A Pilot Efficacy and Implementation Study of the Strengths Intervention Project
Condition: Parent-Child Relations; Parenting; Adolescent Behavior; Communication
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to test a strengths-based intervention to be delivered in a
      primary care setting with adolescents and a parent. Investigators want to find out if the
      intervention can help parents and teens communicate. Specifically Investigators want to see
      if they can help parents and teens identify and build teen's strengths. Half the dyads will
      receive the educational materials in conjunction with their teen's well-child visit, while
      the other half will receive usual care at the well-child visit and receive the educational
      materials at the end of the study. Additionally, Investigators expect that a strengths-based
      intervention may also impact adherence to treatment in youth with a chronic illness. As such,
      Investigators will include a subgroup of teenagers diagnosed with asthma in this study, to
      assess whether the strengths-based intervention that the Investigators developed has an
      impact on adherence.
    

Detailed description: 
      Recent research suggests that parents and adolescents report an interest in doctors
      facilitating increased parent-teen communication about teen strengths. However, little
      research focuses on how to address this need in a primary care setting. Content from subject
      matter experts along with data gathered from parents and teens were used to develop a novel
      strengths-based intervention to be tested in primary care.

      The study intervention being examined is called the Strengths Intervention Project and
      includes a written pamphlet, a guided discussion activity, in-person/phone health coaching,
      and in-person or mailed health care provider endorsement and key messaging. Measures will be
      collected at baseline pre-intervention (T1), in clinic or over the phone at the time of the
      intervention (T2), approximately two weeks post-intervention (T3), and approximately 2 months
      post-intervention (T4). Daily diaries will also be utilized twice to gather data pre- and
      post- intervention. We will measure feasibility of clinic implementation of intervention, as
      well as influence of intervention on parent-teen communication and adolescent outcomes.
    

Intervention name(s): Build and Support Your Teen's Strengths
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): This is a clinic based psychoeducational intervention for adolescent patients and their parents to improve parent-teen communication about teen strengths. The intervention is designed, if possible, to coincide with the adolescent patients' well-child visits and consists of the following components: (1) In-person or over the phone orientation session with a trained health coach and parent, (2) Distribution of psychoeducational materials to the parent, (3) Endorsement and delivery of key messages from the health care provider, and (4) "Booster" phone call placed by the health coach.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Treatment groups receive intervention and control groups receive usual care.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: parent-teen communication; teen strengths; adolescence