Effectiveness of Behavioral Preschool Teacher Training for Externalizing

NCT ID: NCT03967509

Last Updated: 2019-06-20

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

100 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2008-08-18

Study Completion Date

2011-02-03

Brief Summary

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A cluster randomized controlled pre-post effectiveness trial of behavioral preschool teacher training (BPTT) delivered in a practitioner assisted group format for children with externalizing behavior problems. Preschools were randomized to either intervention in 25 preschools or as 22 waiting list control preschools, where teachers in preschool classes with the target child or children were program receivers. Participants were 100 target children 3-5 years old together with 72 enrolled preschool teachers and 83 parents as informants of behavioral outcomes after a five months period of implementation (at six months). The intervention was part of the Swedish evidence-based parent and teacher training programs (Comet) for children and youth with elevated externalizing behavior, and here an adapted version was tried in preschool for the first time. Also investigated was eventual generalized effects to the children's homes and improved social competence as an intermediate mechanism for reduced problem behavior. Effects of implementation fidelity in addition to social acceptability and relevance, such as reliable change, was investigated as well.

Detailed Description

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Study:

A cluster randomized controlled pre-post effectiveness trial of behavioral preschool teacher training (BPTT) delivered in a practitioner assisted group format for children with externalizing behavior problems. Preschools were randomized to either intervention in 25 preschools or to 22 waiting list control preschools, where preschool classes with the target child or children were program receivers. Informed preschools could apply for participation in the study, then, target children were screened for eligibility. Participants were 100 target children 3-5 years old together with 72 enrolled preschool teachers and 83 parents as informants of behavioral outcomes after a five months period of implementation (at six months).

Intervention:

The intervention was part of the Swedish evidence-based parent and teacher training programs (COmmunication METhod - Comet) for children and youths aged 3-12 and 12-18 years with moderate or elevated externalizing behavior, usually delivered in practitioner assisted group formats but previously evaluated as delivered via internet, single workshops followed by self-administered training, and universal prevention as well. Program implementations and evaluations are executed as collaboration projects between university researchers and the social services administration at place. Intervention content is influenced by operant conditioning, social learning theories, applied behavior analysis, and coercion theory. The focus is to establish a positive and effective interaction and communication style primarily through different reinforcement techniques (e.g., selective attention, more to positive behaviors and less to negative behaviors) and modeling. Parents or teachers meet in psychoeducational group sessions (often 9 to 11 sessions à 2.5 to 3 hours) led by one or two practitioner supervisors. They each follow a comprehensive manual and a highly structured curriculum. Training occurs at sessions (role-plays) and between sessions together with the children, followed-up with feedback in the next session.

Here an adapted version was tried in the preschool setting for the first time. The program corresponded in much to the parent training supplemented with techniques from the school teacher training and a group level administrated glove-puppet play technique to foster children's prosocial skills. (Results from the universal part of the program are not reported.) The nine sessions curriculum consisted of 2.5-hour biweekly meetings and two optional visits from supervisors with coaching on the spot. Practitioner supervisors (n = 27) were educated by a cognitive-behavior oriented psychologist during five days term one and two days term two.

Investigation issues:

The primary aim was to investigate behavioral outcome effects of the preschool teacher program. Would effects (Cohen's d) be in the medium-large range as found for Comet parent training (i.e., d = .50-.90) or in the small-medium range as often found for preventive developmental preschool programs (i.e., d = .20-.40)? With effects of about .40, a sample size restricted to 100 subjects, and an alpha at .05, power would be close to sufficient (i.e., .70). Of interest was to compare the effects of this program with effects found for other preschool program investigations of externalizing behavior problems.

Also investigated was eventual generalized effects to the children's homes. Of what magnitude would such effects be, if any, and would the parents' ratings validate the teachers' ratings, and thus, support the intervention? Such effects may have implications for future implementations, for example if the program is sufficiently efficient as a stand-alone intervention in reducing externalizing behavior problems or not sufficiently efficient. There was also a question of degree of informants agreement/discrepancy. Furthermore, would improved prosocial and regulatory skills function as a predictive and an intermediate mechanism for reduced problem behavior, and/or would there be room for other intervention features to contribute as well? In addition, as a trial in the real world, effects of implementation fidelity as well as social acceptability and relevance, such as proportions of children with reliable change, were investigated.

Conditions

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Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Problem Behavior Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Preschools randomized to either behavioral teacher training or as waiting list control preschools.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Behavioral teacher training

Behavioral preschool teacher training (BPTT) delivered in an educational group format during nine 2,5-hour biweekly sessions with training at sessions and in between followed by supervisor's feedback on the practice and two optional coaching occasions on the spot.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Comet

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Waiting list control group

Preschool teachers worked with children as usual.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Comet

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Comet in group format

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Elevated level of externalizing behavior
* Exceeding cutoff value 11 on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, total scale

Exclusion Criteria

\-
Minimum Eligible Age

3 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

5 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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The Social Services Administration

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

Uppsala University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Åsa K Kling, PhD student

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Uppsala University

Mats Fredrikson, Professor

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Uppsala University

Locations

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Komet [Comet] Programs

Stockholm, Johanneshov, Sweden

Site Status

Countries

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Sweden

References

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Eyberg, S., Pincus, D. Eyberg Child behavior Inventory (ECBI) and Sutter-Eyberg Student Behavior Inventory-Revised (SESBI-R). Professional manual. Odessa, Florida: PAR, 1999.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. Social Competence Scale (Parent), 1995. Retrieved from the Fast Track Project: http://www.fasttrackproject.org

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Kling A, Forster M, Sundell K, Melin L. A randomized controlled effectiveness trial of parent management training with varying degrees of therapist support. Behav Ther. 2010 Dec;41(4):530-42. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2010.02.004. Epub 2010 Oct 1.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 21035616 (View on PubMed)

Enebrink P, Hogstrom J, Forster M, Ghaderi A. Internet-based parent management training: a randomized controlled study. Behav Res Ther. 2012 Apr;50(4):240-9. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2012.01.006. Epub 2012 Jan 30.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 22398153 (View on PubMed)

Forster, M., Sundell, K., Morris, R, Karlberg, M., Melin, L. A randomized controlled trial of a standardized behavior management intervention for students with externalizing behavior. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 20(3): 169-183, 2012

Reference Type RESULT

Forster, M., Kling, Å., Sundell, K. Clinical significance of parent training for children with conduct problems. International Journal of Conflict and Violence, 6(2): 187-200, 2012.

Reference Type RESULT

Ghaderi A, Kadesjo C, Bjornsdotter A, Enebrink P. Randomized effectiveness Trial of the Family Check-Up versus Internet-delivered Parent Training (iComet) for Families of Children with Conduct Problems. Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 31;8(1):11486. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29550-z.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 30065246 (View on PubMed)

Hogstrom J, Olofsson V, Ozdemir M, Enebrink P, Stattin H. Two-Year Findings from a National Effectiveness Trial: Effectiveness of Behavioral and Non-Behavioral Parenting Programs. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2017 Apr;45(3):527-542. doi: 10.1007/s10802-016-0178-0.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 27334706 (View on PubMed)

Stattin H, Enebrink P, Ozdemir M, Giannotta F. A national evaluation of parenting programs in Sweden: The short-term effects using an RCT effectiveness design. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2015 Dec;83(6):1069-1084. doi: 10.1037/a0039328. Epub 2015 May 25.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 26009784 (View on PubMed)

Goodman R. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: a research note. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1997 Jul;38(5):581-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 9255702 (View on PubMed)

Goodman R. The extended version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a guide to child psychiatric caseness and consequent burden. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1999 Jul;40(5):791-9.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 10433412 (View on PubMed)

Goodman R. Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001 Nov;40(11):1337-45. doi: 10.1097/00004583-200111000-00015.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 11699809 (View on PubMed)

Malmberg M, Rydell AM, Smedje H. Validity of the Swedish version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-Swe). Nord J Psychiatry. 2003;57(5):357-63. doi: 10.1080/08039480310002697.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 14522609 (View on PubMed)

Axberg U, Johansson Hanse J, Broberg AG. Parents' description of conduct problems in their children - a test of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) in a Swedish sample aged 3-10. Scand J Psychol. 2008 Dec;49(6):497-505. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2008.00670.x. Epub 2008 Aug 12.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 18705675 (View on PubMed)

Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. Social Competence Scale (Parent) - Technical reports, 1995-2002. Retrieved from: http://www.fasttrackproject.org

Reference Type RESULT

Other Identifiers

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00-86/2009-36

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

SSA: DNR 3.2-0665/2009

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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