Parent Explanatory Model Personalization as a Method of Reducing Risk for Poor Engagement and Outcomes in PCIT among Culturally Diverse Families

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Evidence supports the efficacy of Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) interventions such as Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for treating child behavior problems; however, treatment engagement and outcomes vary across ethnic groups. Risk for poor treatment engagement and outcomes may be attributed in part to misalignment between parent explanatory model components (PEMs) and the traditional BPT model, including treatment expectations, etiological explanations, parenting styles, and family support for treatment. The present study aims to examine whether personalized treatment adaptations addressing these PEM–BPT misalignments reduce risk for poor treatment engagement and outcomes. Methods: The authors previously utilized the PersIn framework to develop a personalized version of PCIT (MY PCIT) that assesses these PEMs in order to identify families at risk for poor treatment engagement and outcomes. Families were identified as high risk (due to PEM–BPT misalignment) and low risk (meaning those without identified PEM–BPT misalignment) for specific PEMs. Families at elevated risk then received tailored treatment materials designed to improve alignment between the parental explanatory model and the PCIT treatment explanatory model. A recent pilot trial of MY PCIT demonstrated positive treatment outcomes; however, the extent to which adaptations were successful in reducing the underlying risk factors has not yet been examined. Results: Findings demonstrate that the personalization approach was effective in reducing indicators of risk, and that families who were initially at high and low risk during pre-treatment reported similar levels of treatment engagement and outcomes by post-treatment. Conclusions: The findings suggest that this personalized approach has the potential to reduce risk associated with poor treatment engagement and outcomes for culturally diverse families.