Study 2:
Sangawi, H. S., Adams, J. W., & Reissland, N (2018). The effects of a parent intervention on behavioural and psychological outcomes for Kurdish parents and their children: a randomised control pilot trial. Eastern Mediterranean health journal., 24(5), 459-468.
Background: Parenting interventions that improve psychological and behavioural outcomes for parents and children in high income countries have been found to be beneficial. However, such programmes are rarely offered in developing countries and there is an urgent need to include low income countries.
Objective: to examine the effectiveness of Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) in improving behavioural and psychological outcomes for Kurdish parents and their children.
Design: Randomised control pilot trial. The intervention lasted seven consecutive weeks and participants were surveyed using pre-test, post-test and 3 months post intervention.
Setting: This trial was undertaken in Sulaymaniyah city, Iraqi Kurdistan.
Participants: 17 mothers (mean age 35 years 3 months; range 29 years 7 months - 45 years and 4 months) agreed to participate in the intervention.
Measurements: Mothers completed parent version of Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, (APQ) to assess parenting style, Parental Stress Scale (PSS) to investigate parental stress and STEP Parenting Assessment Technique, SPAT to identify whether participants in the treatment group had learned the material of the intervention.
Results: 17 mothers were randomly assigned to either treatment (n = 9) or control groups (n = 8). One mother in the treatment could not attend all the sessions; therefore, the final sample size became 8 mothers for each group. The control group did not receive any intervention, but completed the questionnaires at the same time as the experimental groups. The results showed statistically significant differences (moderate effect size) between groups on three subscales of the APQ: the mother involvement subscale, F(1,13) = 25.81, p <.001, η2p= .67; the inconsistent discipline subscale, F(1,13) = 25.46, p <.001, η2p= .66; and the corporal punishment subscale F(1,13) = 17.3, p <.005, η2p= .57. A statistically significant difference between groups was also found on the PSS, F(1,13) = 19.63, p <.001, η2p = .60. The changes were sustained over a three months period. Nevertheless, no statistical differences were found in academic self-concept and behavioural problems between children whose mothers attended STEP and others whose mothers did not attend.
Conclusion: The STEP programme appears to promote parenting style and reduce the level of parental stress in Kurdish mothers.
Limitation: Given the small sample size of this trial, the intervention warrants further testing. Generalisation to other ethnic groups should be taken into account.
Trial Registration: IRCT2016032527125N1
Funding: Ministry of Higher education- KRG; Department of Psychology-Durham University, United Kingdom