Parenting STAIR: Adapting a Trauma-Focused Parenting Intervention for Military-Connected Mothers and Their Children

Summary

The goal of this study is to assess Parenting STAIR Modular (PSTAIR-M), a promising and innovative intervention for military-connected mothers (MCM) who have experienced trauma and their young children (ages 2-10). PSTAIR-M aims to help mothers manage the strong feelings that sometimes happen after experiencing something scary or stressful, as well as to better connect with their children and manage their behavior effectively. The main questions the study aims to answer are: 1) Does PSTAIR-M reduce maternal PTSD and/or depression symptoms?, and 2) Does PSTAIR-M improve parental functioning? Researchers will compare PSTAIR-M to treatment as usual (TAU) - other EBTs offered at participating study sites - to determine if PSTAIR-M is more effective in improving mental health and parenting. Participants will: 1) attend 12-16 weekly, 1-hour online treatment sessions with their assigned clinicians, 2) complete three 1-hour online assessments administered by research staff, 3) engage with their child in three 15-30-minute online, observed play sessions, and 4) have assessments audio and video recorded.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Military-connected mother, defined as a mother who is either a female service member or veteran or female spouse of a service member or veteran;
2. Has a child aged 2-10;
3. Legal guardian of index child with legal and physical custody;
4. Lifetime trauma exposure (Life Events Checklist (LEC-5); Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q));
5. Screen positive for PTSD (defined as a PCL-5 score ≥32 or meeting ≥3 out of 4 DSM-5 symptom criteria \[B, C, D, E\] on the PCL-5), and/or depression (PHQ-9 score ≥8), and/or low parenting self-efficacy (PSOC score \<59);
6. Able to speak and understand English or Spanish;
7. Eligible to receive services at a Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Endeavors.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. High risk for suicide (Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ));
2. Current psychotic symptoms (DSM-5-TR Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure Domain VII);
3. Disability affecting communication, such as deafness;
4. Index child with severe developmental disability;
5. Severe substance or alcohol use (The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test - Lite (ASSIST-Lite); Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Short Form (CUDIT-SF)).

Conditions3

Locations3 sites

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