Specificity of Parenting Program Component Effects: Relational, Behavioral, and Cognitive Approaches to Children's Conduct Problems

Abstract

Childhood conduct problems (eg, defiance, anger, and aggression) compromise child and family well-being and development.¹ Evidence-based programs to support parents in managing children's conduct problems exist, but most families do not have access to these programs.² Implementation costs, certification and supervision demands, and limited possibilities to personalize evidence-based programs hinder their scalability. To improve the care that families receive, we need to identify and understand discrete therapeutic processes, rather than comprehensive treatment protocols, that can be flexibly implemented to effectively reduce key risk factors for children's conduct problems, and make them widely available as low-cost stand-alone therapy components.³ The present study therefore tests the effects of 3 stand-alone parenting program components.