ERIC Number: EJ1476093
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1389-4986
EISSN: EISSN-1573-6695
Available Date: 2024-10-13
Online Parenting Programs for Children's Behavioral and Emotional Problems: A Network Meta-Analysis
Ana Catarina Canário1; Rita Pinto1; Marco Silva-Martins1; Karen Rienks2; Burcu Kömürcü Akik3; Koraljka Modic Stanke4; Oana David5; Rukiye Kiziltepe6; G. J. Melendez-Torres7; Therdpong Thongseiratch8; Patty Leijten2
Prevention Science, v26 n4 p592-609 2025
Online parenting programs to support parents of children with behavioral problems and emotional problems have become widely available in recent years. Research has consistently shown their positive effects on child development, parents' adaptive parenting practices, and parents' mental health. However, knowledge is lacking on which type of content is more suitable to be delivered online. Our work addresses this knowledge gap by conducting traditional and network meta-analyses to improve our understanding of (1) how effective online parenting programs are to improve children's behavior and emotional problems, and (2) what clusters of components are most likely to yield the strongest effects. Following the PROSPERO preregistration, we systematically searched PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Of the 8292 records retrieved, 28 records on 27 randomized controlled trials (N = 5,312) met the inclusion criteria. Results show moderate effect sizes of online parenting programs on reduced child behavioral and emotional problems, parents' ineffective parenting practices, and parents' mental health problems. Online programs adopting a learning theory perspective, either with or without additional parental self-care and parents as therapist approaches, are most likely to yield the strongest effects on child behavioral problems. Online programs adopting a learning theory perspective, parental self-care and parents as therapist approaches, with or without additional relationship perspectives, are most likely to yield the strongest effects on child emotional problems. Online parenting programs seem promising tools for improving child behavioral and emotional problems. Future research should identify the circumstances that allow parents and children to benefit more from specific components in these programs.
Descriptors: Online Courses, Parent Education, Child Behavior, Behavior Problems, Emotional Problems, Network Analysis, Meta Analysis, Course Content, Program Effectiveness, Behavior Modification, Effect Size, Parenting Skills, Mental Health, Self Management, Parent Role
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of Porto, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Porto, Portugal; 2University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 3Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey; 4University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; 5Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania; 6Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey; 7University of Exeter, Exeter, England; 8Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand