An outcome study on the effectiveness of the HSE Parenting Skills Programme

Abstract

Parent training intervention is based on the assumption that deficits in parenting skills lead to conduct problems and increased parental stress. By positively modifying parent-child interactions, the rate of conduct disorder in children and parental stress levels are reduced. While the majority of current research is based on parents of children with diagnosed conduct disorder, the HSE programmes are available to all parents through self-referral. The participants of this study (n=44) completed the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory and the Parenting Stress Index (SF) on the beginning and end of the parenting course. Results showed a significant reduction in parental stress and behaviour problems and a significant improvement in the parent-child interaction. Overall this indicates that parenting training leads to positive changes in the parent-child relationship.