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Guide
to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth |
Positive Parenting and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17)
OVERVIEW
Based in outpatient pediatric offices, the Positive Parenting program is a telephone based intervention to educate parents of at-risk children. Parents in the program receive materials such as videotapes and guidebooks designed to strengthen the relationship between parent and child. Along with these materials, parents have weekly 15-30 minute phone sessions with a parent educator. Parents choose areas of their parenting to focus on from a variety of topics such as respect, monitoring, and discipline.
The Pediatric Symptom Checklist is a screening tool used by the pediatric clinics to evaluate children and adolescents for behavioral and psychosocial problems. The checklist is used to raise clinicians’ awareness of potential behavioral problems with the expectation that clinicians will refer at-risk youth to resources which can help with these problems.
The study below finds that the use of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17) and subsequent referrals to Positive Parenting interventions were effective in decreasing child-reported aggression, delinquency, victimization, and attentional problems. Reductions were also reported by parents in the areas of bullying, fighting, and fight-related injuries.
The Pediatric Symptom Checklist is used by clinicians to help diagnose possible behavioral problems and refer at-risk children and adolescents to programs which are designed to combat these problems. One of the programs intended for use in referral by clinicians is the Positive Parenting program. Parents of children who score as at-risk for behavioral problems on the PSC-17 are referred to this telephone-based program. Parents receive direct instruction from educators as well as supplemental materials that aid in the understanding of effective parenting.
Borowsky, I. W., Mozayeny, S., Stuenkel, K., & Ireland, M. (2004). Effects of a primary care-based intervention on violent behavior and injury in children. Pediatrics, 114(4), 392-399.
Evaluated population: 224 children who presented at clinics and tested positive on the PSC-17 psychological screening measuring internalizing, attentional, and externalizing problems. The youths had a mean age of 11.2 (SD=2.3) in the intervention condition and 10.9 (SD=2.3) in the control condition. The sample was 78.3-78.9% white and 12.1-12.6% of families were receiving welfare.
Approach: When children and adolescents (ages 7-15 years) showed up at 8 pediatric clinics, they were screened using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist. If they scored positive for emotional or behavioral problems on the checklist, they were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a control condition. In the treatment group, clinicians were given the screening checklist attached to the youth’s medical chart. In the control condition, the screening checklist was not given. Positive Parenting, a telephone-based program for parents, was made available to clinicians as a potential resource for children in the treatment group. Clinicians were asked to note if they made any mental health services referrals to Positive Parenting, to other intervention programs, or for follow-up visits for intervention group patients. A parent educator called parents who were referred to the Positive Parenting program and parents received 2 videotapes, a manual for parenting, and 15-30 minute weekly telephone sessions for up to a total of 15 sessions.
Results: Children and adolescents in the treatment group experienced greater decreases in self-reported aggressive behavior, delinquent behavior, and attention problems compared with the control group. Children and adolescents in the treatment condition also scored lower for parent-reported measures of bullying, fighting, and fight-related injuries than in the control condition. Those in the treatment condition were less likely than their counterparts to report being the victims of bullying.
Borowsky, I. W., Mozayeny, S., Stuenkel, K., & Ireland, M. (2004). Effects of a primary care-based intervention on violent behavior and injury in children. Pediatrics, 114(4), 392-399.
Program categorized in this guide according to the following:
Evaluated participant ages: 7-15 years / Program age ranges in the Guide: mid-childhood, adolescence
Program components: clinic-based, provider-based, or miscellaneous; parent or family component
Measured outcomes: physical health; behavioral problems
Program information last updated 11/06/06
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© Child Trends 2003 |