The Effectiveness of Parenting Programs: A Review of Campbell Reviews

Barlow, Jane; Coren, Esther

doi:10.1177/1049731517725184

Cited by 168Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentFamily Dynamics and RelationshipsBehavioral and Psychological Studies

The Effectiveness of Parenting Programs: A Review of Campbell Reviews

Barlow, Jane, Coren, Esther·2018·Research on Social Work Practice

DOI 10.1177/1049731517725184

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Abstract

Parenting practices predict important outcomes for children, and parenting programs are potentially effective means of supporting parents to promote optimal outcomes for children. This review summarizes findings of systematic reviews of parenting programs published in the Campbell Library. Six reviews evaluated the effectiveness of a range of parenting programs in the primary and secondary prevention of behavioral problems (children aged 0–3 years), treatment of early onset conduct disorder (children aged 3–12 years), and improving outcomes for parents and children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, outcomes for particular groups of parents and children (i.e., with intellectual disabilities and teenagers), and the psychosocial functioning of parents. The findings show that parenting programs are effective in improving the emotional and behavioral adjustment of children in addition to enhancing the psychosocial well-being of parents. They also suggest that further research is needed to assess their effectiveness for specific subgroups of parents in addition to their long-term effectiveness.

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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 2018
Parents reported difficulty generalizing intervention material to their own parenting scenarios, a common criticism of parenting interventions [58].
“Parents also reported difficulty generalizing intervention material to their own parenting scenarios, a common criticism of parenting interventions [58].”
From A Qualitative Study of Participant Feedback on an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Group-Based Intervention for Parents of Youth with Anxiety Disorders. (2026) · cites this paper as [58]

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Background
Protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of an online parenting intervention for promoting oral health of 2–6 years old Australian children
Tadakamadla, S. K., Rathore, V., Mitchell, A. E., Johnson, N. W., & Morawska, A. (2022) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056269 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
A quasi-experimental effectiveness evaluation of the ’Incredible Years Toddler’ parenting programme on children’s development aged 5: A study protocol
Mooney, K. E., Bywater, T. J., Hinde, S., Richardson, G. A., Wright, J., Dickerson, J., & Blower, S. L. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0291557 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Whilst group parenting programmes have been found to be effective for reducing child conduct problems and improving child socio-emotional wellbeing for parents of children aged three years or older [12, 13], evidence remains weak for the short and long-term effectiveness of parenting programmes for parents of children…”
Understanding Knowledge Mobilisation between Community Champions and Parents: Evidence from a Community-Based Programme to Support Parents with Young Children
Wilkinson, K., Berry, V., Lloyd, J., Marks, G., & Lang, I. (2024) · Children · doi:10.3390/children11080901 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
The cost-effectiveness of a culturally tailored parenting program: estimating the value of multiple outcomes
Nystrand, C., Sampaio, F., Hoch, J. S., Osman, F. A., & Feldman, I. (2021) · Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation · doi:10.1186/s12962-021-00278-4 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Mother and father interaction with their 3-month-old infants: Similarities and differences in parenting behaviour in well-resourced parents
Roggero, M. P., Bonalume, L., Mazzoleni, A. L., Piroli, V., Negri, A. A. M., Cordolcini, L., Mascheroni, E., & Montirosso, R. (2023) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101822 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“All Children in Focus”: Effects of a Universal Parenting Program at a 6-Month Follow-Up in a Randomized Controlled Trial in Sweden
Cinà, I. V., Lindberg, L., & Enebrink, P. (2024) · Prevention Science · doi:10.1007/s11121-024-01681-y · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Exploring Staff Implementation of a Self-directed Parenting Intervention for Parents with Mental Health Difficulties
Butler, J. A., Gregg, L., Calam, R. M., & Wittkowski, A. (2020) · Community Mental Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10597-020-00642-3 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Social inequality in parent–infant relations: Epidemiological study of community nurse records
Holstein, B. E., Pant, S. W., Ammitzbøll, J., & Pedersen, T. P. (2021) · Scandinavian Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1177/1403494820983137 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Randomized Controlled Trial of a Program to Help Latina Mothers Help Their Children Cope with Stress: Effects on Parenting, Child Coping, and Adjustment
Power, T. G., García, K. S., Martinez, A. D., Parker, L. A., Hidalgo-Mendez, J., & Ramos, G. G. (2022) · Prevention Science · doi:10.1007/s11121-022-01353-9 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Évolution de la collaboration interorganisationnelle dans l’offre d’un programme de soutien à la parentalité
Gagné, M., Clément, M., Bissonnette, A., Gagnon, V., & Lemieux, M.-M. (2022) · Sciences & Actions Sociales · doi:10.3917/sas.017.0031 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Outcome preferences in fidelity-adaptation scenarios across evidence-based parenting programs: A discrete choice experiment
Pettersson, K., Millroth, P., Giannotta, F., Liedgren, P., Lyon, A. R., Hasson, H., & Schwarz, U. V. T. (2025) · Implementation Science · doi:10.1186/s13012-025-01421-y · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Feasibility Study of the Enhancing Parenting Skills Programme
Williams, M. E., Hoare, Z., Owen, D. A., & Hutchings, J. (2019) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-019-01581-8 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Evaluation of a Program to Help Low-Income, Latina Mothers Help Their Children Cope With Stress
Power, T., Ramos, G. G., Guerrero, Y. O., Martinez, A., Parker, L., & Lee, S. (2021) · Journal of Primary Prevention · doi:10.1007/s10935-021-00632-5 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
The Views of Local Authorities in England on How to Prevent Children Being in Care
Corliss, C., Addis, S., El-Banna, A., Maxwell, N., Scourfield, J., Warner, N., & Williams, A. (2021) · Child Care in Practice · doi:10.1080/13575279.2021.1975648 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Strengthening Parental Identity of Incarcerated Fathers through Innovative Practices of Drama in Education
Pandis, E., & Dima, A. (2023) · International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology · doi:10.1177/0306624x231206519 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
The effectiveness of a new parent education intervention program for primary school-age children and parents in Hong Kong
Lo, H. K. Y., Fong, T. K. H., Cheng, C. P.-W., Lui, W. Y. V., Wong, Y. P., & Chan, P. K. L. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0331308 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Alternatively, it also indicated a correlation between higher educational level [28] was correlated to better effectiveness of the program.”
Why, what, and how to use AI to assist parenting: Introducing the HEAT model
Tao, S. (2026) · Child Development Perspectives · doi:10.1093/cdpers/aadag002 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Promoting research-based parenting strategies through U.S. local television news: An experimental evaluation of the Positive Parenting Newsfeed project
Piña, G., Torres, A., & Griffith, I. (2023) · Journal of Children and Media · doi:10.1080/17482798.2023.2187426 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Several studies have found that parenting programs can be effective in improving children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes (Barlow & Coren, 2017).”
Background
‘ Space to talk ’: a Portuguese focus group study of parents’ experiences, needs and preferences in parenting support during prenatal and well-child care
Fareleira, F., Xavier, M. R., de Lima, F. T., Reis, H. S., Velte, J., & Martins, C. (2023) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066627 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Mellow Babies: A Randomised Feasibility Trial of an Intervention to Improve the Quality of Parent–Infant Interactions and Parental Mental Wellbeing
Thompson, L. C., & Wilson, P. (2024) · Children · doi:10.3390/children11050510 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Moderators of the Effects of a Digital Parenting Intervention on Child Conduct and Emotional Problems Implemented During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From a Secondary Analysis of Data From the Supporting Parents and Kids Through Lockdown Experiences (SPARKLE) Randomized Controlled Trial
Pokorna, N., Palmer, M. L., Pearson, O., Beckley‐Hoelscher, N., Shearer, J., Kostyrka‐Allchorne, K., Robertson, O. M., Koch, M., Slovák, P., Day, C., et al. (2024) · JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting · doi:10.2196/53864 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Programas parentales eficaces para el tratamiento de la conducta disruptiva: El caso del programa Empoderando Padres, Empoderando Comunidades
Maciel, L. P. A. A., Basto-Pereira, M., & Day, C. (2022) · INFORMACIO PSICOLOGICA · doi:10.14635/ipsic.1900 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Feasibility and effect of adding a concurrent parental component to a school-based wellness program using two modes of mobile-based technology – mixed methods evaluation of RCT
Golan, M., Benifla, S., Samo, A., Alon, N., & Mozeikov, M. (2022) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-022-12581-7 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Child rearing and parenting programs among First Nations’ populations in high-income countries: a bibliometric review
Waller, A. E., Ampofo, A. G., Bryant, J., & Sanson‐Fisher, R. (2022) · Australian Health Review · doi:10.1071/ah22073 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Crianza Positiva: Combining Group Workshops and E-Messages to Strengthen Parenting Competences
Balsa, A. I., Gómez, E., González, M. L., Bloomfield, J., Cid, A., & Valdés, R. (2023) · Child & Youth Care Forum · doi:10.1007/s10566-023-09768-3 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Parenting Programs in the Arab Region
Doha International Family Institute (2022) · Hamad bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) eBooks · doi:10.5339/difi_9789927161032 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Is it feasible to nest a Trial within a Cohort Study (TwiCS) to evaluate an early years parenting programme? A Born in Bradford’s Better Start study protocol
Mooney, K. E., Welch, C., Crossley, K. L., Bywater, T. J., Wright, J., Dickerson, J., & Blower, S. L. (2024) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-023-01441-9 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Evidence concerning effectiveness in the longer term and in specific subgroups of parents is also weak [2, 4, 6].”
BackgroundMethod
The Role of Dosage and Family Profiles in a Child Welfare Home Visiting Program
García, M. V. H., Padilla, J. P., Camacho, C., & García, L. J. (2024) · Child & Youth Care Forum · doi:10.1007/s10566-024-09826-4 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Effectiveness of emotion-focused skills training (EFST) for parents: A randomized controlled trial investigating remission of mental health diagnosis and symptom reduction in children
Severinsen, L., Stiegler, J. R., Nissen‐Lie, H. A., Shahar, B., Bertelsen, T. B., & Zahl‐Olsen, R. (2025) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503307.2025.2491477 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Coaching Strength-Based Parenting: Online Program’s Impact on Mothers’ Competence With Twice-Exceptional Children
Jackson, M. A., Peters, K., Jen, E., & Rivera, J. (2025) · journal for the education of the gifted · doi:10.1177/01623532251352617 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Effectiveness and Cultural Adaptation of Parenting Interventions for South Asian Families: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review Using Bernal’s Ecological Validity Model
Syed, A., Arshad, U., Lovell, K., Husain, N., Hodkinson, A., & Panagioti, M. (2026) · Children · doi:10.3390/children13010086 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“While some studies report limited impact of parenting interventions on parental stress and depression [12,50,51], others demonstrate moderate improvements [10,52].”
Influential
Who asked you? Young People and practitioners identify ways to facilitate access to mental health supports
Colleran, A., O’Connor, A., Hogan, M., Harney, O., Durand, H., & Hanlon, M. L. D. (2021) · HRB Open Research · doi:10.12688/hrbopenres.13328.1 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Measuring dysfunctional parenting: Psychometrics of three versions of the Parenting Scale
Prandstetter, K., Waller, F., Heinrichs, N., Hutchings, J., Ward, C. L., Dănilă, I., Lachman, J. M., & Foran, H. M. (2022) · Family Relations · doi:10.1111/fare.12732 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
An evaluation of lifestart, a universal home-based parenting programme in Ireland aimed at improving parent and child outcomes
Miller, S. J., Dunne, L., Millen, S. E., Early, E., Grant, L., Davison, J., & McGeady, C. (2023) · Irish Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/03323315.2023.2185275 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Brief interventions to build social and emotional strengths and foster resilience in children: A Delphi consensus study
Phillips, S. P., & Lakkadghatwala, R. (2023) · Social and Emotional Learning Research Practice and Policy · doi:10.1016/j.sel.2023.100007 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Adverse event assessment in a parenting programme: experiences from a multisite randomised controlled trial
Frantz, I., Foran, H. M., Lachman, J. M., Gardner, F. E. M., McMahon, R. J., Ogden, T., Hutchings, J., Costin, M. R., Kunovski, I., Raleva, M., et al. (2024) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-024-08357-6 · Cited by 3 · see citing works

The effectiveness of parenting programmes: a review of Campbell reviews
Barlow, J., & Coren, E. (2017) · Create (Canterbury Christ Church University)
Group-based parent-training programmes for improving emotional and behavioural adjustment in 0–3 year old children
Barlow, J., & Parsons, J. (2005) · Campbell Systematic Reviews · doi:10.4073/csr.2005.2 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Parent-Training Programmes for Improving Maternal Psychosocial Health
Barlow, J., Coren, E., & Stewart-Brown, S. L. (2005) · Campbell Systematic Reviews · doi:10.4073/csr.2005.3 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
[Are programs supporting parenthood skills effective in the prevention and reduction of conduct disorders and problems of childhood?].
Karjalainen, P., Santalahti, P., & Sihvo, S. (2016) · PubMed · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Programas de entrenamiento para padres de niños con problemas de conducta: una revisión de su eficacia
Pacho, Z. R., & Romero, E. (2011) · Hispana · Cited by 27 · see citing works

Authors: Barlow, J., & Coren, E.
Affiliations: University of Oxford (GB)
Canterbury Christ Church University (GB)
Corresponding author: Barlow, Jane
ORCID: Barlow, Jane
Coren, Esther
Venue: Research on Social Work Practice
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2017-09-22
Volume: 28
Issue: 1
Pages: 99-102
ISSN: 1049-7315 (ISSN-L)
1552-7581
DOI: 10.1177/1049731517725184
OpenAlex: W2760687513
Cited by: 167
References: 12
Citations by year: 2026: 19 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1
FWCI: 7.45
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Research on Social Work Practice (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
Keywords: parent training, parenting support, child behavior problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, adolescent parents, primary and secondary prevention

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The Effectiveness of Parenting Programs: A Review of Campbell Reviews

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