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Parenting programme for parents of children at risk of developing conduct disorder: cost effectiveness analysis

Rhiannon T Edwards1, Alan Céilleachair, Tracey Bywater

  • 1Centre for the Economics and Policy in Health, Institute of Medical and Social Care Research (IMSCaR), University of Wales Bangor, Bangor LL57 1UT. r.t.edwards@bangor.ac.uk

BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|March 14, 2007
PubMed

Insights

This parenting program effectively improves child behavior, offering good value for public spending. The study found the intervention to be cost-effective compared to a waiting list control.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Health Economics
  • Evidence-Based Interventions

Background:

  • Conduct disorders in young children pose significant challenges.
  • Parenting programs aim to mitigate behavioral issues and improve child outcomes.
  • Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of such programs is crucial for resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the cost-effectiveness of the Webster-Stratton Incredible Years parenting program.
  • To compare the program's effectiveness against a waiting list control group.
  • To determine the economic value of the parenting intervention for public spending.

Main Methods:

  • A pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted alongside an incremental cost-effectiveness analysis.
  • 116 children (aged 36-59 months) at risk of conduct disorders participated.
  • The intervention involved the Webster-Stratton Incredible Years program versus a waiting list control.

Main Results:

  • The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was £73 per one-point improvement on the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory intensity score.
  • The program demonstrated higher cost-effectiveness in children with more severe behavioral issues.
  • There was an 83.9% probability of the intervention being cost-effective at a ceiling ratio of £100 per point increase.

Conclusions:

  • The parenting program significantly improves child behavior at a relatively low cost.
  • The intervention is cost-effective compared to a waiting list control.
  • The program represents good value for money, justifying public investment.
Abstract

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