Child and Family Outcomes and Consumer Satisfaction for Online vs Staff-Delivered Parenting Intervention

High-prevalence mental health problems require innovative strategies to broaden reach of evidence-based services. Disruptive behavior problems (DBPs), or conduct problems, in young children represent a major public health challenge that is not only highly prevalent but also, left untreated, heighten risk for adverse mental health and developmental outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Internet and online technology has considerable potential to help achieve such a goal. Building on parenting interventions that have demonstrated impact on childhood DBPs, this clinical trial compares an online-delivered intervention to a well-validated staff-delivered intervention, holding program content constant. Both interventions are based on the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. The sample includes families with a 3-7 year old child who has a pronounced level of DBPs. The study makes use of a non-inferiority trial design to determine whether the online-delivered intervention yields as good outcomes as the well-established staff-delivered intervention with respect to childhood DBPs, parenting, and parent/family stress. The study also includes a value analysis comparing the two interventions, accounting for provider and participant expenses as well as pre-implementation and implementation phases. This study is intended to shed light on the impact and potential benefits of a viable online parenting intervention for childhood disruptive behavior problems, but the results from this study are also intended to help the mental health field to better understand more broadly the potential advantages and disadvantages of online interventions over traditionally delivered interventions, particularly in light of expense minimization/effectiveness analysis.

Inclusion criteria

• clinically elevated level of child disruptive behavior problems
• parent resides with the child and has primary custody
• parent has access to internet via computer, e-tablet, or smartphone

Exclusion criteria

• already in a family-based treatment
• child has pervasive developmental disorder
• parent under 20 years of age
• parent has serious mental illness