Nurturing attachments group: A virtual group intervention for adults caring for traumatised children in the context of COVID-19

Background: Evidence indicates that the more traditional and behavioural parenting strategies are ineffective when parenting a child who has experienced developmental trauma. Recognising the need to parent with an attachment focus, the current paper evaluates the effectiveness of running the [Enfys] Nurturing Attachments Group, virtually, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A pilot feasibility study evaluated eight bespoke groups. Consenting professionals and co-professionals completed the Brief Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (BFSS), Care Questionnaire (CQ) and the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ). Results: One hundred forty individuals attended the groups, with 51 (36%) completing both pre-and post-measures. The results provide evidence that professionals and co-professionals reported statistically significant positive increases on both the BPSS ( d = .55) and CQ ( d = .62). For the PRFQ, the results showed a statistically significant decrease on the Pre-mentalising sub scale, a non-significant mid-range score for Certainty about Mental States and a non-significant increase for Parental Interest and Curiosity in Mental States. Conclusion: The study has demonstrated initial viability of effectively facilitating the [Enfys] Nurturing Attachments Group, virtually. Importantly, it has also shown that the group can be run with professionals alongside co-professionals.

Communication in Healthy Parenting: The Interplay of Positive Parenting Strategies and Parents’ Communication Styles

This chapter intends to review theory and research in parenting studies from the family communication perspective. This will include discourse on the interaction between parenting and communication and how these influence child-rearing outputs. Evaluating healthy parenting on the criteria of effective communication, the chapter shall focus on how communication mitigates diverse parenting challenges to bring about positive child-rearing outcomes in parent–child relationships. To do this successfully, efforts shall be made in the chapter to interrogate diverse parenting strategies recommended in the research literature and parents’ communication styles to see how these impact child-rearing in a changing society. From the foregoing, the chapter shall illustrate the contributions of positive parenting strategies and communication styles in mitigating challenges of child-rearing in a changing society.

Short-term outcomes of the Therapist-assisted Online Parenting Strategies intervention for parents of adolescents treated for anxiety and/or depression: A single-arm double-baseline trial

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether the Therapist-assisted Online Parenting Strategies programme increased parenting behaviours known to be supportive of adolescents experiencing anxiety and/or depression. Secondary parenting outcomes of parental self-efficacy, parental accommodation, carer burden, parent–adolescent attachment, family functioning and parent distress were also examined, along with adolescent outcomes of anxiety and depression symptoms, suicidal ideation and sleep. Method: Seventy-one parents (94.4% females) and their adolescents (73.2% females) aged 12–18 years (Mean = 15.02, SD = 1.56) being treated for depression and/or anxiety in Australia were recruited into a single-arm double-baseline open-label trial. Parents received Therapist-assisted Online Parenting Strategies, which comprised up to nine web-based modules each supplemented with coaching sessions via videoconferencing. Outcomes were analysed using latent growth curve modelling to determine if changes to outcomes at post-intervention (4 month post-second baseline) exceeded changes between two baselines measured 1 month apart. Results: Sixty-five parents (91.6%) completed at least one module of the online parenting intervention and on average received nine coaching sessions (SD = 2). Parenting behaviours targeted by Therapist-assisted Online Parenting Strategies improved at post-intervention (Cohen’s d = 1.16, 95% confidence interval [0.78, 1.51]). Parent-reported parental self-efficacy and parent−adolescent attachment increased (Cohen’s d = 1.44 [1.05, 1.82] and 0.39 [0.05, 0.74], respectively), while impairments to family functioning and parent distress decreased (Cohen’s d = −0.51 [−0.86, −0.16] and −0.84 [−1.23, −0.44], respectively). Changes to adolescent anxiety, depression and sleep were not significant. Conclusion: The Therapist-assisted Online Parenting Strategies intervention improved self-reported parenting behaviours, parental self-efficacy, parent levels of distress, parent–adolescent attachment, and family functioning in parents with adolescents being treated for anxiety and/or depression. However, significant changes in adolescent mental health and sleep outcomes at post-intervention were not observed. The usefulness of a therapist-supported online parenting programme in addressing a service gap for parents seeking professional help is indicated. Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Number (ACTRN) 12618000290291, prospectively registered on 26 February 2018; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=368031

The Next Steps

After all this ground has been covered and knowledge has been gained, this chapter takes what has been learned and puts it into practice. How to do this, however, isn’t as easy as it sounds. This final chapter will be devoted to helping parents apply this new knowledge to the daily task of parenting. Strategies will be outlined to help parents discuss the possibility of creating or altering parental “policy” with their spouse or partner in an effort to get all caretakers working on the same page. The chapter will also include worksheets that parents can use to provide some structure and guidance in forging a path forward using a Plan–Do–Study–Act model. Concluding the chapter and the book will be some encouraging words.