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Psychologists' Perspectives on Behavioral Versus Attachment- and Emotion-Focused Parenting Interventions
Samantha Jugovac1, Dave S Pasalich2
1School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia. samantha.jugovac@anu.edu.au.
Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|December 21, 2025
Summary
Psychologists
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Child Mental Health
- Parenting Interventions
Background:
- Attachment- and emotion-focused (AE) and behavioral parenting training (BPT) are evidence-based parenting interventions.
- Media suggests a potential implementation drift from BPT, but empirical research is lacking.
- Psychologists are key providers influencing the quality and type of parenting programs available.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an updated account of psychologists' perspectives and attitudes regarding AE and BPT.
- To explore psychologists' use and acceptability of AE and BPT for child mental health problems.
- To identify factors influencing the acceptability of these parenting interventions.
Main Methods:
- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 psychologists.
- Participants had varying levels of training in parenting interventions.
- Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data.
Main Results:
- Six main themes influenced psychologists' implementation of parenting interventions: training, affective experiences, values, societal trends, beliefs about research, and systemic barriers.
- While psychologists perceived a polarization between AE and BPT in practice, many did not personally hold this view.
- Provider-level factors significantly influence the implementation of parenting interventions.
Conclusions:
- Findings offer a contemporary understanding of psychologists' perceptions of AE and BPT.
- Provider attitudes, affective experiences, and values are crucial for effective parenting interventions.
- Future research and training should consider these provider-level factors.
Keywords:
Attachment-based interventionChild mental health servicesEvidence-based practiceImplementationParent management trainingMore Related Videos
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