The Effectiveness of GenerationPMTO During Sustained Implementation in the Public Mental Health System: A Single-Arm Open Trial Evaluation

• Published in: Behavior therapy 2024-03, Vol.55 (2), p.248-262
• Main Authors: Holtrop, Kendal, Piehler, Timothy F., Miller, Debra, Young, Deja, Tseng, Chi-Fang, Gray, Luann J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caregivers - psychology; Child; community mental health; effectiveness study; Emotions; evidence-based parenting intervention; GenerationPMTO; Humans; Mental Health; Parenting - psychology; Problem Behavior; real-world evidence
• ISSN: 0005-7894; 1878-1888
• DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2023.06.004

•Examined GenerationPMTO effectiveness in the Michigan public mental health system.•Caregivers completing GenPMTO reported improvements from pre- to posttest.•Improvements included parenting, caregiver depressive symptoms, and child behavior.•Minor differences between GenPMTO group and individual delivery format were found.•Caregiver (gender, education) and child (age) characteristics predicted outcomes. To support families and reduce the burden of child mental, emotional, and behavioral problems, evidence-based parenting interventions must remain effective in real-world service delivery contexts. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the GenerationPMTO (GenPMTO) intervention during sustained implementation in the Michigan public mental health system using a single-arm open trial (pre–post) design. We also examined potential predictors of treatment response. A multilevel analysis framework was utilized to evaluate data from 365 caregivers who completed GenPMTO treatment. Results revealed significant positive improvements from pretest to posttest in all four outcome domains (i.e., parenting confidence, parenting practices, caregiver depressive symptoms, child behavior problems). When compared to group-based GenPMTO delivery, the individual delivery format was associated with significantly greater improvements in overall effective parenting practices, as well as in the subdomain of skill encouragement. Caregiver gender, caregiver educational level, and child age were all implicated as predictors of GenPMTO outcomes. These findings add to the literature by supporting the effectiveness of the GenPMTO intervention when fully integrated into mental health care practice and can inform continued efforts to provide families with evidence-based services in community settings.