Randomised controlled trial of an intervention to increase attendance to increase attendance at parent training.

Literature Review: Factors affecting attendance at parent training are presented and
consideration is given to theoretical models which might be applied to this field. It is revealed
that single parents, those of lower socio-economic status, lower income and experiencing
mental health difficulties are less likely to attend. Therapist characteristics including
experience, warmth and empathy and the use of administrative strategies all predict increased
attendance. Parental motivation and expectations do not have clear roles in affecting parent
training attendance. Methodological issues such as inconsistent definitions of attendance and
small sample sizes are discussed, as are cautions about generalising findings from specific
samples. The health belief model and the theory of planned behaviour are reviewed and
considered to have potential for further study concerning attendance at parent training.
Research Report: The investigation of a strategy to increase attendance at parent training is
presented. One group of parents receive an experimental intervention to develop
implementation intention's to overcome barriers to attendance, the control group do not. The
two groups are compared on their attendance at parent training. Descriptive statistics indicate
that parents in the experimental group do participate in more parent training sessions than the
control group, however this trend failed to reach statistical significance. Parents with stronger
intents to attend were statistically more likely to complete parent training. The development
of implementation intentions prior to attendance was not found to enhance the clinical gains
of parents attending parent training. Further research is recommended to explore the relevance
of the theory of planned behaviour to parent training.
Critical Appraisal: The origins of the project, its organisation and implementation are
described. Points of learning are discussed, dissemination plans detailed and areas for
continuing professional development expressed.