Indiana Psychological Association News
PsychByte: Parent Management Training: A Cultural Adaptation
Parent Management Training: A Cultural Adaptation
Parent Management Training (PMT) is a well-known efficacious treatment for families with children who have behavior problems; however, few studies have examined the effectiveness of PMT within various cultural groups. Martinez & Eddy (2005) aimed to address this gap within the literature. They developed and implemented a culturally adapted version of PMT called “Nuestras Familias: Andando Entre Culturas,” which was designed for monolingual Spanish-speaking parents.
Martinez & Eddy aimed to address three specific questions: feasibility, improved parenting practices, and improved outcomes of youth behavior/adjustment. Firstly, they found strong evidence for the feasibility of implementing a culturally adapted intervention. Secondly, parents who received Nuestras Familias showed improvements in their general report of parenting practices, skill encouragement, and overall effective parenting. Lastly, in regards to youth outcomes and adjustment, youth with parents who participated in Nuestras Familias demonstrated less aggression, less externalizing behavior, and decreased likelihood of tobacco use. Interestingly, parents of U.S. born youth benefited more from participation in the culturally adapted PMT than did foreign-born youth. Martinez & Eddy’s study did not include a group who received a traditional PMT program, and thus comparisons (in regard to participation, satisfaction, and retention rates) between traditional and culturally adapted PMT were not available; however, given that their attempt to implement a culturally adapted intervention resulted in such positive outcomes, their example invites further similar research and implicates the need to understand associated issues (e.g., how to address unique contexts of immigrant families, the impact of nativity on intervention).
Reference:
Martinez, C.R. & Eddy, J.M. (2005). Effects of culturally adapted parent management training on Latino youth behavioral health outcomes. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 73(4), 841-851.
Contributors:
Rachel Chan, M.S. & Alexandria Willis, M.S.
Interns in Clinical Psychology at the St. Vincent Neuroscience Institute-St. Vincent Hospital
Sarah Jenkins, Ph.D., HSPP
Clinical Health Psychologist
Diversity Coordinator, Doctoral Internship Program, St. Vincent Neuroscience Institute-St. Vincent Hospital
"PsychBytes” is a weekly educational resource from the Indiana Psychological Association (IPA) provided for psychologists, their colleagues and their patients.