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Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
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Rebuilding relationships: a pilot study of the effectiveness of the Mellow Parenting Programme for children with

Christine Puckering1, Brenda Connolly, Claudia Werner

  • 1Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, UK. c.puckering@clinmed.gla.ac.uk

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
|October 6, 2010
PubMed

Insights

The Mellow Parenting program improved mothers' mental health but did not significantly impact Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) symptoms in school-aged children. Further research is needed for effective RAD treatments in this age group.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is a serious social functioning disorder in children, often linked to maltreatment.
  • The Mellow Parenting program has demonstrated effectiveness for younger children's psychosocial development.
  • Evaluating intensive parenting programs for school-aged children with RAD is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the effectiveness of the Mellow Parenting program for school-aged children diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD).
  • To utilize a complex interventions model for evaluating the program's impact on RAD symptoms and parent-child interactions.

Main Methods:

  • A complex interventions model was employed to evaluate the Mellow Parenting program.
  • The study focused on school-aged children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and their families.
  • Outcomes measured included mothers' mental health, RAD symptoms, and parent-child interaction.

Main Results:

  • The Mellow Parenting program positively affected mothers' mental health.
  • No significant measurable effects were observed on RAD symptoms or parent-child interaction in school-aged children.
  • Variability among families suggested potential differential responses to the intervention.

Conclusions:

  • Mellow Parenting is effective for younger vulnerable children but its efficacy as a definitive RAD treatment for school-aged children is uncertain.
  • The program may serve as a supplementary treatment for school-aged children with RAD.
  • Continued investigation into effective treatments for RAD in school-aged populations is necessary.

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