Parents Plus Adolescent Programme (PPAP) is a parenting intervention for families with concerns about the behaviour or emotions of a child between 10 and 16 years. It is delivered by parents plus facilitators to groups of 15 parents for eight sessions of 2.5 hours duration each. Parents are also offered additional individual and family sessions lasting 1 to 2 hours.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
10 to 16 years old
Group
Parents Plus Adolescent Programme (PPAP) is one of eight Parents Plus! interventions adapted specifically for families with concerns about the behaviour of a child between 11 and 16 years old. It is intended for use in both specialist clinical settings and frontline community and primary care settings, where the emphasis is largely preventative.
PPAP is delivered by two practitioners with a master’s qualification or higher in psychology or related mental health profession. Parents attend eight group sessions, lasting approximately 2.5 hours each. Groups sessions can include up to 15 parents.
During each session, parents are introduced to one positive parenting idea (e.g. listening) and one discipline/behaviour management idea (e.g. using consequences), giving parents two new ideas to reflect on and practise. The group sessions are structured by video clips of scenes involving both actor and non-actor parents interacting both positively and negatively with their children. Topics covered in these DVDs include building a positive parent–adolescent relationship, promoting autonomy, communicating rules and setting limits, reinforcing consequences, and managing conflict and aggression. Parents also learn mindfulness techniques and strategies for reducing stress.
Additionally, parents have access to individual pre-group sessions (between one and two one-hour sessions) and family sessions involving four individual meetings with both the parent and teenager. In these family sessions, parents and their teenager work on positive communication and family problem-solving, practicing relationship and behavior management skills both in the sessions and at home.
It is worth noting that only the group component was evaluated in PPAP’s most robust evaluation.
11 to 16 years old
Families who have concerns about the behaviour or emotions of their child aged between 11 and 16 years old.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Increasing levels of autonomy in adolescence increases the risk of substance misuse and antisocial behaviour
Substance misuse and antisocial behaviour in adolescence can negatively impact young people’s success in school and transition to adulthood.
Science-based assumption
Effective parenting practices and positive family relationships can decrease the risks associated with adolescent autonomy and substance misuse.
Science-based assumption
All parents with an adolescent child can benefit from knowledge about the risks associated with adolescence and strategies for managing these risks.
Intervention
Parents learn to:
Communicate effectively with their adolescent child
Provide age-appropriate autonomy
Set age-appropriate limits
Manage family conflict
Enforce age-appropriate consequences.
Short-term
The relationship between the parents and the young person improves
Family conflict decreases
Parents provide age-appropriate autonomy and limits.
Medium-term
The young person is at less risk of behavioural problems
The young person makes responsible decisions and is better able to manage their autonomy.
Long-term
The young person is at reduced risk of substance misuse and antisocial behaviour
The young person is better prepared to make a successful transition into adulthood.
Parents with concerns about the behaviour or emotions of a child between 11 and 16 years old.
PPAP is delivered in eight sessions of 2.5 hours’ duration each by two practitioners, to groups of 15 parents.
The main, parenting groupwork component involves reviewing DVD parenting and communication clips, as well as group discussion, worksheets, role-play, homework handouts, and learning of mindfulness and stress management techniques.
In the family sessions, parents and their teenager are coached together in positive communication and family problem-solving. The goal is to teach parents specific communication, relationship, and behaviour management skills while giving them the opportunity to practise these skills over time at home as well as in coached family sessions.
The two Parents Plus Facilitators who deliver PPAP are typically mental health professionals with a master’s qualification or higher.
The practitioners have 22.5 hours of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is recommended.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one host-agency supervisor , and one intervention developer supervisor .
Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
Contact person: John Sharry
Organisation: Parents Plus Charity
Email address: admin@parentsplus.ie
Website: www.parentsplus.ie
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
PPAP’s most rigorous evidence comes from a single RCT conducted in Ireland that was consistent with Foundations’ Level 2+ evidence strength criteria.
This study identified statistically significant reductions in PPAP parents’ reports of child behavioural problems, as well as improvements in their prosocial behaviour and emotional wellbeing, in comparison to parents not receiving the intervention.
Parents Plus Adolescent Programme has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 5 |
| Studies reviewed | 1 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 4 |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sample characteristics | 126 parents with concerns about their child’s behaviour who were aged between 10 to 16 years old. |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | Not reported |
| Population risk factors | 10% of children in the intervention group and 8% in the control group were receiving clinical services |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes |
|
| Other outcomes |
|
| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Nitsch, E., Hannon, G., Rickard, E., Houghton, S. & Sharry, J. (2015) Positive parenting: A randomised controlled trial evaluation of the Parents Plus Adolescent Programme in schools. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. 9 (1), 43. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Beattie, D., O’Donohoe, P., Guerin, S. & Fitzpatrick, C. (2011) An evaluation of a parent management training program as a treatment for adolescents attending a child and adolescent mental health service. Dublin, Ireland: School of Psychology, University College Dublin (unpublished manuscript).
Carr, A., Hartnett, D., Brosnan, E. & Sharry, J. (2017) Parents Plus systemic, solution‐focused parent training programs: description, review of the evidence base, and meta‐analysis. Family Process. 56 (3), 652–668.
Rickard, E., Brosnan, E., O’Laoide, A., Wynne, C., Keane, M., McCormack, M. & Sharry, J. (2015) A first-level evaluation of a schools-based family program for adolescent social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 21 (4), 603–617.
Wynne, C., Doyle, C., Kenny, R., Brosnan, E. & Sharry, J. (2016) A first-level evaluation of a family intervention for adolescent social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health. 28 (1), 33–46.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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