Clinical Research Directory

CenteringParenting Clinical Intervention on Kindergarten Readiness in Early Childhood

Disparities in health begin in early childhood. Early life experiences influence brain development and have significant implications on future health and developmental outcomes. Low-income children are at greater risk of developmental delays in large part due to a lack of an enriched environment. Disparities in early childhood development increase risk for stunted academic achievement throughout the life course. Primary care is a universal exposure in early childhood and therefore is also a significant entry point for promoting optimal child development. There is a need to provide effective, low-cost, and scalable interventions in primary care to support early childhood development.The CenteringParenting intervention is designed to reduce negative health and developmental outcomes within a model of group routine child health care. To date, there is no evidence of the benefits of the CenteringParenting intervention on school readiness, or improvements in parental behaviors that support optimal developmental milestones and achievement. The intent of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the CenteringParenting intervention on school readiness in early childhood, as measured by language development at 24 months, (in addition to health care utilization, child routine care maintenance, parenting stress, caregiver behaviors and attitudes).

The Pittsburgh Study Early Childhood

The Early Childhood Collaborative of The Pittsburgh Study is a community-partnered, county-wide implementation of programs for children and families from birth through formal school entry to address real-world challenges that exist in providing effective preventive interventions for families with young children, particularly low-income families.

Association of Spousal Support With Parenting Self-Confidence and Depression in Primipar Mothers

The transition to motherhood, particularly for first-time (primiparous) women, is a critical life period requiring substantial psychological and social adjustment. Hormonal changes, increased caregiving responsibilities, sleep disturbances, and potential social isolation during pregnancy and the postpartum period may increase vulnerability to stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common mental health concern that adversely affects maternal well-being, mother-infant interaction, and infant development, with insufficient social support identified as one of its most significant risk factors. Maternal self-efficacy, defined as a mother's perceived competence in caring for and responding to her infant's needs, is a key indicator of successful adaptation to the parenting role. Evidence suggests that maternal self-efficacy develops primarily within the first months after childbirth and tends to be lower in primiparous women. Low parenting self-efficacy has been associated with increased depressive symptoms, higher parenting stress, impaired mother-infant bonding, and negative developmental outcomes for the infant. Among social support sources, partner support plays a particularly protective role during the transition to parenthood. Emotional, informational, and practical support provided by the partner has been shown to enhance maternal self-efficacy, reduce psychological distress, improve marital adjustment, and lower the risk of postpartum depression. Conversely, low perceived partner support and relationship difficulties are associated with an increased risk of PPD in primiparous mothers. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between perceived partner support and postpartum parenting self-efficacy and depressive symptoms in primiparous women. Additionally, the study seeks to evaluate the explanatory and protective role of partner support on maternal self-efficacy and postpartum depression during the early postpartum period.

Parenting-STAIR Modular for Military Fathers and OCONUS Families

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a family-based treatment called Parenting-STAIR-Modular (PSTAIR-M) can help military parents recover from trauma, strengthen emotion regulation skills, and improve parent-child relationships. Participants will be trauma-exposed active-duty Service Members (SM) or their spouses who screen positive for PSTD and/or depression, and one identified child (ages 2-10). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) Does PSTAIR-M reduce parental PTSD and depression symptoms, lower parenting stress, and improve child behavior compared to treatment-as-usual?; and 2) Is PSTAIR-M feasible and acceptable when delivered to military families stationed overseas? Researchers will compare PSTAIR-M to treatment-as-usual (TAU) to see if PSTAIR-M leads to greater improvements in parental PTSD, depression, parenting stress, emotion regulation, child maltreatment risk, and child behavior than usual care. Participants will: 1) attend 12-16 weekly, 1-hour online treatment sessions with their assigned clinicians, 2) complete three 1-hour online assessments administered by research staff, 3) engage with their child in three 15-30-minute online, observed play sessions, 4) have assessments and observed play sessions audio and video recorded.

Implementing BEAM: A Scalable Digital Mental Health Program, for Families of Children Referred to Neurodevelopmental Services

Families of children with neurodevelopmental differences (NDDs) experience disproportionately high levels of parenting stress and mental health difficulties, including elevated depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden. These challenges are often compounded by increased caregiving demands, system navigation stress, and limited access to timely, tailored mental health supports. Parental mental health plays a critical role in family functioning and child outcomes; however, existing services for families of children with NDDs are frequently fragmented, inaccessible, or focused primarily on child behavior rather than caregiver well-being. As a result, many caregivers experience unmet mental health needs that persist throughout early and middle childhood. To address this gap, our team developed BEAM (Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health), an app-based parenting and mental health intervention that integrates psychoeducation, peer support, progress monitoring, and coached support. Clinical trials evaluating BEAM with parents of young children have demonstrated promising improvements in parental depression, anxiety, and parenting stress, as well as reductions in harsh parenting practices. Building on this evidence base, the current trial examines the implementation and outcomes of BEAM delivered as-is to families of children with NDDs (BEAM-NDD), without content adaptation, to evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness within this high-need population. This trial uses a single-arm pre-post design to evaluate BEAM-NDD among parents and caregivers of children with diagnosed or suspected neurodevelopmental differences. Primary aims are to (1) assess feasibility and acceptability of BEAM-NDD, including recruitment, retention, engagement, satisfaction, and perceived unmet needs; (2) examine changes in caregiver mental health and parenting outcomes following program participation; and (3) explore individual differences in engagement and outcomes to identify for whom BEAM-NDD may be more or less effective. Participants will complete a 12-week intervention delivered through the BEAM app, consisting of weekly parenting and mental health videos, progress tracking, a moderated peer forum, and optional peer-coaching support. Assessments will be completed at baseline prior to program initiation (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2), and at follow-up (T3). By evaluating BEAM-NDD within real-world service contexts, this trial aims to determine whether an existing evidence-based digital parenting and mental health intervention can support caregiver well-being among families of children with NDDs without requiring adaptation. Findings will inform the scalability and sustainability of BEAM-NDD as an accessible mental health support for families facing long waitlists, limited specialized services, or geographic barriers to care.

A Trial of Two Universal Programs for Parents of Teenagers

Group-based and internet-delivered parenting programs may help parents improve their communication and relationships with their children. However, relatively little is known about how well such programs work for parents of adolescents, because most previous studies have focused on younger children or on families selected because of elevated risk. This study evaluated two universal preventive parenting programs for parents of adolescents: the group-based ABC-Teen program and the internet-delivered ParentWeb program. Both programs were developed in Sweden and aim to promote adolescent well-being by strengthening parenting practices and parent-adolescent relationships and reducing negative communication. Families were randomized to ABC-Teen, ParentWeb, or a waitlist control condition. The sole primary outcome was parent-reported adolescent mental health problems, measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Total Difficulties score. Secondary outcomes included parental mental health and stress, parenting behaviors and parental self-efficacy, parent-adolescent and family relationships, adolescent school adjustment and substance use, and outcomes reported by participants in an optional adolescent survey. Parent and adolescent assessments were conducted at baseline, 4 months, and 12 months. After completion of the 4-month assessment, families assigned to the waitlist were offered their choice of ABC-Teen or ParentWeb. Consequently, comparisons with the waitlist were restricted to the period from baseline to 4 months, whereas longer-term analyses compared ABC-Teen with ParentWeb.

Cancer Parenting Program for the Enhancement of the Quality of Life of Patients With Advanced Cancer and Their Children

This trial examines the usefulness of two educational programs for parents with late-stage cancer who have a 5 - 17 year old child. The programs are designed to enhance the quality of the parent-child relationship and add to the parent's confidence in managing the impact of their cancer on their child. Educational programs may reduce anxiety and depression and improve the well-being and quality of life of parents with advanced cancers and their children. Recruitment occurs nationally via referral to the Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium team.

Unified Protocol: Community Connections

The purpose of this study is to administer the Unified Protocols for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) and Adolescents (UP-A) to youth and participants' parents and to examine the efficacy and outcomes of the treatment using standardized measures, questionnaires, interviews. The UP-C and the UP-A are cognitive-behavioral therapies to treat emotional disorders.

Treating Parents With ADHD and Their Young Children Via Telehealth: A Hybrid Type I Effectiveness-Implementation Trial

This study will compare the effectiveness of combined parental stimulant medication and behavioral parent training (BPT) versus BPT alone on child ADHD-related impairment (primary outcome), child ADHD and externalizing symptoms, time to child stimulant prescription (secondary child outcomes) and parental ADHD impairment, parental ADHD symptoms, parenting, and BPT engagement (parental outcomes/target mechanisms). This study will also assess the care delivery context and develop an implementation approach for treatment of families with a parent with ADHD and a child with elevated ADHD symptoms via telehealth in primary care sites providing pediatric care.

Online Emotion Regulation and Parenting Program for Parents of Children Aged 2-6 Years

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an online emotion regulation and parenting program for parents of children aged 2-6 years. The program is designed to help parents better manage their emotions and respond more adaptively to their children's emotional and behavioral needs. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. The study will examine whether the intervention reduces parents' emotion regulation difficulties, improves their acceptance of children's negative emotions and their perceived ability to respond adaptively, and improves children's socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes.

Parenting Mindfully Study II

This study will conduct a large Randomized Controlled Trial to test effects of a parenting mindfully (PM) intervention versus a parent education (PE) intervention for highly stressed parents of adolescents.

Improving Outcomes for Early Postpartum Mothers in Outpatient MOUD Treatment

Drug overdose is a leading cause of death among postpartum women and opioid-related mortality is 4 times higher in the postpartum period when compared to the third trimester of pregnancy. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD; e.g., methadone or buprenorphine) are the recommended standard of care for perinatal women with OUD. Studies indicate that 50-60% of perinatal women with OUD initiate medications during pregnancy; however, over half will prematurely discontinue treatment within the first six months of childbirth due to stressors experienced in the postpartum period. Common stressors that contribute to MOUD treatment discontinuation in this population are return to opioid use, mental health symptoms including depression, parenting-related stressors such as challenges in infant care and bonding, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), child welfare involvement, and feelings of guilt, shame, and stigma. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop effective, recovery-oriented support interventions that promote the initiation and continuity of MOUD treatment in the postpartum period. The current study utilizes community-engaged research methods to identify and prioritize the early parenting-related needs of postpartum women receiving MOUD to inform the adaptation and implementation of an evidence-based parenting intervention for this population receiving outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder.

Parenting in 2 Worlds Multisite Trial

This research study will test the effectiveness of a culturally grounded parenting intervention called Parenting in 2 Worlds (P2W). This intervention is designed for American Indian / Alaska Native (AI) parents/guardians of adolescents who reside in urban areas. This will be a multi-regional effectiveness trial across four regions: Northeast (Buffalo/Niagara), Midwest (St. Paul/Minneapolis), Mountain (Denver), and Southwest (Phoenix). There are four specific aims. First, this study will test the effectiveness of Parenting in Two Worlds (P2W) as compared to an informational family health intervention, Healthy Families in 2 Worlds (HF2W), in improving parenting and family functioning. Second, this study will test if the relative effectiveness of P2W, compared to HF2W, varies by parent's/guardian's level of socioeconomic vulnerability, experiences of historical loss, or AI cultural identity. Third, this study will examine if P2W can reduce adolescent (ages 12 - 17) risky health behaviors including substance use, depressive symptoms, suicidality, and risky sexual behaviors. Fourth, this study will examine whether positive changes in parenting and family functioning that result from P2W lead to positive changes in adolescent's health behaviors.

Moms Managing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Study

The study will develop and test a behavioral program for pregnant individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This behavioral program will include skills for managing ADHD and related symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery and will be taught by a behavioral therapist in OB care settings.

Positive Parenting Program in Foster Care

The purpose of the study is to evaluate early implementation outcomes of a positive parenting program, Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care (PriCARE), in the foster care setting and to assess the efficacy of PriCARE in promoting positive parenting and increasing empathy among foster caregivers.

Optimizing Residential Treatment Gains for Adolescents

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a web-based parent training augmented with facilitated parent groups. This hybrid group-based parenting program (called Parenting Wisely for Residential Treatment; PWRT) is designed to prepare parents for the reintegration of their adolescents in the home after intensive psychiatric residential treatment. Researchers will compare PWRT to treatment as usual to determine whether PWRT effects target mechanisms (i.e., family function, social support, parental self-efficacy, parenting practices) and adolescent outcomes (i.e., internalizing and externalizing behaviors, placement restrictiveness).

Palestinian ParentText for Crisis: A Parenting Chabot in War and Displacement

The primary aim of this research is to evaluate if ParentText for Crisis helps improve the following outcomes among Palestinian caregivers living in Jordan: a.) Improving caregiver mental health; b.) Improving positive parenting practices; c.) Reducing violence against children

Relationship Enhancement Digital Game

The purpose of this study is to test a new digital game. Specifically, this study will aim to evaluate a digital game prototype designed to facilitate playful interactions between parents and children. The prototype will incorporate activities grounded in relationship enhancement principles. Additionally, this study will check how well using digital tools helps build strong connections, makes people get along better, and boosts parents' confidence and parenting skills.

Effectiveness of an Online Psychological Support Program for Mothers of Children With Autism

The aim of this study to evaluate the effectiveness of an online psychological support program for mothers of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, investigators aim to assess the impact of the psychological support program on mothers' mental health and parenting stress levels, investigate the factors associated with changes in parenting stress, and examine the effect of reduced parenting stress on children's behavioral problems and the severity of autism.

Promoting Co-Parenting and Reducing Hazardous Drinking in New Families

This study aims to understand if a parenting program that helps couples learn to parent as a team and maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as maintaining safer levels of alcohol use, promotes parent and child health and well-being. Programs will be delivered prenatally and postnatally and will include both group classes and individualized sessions. A comprehensive assessment is administered during pregnancy and then at 6 and 12 months of child age. It is hypothesized that targeting intervention during the naturally motivating transition to parenthood may not only provide opportunities for long lasting behavioral change for parents, but also initiate a cascade of protective processes that ultimately reduce risk for negative emotional and behavioral outcomes for children.

Evaluating a Strengths-based Community-grounded Intervention

Structural inequities and historical underinvestment in marginalized communities create developmental contexts that constrain access to high-quality education, healthcare, stable housing, and other critical resources. This study evaluates effects of a strengths-based, community-led intervention on young children and their families, which aims to buffer structural inequities while recognizing families' strengths. Between ages 18-36 months, English- and Spanish-speaking families consented and were randomly assigned to the intervention group (ParentChild+) or the active control group (FamilyNutrition+). Each group received 92 contacts from a specialist matched with their demographics. For the intervention group, contact focused on supporting parents and children's early learning, and families received a book or toy each week; for the control group, contact focused on supporting child nutrition, and families received a small food voucher each week. The current study evaluates whether the intervention altered parents' mental health, children's early environments, and/or children's test performance and brain development.

Hybrid Delivery to Increase Access and Sustainability: Evaluating ezParent Implementation

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of the hybrid ezParent program (e.g., web-based training program plus synchronous group sessions) on parent and child outcomes in a community setting serving parents of children 2-5 years old. Parent participants will complete surveys at baseline, and 10 and 24-weeks post baseline.

Behavioral Parent Training for Families With Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preschoolers

Children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) rarely receive behavioral interventions to prevent the long-term costly outcomes of behavior problems. This project will systematically adapt an evidence-based parent training intervention to increase its acceptability and relevance for parents of young DHH children. Effectiveness of the adapted intervention and its implementation with parents of young DHH children followed in "real world" hearing healthcare clinics will be assessed.

Parent Intervention for Psychiatrically-Hospitalized Youth

The purpose of the present study is to conduct a pilot randomized clinical trial (RCT) of a parent coaching intervention for parents of youth hospitalized for suicidal ideation, suicide attempt(s), or non-suicidal self-injury. Parents will receive either the parent coaching intervention (which includes safety planning and behavioral parenting skills training with a clinician and assistance with linkage to follow-up care by a case manager) or treatment as usual (TAU) for the inpatient unit. The long-term goal of the research is to determine if augmenting standard inpatient treatment with additional parenting intervention improves youth treatment response on suicide-related outcomes (i.e., suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicide attempts). The goal of this pilot RCT is to collect preliminary data needed for a larger RCT, including feasibility, acceptability, safety, tolerability, engagement of the presumed mechanism of change (changes in parent emotions and behaviors), and signal detection of any changes in youth suicide-related outcomes.