Development and evaluation of an internet based adaptation of the New Beginnings Program for divorced parents

PROJECT ABSTRACT The proposed research builds on a successful Phase I SBIR grant to develop and test a web based version of a parenting after divorce group interventionthe New Beginnings Programwhich has been shown in two randomized trials to reduce youthsproblem behaviors and enhance their developmental competencies in theyear period after their parents participatedThe proposed web based format will increase the reach and consequently the public health impact of this evidence based interventionA commercialization plan is described to show how this program will be widely adopted and commercially successful PROJECT NARRATIVE Evidence basedgroup parenting skills interventions have been shown to promote healthy child developmentUnfortunatelythe public health potential of these interventions is severely limited by low parent participation rates that have resulted from barriers and accessibility constraints imposed by the group formatThe goal of this application is to develop and test the efficacy of an electronic adaptationeNBPof the New Beginnings ProgramNBPa group based parenting after divorce program that has been shown in two randomized trials to significantly enhance developmental competencies and reduce a wide range of youthsproblem behaviors in theyear period after their parents participatedProgram benefits included improvements in grades and selfesteemas well as reductions in substance usemental health problems and high risk sexual behaviorMediational analyses showed that program benefits were accounted for by improvements in the quality of postdivorce parentingwarmthcommunicationdisciplineThe development of eNBP will provide an economical and highly accessible version of the NBPThe application builds on a successful Phase I SBIR that developed and pilot tested a prototype of a web based version of the first session of the NBPResults from the pilot showed that the eNBP was highly acceptable to divorced parents and professional stakeholdersImportantlythere was a high rate of program completionand parents who did the eNBP reported successfully using the skill that was taughtThe current application will adapt allsessions of the NBP into a web based programA randomized trial withparents will test the efficacy of the web based program as compared with a popular web site for divorced parents by comparing effects on quality of parentinginterparental conflict and children s social competence and problem behaviors at post test and six months follow upOther web based programs for divorcing parents focus primarily on strengthening co parenting and reducing interparental conflictThe proposed web based adaptation of the NBP is distinguished from existing programs by its focus on the quality of post divorce parentingThe randomized trial of eNBP will be the first to examine the effects of a web based program for divorced parents to strengthen the quality of post divorce parenting and promote children s socioemotional development and reduce their mental health problemsA commercialization plan describes how the program will be commercially successful