title: Group parent-child interaction therapy: A randomized control trial for the treatment of conduct problems in young children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although efficacious interventions exist for childhood conduct problems, a majority of families in need of services do not receive them. To address problems of treatment access and adherence, innovative adaptations of current interventions are needed. This randomized control trial investigated the relative efficacy of a novel format of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), a treatment for young children with conduct problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one families with 3- to 6-year-old children (71.6% boys, 85.2% White) with diagnoses of oppositional defiant or conduct disorder were randomized to individual PCIT (n = 42) or the novel format, Group PCIT. Parents completed standardized measures of children's conduct problems, parenting stress, and social support at intake, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. Therapist ratings, parent attendance, and homework completion provided measures of treatment adherence. Throughout treatment, parenting skills were assessed using the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents in both group and individual PCIT reported significant improvements from intake to posttreatment and follow-up in their children's conduct problems and adaptive functioning, as well as significant decreases in parenting stress. Parents in both treatment conditions also showed significant improvements in their parenting skills. There were no interactions between time and treatment format. Contrary to expectation, parents in Group PCIT did not experience greater social support or treatment adherence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Group PCIT was not inferior to individual PCIT and may be a valuable format to reach more families in need of services. Future work should explore the efficiency and sustainability of Group PCIT in community settings. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Center for Children, Families, and Communities, Central Michigan University.
authors.forename: Larissa N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Niec
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Miya L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Prewett
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University.
authors.forename: Jenelle R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Shanley Chatham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*