Collaborative Problem Solving Reduces Children's Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties and Parenting Stress: Two Key Mechanisms

OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) approach in home-based family therapy and to explore two hypothesized mechanisms of change.METHOD:Sixty-seven families with children aged 3-12 years old completed a 12-week home-based CPS treatment program. Parent-report measures were completed pre- and post-intervention, including measures on parents' fidelity of using CPS, parents' empathy, children's executive functioning, children's behavioral difficulties, and parenting stress.RESULTS:There were significant reductions in children's behavioral difficulties and parenting stress, and significant improvements in children's executive functioning and parents' empathy. These improvements were greatest for parents who had the greatest fidelity to CPS. Improvements in children's executive functioning and parents' empathy mediated the relationship between parents' CPS fidelity and outcomes.CONCLUSIONS:These results provide evidence that home-based family treatment with CPS may achieve positive child and family outcomes by building children's executive function skills and improving parents' empathy.