The effectiveness and acceptability of a brief parent training intervention delivered via telehealth

Abstract

Externalizing behavior problems are common in childhood and yet families increasingly face barriers to accessing evidence-based interventions such as parent training. Developing and evaluating novel service delivery methods are important to reducing this access gap. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate parent perception and overall effectiveness of a brief and focused parent training intervention for children with externalizing behavioral problems delivered via telehealth. Using a noncurrent multiple baseline design, six families were randomized to one of three baseline conditions (two, three, or four weeks) and received three sessions (30-45 minutes) of parent training focused on praise, reinforcement, and natural/logical consequences. Data were analyzed using both group and single-subject (e.g., visual inspection) methods. All families exhibited a reliable change on at least one measure of externalizing behavior after receiving the intervention and half reported a reliable improvement in parenting competency. In contrast, only two families exhibited a reliable improvement in parenting stress and one reported a reliable improvement in functional impairment after the intervention. The telehealth delivery method was consistently rated in a positive manner across baseline and treatment phases. Taken together, the findings suggest that a brief behavioral intervention delivered via telehealth can improve externalizing behaviors and parenting competency in the short-term and is an acceptable service delivery method for families. The format of the intervention may improve its accessibility to families and has potential to be implemented in settings such as primary care, where the majority of families seek support for childhood behavioral problems. Limitations and future directions are discussed within the paper.