Study protocol for a randomised evaluation of a brief psychological intervention for clinically stressed parents of adolescents: Approach for Parenting Teenagers (APT)

Abstract Background Adolescence can be a stressful and difficult period for young people and parents, with many changes occurring during this time, and a heightened risk of mental health problems for adolescents. The quality of parenting an adolescent receives and the relationship between parents and adolescents is of particular importance during this time and predicts adolescent outcomes. Parenting is a modifiable risk factor which can be targeted to improve outcomes for adolescents and their families. Many existing parenting interventions are group-based, which is not appropriate for all parents, leading to disengagement and dropout. Open Door created an intervention, the Open Door Approach to Parenting Teenagers (APT), an individual parenting programme for clinically stressed parents of adolescents. APT comprises six weekly 50-minute appointments, working with individuals or couples. To increase flexibility and maximise engagement, this intervention will be delivered both face-to-face and online. The preliminary evaluation of APT yielded promising findings for the feasibility, acceptability, and real-world effectiveness of APT. This randomised evaluation is a continuation of this. Methods Participants will be parents of adolescents who self-refer to Open Door, reporting clinically significant levels of parenting stress through the SIPA. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive the APT intervention or waitlist control. The primary outcome measure will be the SIPA, measuring parenting stress, the parent-adolescent relationship, adolescent and parent wellbeing, and mental health outcomes. Secondary outcome measures measure mediators of change and adherence to APT. Results on outcome measures will be compared between the APT group and control group immediately following the intervention, three months post intervention, and six months post intervention. Discussion If APT is an effective intervention compared with the waitlist control, this could improve outcomes for adolescents and parents, and be an accessible and engaging option for parents of adolescents. Trial registration This trial is registered at the International Council on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use Good Clinical Practice (ICH GCP), (Clinical Trial NCT03916172).