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A small-scale randomized controlled trial of the revised new forest parenting programme for preschoolers with
Margaret J J Thompson1, Cathy Laver-Bradbury, Michelle Ayres
1School of Psychology, Institute for Disorders of Impulse and Attention, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. mt1@soton.ac.uk
Insights
The revised New Forest Parenting Programme (NFPP) significantly reduced ADHD symptoms in preschoolers, with effects lasting post-treatment. This ADHD intervention shows promise but requires larger trials.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in preschool children presents challenges in self-regulation and parent-child interactions.
- Parenting programs aim to improve child behavior and family dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the revised New Forest Parenting Programme (NFPP) for treating ADHD in preschool children.
- To assess the impact of the NFPP on ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) symptoms, maternal mental health, and mother-child interactions.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 41 preschool children.
- Children were assigned to either the revised NFPP or treatment as usual.
- Outcomes included ADHD/ODD symptoms (questionnaires, observation), maternal mental health, and mother-child interaction quality.
Main Results:
- The revised NFPP demonstrated large, significant effects on ADHD symptoms, persisting for 9 weeks post-intervention.
- Effects on ODD symptoms were less pronounced.
- No significant improvements were observed in maternal mental health or overall parenting behavior, though communication patterns showed positive shifts.
Conclusions:
- The revised NFPP shows preliminary efficacy in reducing ADHD symptoms in preschool children.
- Further research with larger, diverse samples is needed to confirm these findings and enhance generalizability.
- The intervention shows potential for improving specific aspects of mother-child communication.
Abstract:
The revised new forest parenting programme (NFPP) is an 8-week psychological intervention designed to treat ADHD in preschool children by targeting, amongst other things, both underlying impairments in self-regulation and the quality of mother-child interactions. Forty-one children were randomized to either the revised NFPP or treatment as usual conditions. Outcomes were ADHD and ODD symptoms measured using questionnaires and direct observation, mothers' mental health and the quality of mother-child interactions. Effects of the revised NFPP on ADHD symptoms were large (effect size >1) and significant and effects persisted for 9 weeks post-intervention. Effects on ODD symptoms were less marked. There were no improvements in maternal mental health or parenting behavior during mother-child interaction although there was a drop in mothers' negative and an increase in their positive comments during a 5-min speech sample. The small-scale trial, although limited in power and generalizability, provides support for the efficacy of the revised NFPP. The findings need to be replicated in a larger more diverse sample.
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