1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The aim of the present study [is] to test the efficacy of the How-to Parenting Program […] on children’s mental health. Specifically, [the authors] aimed to assess whether this parenting program would not only foster decreases in children’s E [externalizing] and I [internalizing] problems but also increases in children’s strengths and subjective well-being.» (p. 3)

Questions/Hypothèses :
The authors «expected that children of parents in experimental groups would experience fewer parent-reported I and E psychological problems over time whereas children of parents on the wait-list would not show improvements during that year (i.e., stable or increasing psychological problems).» (p. 5)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The present study took place in public grade schools in the greater Montreal area […]. [T]he How-to Parenting Program was offered to all parents of recruited grade schools […]. Assessments were made by participating parents, their participating child and the child’s teachers. Teacher reports were collected to test the generalization of the program’s impact (children’s improved mental health at school) and to gather reports from blind participants, thereby reducing social desirability attached to parent reports.» (p. 5) The study is conducted with «four grade schools per year, for 4 waves (recruiting about 64 parents to form 8 groups at each wave […]).» (p. 7)

Instruments :
Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Results of this study will provide initial evidence about the efficacy of the French version of the How-to Parenting Program, originally created in the Unites States. The present RCT will evaluate its impact on children’s E and I problems as measured by the CBCL which will allow informative comparisons with other evaluated parenting programs. If proved efficacious, the study will represent an important first step in suggesting the How-to Parenting Program as a promising way to foster children’s mental health. We believe the results of this study will ultimately inform the way we can improve children’s mental health and well-being, by helping parents of the general population provide more skillful structure, higher affiliation and importantly, more AS [autonomy support].» (p. 14) «Because solely assessing psychological problems provides an incomplete view of mental health, we assessed how symptoms and positive indicators of mental health changed over time. Children’s social skills and well-being are rarely measured in parenting program studies and when they are, effects are smaller than for psychological problems […]. Since the How-to Parenting Program targets parenting rather than child misbehavior and since it integrates AS in addition to structure and affiliation, we expect that it will lead to improvements in children’s socio-emotional strengths and subjective well-being, in addition to decreases in their I and E problems.» (p. 12)