The effectiveness and mechanism of parent management training and mindful parenting program

Abstract

Parent Management Training (PMT) is a traditional parenting intervention that aims to equip parents with effective parenting strategies. This approach has demonstrated effectiveness in improving parent-child relationships, reducing parental stress and child behavioral problems. In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in applying mindfulness in parent support. Mindful Parenting (MP) programs have shown positive effects on parental stress, parent–child relationships and parent’s emotional competence. Given the emergence of MP in the field of parenting, there is a need to compare the effectiveness of this new intervention with that of PMT. It is also important to investigate the mechanisms of change in these two interventions. To address these needs, the current study had two objectives: 1) to examine the effectiveness of PMT and MP as preventive intervention using a randomized controlled trial, 2) to investigate the mechanisms of change in PMT and MP program with the intention to reveal how these interventions work. One hundred and eighty-nine parents of primary school children were randomly assigned to either the PMT, MP, or waitlist-control group. Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and two-month follow-up. With reference to Objective 1, findings indicated that both PMT and MP program were effective in improving parenting practice, parent’s mental health and parent-child relationships, and reducing child behavioral problems. The results also highlighted the unique strengths of each intervention. While PMT induced broader and more lasting change in parenting practice, and stronger effect in parent’s sense of competence, MP program produced more lasting positive impact to parent’s emotional competence, and had delayed effect on parent’s perception on child behavioral problems. It also changed parental attitudes and brought benefits beyond the parent-child context. These findings support the application of PMT and MP program as preventive interventions, each with their unique relative strengths. To address Objective 2, a longitudinal mediation analysis using structural equation modelling was run with parent-child relationships and child behavioral problems as outcome variables whereas parenting knowledge and emotional competence as the first layer of mediators and parenting practice as the second layer of mediator. Unique mechanisms were identified in the two interventions. Parenting knowledge was found to be a mediator of PMT’s but not MP’s effect on positive parenting practice. However, parent’s emotional competence was found to mediate the effect of both PMT and MP on parenting practice. Findings also revealed the similarities in the mechanism of change in PMT and MP programs on parent-child relationships and child behavioral problems. In both programs, positive parenting practice was found to be the sole mediator of the effect of interventions on parent-child relationships, and negative parenting practice was found to be the sole mediator of the effect on child-behavioral problems, respectively. No moderating effect was found for either household income or parent's emotional competence. The study advanced our understanding of the effectiveness and mechanism of change in parenting interventions. Implications, limitations and future research direction were discussed.