Parenting programme to tame unruly teenagers

SYDNEY - If you want to curb your kids’ depression and tame their unruly behaviour, head for the Positive Parenting Programme or ‘Triple P’, research says.

Two new European studies - one Belgian and another Dutch - researched on the programme, which is said to benefit families.

In the Belgian study, conducted at the University of Antwerp, mothers who had a child receiving psychiatric care, including for depression and anxiety, completed an eight-week Group Triple P, besides their own regular therapeutic support and the child’s usual treatment.

Researchers Dirk Deboutte and Inge Glazemakers found that providing parenting support to the mothers significantly improved the emotional states of their children, when compared to children receiving only standard psychiatric care.

Fifty percent of children were found to have improved conduct and emotional problems.

The Dutch research on teens was carried out by the Trimbos Institute, the Netherlands’ National Mental Health and Addiction Foundation.

Group Teen Triple P was delivered to parents of teenagers considered “at risk” - with severe behavioural problems and in extreme conflict with their parents.

Trimbos Institute researcher Ferry Goossens found the parenting programme reduced by almost 50 percent, the number of teens considered to have clinically recognised problems with conduct, peer relationships, emotions, pro-social behaviour and hyperactivity.

Matt Sanders, professor Triple P founder, University of Queensland (U-Q), said the studies were the first to scientifically test Triple P’s impact on childhood mental illness and on teenagers at the extreme end of the behaviour spectrum, said a U-Q release.

“The results add to the growing body of evidence that shows Triple P works with a wide range of families, across cultures and settings and has far reaching positive effects,” Sanders added.

The findings were presented at Helping Families Change, University of Queensland, Wednesday.