Clinical trial NCT05209932: An Internet Based Adaptation of a Divorce Intervention Beginnings Program for Divorced Parents
Official title: Development and Evaluation of an Internet Based Adaptation of the New Beginnings Program for Divorced Parents
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Divorce
Keywords: divorce
intervention
positive child outcomes
Lead sponsor: Family Transitions: Programs that Work
Sponsor class: INDUSTRY
First posted: 2022-01-27
Enrollment: 131
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Participants were randomized to receive an online parenting program for divorced and separated parents (N=81) or a wait list control condition (N=50)
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This study is a two-armed randomized controlled trial of the eNew Beginnings Program (eNBP)'s effects on children's mental health problems as well as interparental conflict, parent-child relationship quality and effective discipline. The eNBP is an asynchronous, fully web-based program that was based on the in-person, group NBP, which has been found to strengthen parent-child relationship quality and effective discipline and reduce children's mental health problems in three randomized controlled trials of the NBP involving over 1,800 children. The investigators hypothesized that parents in the eNBP intervention condition would have less interparental conflict and higher parent-child relationship quality and effective discipline than those in the wait-list control condition. The investigators also expected the children whose parents were in the eNBP intervention condition would have fewer internalizing problems and externalizing problems and higher prosocial skills than those with parents in the wait-list control.

Detailed description: This study is a two-armed intervention randomized controlled trial of the eNew Beginnings Program (eNBP)'s effects on children's mental health problems as well as interparental conflict, parent-child relationship quality and effective discipline. The eNBP is an asynchronous, fully web-based program that was based on the in-person, group-based NBP. Three randomized controlled trials of the NBP involving over 1,800 children found positive effects to strengthen parent-child relationship quality and effective discipline and reduce children's mental health problems. The eNBP teaches all the skills in the 10-session NBP. The investigators hypothesized that parents in the eNBP would have less interparental conflict and higher parent-child relationship quality and effective discipline than those in the wait-list control condition following the intervention. The investigators also expected the children whose parents were in the eNBP would have fewer internalizing problems and externalizing problems and higher prosocial skills than those with parents in the wait-list control following the intervention.

Parents and their offspring were recruited using Qualtrics, a leading-edge sample acquisition technology that partners with 20 online panel providers and recruits nationally. Initial sampling criteria were parent was divorced, separated but never married, divorcing, or separating; had one or more children aged 6 to 18; and spoke English. Parents who met these criteria were sent an email with information about the study and a web-based survey that assessed contact with child/ren, access to a computer with high-speed internet or a smart phone and demographics. Interested parents were provided additional information about the study and screened for eligibility by phone. To be eligible, parents had to be divorced, separated but never married, divorcing or separating; have one or more child between 6 and 18; be English speaking; spend at least three hours/week or at least one overnight every other week with their child(ren); and have access to a computer with high-speed internet or a smart phone. The sample consisted of 131 parents randomized to eNBP (N = 81) or wait-list condition (N = 50) and 102 of their adolescent offspring.

Primary outcome measures were measures of interparental conflict, parent-child relationship quality, effective discipline and children's internalizing and externalizing problems and prosocial behavior.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Parents divorced, divorcing or separated
* Parents separated but never married
* One or more children aged 6 to 18
* Parents spoke English
* Parents spend at least 3 hours a week with children or have one overnight every other week with their children
* Parents have access to a computer with high speed internet access of a smart phone

Exclusion Criteria:

\* Parents who do not meet all of the inclusion criteria

Primary outcomes:
measure: Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale (Grych et al., 1992) -- Children Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale (Grych et al., 1992) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: One month
measure: Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory -- Acceptance Subscale (Shaefer, 1965) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory -- Acceptance Subscale (Shaefer, 1965) -- Child Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory -- Rejection Subscale (Shaefer, 1965) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory -- Rejection Subscale (Shaefer, 1965) -- Child Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory -- Consistency Discipline Subscale (Shaefer, 1965) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Children's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory -- Consistency Discipline Subscale (Shaefer, 1965) -- Child Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Oregon Discipline Scale - Follow-Through (Oregon Social Learning Center, 1991) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Oregon Discipline Scale - Follow-Through (Oregon Social Learning Center, 1991) -- Child Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Child Monitoring Scale (Hetherington et al., 1992) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Child Monitoring Scale (Hetherington et al., 1992) -- Child Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Parent Adolescent Communication Scale (Barnes & Olson, 1985) -- Parent Report
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Caught in the Middle Scale (Buchanan et al., 1991) -- Child Report
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Brief Problem Monitor -- Externalizing Subscale (Achenbach et al., 2011) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Brief Problem Monitor -- Externalizing Subscale (Achenbach et al., 2011) -- Child Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Brief Problem Monitor -- Internalizing Subscale (Achenbach et al., 2011) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire -- Prosocial Subscale (Goodman, 2001) -- Parent Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire -- Prosocial Subscale (Goodman, 2001) -- Child Report Version
timeFrame: 1 month
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Mesa
country: United States
facility: Family Transitions- Programs that Work, LLC
state: Arizona
Study officials:
affiliation: Family Transitions Programs that Work LLC
name: Irwin N Sandler, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: