Strengths to Grow: An Online Parenting Resource

NCT ID: NCT05535881

Last Updated: 2025-09-26

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

400 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-10-01

Study Completion Date

2024-06-28

Brief Summary

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Research suggests that strength-based parenting programs can enhance family well-being, but the current formats of these programs (e.g., in-person workshops) are not accessible to many families. The first aim of the study is to develop a strength-based parenting program that is delivered in an accessible and engaging format. A community sample of parents will interact with the online program and complete a brief interview to provide suggestions to increase accessibility and engagement. The second aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of a strength-based parenting program delivered in an online, interactive format. Toward this end, parents of children in kindergarten to Grade 3 will be invited to complete a brief, online survey of well-being before and a few weeks after completing the online program to assess its impact on well-being.

Detailed Description

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Strength-based Parenting

Strength-based parenting is a style of caregiving which identifies and cultivates strengths in the child and caregiver. When parents employ a strength-based parenting style, youth tend to demonstrate greater academic achievement, resilience, and overall well-being, and parents tend to experience more well-being within the caregiving role. Additionally, it is believed that caregivers can develop a strength-based parenting style through training and practice. For these reasons, several strength-based parenting programs have been developed.

Character Strengths

Strength-based parenting programs typically focus on helping parents to identify and develop a particular type of strength known as character strengths. Character strengths are personal qualities that are widely regarded as morally good (e.g., bravery, curiosity, kindness). In 2004, Peterson and Seligman completed a comprehensive review that identified 24 character strengths. The development and use of these 24 character strengths has consistently been shown to be associated with well-being across the lifespan.

Strength-based Parenting Programs

The content of strength-based parenting programs typically revolves around introducing parents to character strengths, helping parents to identify character strengths within themselves and their child, teaching parents to notice and encourage their child's use of strengths, and helping parents to employ their strengths within the caregiving role. Within the published literature, strength-based parenting programs have been delivered in two formats: in-person workshops and online handouts. These programs had positive effects, including improving caregiving self-efficacy, positive emotions toward the child, and family well-being relative to waitlist control groups. However, the format of these programs may have limited the number of parents who could access and engage with the resources.

Access and Engagement

It is important to consider the extent to which caregivers can access and engage with programs because access and engagement are necessary pre-requisites to program effectiveness. Research on parenting programs suggests that in-person workshops are not accessible to many families, particularly families of lower socio-economic status. Online handouts may be more accessible, but may struggle to engage families, as interactive, media-rich online materials tend to be more engaging. The present study aims to increase the accessibility of strength-based parenting programs by offering the resources online, and to increase engagement by providing interactive rather than static online materials.

An Online, Interactive, Strength-based Parenting Program

O'Byrne et al. examined pilot project data from an online, interactive strength-based parenting program. The thirty-minute program was delivered to parents of kindergarten children. Through focus groups and analyzing parents' interactions with the online program, the pilot project found that parents reacted positively to the online, interactive format and the strength-based content. Additionally, within the sample, the program was accessible to families of lower socio-economic status who are difficult to access with in-person resources. Although the pilot project generated promising results, it relied on a small sample and effectiveness was not examined. The present project aims to build upon this initial work by using the pilot project results to revise the program and evaluating the revised program using a larger sample of caregivers.

Conditions

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Happiness Self Efficacy Positive Affect

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The current study is a two-wave randomized controlled trial that employs a 2 (group - between participants) by 2 (time - within participants) mixed measures design to assess a brief online strength-based parenting program.
Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Experimental Group

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Strengths to Grow Program

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

In an online, self-directed format, the Strengths to Grow program will present the principles of strength-based parenting using videos, pictures, reflection questions, and written text. The intervention will communicate that a) every child has a unique set of strengths and that b) noticing and developing these strengths can enhance child and family well-being. It will also provide concrete steps that parents can follow to talk with their child about strengths, and it will provide ideas for family activities that would allow family members to express strengths. Participants will be invited to respond to reflection questions at various points throughout the program.

Waitlist Control Group

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Strengths to Grow Program

In an online, self-directed format, the Strengths to Grow program will present the principles of strength-based parenting using videos, pictures, reflection questions, and written text. The intervention will communicate that a) every child has a unique set of strengths and that b) noticing and developing these strengths can enhance child and family well-being. It will also provide concrete steps that parents can follow to talk with their child about strengths, and it will provide ideas for family activities that would allow family members to express strengths. Participants will be invited to respond to reflection questions at various points throughout the program.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Parent of a child(ren) who is enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 3 at the Upper Grand District School Board in Guelph, Ontario
* Able to read and write in English (linguistic proficiency equivalent to a Grade 8 reading level or greater)
* Consent to participate in the research study
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Guelph

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Margaret Lumley

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Margaret Lumley, PhD, CPsych

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Guelph

Locations

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Upper Grand District School Board

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

References

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Danaher BG, Boles SM, Akers L, Gordon JS, Severson HH. Defining participant exposure measures in Web-based health behavior change programs. J Med Internet Res. 2006 Aug 30;8(3):e15. doi: 10.2196/jmir.8.3.e15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16954125 (View on PubMed)

Eisner M, Meidert U. Stages of parental engagement in a universal parent training program. J Prim Prev. 2011 Apr;32(2):83-93. doi: 10.1007/s10935-011-0238-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21424399 (View on PubMed)

Fernandez MA, Eyberg SM. Predicting treatment and follow-up attrition in parent-child interaction therapy. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2009 Apr;37(3):431-41. doi: 10.1007/s10802-008-9281-1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19096926 (View on PubMed)

Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Chapter One-Positive Emotions Broaden and Build. In P. Devine & A. Plant (Eds.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 47, pp. 1-53). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-407236-7.00001-2

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Ivtzan, I., Niemiec, R. M., & Briscoe, C. (2016). A study investigating the effects of Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) on wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6(2), 1-13. https://doi.org/10/gfscgj

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Jach, H. K., Sun, J., Loton, D., Chin, T.-C., & Waters, L. (2018). Strengths and subjective wellbeing in adolescence: Strength-based parenting and the moderating effect of mindset. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(2), 567-586. https://doi.org/10/gfscg9

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Johnston, C., & Mash, E. J. (1989). A Measure of Parenting Satisfaction and Efficacy. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 18(2), 167-175. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15374424jccp1802_8

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Kazdin, A. E., & Rabbitt, S. M. (2013). Novel models for delivering mental health services and reducing the burdens of mental illness. Clinical Psychological Science, 1(2), 170-191. https://doi.org/10/gc4pnm

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Lavigne JV, Lebailly SA, Gouze KR, Binns HJ, Keller J, Pate L. Predictors and correlates of completing behavioral parent training for the treatment of oppositional defiant disorder in pediatric primary care. Behav Ther. 2010 Jun;41(2):198-211. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2009.02.006. Epub 2009 Dec 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20412885 (View on PubMed)

Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999). A Measure of Subjective Happiness: Preliminary Reliability and Construct Validation. Social Indicators Research, 46(2), 137-155. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006824100041

Reference Type BACKGROUND

McGoron, L., & Ondersma, S. J. (2015). Reviewing the need for technological and other expansions of evidence-based parent training for young children. Children and Youth Services Review, 59, 71-83. https://doi.org/10/f8bhbv

Reference Type BACKGROUND

O'Byrne R, Thompson R, Friedmann JS, Lumley MN. Parent Engagement with an Online, School-Based, Character Strengths Promotion Program. Int J Appl Posit Psychol. 2022;7(3):355-377. doi: 10.1007/s41042-022-00072-4. Epub 2022 Aug 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35971433 (View on PubMed)

Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Introduction to a "manual of the sanities." In Character strengths and virtues (pp. 18-104). American Psychological Association; Oxford University Press. https://books.scholarsportal.info/uri/ebooks/ebooks0/oxford/2009-11-30/3/0195167015

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Ritterband, L. M., Cox, D. J., Gordon, T. L., Borowitz, S. M., Kovatchev, B. P., Walker, L. S., & Sutphen, J. L. (2006). Examining the Added Value of Audio, Graphics, and Interactivity in an Internet Intervention for Pediatric Encopresis. Children's Health Care, 35(1), 47-59. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326888chc3501_5

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Shoshani A, Shwartz L. From Character Strengths to Children's Well-Being: Development and Validation of the Character Strengths Inventory for Elementary School Children. Front Psychol. 2018 Nov 2;9:2123. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02123. eCollection 2018.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30450070 (View on PubMed)

Waters, L. (2015a). The relationship between strength-based parenting with children's stress levels and strength-based coping approaches. Psychology, 06(06), 689-699. https://doi.org/10/gdj4w6

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Waters, L. (2015b). Strength-based parenting and life satisfaction in teenagers. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 2(11), 158-173. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.211.1651

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Waters, L. (2020). Using positive psychology interventions to strengthen family happiness: A family systems approach. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 0(0), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1789704

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Waters, L., Loton, D., & Jach, H. K. (2018). Does Strength-Based Parenting Predict Academic Achievement? The Mediating Effects of Perseverance and Engagement. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://doi.org/10/gfscg8

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Waters, L., & Sun, J. (2016). Can a brief strength-based parenting intervention boost self-efficacy and positive emotions in parents? International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 1(1), 41-56. https://doi.org/10/gfschb

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Other Identifiers

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21-08-001

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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