Brief Summary:
This study explored parental behavior patterns among 336 National Guard and Reserve families who participated in a randomized controlled trial of the ADAPT parenting program after a deployment. ~60% of parents participated in the program; the other ~40% were assigned to the control group and provided a list of parenting resources. Parents’ interactions with their child were assessed via home observation at 3 timepoints: baseline (Time 1; T1), one year later (T2), and two years later (T3). Parents also reported their child’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors at each timepoint. Observed parenting behaviors (e.g., positive involvement, monitoring, harsh discipline) were used to group parents based on similar parenting patterns. Three distinct patterns of parenting behaviors were identified: highly positive (i.e., higher levels of positive involvement and monitoring), moderately positive (i.e., moderate levels of positive involvement), and coercive (i.e., moderate levels of harsh discipline). Coercive parenting was generally linked with more child externalizing and internalizing behaviors; the ADAPT program may prevent parents from using more coercive parenting over time.
Summary provided by Military REACH at Auburn University
Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) Report:
Created by our partners at Military REACH at Auburn University, TRIP Reports summarize the key findings and implications of this study to provide actionable insights in accessible language for practitioners, policy makers, and families.
Reference:
Lee, S. K., Gewirtz, A. H., & Piehler, T. F. (2024). Parenting Profiles in Military Families: Intervention-Related Transitions and Relationships to Child Adjustment. Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research, 25(7), 1040–1052. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-024-01721-7