Clinical Trial: Prevention of Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorders in Preschool Children
Study Status: Terminated
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Parent Management Training to Prevent Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorders in Preschool Children
Brief Summary: Oppositional defiant and conduct disorders are the most frequent bases for referral of children and adolescents. These disorders are difficult to treat among school-aged children and adolescents. When they become adults they are likely to manifest depressive disorders, substance abuse or dependence, and criminal behavior. These disorders are also two of the costly childhood disorders. The aim of the study is to assess the preventive effect of parent management training in preschool children at risk for oppositional defiant and conduct disorders because of high aggression scores on a parent questionnaire. It is hypothesized that given the relatively restricted costs of the intervention and the substantial costs of burden associated with these children, the intervention will be cost saving.
Detailed Summary:
Oppositional defiant and conduct disorders are the most frequent bases for referral of children and adolescents. These disorders are difficult to treat among school-aged children and, even more, among adolescents. When they become adults they are likely to manifest depressive disorders, substance abuse or dependence, criminal behavior and social maladjustment. As parents they are likely to pass along antisocial behavior to their offspring. These disorders are also two of the costly childhood disorders. The children and their parents frequently use social and mental health services. The prevention of these disorders in preschool children at risk thus is clearly relevant.
The origins of oppositional defiant and conduct disorders lie in temperamental vulnerabilities of the preschool child in interaction with non-optimal characteristics of the child's environment. Specifically, ineffective parenting plays a key role in the development of the disorders: a predisposing temperament evokes the kinds of coercive, harsh, inconsistent and negative parenting behaviors that transform a difficult temperament into antisocial behavior. These inadequate parenting behaviors are targeted in parent management training.
In the present study, we will assess the preventive effects of the Incredible Years parent program (Webster-Stratton) in preschool children at risk of oppositional defiant and conduct disorders. Besides, we will study the moderating effects of psychophysiological (heart rate, skin conductance) and neuropsychological variables on intervention outcome. We also will study mediation, i.e. whether the positive outcome is caused by favourable changes in the parenting skills. Finally, costs and cost-effectiveness will be studied.
A hundred sixty children aged four and a half years are
Sponsor: UMC Utrecht
Current Primary Outcome:
- Composite score consisting of DPICS (behavioral observation) and parent questionnaires (CBCL, Eyberg)
- Teacher questionnaire (TRF)
Original Primary Outcome: Same as current
Current Secondary Outcome: Cost-effectiveness
Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current
Information By: UMC Utrecht
Dates:
Date Received: September 13, 2005
Date Started: July 2003
Date Completion: November 2008
Last Updated: October 1, 2007
Last Verified: July 2005
