Single-Session Psychotherapy for Young Kids Through Patient Engagement Techniques

Single-Session Psychotherapy for Young Kids Through Patient Engagement Techniques

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare outcomes between participants in the single-session psychotherapy for young kids (SPYKids) conditions and participants in the services as usual (SAU) condition. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• What is the feasibility and acceptability of SPYKids compared to services as usual?
• What are the changes in child mental health between the SPYKids group compared with the SAU group?

Participants will

• Fill out questionnaires at baseline, immediately post-program, approximately one month after the baseline assessment, and three months after the baseline assessment
• Meet with a parent coach in a virtual 90-minute session to discuss coping strategies relevant to their identified concerns

Researchers will compare participants in the SPYKids group with participants in the Services as Usual group to see if there are changes in child well-being, parent well-being, and parent self-efficacy.

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to elevated stress experienced by parents and caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) resulting in increased demand for relevant specialized services. Current waitlists for NDD assessments following referral are approximately 12 months in Manitoba, with similar lengths of 6-30 months across Canada, which can result in children aging out of some early intervention services. The SPYKids program aims to provide families with help, encouragement, and motivation to cope with family stressors while on waitlists at local organizations through a single-session consultation model. A single-session intervention (SSI) is designed to increase parental ability to understand and address emergent mental health problems by teaching parents how to support children's emotional development and impulse control to reduce mental health problems, while reducing high-conflict parenting that can worsen mental health over time. The present study aims to test the feasibility and value of SSIs in a 2-arm randomized control trial which will include one 90-minute consultation with psychoeducation, identification of a primary mental health issue, an opportunity to practice the skills, and an action plan for the family to apply the skills independently. The long-term goal is to create an evidence-based accessible and rapidly deployable intervention to promote well-being for children with NDDs and their families.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Manitoba resident with a Manitoba IP address
• Caregiver must be at least 18 years old
• Primary caregiver of 2-5-year-old child
• Must be on a waitlist for neurodevelopmental services in Manitoba

Exclusion Criteria:

• Living outside of Manitoba and/or internet protocol (IP) address outside of Manitoba
• Child is outside of the 2-5-year-old age range
• The caregiver is younger than 18 years old
• Not on a waitlist for neurodevelopmental services