Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences in Vulnerable Families: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial of SafeCare®

Abstract

Early adversity predicts increased risk for mental and physical health problems. As such, intervention efforts, such as home-based parenting programs, have been initiated with vulnerable families to reduce adversity exposure and promote child well-being. The present randomized clinical trial had a parallel design and 1:1 allocation ratio of SafeCare augmented for an urban high-risk population (SC+) compared to standard home-based mental health services (SAU) to examine risk and protective factors proximal to child maltreatment. Parents (N=562) of young children (5 years or less) at risk of depression, intimate partner violence, or substance abuse were randomized to SC+ or SAU. A significant program effect was found in favor of SC+ for parental depression and social support, as well as within-group improvements for both groups in depression, intimate partner victimization, family resources, and social support. Promising next steps include future trials examining how improvements in parental depression and social support impact child well-being over time and further augmentation of SafeCare to enhance healthy relationships and address cultural congruency of services.