Pilot trial of a telepsychotherapy parenting skills intervention for veteran families: Implications for managing parenting stress during COVID-19

Abstract

Changes in daily life created by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have resulted in a largely unprecedented situation for millions of families worldwide. Families are under considerable stress, and parents may experience greater psychological distress and disruptions in the parent- child relationship. Some parents may be particularly vulnerable to recent stressors, including those with preexisting psychological disorders and family dysfunction. In the United States, military veterans are one such at-risk population. Recent challenges may exacerbate preexisting conditions and heighten parenting stress, thereby negatively impacting child and family functioning. In this article, we share our experiences developing and piloting a telepsychotherapy parenting skills program for military veterans. The intervention, Online Parenting Pro-Tips (OPPT), combined web-based educational modules addressing child development and positive parenting with live coaching (via videoconferencing link) of parenting skills. Forty-one veterans with a child between the ages of 3 and 9 years enrolled in this trial and 22 completed the 6-session intervention. Veterans who completed the intervention experienced significant reductions in depression, parenting stress, and family dysfunction, with medium to large effect sizes (Cohen's d ranged from .53 to .98). Veterans also reported significant improvements in their child's behaviors. These findings have important implications pertaining to the feasibility and effectiveness of telepsychotherapy interventions to support at-risk families and promote positive parent- child interactions and family functioning during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. At a practical level, OPPT and similar telepsychotherapy interventions for families could be modified to be delivered via smartphone to increase accessibility and cost-effectiveness for families worldwide.