MORE THAN 400 families experienced sustained benefits from an Irish programme that helps parents deal with challenging behaviour in children and adolescents, a seminar was told yesterday.
Prof Alan Carr, UCD Department of Psychology, found the Parents Plus programmes, run through a Mater hospital-based charity, were “extremely effective” in improving conduct problems and anti-social behaviour in children and adolescents.
He told the Innovations in Working with Adolescents seminar in Dublin the programme was as effective as any evidence-based programmes that have been developed in the US, Australia and other countries.
Parents Plus provides training and supervision for professionals who wish to deliver these programmes.
The programmes consist of six- to 12- week courses aimed at three different life stages. The early years course aims to help parents maximise their children’s learning, the six- to 11-years course focuses on helping parents to manage difficult behaviour, while the 11- to 16-course helps parents deal with the challenges of the teenage years.
Prof Carr undertook a study of 10 evaluations already carried out on the programmes to examine their overall effectiveness. In eight of the evaluations representing 400 families, the benefits of the course increased for families six to 10 months later.
Prof Carr said a national roll-out of the programme by the HSE “would make a significant contribution to addressing anti-social behaviour nationally”.
More than 700 professionals attended the seminar, which was launched by Minister of State for Children, Frances Fitzgerald. Other speakers included Parents Plus founders Prof Carol Fitzpatrick and Dr John Sharry.
