US program rescues Irish kids from end of tether

After their mothers and fathers took part in a 12-week program to teach them positive parenting techniques, children in Ireland were significantly less likely to behave badly, and any poor behavior was likely to less severe, a new study has found.

The assessment by researchers at the National University of Maynooth, showed that children were less inclined to disobey rules, throw tantrums, fight or be hyperactive.

The Incredible Years BASIC parenting program, developed by Carolyn Webster Stratton at the University of Washington in Seattle, uses videos, role plays, modeling and group discussion. A dozen or so two-hour, weekly sessions are designed to meet the needs of parents whose children are between the ages of three and seven.

In the Irish example, the behavior of the average child taking part was so concerning at the outset that they were considered to be in need of professional help. Their parents' engagement in the Incredible Years was considered to move them outside this clinical range.

Led by psychologist Sinead McGilloway, the study examined the cost implications and potential benefits of applying the program in the Irish context. The team estimated that it would cost around €2,200 ($3,250) to retrieve the behavior of average child in the study to a level no longer requiring professional help. The figure rose to around €7,800 ($11,550) for the most severe case.

On the other side of the equation, they weighed the potential long-term gains, in terms of reduced pressure on services, less crime, improved educational outcomes and better career prospects. Based on local data, they estimated a value of around €4,600 ($6,810) per child.

Psychological benefits were also estimated. As well as increasing competency, involvement in the program brightened parents’ mood: those who participated showed significantly lower levels of depression.

Only a few experimental trials of the Incredible Years have been undertaken outside the US (see:Incredible Years effects are credible in the long-term [1]), so the latest Irish study adds weight to the intervention’s international credibility.

Parents were randomly allocated to receive the IY program or to go on a waiting list until the end of the trial. Nearly 150 families took part, mainly from disadvantaged areas. Most were referred to the program because their children were refusing to obey rules, or for other general parenting difficulties.

The research team assessed children’s behavior before their parents undertook the program and again six months later. Parenting skills and parent’s mental health were also assessed using standardized instruments.

See: McGilloway S, Bywater T, Ni Mhaille G, Furlong M, O’Neill D, Comiskey C, Leckey Y, Kelly P and Donnelly M (2009), Proving the Power of Positive Parenting: A randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of the Incredible Years BASIC parent training programme in an Irish context (short-term outcomes), Archways, NUI Maynooth, Ireland