Incredible Years: Implementation and Dissemination

This study investigated the influence of therapist skill on the effectiveness of a manualized parenting program for child antisocial behavior. A reliable instrument with 10 scales was developed to measure skill. 15 parenting groups were observed, from a controlled trial involving 90 clinically referred, disadvantaged children aged 3-8 with severe antisocial behavior. Child outcome was assessed by interview. The skill level of therapists running the groups was found to be a significant predictor of effectiveness.

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Which programme to choose? How to deliver it so as to achieve comparable outcomes to those reported in the research trials? These two issues, choice of programme and how to take interventions to scale and deliver them effectively in service settings, are the subject of the growing field of “implementation science” that has been informed by the Society for Prevention Research and set out in their guidance to service providers on how to ensure that evidence based programmes work in service settings (Flay et al. 2004) and by the work at the University of Colorado Center for Violence Prevention in identifying strongly evidence- based ?blueprint? programmes (Mihalic et al. 2002).

This paper provides a case study in the implementation and dissemination of the strongly evidence-based Incredible Years parent, child and teacher programmes across Wales. It describes the author?s work in delivering, researching and supporting the dissemination of the parent programme, and subsequently the child and teacher programmes, with the support of the Welsh government. It sets out the reasons for choosing the programmes, the steps taken to test their effectiveness in service settings across Wales, the dissemination process and lessons learned.

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Abstract Only

Complex interventions, such as parenting programs, are rarely evaluated from a public sector, multi-agency perspective. An exception is the Incredible Years (IY) Basic Parenting Program; which has a growing clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence base for preventing or reducing children?s conduct problems. The aim of this paper was to provide a micro-costing framework for use by future researchers, by micro-costing the 12-session IY Toddler Parenting Program from a public sector, multi-agency perspective. This micro-costing was undertaken as part of a community-based randomized controlled trial of the program in disadvantaged Flying Start areas in Wales, U.K. Program delivery costs were collected by group leader cost diaries. Training and supervision costs were recorded. Sensitivity analysis assessed the effects of a London cost weighting and group size. Costs were reported in 2008/2009 pounds sterling. Direct program initial set-up costs were ?3305.73; recurrent delivery costs for the program based on eight parents attending a group were ?752.63 per child, falling to ?633.61 based on 10 parents. Under research contexts (with weekly supervision) delivery costs were ?1509.28 per child based on eight parents, falling to ?1238.94 per child based on 10 parents. When applying a London weighting, overall program costs increased in all contexts. Costs at a micro-level must be accurately calculated to conduct meaningful cost-effectiveness/cost-benefit analysis. A standardized framework for assessing costs is needed; this paper outlines a suggested framework. In prevention science it is important for decision makers to be aware of intervention costs in order to allocate scarce resources effectively.

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While there is now compelling evidence for the efficacy of parent management training programmes in reducing rates of childhood conduct problems, installing these programmes into a new social context such as New Zealand raises a number of issues. In particular, before such programmes can be accepted as part of established practice in a new context there is a requirement to show (i) that these programmes can be delivered effectively within that context; (ii) that programme efficacy in the new context is established; and (iii) that the cultural appropriateness of the programme is assessed.

Against this background, the present research note summarizes the findings of a preliminary examination of the effectiveness and cultural acceptability of the Incredible Years Basic Parent Programme delivered in New Zealand.

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