Impact of Parent Training on Family Functioning

This study examined outcomes of a STEP parent training program in several areas of family functioning identified by the so-called McMaster model of family health. The study found that participants who completed the parent training did report more improvements in general family functioning than those families whose children received routine mental health services. More specific improvements in family relationships were reported in the areas of problem solving, communication, affective responsiveness, and behavior control. Some differential effects were found for children older than 10 years of age. These improvements were also evaluated to determine their clinical significance, by examining how many families moved from problematic to healthy functioning. Implications of the findings are discussed.