Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

A mixed method research methodology based on the principles of empirical research in social learning family interventions and narrative inquiry was employed to explore and explicate the effects of in-home Parent Management Training (PMT) for mothers of children/adolescents who have Conduct Problems (CP). Prior research has indicated that mothers of such children and adolescents experience more psychological, social and emotional distress than their same-sex peers. As well, these mothers report feeling less confident about their ability to parent their children in the face of on-going challenging behaviors such as child non-compliance, defiance, disobedience and aggression. In previous research, mothers have described themselves as isolated socially, personally defeated, and often economically disadvantaged by the demands of coping with their children's/adolescents' acting-out behaviors at home, school, and in their neighborhoods. The current research evaluated the effectiveness of treatment for mothers and children based on a multisystemic approach (MST) to providing in-home PMT. Mothers (n = 26) in the treatment condition were measured three times using standardized questionnaires of parenting stress and parenting self-agency. In addition, mothers and teachers each completed the appropriate form of the same behavior checklist of child/adolescent psychopathology three times. Nine of the mothers also participated in three narrative interviews, which queried their experiences of parenting a child/adolescent with CP, their subsequent experiences of the in-home parenting skills intervention, and their ability to cope four months post-treatment. Statistical analyses indicated positive changes in mothers' reported levels of parenting self-agency, and reductions in their levels of parenting stress. Teachers' scores remained unchanged. Thematic analysis of mothers' interviews yielded data that supported the quantitative findings; however, the interview data was also found to contribute unique information about the quality of mothers' parenting, marital and other relationships, as well as their opinions of whether the in-home counselling was personally supportive and effective in teaching them additional behavior management skills. Whereas most of the mothers interviewed reported feeling supported by the in-home counsellor, as well as significant improvements to their parenting skills, the mothers also reported that their children required on-going parenting efforts that were consistent with reduced but not unremitting child/adolescent CP. Implications for clinical practice and future research are suggested, based on the limited generality of the findings. / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-123). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-81).

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education