Testing the Effectiveness of Supportive Parents - Coping Kids

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Behavioral parent or child directed intervention: Control group will include different behavioral interventions that may include caretakers or the target child, and thus may vary in scope and intensity.

Supportive Parents - Coping Kids: Intervention group will receive the transdiagnostic parent intervention (SPARCK). SPARCK is designed to include up to 12 sessions with caretakers. If necessary and applicable, children can attend sessions. The starting point for the development of SPARCK has been the Social Interaction Learning model, which represents the behavioral management perspective. In addition, SPARCK consists of empirically supported components based on attachment theory, emotion socialization, CBT, and family accommodation. Thus, content and strategies have been collected from different theories to provide a diverse toolkit tailored to address transdiagnostic problems in families with externalizing, internalizing, and caregiver challenges. SPARCK content and target strategies are tailored to the needs of the families and children, and the manual explains the content and how the target strategies may be tailored and combined.

Study summary

The aim of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of the parent training intervention Supportive Parents - Coping Kids (SPARCK) for prevention of childhood mental health problems. The main research questions are:

• Is SPARCK effective in preventing and reducing negative outcomes and promoting positive outcomes for eligible children and parents compared with regular care practice?

In addition, investigators will conduct an implementation study to examine relations between implementation determinants and implementation and clinical outcomes in the SPARCK intervention condition

Participants in the effectiveness trial will be randomized to receive either the SPARCK intervention or active regular care practices provided by professionals in the Norwegian frontline services. Researchers will test the effectiveness of the SPARCK intervention at post treatment and six months follow-up.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in symptoms of child anxiety and depression measured by Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale — Pre (at respondent study inclusion), post (at treatment termination or up to 25 weeks), and follow-up (6 months after post assessment)
  Parent reported 47-items instrument tapping children's anxiety and depressive symptoms on a 4-point numeric scale ranging from 1 to 4. A higher score indicates more symptoms
• Change in child problem behaviors measured by Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory — Pre (at respondent study inclusion), post (at treatment termination or up to 25 weeks), and follow-up (6 months after post assessment)
  Parent reported 36-items instrument tapping children's frequency of problem behaviors on a 7 point Likert-scale. Higher scores indicates more problem behavior.

Trial sites (1)

Other trials for the same condition