PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent studies on emotion-focused parenting interventions to provide clinicians with knowledge about how these approaches might be used in prevention and treatment of mental health difficulties for children, adolescents and their families. RECENT FINDINGS: A number of emotion-focused parent interventions are reported in the literature, including emotion coaching/communication parenting programs, emotion-focused family therapy, attachment-focused parenting interventions (including those that address parental reflective functioning/mentalization), mindfulness parenting programs and behavioral programs with added emotion components. All target emotions or emotional communication to assist parents and children understand and work through emotional experiences so they are less likely to impede healthy functioning. These interventions target four main domains: exploring family of origin or early attachment/relational experiences with emotion, targeting parents' own emotion awareness and regulation, shifting parents responses to or communication with their children when emotions occur, and promoting parents' skills for assisting children to regulate emotions and behavior. This review from the last 18 months found 50 studies that evaluated programs addressing these domains. SUMMARY: Whilst the dominant approach in evidence-based parenting programs has been teaching behavioral strategies, it has been recognized that a focus on emotion-related processes is important. This is especially when working to improve the attachment relationship or when parents and children experience emotion dysregulation. This review demonstrates extensive evidence to support emotion-focused parenting interventions.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent studies on emotion-focused parenting interventions to provide clinicians with knowledge about how these approaches might be used in prevention and treatment of mental health difficulties for children, adolescents and their families. RECENT FINDINGS: A number of emotion-focused parent interventions are reported in the literature, including emotion coaching/communication parenting programs, emotion-focused family therapy, attachment-focused parenting interventions (including those that address parental reflective functioning/mentalization), mindfulness parenting programs and behavioral programs with added emotion components. All target emotions or emotional communication to assist parents and children understand and work through emotional experiences so they are less likely to impede healthy functioning. These interventions target four main domains: exploring family of origin or early attachment/relational experiences with emotion, targeting parents' own emotion awareness and regulation, shifting parents responses to or communication with their children when emotions occur, and promoting parents' skills for assisting children to regulate emotions and behavior. This review from the last 18 months found 50 studies that evaluated programs addressing these domains. SUMMARY: Whilst the dominant approach in evidence-based parenting programs has been teaching behavioral strategies, it has been recognized that a focus on emotion-related processes is important. This is especially when working to improve the attachment relationship or when parents and children experience emotion dysregulation. This review demonstrates extensive evidence to support emotion-focused parenting interventions.
Authors: Anna L MacKinnon; Kaeley M Simpson; Marlee R Salisbury; Janelle Bobula; Lara Penner-Goeke; Lindsay Berard; Charlie Rioux; Gerald F Giesbrecht; Ryan Giuliano; Catherine Lebel; Jennifer L P Protudjer; Kristin Reynolds; Shannon Sauer-Zavala; Melanie Soderstrom; Lianne M Tomfohr-Madsen; Leslie E Roos Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2022-06-24 Impact factor: 5.435
Authors: Tonje H Stea; Miek C Jong; Liv Fegran; Ellen Sejersted; Mats Jong; Sophia L H Wahlgren; Carina R Fernee Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-10 Impact factor: 4.614