SPARCLAR - Previous Feasibility Study Results
Parents InC has been evaluated through routine use of questionnaire measures (Eyberg Child Behaviour Inventory (ECBI11) and the Parenting Daily Hassles Scale (PDHS12)) pre- and post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. Between March 2008 and November 2012, 462 families were referred and offered a place on Parents Inc, of whom 228 took up the offer, and 189 (41%) attended at least three of the six sessions. One hundred and eleven families completed both the pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, with 37 also completing 3-month follow-up. Learning points from the pilot work include the need for clearer information about Parents InC/IY at the time of recruitment. We anticipate significantly higher recruitment and retention rates in our feasibility RCT based on our previous experience and good research support. Analysis of pilot data suggests that the intervention significantly reduced the intensity of disruptive child behaviour pre- to post-intervention (p<.0005), and at follow-up (p=.001), parental perception of problem behaviour pre- to post-intervention (p<.0005), and at follow-up (p=.021), the frequency of perceived parenting daily hassles pre-to post-intervention (p,.0005), and at follow-up (p=.001) and the intensity/impact of these hassles pre- to post-intervention (p<.0005), and at follow-up (p=.002)9. In post-intervention feedback forms, 102/109 parents/carers ‘would definitely recommend Parents InC’13. Furthermore, two focus groups, held with Parents InC service users following completion of the intervention, revealed, first, that parents were not willing to be videotaped (for elements of fidelity assessment) but were positive about randomisation and the proposed outcome measures, and second, that parents perceived Parents InC to reduce isolation, offered reassurance, allowed sharing of tips and helped parents understand ADHD in both theory and practice. Together, this pilot work indicates that Parents InC is promising and is ready to be tested using rigorous RCT methodology to assess whether it presents a more cost-effective alternative to the current best-evidenced alternative.
