Testing the Effectiveness of Supportive Parents - Coping Kids

Launched by NORWEGIAN CENTER FOR CHILD BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT · Mar 23, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called Supportive Parents - Coping Kids (SPARCK), is looking at how effective a training program for parents can be in helping children with behavior issues, anxiety, and depression. The goal is to see if this program can prevent these mental health problems in children better than regular care from professionals. Families participating in the trial will be randomly assigned to either receive the SPARCK program or continue with standard care. Researchers will evaluate how well the SPARCK program works right after treatment and again six months later.

To take part in this trial, children should show signs of anxiety or behavior challenges but should not be receiving ongoing specialized mental health treatment or have serious mental health diagnoses. The trial is open to children aged between 4 and 12 years, and it welcomes participants of all genders. Families can expect to engage in a supportive environment aimed at improving both the children's and parents' well-being. Importantly, children with serious situations such as acute suicide risk or ongoing abuse will not be eligible for this study to ensure their safety.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Children displaying elevated symptoms of internalizing or/and externalizing problems
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Child is referred to or receives ongoing help in the specialized mental health services for problems in the internalizing or externalizing domains
• • Child is diagnosed with psychosis, mental retardation or pervasive developmental disorder
• • Acute suicide risk
• • Documented or probable ongoing physical or sexual abuse
• • Child or caretakers receives other systematic interventions targeting internalizing or externalizing problems while enrolled in the study (prior to 6 month follow-up)