Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Therapeutic Parent and Toddler Group

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Theraplay Based Therapeutic Parent and Toddler Group as an Early Intervention for At-Risk Families

• IRAS ID

  205480

• Contact name

  Hege Soholt

• Sponsor organisation

  The Theraplay Institute

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Funded by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), this project involves the development and assessment of a new early intervention aimed at helping at-risk families within a non-stigmatising setting.

  The intervention is based on a relationship enhancing parent and toddler group which will utilise the attachment based Theraplay® principles and activities. Effectiveness of the intervention will be assessed using quantitative and qualitative measures and through the use of control groups.

  The research will involve parent and toddler pairs who have been independently assessed as at-risk being invited to take part in and to help measure the potential benefits and relationship enhancing qualities of two kinds of parent and toddler groups. These pairs will then be randomly selected to either attend the therapeutic parent and toddler group or a standard free-play group with the latter acting as a control. Each group will consist of 3-5 parent/toddler dyads and the programme will be run twice (total of four groups).

  The intervention itself will be delivered as a weekly one-hour parent and toddler session spread over an estimated ten week period. During the sessions the facilitator will seek to promote healthy attachment by modelling Theraplay® principles in her interactions with the adults; by teaching Theraplay® based games to the parents; and by providing encouragement, guidance and feedback to parents in their interactions with their children.

  In assessing the effectiveness of the intervention, participants will be asked to complete Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) to measure pre and post intervention scores; a per-session evaluation form to measure their perception of the group; and qualitatively they will be asked to participate in group interviews. Control groups will also be used to verify that any positive outcomes were related specifically to the intervention and not to attending a parent and toddler group per se.

• REC name

  London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/LO/1314

• Date of REC Opinion

  28 Jul 2016

• REC opinion

  Unfavourable Opinion