Digital Behavioral Parenting Programs With and Without Added Emotion Regulation Strategies to Manage Anger in Parenting

Summary

This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of two digital parenting interventions for parents experiencing difficulties with anger in parenting. The interventions are internet-delivered adaptations of evidence-based parenting programs, collectively called the Supporting Healthier Interactions in Families by Online Tools (SHIFT) parenting programs. The main questions the study aims to answer are:

1. Are the study procedures and design feasible for a full-scale RCT?
2. Are the SHIFT parenting programs feasible and acceptable?
3. How do therapists and parents experience the SHIFT parenting programs?
4. Is participation in one of the SHIFT parenting programs, relative to the other and relative to waitlist control, associated with improvements in parent-reported intervention outcomes?
5. Is participation in the SHIFT parenting programs, relative to each other and waitlist control, associated with improvement in weekly measures of target mechanisms?

Researchers will compare the two programs against each other and against a waitlist control. The first intervention (SHIFT) is a behavioral parent training (BPT) program with parenting strategies to manage child behavior problems. The second intervention (SHIFT+) includes the same BPT strategies with emotion regulation (ER) techniques from anger-management treatments.

Participants will:

* Be randomized to SHIFT, SHIFT+ or waitlist control.
* Take part in one of the digital interventions and receive support in text messages and phone calls from a therapist at family support services in Swedish municipalities. Some participants will take part in the intervention after the waitlist period.
* Respond to questionnaires and take part in interviews.

Conditions

Parenting Intervention
Anger
Emotion Regulation Difficulties
Parenting Behaviour
Child Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Online Behavioral Parent Training Program

A 6-week digital parent training program incorporating core components from established behavioral parent training programs. Delivered via a secure digital platform with one module per week, text-based therapist support from family support workers, and two brief check-in telephone calls. Strategies include: strengthening parent-child relationship (e.g., child-directed play), understanding how parents' behavior triggers and reinforces child behavior, selective attention and praise for positive behavior, preparations and effective commands, and natural consequences.

BEHAVIORAL

Online Behavioral Parent Training + Emotion Regulation Program

A 6-week digital program that integrates the same parenting strategies as SHIFT with additional emotion regulation strategies from anger-management treatments. Matched to SHIFT in duration and therapist contact. Emotion regulation strategies include: early identification and interruption of anger escalation, emotional awareness and self-validation, cognitive reappraisal, effective communication, and managing vulnerability to anger.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Forte: Swedish research council for health, working life and welfare
collaborator UNKNOWN
Karolinska Institutet
lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

Livia van Leuven, PhD · Karolinska Institutet

Study Design

Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Purpose: PREVENTION
Masking: NONE
Model: PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age: 18 Years
Sex: ALL
Healthy Volunteers: No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start: 2026-09-07
Primary Completion: 2027-08-31
Completion: 2027-12-31

Countries

Sweden