In this study, the investigators will conduct a proof-of-concept pilot trial of delivering the Project Support Positive Parenting Module (Project Support) to n = 30 families waiting for trauma-focused services. Investigators hypothesize that Project Support will be feasible and acceptable as evidenced by benchmarks for recruitment, retention at post assessment, engagement, fidelity, and program satisfaction. Investigators will also explore trends on caregiver emotional support, parenting self-efficacy, and child mental health symptoms.
Over two-thirds of children experience traumatic events such as child maltreatment, violence, or sudden or violent loss. Many of these children sustain significant emotional and developmental difficulties including trauma symptoms, aggression, and suicidality. Emotional support from a caregiver is theorized to buffer against the effects of trauma; however, many caregivers lack the self-efficacy and skills to effectively support their child, or struggle to apply these skills during the stressful time following trauma. Unfortunately, programs designed for caregivers following child trauma are scarce. Existing interventions are lengthy (lasting 8-20 sessions) and result in families placed on long waitlists. This proposal asserts the adverse effects of child trauma can be interrupted though a brief intervention (the Project Support Positive Parenting Module) that enhances supportive parenting - delivered via telehealth to families on waitlists for trauma-focused services. In this study, Investigators will conduct a proof-of-concept pilot trial with n = 30 families waiting for trauma-focused services. Investigators hypothesize that Project Support will be feasible and acceptable as evidenced by benchmarks for recruitment, retention at post assessment, engagement, fidelity, and program satisfaction. Investigators will also explore trends on caregiver emotional support, parenting self-efficacy, and child mental health symptoms. Long-term, this research will generate an effective intervention that addresses the needs of families affected by trauma, which can be scaled up to address other public health epidemics that impede supportive parenting and child development.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
32
Caregivers will receive up to four, 60- to 90-minute sessions focused on teaching two parenting skills - attentive listening and comforting. Attentive listening involves providing accurate and timely responses to show interest and keep the child engaged until they are ready to end the conversation. Comforting involves using the same attentive listening skills when the child is upset or distressed. Effective mastery of the listening and comforting skills also requires caregivers to withhold any non-listening or non-comforting responses (e.g., interruptions, criticisms). The program is individually tailored such that caregivers with stronger skills could complete the program in less time (i.e., fewer sessions). Service providers educate caregivers about the skills, then engage in an iterative process of modeling the skills, engaging the caregivers in behavioral practice, and providing tailored, supportive feedback to help caregivers gain mastery.
National Crime Victims Center
Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Supportive Parenting Assessed by the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire
Supportive Parenting scale includes 3 items (e.g,. "you praise your child if he/she behaves well") made on a 5-point scale (0 = never, 1 = almost never, 2 = sometime, 3 = often, 4 = always). Scale ranges from 0 to 12. Item responses are summed. Higher scores indicate a better outcome of more supportive parenting.
Time frame: Baseline to Post-test (6 weeks)
Parenting Self-efficacy Assessed by the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale
Parenting self-efficacy subscale includes 8 items (e.g., "If anyone can find the answer to what is troubling my child, I am the one") made on a 6-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree). Scale ranges from 8 to 48. Item responses are summed. Higher scores indicate better outcome of greater parenting self-efficacy.
Time frame: Baseline to Post-test (6 weeks)
Hopefulness Assessed by the Beck Hopelessness Scale-4
The Beck Hopelessness Scale-4 includes 4 items measuring hopelessness (e.g., "I feel the future is hopeless and that things cannot improve") made on a 4-point scale (0 = not typical, 1 = rarely typical, 2 = typical, 3 = very typical). Scale ranges from 0 to 12. Item responses are summed. Higher scores indicate worse outcomes in that they represent a higher degree of hopelessness.
Time frame: Baseline to Post-test (6 weeks)
Child Psychological Distress Assessed by the Pediatric Symptom Checklist
The total problems scale on the Pediatric Symptom Checklist includes 17 items measuring child psychological distress (e.g., "Feels sad, unhappy") made on a 3-point scale (0 = never, 1 = sometimes, 2 = often). Scale ranges from 0 to 34. Item responses are summed. Higher scores indicate worse outcomes in that they represent higher psychological distress.
Time frame: Baseline to Post-test (6 weeks)
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