Parents of older at-risk youth: a retention challenge for preventive intervention

We examined data from 162 families who participated in the prevention program Parents and Youth with Schools, which targeted at-risk high school youth and parents, to understand parent retention in the 15-session Parents as Partners program. We obtained reports from youth, parents and parent interventionists, which included both time-invariant and time-varying data regarding demographic factors; parent, youth and family characteristics; and parents' response to intervention. Utilizing event history analysis, we examined data sequentially in order to determine those variables that predicted continued parent attendance. In the model examining all areas simultaneously, the predictors of parent retention across the full program were parent minority status and age, teen anger and parent-teen conflict over school attendance, as well as parents' reports of group support and interventionists' report of parents' commitment. Overall, the analyses indicated that participants' characteristics, as well as their measureable response to the intervention, can alert researchers to potential program disengagement. Monitoring indicators of disengagement will help researchers focus resources early in the intervention process in order to maximize parent attendance and increase the success of prevention programs.