Chicago Parent Program for Child Behavioral Disorders

(EPIC Trial)

Overseen By Jennifer Suor, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Illinois at Chicago

Must not be taking: Behavioral medications

Disqualifiers: Disruptive behavior disorder, Epilepsy, Psychosis, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 12

Duration: 11 weeks

180 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to help low-income families by enhancing children's executive functioning, which includes skills like attention and problem-solving. Parents will join the Chicago Parent Program, which teaches positive parenting and behavior management techniques. The researchers aim to determine if these parenting improvements can reduce disruptive behavior in children over time. Families may qualify if they have a child aged 4 to 5 with behavior challenges but no current diagnosis of disruptive behavior disorders. As an unphased trial, this study offers families a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could lead to better parenting strategies and improved child behavior.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial requires that children do not take medications to treat emotional or behavioral problems, but parents can continue taking medications for mental health issues.

What prior data suggests that the Chicago Parent Program is safe for children with behavioral disorders?

Research has shown that the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) is safe and well-received by parents. Studies have found that parents participating in the program improve their parenting skills and their children's behavior without serious negative effects. The program has been successfully tested in various settings, such as communities, schools, and mental health centers, yielding positive results.

The CPP includes group sessions where parents learn to better manage their children's behavior. These sessions involve activities like watching videos, group discussions, and role-playing. The main goal is to help parents develop positive parenting skills and effective ways to manage their children's behavior.

No reports of serious negative effects have emerged from participating in the CPP. As it is not a medical treatment, the risks are lower compared to treatments involving medication. Overall, the CPP is considered a safe choice for parents seeking to improve their children's behavior and their own parenting skills. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) for child behavioral disorders because it offers a unique approach compared to traditional therapies like individual child counseling or medication. Unlike these standard treatments, CPP is an evidence-based parenting intervention tailored for urban low-income families with children aged 2-8. It emphasizes practical skill-building through real-life video examples, group discussions, and role-playing, all designed to enhance parenting techniques and manage children's behavior more effectively. This hands-on, community-oriented method could provide a more holistic and accessible way to address behavioral issues in young children.

What evidence suggests that the Chicago Parent Program is effective for child behavioral disorders?

Research has shown that the Chicago Parent Program (CPP), which participants in this trial may receive, improves parenting skills and reduces behavior problems in children. Studies have found that parents who join CPP report better parenting habits and attitudes. Specifically, parents attending at least half of the program's sessions feel more confident and capable in their parenting. The program also helps them use more consistent discipline and manage their children's behavior more effectively. These positive changes last for at least a year, indicating that CPP can be especially beneficial for families in low-income communities dealing with children's behavior issues. ^{1 4 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for children with executive function issues, often living in poverty, who may be at risk for disruptive behavior disorders like ADHD. It's designed to see if improving parenting skills through the Chicago Parent Program can help these kids.

Inclusion Criteria

Child is Medicaid eligible, defined as receiving Medicaid or eligible based on family income (up to 142 percent of the federal poverty level)

Child does not have a history of psychosis or currently psychotic

Child can have current or past histories of psychiatric disorders (anxiety, mood, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)

Exclusion Criteria

Child has an intellectual or developmental disability (autism spectrum disorder)

Child is not receiving Medicaid or Medicaid eligible

Parent has a medical condition that would interfere with the completion of the study

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants engage in the Chicago Parent Program, consisting of 12 group sessions over 11 weeks, focusing on positive parenting and child behavior management skills.

11 weeks

12 group sessions (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in executive function and disruptive behavior through various assessments.

16 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Chicago Parent Program

Trial Overview

The study tests whether the Chicago Parent Program can improve children's executive functions and reduce disruptive behaviors. Researchers will track changes in brain function and behavior to see if better parenting skills lead to improvements.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Chicago Parent Program Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Half of the dyads will be randomized to participant in the Chicago Parent Program (CPP), an evidence-based parenting preventive intervention for urban poor parents with children between the ages of 2-8 with behavior problems. The Chicago Parent Program consists of 12 groups sessions (11 weekly, 1 booster session). The groups are co-facilitated by two certified group leaders. Parents learn positive parenting and effective child behavior management skills, strategies to support the child's attention, literacy, and social skills, and stress management and problem solving techniques. Skill building is accomplished through watching videos of real-life parents and children during parent-child interactions, group discussion, role-playing, and weekly homework assignments.

Group II: Control Condition Active Control 1 Intervention

Half of the dyads will be randomized to the no intervention arm.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Illinois at Chicago

Lead Sponsor

Trials

653

Recruited

1,574,000+

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Trials

2,896

Recruited

8,053,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

This randomized trial compares the effectiveness of two parent training programs, the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), involving 262 parents of children aged 2 to 5 from low-income, predominantly African-American backgrounds.

The study aims to determine if CPP, designed specifically for underserved populations, can effectively reduce child behavior problems and improve parenting, potentially offering a cost-effective alternative to the established PCIT program.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Study protocol for a comparative effectiveness trial of two parent training programs in a fee-for-service mental health clinic: can we improve mental health services to low-income families? Gross, DA., Belcher, HM., Ofonedu, ME., et al.[2021]

Child-parent psychotherapy (CPP) demonstrated lasting improvements in children's behavior problems and mothers' distress six months after treatment ended, based on a study of 75 diverse child-mother dyads.

The results suggest that CPP is an effective intervention for addressing symptoms in traumatized preschoolers, emphasizing the importance of the parent-child relationship in therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Child-parent psychotherapy: 6-month follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Lieberman, AF., Ghosh Ippen, C., VAN Horn, P.[2019]

The paper by Ward et al. highlights the development of a new program aimed at parents of children at high risk for behavioral problems in a deprived South African township, indicating a focus on early intervention in challenging environments.

It raises important questions about the necessity of creating new programs when effective ones already exist, suggesting a need for collaboration among program developers to identify the most effective strategies for different populations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Commentary: Do we need new parenting programmes for different cultural groups or should we adapt those that already exist: a commentary on Ward et al. (2019). Thompson, M., Thompson, C.[2021]

Children who participated in the Title I Child-Parent Centers (CPC) had significantly lower rates of substantiated child maltreatment by age 17 compared to those in alternative kindergarten programs, showing a 52% reduction (5.0% vs. 10.5%).

Longer participation in CPC programs (4 to 6 years) was linked to even lower maltreatment rates (3.6% vs. 6.9%), highlighting the importance of sustained family support and educational services in high-poverty areas.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

School-based early intervention and later child maltreatment in the Chicago Longitudinal Study. Reynolds, AJ., Robertson, DL.[2019]

Parent management training is the most effective treatment for younger children with conduct disorder, while older children benefit from this training supplemented with problem-solving skills, both of which are supported by research.

Despite their effectiveness, these therapies face challenges such as high drop-out rates among parents and the fact that many youths improve but do not reach typical functioning levels, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and potentially more comprehensive prevention programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Behavior therapy in children with aggressive dyssocial disorders]. Brezinka, V.[2018]

In an effectiveness trial of parent management training as part of the Prevention Program for Externalizing Problem Behavior (PEP), a significant percentage of children (32.6% to 60.7%) were identified as having clinically relevant externalizing behavior issues at the start of the study.

After three months of treatment, between 24.8% and 60.4% of these children showed recovery, indicating that parent management training can lead to meaningful improvements in managing externalizing behavior problems.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does parent management training for children with externalizing problem behavior in routine care result in clinically significant changes? Hautmann, C., Stein, P., Hanisch, C., et al.[2015]

In a pilot study involving 21 program directors and 25 practitioners from 19 agencies, it was found that 37.1% of the parent training programs were developed by the agencies themselves, while the majority were adaptations of existing interventions.

Only a few of the identified parent programs had strong empirical support, but many incorporated key features commonly associated with effective, evidence-based parenting programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The State of Parent Training: Program Offerings and Empirical Support. Kohl, PL., Schurer, J., Bellamy, JL.[2019]

A randomized trial involving families of junior kindergartners showed that community-based large group parent training programs are more effective in improving children's behavior problems at home compared to individual clinic-based training, especially for immigrant families and those with severe behavior issues.

The community-based approach was also found to be over six times more cost-effective than individual training programs, making it a more accessible option for families in need of mental health assistance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Large group community-based parenting programs for families of preschoolers at risk for disruptive behaviour disorders: utilization, cost effectiveness, and outcome. Cunningham, CE., Bremner, R., Boyle, M.[2022]

Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) is an effective treatment model for behaviorally challenging youth, showing at least equivalent effectiveness to the standard Parent Management Training in improving behavioral outcomes.

CPS not only improves behavior but also enhances parent-child interactions and children's skills, suggesting additional benefits beyond traditional treatment methods.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS): A Review of Research Findings in Families, Schools, and Treatment Facilities. Greene, R., Winkler, J.[2020]

Citations

1.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3442153/

The Chicago Parent Program: Comparing 1-Year Outcomes ...

This paper is the first to present CPP outcomes from data collected in Study 2 and to compare the effectiveness of the CPP by parent race/ ...

2.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2770507/

Efficacy of the Chicago Parent Program with Low-Income ...

Although at 1-year follow-up, intervention group parents had significant and sustained improvements in parenting behavior and attitudes, initial reductions in ...

3.

chicagoparentprogram.org

chicagoparentprogram.org/research

Research

CPP has undergone rigorous testing in communities, schools, and mental health settings, yielding proven results.

4.

cebc4cw.org

cebc4cw.org/program/chicago-parent-program/detailed

CEBC » Chicago Parent Program › Program › Detailed

Among parents who participated in at least 50% of CPP sessions, there was greater improvement in parenting self-efficacy, more consistent discipline, greater ...

5.

ojp.gov

ojp.gov/library/publications/chicago-parent-program-comparing-1-year-outcomes-african-american-and-latino

The Chicago Parent Program: Comparing 1-Year ...

The authors analyze the data from one-year outcomes of the Chicago Parenting Program, to determine its impacts on participants' parenting skills ...

6.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11255538/

Implementation of a Parent Training Program During ...

This study aims to describe the delivery transition and implementation outcomes of the hybrid delivery of the CPP (ezParent+group) during community-based ...

7.

withpower.com

withpower.com/trial/phase-problem-behavior-4-2023-ab574

Chicago Parent Program for Behavioral Problems in Foster ...

The primary objective of this study is to tailor the Chicago Parent Program, an evidence-based parent training program, for the foster care setting and ...

8.

link.springer.com

link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11121-025-01797-9

Tailoring the Chicago Parent Program for Foster and ...

There is robust evidence to support parenting programs to prevent child behavior problems and bolster mental and behavioral health in young ...