Short- and Long-Term Effects of Parent Training for Preschool Children With or at Risk of ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The study aimed to gather and examine information on how teaching parents certain skills might help very young children, from about 2 and a half to 6 years old, who either have ADHD or show symptoms of it.

To find this information, the authors looked into many studies and combined their results, which is known as a systematic review and meta-analysis.

After looking at 16 different studies that included a total of 1,003 children, the authors found that when parents rated how their children were doing, the results were pretty good. They noticed a moderate improvement in ADHD symptoms, with a specific measurement value of 0.51, and a decent improvement in conduct problems and how negative the parenting was. However, when someone else assessed these children independently, the only significant improvement was in how negative the parenting was. The good changes noticed by parents lasted for about 3 to 12 months after the training. It didn't matter what kind of training program was used, how it was given, or the exact diagnosis of the child; the improvements were consistent.

The study's findings align with current evidence on ADHD treatment strategies, which emphasize the importance of behavioral interventions, particularly parent training, for managing ADHD symptoms in preschool-aged children. The moderate effect sizes observed for parent-rated ADHD symptoms, conduct problems, and negative parenting reinforce the role of parent training as a primary intervention for this age group. The sustained effects at follow-up further support the long-term benefits of parent training, consistent with the chronic management approach recommended for ADHD.

Parent training showed moderate effects on parent-rated ADHD symptoms, conduct problems, and negative parenting in preschool children with ADHD or ADHD symptoms. However, parent training did not show significant effects on independently assessed ADHD symptoms in preschool children. The effects of parent training on parent-rated outcomes were sustained at follow-ups of 3 to 12 months.

This study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting parent training as an effective early intervention for preschool children with ADHD or ADHD symptoms.If you're interested in learning more about how impulsivity relates to ADHD, especially in school-aged boys, the study by Avila C et al. (2004) is worth checking out. They measured impulsivity in boys and found a strong link to ADHD and a slight link to oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). This suggests that impulsivity could be a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding ADHD in boys.

For a deeper dive into parent-based therapies for young kids with ADHD, take a look at the randomized controlled trial by Sonuga-Barke et al. (2001). They tested two different parent-based approaches in a community sample and found that teaching parents certain strategies can really help reduce ADHD symptoms in kids while also making the parents feel better. These findings line up with what we already know about the importance of involving parents in ADHD treatment for young children.