Study of prevention programs for parents of adolescents with antisocial behavior

ISRCTN	ISRCTN76141538
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN76141538
Protocol serial number	N/A
Sponsor	Stockholm Prevents Alcohol and Drug Problems (STAD) (Sweden)
Funders	The National Drug Policy Coordinator, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (Sweden), Socialstyrelsen (ref: 00-106/08-4), Stockholm City Council, Stockholm FoU within Social Development Unit (Sweden), Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs/Systembolaget Research Board (Sweden) ref: 10-28:1, Swedish Council for Working life and Social Research (FAS) (Sweden) ref: 2009-1705

Submission date: 14/12/2011
Registration date: 02/02/2012
Last edited: 24/02/2016

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims:
Adolescent antisocial behavior is known to lead to psychosocial difficulties during adolescence and adulthood. A way to reach at-risk adolescents is through the parents. Parent training has shown to be effective in changing the childs behavior and mental health during adolescence. In this study, two parent programs are compared, ParentSteps and Comet, which target parents of at-risk adolescents aged 12 - 18 years. The aims of the programs are to train parents to help their adolescents to change their problem behavior, and to teach parents to encourage pro-social behavior. The aim of the study was to find out if either of the programs is effective in decreasing the levels of antisocial behaviour, such as substance use and delinquency, and in increasing the levels of social functioning.

Who can participate?
Two-hundred and forty families and adolescents participated in the study. Only families where the parent reported a certain level of antisocial behaviour in the adolescent could participate.

What does the study involve?
Families where randomly allocated to one of the following groups for training sessions:
1. ParentSteps
2. Comet
3. Six months waiting list control group.
Only parents participated in the parent training sessions, but both parents and adolescents answered questionnaires about the adolescents problem behaviour.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Parents could participate in training for free, exchange parental experiences with others in the group, and improve parental skills and techniques to change the adolescents' problem behaviour.
Youths would benefit from improved family relations. There were no known risks associated with participating in this study.

Where is the study run from?
Stockholm Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Sweden

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
August 2008 to June 2010

Who is funding the study?
Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.

Who is the main contact?
Camilla Jalling
camilla.jalling@sll.se

Contact information

Dr Anders Tengstrom
Scientific

Research Centre for Psychosocial Health at Stockholm Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education
Stockholm County Council Health Care Provision and Karolinska Institutet
Danderyds sjukhus
Hus 40, Plan 1
Danderyd
182 87
Sweden

Email	anders.tengstrom@ki.se

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Study design	Randomized controlled trial
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study type	Participant information sheet
Scientific title	Effectiveness of two parent training programs for reducing adolescent's antisocial behavior: a randomized controlled trial
Study objectives	Both the intervention groups, who were assigned to receive either ParentSteps or Comet, will get decreased levels of antisocial behaviour, compared to control group, and increased levels in psychosocial functioning.
Ethics approval(s)	Regional Ethical Board, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 25/06/2008, ref: 2008/744-31/5
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Antisocial behavior and low psycho-social functioning
Intervention	Two intervention groups (Comet and ParentSteps) and a waiting list control group: Two parent training programs, based on Swedish modified versions of Parent Management Training (Comet), and Strengthening Families Program for parents and youths 10-14 (SFP10-14) (ParentSteps). The Comet program format is held by two certified group leaders in nine compulsory sessions and one optional within six months after last session. ParentSteps program format comprises of six compulsory sessions lead by two trained leaders. Data were collected at baseline, and at six and twelve months after baseline, by both parents and adolescents. The control group was measured at only baseline and the six-month follow-up.
Intervention type	Behavioural
Primary outcome measure(s)	Adolescent externalizing behavior, using: 1. Adolescent Self-Report Delinquency Scale (SRD) to measure the quantity of criminal activities during the last six months, on a 0 to 9 times or more numerical scale 2. Youth Self-Report (YSR/CBCL) to describe externalized and internalized anti-social behavior based on the preceding six months, on a 3-point Likert scale ( 0=not true, 1=somewhat or sometimes true, 2=very true or very often true). For parents, the parent version CBCL was used for assessing parents reports of their adolescents anti-social behavior 3. Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) for measuring alcohol risk consumption 4. Drug Use Disorder Identification Test (DUDIT) for measuring drug consumption
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	Adolescent psychosocial functioning, using: Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ®), adolescent and parent version, based on the preceding seven days, to assess treatment progress concerning psychosocial and mental functioning, rated on a 5-point Likert scale
Completion date	20/06/2010

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Child
Lower age limit	12 Years
Upper age limit	18 Years
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	240
Key inclusion criteria	1. Parents or other caregiver, and their adolescent aged 12-18 2. Living in Stockholm 3. Youth showing signs of antisocial behavior (ex criminal activities, mobbing others, repeated conflict about family rules, substance use (alcohol, tobacco and/or drugs) 4. Youth showing signs of low psychosocial functioning
Key exclusion criteria	Youth should not: 1. Be in psychotherapy 2. Be in treatment at alcohol treatment care center 3. Be placed in institution or family home, at the time for signing up for participation in the trial 4. Parents could not be in any other parental program at the time for signing up for particiaption in the trial
Date of first enrolment	20/08/2008
Date of final enrolment	20/06/2010

Locations

Countries of recruitment

Sweden

Study participating centre

Research Centre for Psychosocial Health at Stockholm Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education

Danderyd
182 87
Sweden

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	results	01/07/2016		Yes	No
Participant information sheet	Participant information sheet	11/11/2025	11/11/2025	No	Yes

Editorial Notes

24/02/2016: Publication reference added.