Technology-Enhanced Helping the Noncompliant Child

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study aimed to examine if technology could enhance the treatment engagement and outcomes of low income parents of 3 to 8 children with externalizing problems.

Detailed Description
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The aim of this pilot study is to determine whether a technology-enhanced version of an established behavioral treatment protocol, Helping the Noncompliant Child (HNC; McMahon & Forehand), enhances the engagement and treatment outcomes of lower income parents of 3 to 8 children with externalizing problems in treatment. It is predicted that families in both the HNC and technology-enhanced HNC (TE-HNC) programs will evidence significant improvement in parenting behavior and child externalizing problems; however, it is predicted that parent-child dyads in the TE-HNC program will require fewer sessions, will be more likely to be retained in the program, will be more likely to remain engaged in the program (e.g., practicing skills between sessions etc.), and will be more likely to have active involvement from their coparenting partners (i.e., other adults and family members who participate in childrearing).In turn, it is expected that the TE-HNC program will boost treatment outcomes.

Official Title
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Technology Enhanced Delivery of Treatment for Early Conduct Problems

Conditions
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Child Externalizing Behavior

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Helping the Noncompliant Child (HNC)
* Behavioral: Technology-Enhanced Helping the Noncompliant Child (TE-HNC)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Lower income caregiver/parent is legal guardian 3 to 8 year old child child meets criteria for externalizing disorder or significant externalizing symptoms Exclusion Criteria: Prior report of child abuse or neglect current substance abuse/dependence legal guardian reading level less than 8th grade child has developmental disability that precludes caregiver utilizing the skills

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 3 Years
Maximum Age: 8 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Helping the Noncompliant Child (HNC)<br>Standard HNC (see HNC Arm/Title) Program plus Technology-Enhancement (smartphones, which are being used for mid-week video calls to check-in re: skill-building, videotaping of family practice of skills at home, daily surveys re: skills practice & child behavior, reminders re: practice & sessions. | Behavioral: Helping the Noncompliant Child (HNC)<br>* Well-established behavioral parent training program (McMahon & Forehand) for parents of 3 to 8 y.o. children with externalizing problems<br>* Other names: HNC;|
| Experimental: Technology-Enhanced HNC (TE-HNC)<br>Standard HNC (see HNC Arm/Title) Program plus Technology-Enhancement (smartphones, which are being used for mid-week video calls to check-in re: skill-building, videotaping of family practice of skills at home, daily surveys re: skills practice & child behavior, reminders re: practice & sessions. | Behavioral: Technology-Enhanced Helping the Noncompliant Child (TE-HNC)<br>* Standard HNC program plus technology-enhancements (see description under Arm)<br>* Other names: TE-HNC;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retention | Retention assesses whether or not the family completed the full treatment program. | Baseline to Post-Intervention (average 8 to 12 weeks) | 
| Mean % Sessions Attended as Scheduled | Participation in each weekly session as scheduled was recorded for each family. Mean attendance of scheduled sessions was computed for each parent-child dyad and then for each group. For example, if a parent-child dyad required 8 sessions to master the program skills and attended all 8 sessions as scheduled they would have 100%. If instead, another parent-child dyad also required 8 sessions to complete the program, but half of those were rescheduled at least once. Then the overall average attendance is calculated across the parent-child dyads in each group. Greater scheduled attendance = optimal outcome. | Baseline to Post-Intervention (average 8 to 12 weeks) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mean Post-treatment Score Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) | The ECBI is a 36 item measure frequently used in treatment outcome research with young children, as it it reflects problem behavior in this age range and is sensitive to change. Parents rate the frequency of each problem behavior as occurring 0 = never to 7 = always. Scores can range from 0 to 252 with higher scores reflecting greater problem behaviors. | Baseline to Post-Intervention (average 8 to 12 weeks) | 
| Mean Sessions for Complete Treatment | Mean number of sessions that parent-child dyads in each group required to master the program skills and complete treatment (Fewer sessions to complete treatment considered more cost-effective as parent-child dyads learning skills more efficiently). | Baseline to Post-Intervention (Average 8 to 12 weeks) | 
| Mean Consumer Satisfaction | Average parent-reported satisfaction with the treatment program on a project-developed consumer satisfaction scale (Possible range = 11 -77; Higher score = greater satisfaction). | Post-Intervention (Average 8 to 12 weeks) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Parenting, Parent-Child Relations, Child Behavior