Enhancing Preschool Children's Attention and Behaviour: Parent-Focused Program

Summary

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the Building Regulation in Dual Generations (BRIDGE) program for caregivers with significant mental health concerns and preschool and young children (3-7 years old) with elevated attention and/or behavior problems. The BRIDGE program focuses on supporting parental psychological distress and improving young children's self-regulation (SR), thereby reducing their attention and behavior problems (Bridgett et al., 2015; Brikell et al., 2015; Landstedt and Almquist, 2019). The long-term goal of this work is to improve family well-being and social-emotional development for young children by implementing an accessible and scalable dual-regulation program. We will achieve this through the following key objectives: 1. Assess the feasibility and accessibility of BRIDGE for preschool and young children (3-7 years old) with significant attention and behavior programs through questionnaires asking about attendance, satisfaction, and unmet needs. 2. Examine the efficacy of BRIDGE compared to control group at improving maternal mental health and child attention and behavioral difficulties in young children (primary outcomes). We will also examine parenting stress (secondary outcome). 3. Identify predictors of academic readiness skills in preschool and young children. We hypothesize that an increase in parental and child emotion-regulation skills and reduced attention, as well as behavioral problems, will lead to increased pre-academic skills in children.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

BRIDGE Therapy Group:

Participants are deemed eligible for the BRIDGE therapy group if they meet the following criteria:

1. Above the age of 18.
2. Self-identify as a mother of a child between the age of 3-7 years old.
3. Currently living in Quebec, Ontario, or Manitoba
4. Fluency in English.
5. Mothers must have clinically significant symptoms of depression (mild to moderate on the Patient Health Questionnaire and indicate symptoms to "somewhat cause difficulties") currently affecting them. Participants also need to report symptoms of depression during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
6. Their child has attention and/or behavior problems (T-score \> 65 on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) ADHD subscales) or confirmed attention and/or behavior problems through clinical interview.

Control Group:

Participants are deemed eligible for the Control group if they meet the following criteria:

1. Above the age of 18
2. Self-identify as a mother of a child between the age of 3-7 years old
3. Currently living in Quebec, Ontario, or Manitoba
4. Fluency in English or bilingual
5. Mothers must NOT have clinically significant symptoms of depression (mild to moderate on the Patient Health Questionnaire)
6. Their child DOES NOT have attention and/or behavior problems (T-score \> 65 on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) ADHD subscales).

Exclusion Criteria:

BRIDGE Therapy Group:

Participants were excluded if they A) did not meet the inclusion criteria listed above or B) were unable to attend the weekly BRIDGE group therapy sessions.

Furthermore, eligible participants were invited to complete a semi-structured intake interview with principal investigator (PI) Dr. Tasmia Hai or a graduate student trainee under Dr. Hai's supervision, during which further questions about their mental health and child behavior were asked to ensure their eligibility. Based on the clinical suitability interview, participants may be excluded if they are deemed to be ineligible based on A) the mother's absence of clinically significant mental health symptoms, and/or B) the child's absence of attention and/or behavior problems. When relevant, participants may be identified to participate in the control group instead if eligibility is met.

Control Group:

Participants were excluded if they did not meet the inclusion criteria listed above. Furthermore, eligible participants were invited to complete a semi-structured intake interview with principal investigator (PI) Dr. Tasmia Hai, during which further questions about their mental health and child behavior were asked to ensure their eligibility. Based on the clinical suitability interview, participants may be excluded if they are deemed to be ineligible based on a) the mother's presence of clinically significant mental health symptoms, and/or B) the child's presence of attention and/or behavior problems. When relevant, participants may be identified to participate in the BRIDGE therapy group instead if eligibility is met.

Conditions8

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