Abstract
We tested the efficacy of a social skills training program for the parents of school-aged children experiencing socio-emotional problems. Participating families (N = 42) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: parent social skills training; parent plus parallel child social skills training; or no-treatment control. The two treatment groups did not differ on any of the outcome measures. Treatment was associated with improvements in parent and child social skills knowledge, parent social problem solving, and child emotional functioning. In follow-up analyses examining mechanisms of change, parental attendance and change in child social skills knowledge predicted response to treatment. Overall, our results highlight the utility of engaging parents as primary participants in the treatment of children’s socio-emotional problems and suggest methods for maximizing the impact of such an intervention.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grant number 2R44MH65718-03 from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The authors would like to thank the parents and children who participated in this research as well as the clinical staff of 3-C Family Services who expertly delivered the child and parent interventions. A table describing skills and concepts taught in each session of S.S.-GRIN-PG is available from the senior author.
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DeRosier, M.E., Gilliom, M. Effectiveness of a Parent Training Program for Improving Children’s Social Behavior. J Child Fam Stud 16, 660–670 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9114-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9114-1