz C, Klest SK, Aalo NM, Rasmussen ID, Vitterso J. Results From an RCT on Brief Parent Training: Long Term Effects on Parental Quality of Life. Front Psychol. 2019 Feb 18;10:260. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00260. eCollection 2019.

Reedtz C, Klest S. Improved parenting maintained four years following a brief parent training intervention in a non-clinical sample. BMC Psychol. 2016 Aug 24;4(1):43. doi: 10.1186/s40359-016-0150-3.