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Cited by 173Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentInfant Health and DevelopmentMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Group-based parent-training programmes for improving emotional and behavioural adjustment in children from birth to three years old

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Barlow, Jane, Smailagic, Nadja, Ferriter, Michael, Bennett, Cathy, Jones, Hannah·2010·Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
DOI 10.1002/14651858.cd003680.pub2PMC PMC4164454
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Emotional and behavioural problems in children are common. Research suggests that parenting has an important role to play in helping children to become well-adjusted, and that the first few months and years are especially important. Parenting programmes may have a role to play in improving the emotional and behavioural adjustment of infants and toddlers. This review is applicable to parents and carers of children up to three years eleven months although some studies included children up to five years old. OBJECTIVES: To:a) establish whether group-based parenting programmes are effective in improving the emotional and behavioural adjustment of children three years of age or less (i.e. maximum mean age of 3 years 11 months); b) assess the role of parenting programmes in the primary prevention of emotional and behavioural problems. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociofile, Social Science Citation Index, ASSIA, National Research Register (NRR) and ERIC. The searches were originally run in 2000 and then updated in 2007/8. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of group-based parenting programmes that had used at least one standardised instrument to measure emotional and behavioural adjustment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The results for each outcome in each study have been presented, with 95% confidence intervals. Where appropriate the results have been combined in a meta-analysis using a random-effects model. MAIN RESULTS: Eight studies were included in the review. There were sufficient data from six studies to combine the results in a meta-analysis for parent-reports and from three studies to combine the results for independent assessments of children's behaviour post-intervention. There was in addition, sufficient information from three studies to conduct a meta-analysis of both parent-report and independent follow-up data. Both parent-report (SMD -0.25; CI -0.45 to -0.06), and independent observations (SMD -0.54; CI -0.84 to -0.23) of children's behaviour produce significant results favouring the intervention group post-intervention. A meta-analysis of follow-up data indicates a significant result favouring the intervention group for parent-reports (SMD -0.28; CI -0.51 to -0.04) but a non-significant result favouring the intervention group for independent observations (SMD -0.19; CI -0.42, 0.05). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review provide some support for the use of group-based parenting programmes to improve the emotional and behavioural adjustment of children with a maximum mean age of three years eleven months. There is, insufficient evidence to reach firm conclusions regarding the role that such programmes might play in the primary prevention of such problems. There are also limited data available concerning the long-term effectiveness of these programmes. Further research is needed.

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  • Standard behavioural or skills-based parent training is widely used, evidence-based, and has shown benefits for many parent and child outcomes in different cultures.

    “Traditional behavioural or skills-based parent training approaches are widely implemented evidencebased interventions that have demonstrated efficacy across a range of parent and child outcomes, and different cultural contexts (Barlow 2010;Barlow 2012;Barlow 2018;Dretze 2005;Furlong 2012;Gardner 2016;Piquero 2008).”

    From Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents (2024) · cites this paper as Barlow 2010

    The Background describes parent-training programmes as offered in varied settings, and the Authors’ Conclusions find some evidence that group-based behavioural programmes improve emotional and behavioural outcomes in young children. The Background also reports benefits for maternal psychosocial health from other reviews. But the Discussion says only one included study reported participants’ ethnicity, so this review does not establish efficacy across different cultural contexts; it also cautions that the evidence has limits to its generalisability. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Systematic reviews show that parenting programmes can improve children's emotional and behavioural adjustment and several aspects of parental mental health.

    “Evidence from systematic reviews of parenting programmes demonstrates that they can improve the emotional and behavioural adjustment of children (Barlow 2010;Barlow 2018;Dretze 2005), and such programmes can also significantly improve a range of aspects of parental mental health, including anxiety, depression, and self-esteem (Barlow 2012;Barlow 2018).”

    From Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents (2024) · cites this paper as Barlow 2010

  • Parenting programmes can improve children's emotional and behavioural adjustment.

    “Evidence from systematic reviews of parenting programmes demonstrates that they can improve the emotional and behavioural adjustment of children (Barlow 2010;Barlow 2018;Dretze 2005)”

    From Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents (2024) · cites this paper as Barlow 2010

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Ostergren C Evaluation of a temperament-based parenting program: factors affecting program usefulness, ease of understanding, preferred amount of materials and parental attitudes Dissertation abstracts international 2003 64 5 MEDLINE: 14880;: 0419–4209
  2. Owen P Fostering preschooler attachment and development through a relationship-based group parent-training program. PhD Dissertation 2007 104 Alliant International University Fresno, California, USA
  3. Schachman KA Lee RK Lederman RR Baby Boot Camp - facilitating maternal role adaptation among military wives Nursing Research 2004 53 2 107 15 MEDLINE: 12960 15084995
  4. Jones K Daley D Hutchings J Byawater T Eames C Efficacy of the Incredible Years Basic parent training programme as an early intervention for children with conduct problems and ADHD Child: care, health and development 2007 33 6 749 56 17944785
  5. Martins C Gaffan EA Effects of early maternal depression on patterns of infant-mother attachment: a meta-analytic investigation Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2000 41 6 737 46 11039686
  6. The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager (RevMan). 5.0 2008 The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration Copenhagen

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Authors
Barlow, J., Smailagic, N., Ferriter, M., Bennett, C., & Jones, H.
Affiliations
  • University of Warwick (GB)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
  • University of Nottingham (GB)
ORCID
Venue
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Published
2010-03-17
Issue
3
Pages
CD003680-CD003680
ISSN
1361-6137 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1002/14651858.cd003680.pub2
PMC
PMC4164454
OpenAlex
W1631244529
Cited by
173
References
137
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 13
Type
reference entry
Language
en
Update notices
new_version (2016-08-01)
Open access
Locations
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (acceptedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute for Health and Care Research (PB-PG-0407-13232)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
parent training, infants and toddlers, early childhood, primary prevention, child emotional problems, child behavior problems, parent report, intervention effectiveness, follow-up outcomes, parent-child interaction, parent-child attachment, parent-child communication, parent-child bonding
MeSH terms
Child Behavior Disorders, Child Development, Child Rearing, Child, Preschool, Emotions, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Mental Health, Program Evaluation, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Parenting, Infant Behavior

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