Eighteen-Month Follow-Up of Internet-Based Parent Management Training for Children with Conduct Problems and the Relation of Homework Compliance to Outcome

Eighteen-Month Follow-Up of Internet-Based Parent Management Training for Children with Conduct Problems and the Relation of Homework Compliance to Outcome

Child Psychiatry & Human Development, September 2014

25236326

Jens Högström, Pia Enebrink, Bo Melin, Ata Ghaderi

The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate if previously reported treatment gains of a parent management training (PMT) program, administered via Internet, were retained from post to the 18-month follow-up. Another aim was to evaluate homework compliance as a predictor of short and long-term outcomes. Participants were parents of 58 children (3-11 years) with conduct problems who received a 10-week self-directed PMT program, with limited therapist support. Parents of 32 children (55.2 %) responded at all measurement point (baseline, post-test and follow-up) and analyses showed that child conduct problems continued to decrease during the 18-month period after the intervention whereas parenting skills deteriorated somewhat from post treatment. Pre- to post-treatment change in child conduct problems was predicted by parental engagement in homework assignments intended to reduce negative child behaviors. The findings provide support for the use of Internet-based PMT and stress the importance of parental compliance to homework training.