@article {4716, title = {The impact of a family skills training intervention among Burmese migrant families in Thailand: A randomized controlled trial}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {12}, number = {3}, year = {2017}, note = {Puffer, Eve S
Annan, Jeannie
Sim, Amanda L
Salhi, Carmel
Betancourt, Theresa S
eng
Randomized Controlled Trial
2017/03/30 06:00
PLoS One. 2017 Mar 28;12(3):e0172611. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172611. eCollection 2017.}, pages = {e0172611}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To conduct a randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of a family-based intervention delivered to Burmese migrant families displaced in Thailand on parenting and family functioning. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURES: Participants included 479 Burmese migrant families from 20 communities in Thailand. Families, including 513 caregivers and 479 children aged 7 to 15 years, were randomized to treatment and waitlist control groups. The treatment group received a 12-session family-based intervention delivered to groups of families by lay facilitators. Adapted standardized and locally derived measures were administered before and after the intervention to assess parent-child relationship quality, discipline practices, and family functioning. RESULTS: Compared with controls, intervention families demonstrated improved quality of parent-child interactions on scales of parental warmth and affection (Effect size (ES) = 0.25 caregivers; 0.26 children, both p < 0.05) and negative relationship quality (ES = -0.37, p < 0.001 caregivers; -0.22 children, p < 0.05). Both children and caregivers also reported an effect on relationship quality based on a locally derived measure (ES = 0.40 caregivers, p < .001; 0.43 children, p < .05). Family functioning was improved, including family cohesion (ES = 0.46 caregivers; 0.36 children; both p < 0.001) and decreased negative interactions (ES = -0.30 caregivers, p < 0.01; -0.24 children, p < 0.05). Family communication also improved according to children only (ES = 0.29, p < 0.01). Caregivers, but not children, reported decreased harsh discipline (ES = -0.39, p < 0.001), and no effects were observed on use of positive discipline strategies. Treatment attendance was high, with participants attending a mean of 9.7 out of 12 sessions. CONCLUSION: The intervention increased protective aspects of family well-being for migrant children and caregivers in a middle-income country. The strongest effects were on parent-child relationship quality and family functioning, while results were mixed on changes in discipline practices. Results suggest that a behavioral family-based approach implemented by lay providers in community settings is a promising intervention approach for strengthening families in highly stressed contexts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01668992.}, keywords = {*Emigrants and Immigrants, *Parent-Child Relations, *Parenting, *Transients and Migrants, Adolescent, Asian Continental Ancestry Group, Caregivers/education, Child, Family Characteristics, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Myanmar/ethnology, Outcome Assessment (Health Care), Parents/*education, Surveys and Questionnaires, Thailand}, isbn = {1932-6203 (Electronic)
1932-6203 (Linking)}, author = {Puffer, E. S. and Annan, J. and Sim, A. L. and Salhi, C. and Betancourt, T. S.} }