A new policy brief from The Campbell Collaboration summarizes evidence from six systematic reviews of parenting programs. 

These programs are designed to enhance parents' knowledge, skills, and understanding, and to improve both child and parent behavioral and psychological outcomes. Programs are typically offered to parents over the course of 8 to 12 weeks, for one or two hours each week. The programs can be delivered on a one-to-one basis or to groups, and be provided in a range of settings, including hospitals, social work clinics, schools, and churches.

The six systematic reviews that have been published by The Campbell Collaboration have evaluated the effectiveness of a range of parenting programs, including those aimed at addressing early onset conduct disorder and improving outcomes for children with ADHD. According to the brief, there is unequivocal evidence that parenting programs are effective in improving aspects of parents' psychosocial functioning (e.g., depression, anxiety, confidence, and satisfaction with the partner relationship) in the short-term. Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral group-based parenting interventions have also been found to be effective at improving child conduct problems, parental mental health, and parenting skills in the short-term for parents of children aged 3-12. However, the evidence of effectiveness for parents of younger children is less comprehensive.

Johns Hopkins University 

Research in Brief

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