Assessing the Efficacy of a Brief Universal Family Skills Programme on Violence and Substance-Use Indicators in Youth in Trentino and Parma, Italy: Study Protocol for a Multi-Centre, Non-Blinded, Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial (cRCT) of Family UNited

Karin Haar, Aala El-Khani, Riccardo Lodi, Valentina Molin, Annalisa Pelosi, Ali Yassine, Giovanna Campello and Wadih Maalouf ()
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Karin Haar: Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), Drugs, Laboratory and Scientific Services Branch (DLSSB), Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Aala El-Khani: Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), Drugs, Laboratory and Scientific Services Branch (DLSSB), Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Riccardo Lodi: S.O.L.E. Italia, Strada Corte Delle Grazie 21, 43126 Parma, Italy
Valentina Molin: Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Via Tarter 2 Baselga di Piné, 30122 Trento, Italy
Annalisa Pelosi: Neurosciences Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 139, 43125 Parma, Italy
Ali Yassine: Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), Drugs, Laboratory and Scientific Services Branch (DLSSB), Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Giovanna Campello: Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), Drugs, Laboratory and Scientific Services Branch (DLSSB), Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Wadih Maalouf: Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), Drugs, Laboratory and Scientific Services Branch (DLSSB), Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: Homes in which families are experiencing stressful and challenging circumstances can foster a social space that engenders violent behaviours in parents, inadequate childcare, and the exposure of children to criminal and antisocial behaviours at an early age in addition to many other negative social and health consequences throughout their development. Family Skills Training offers a combination of parenting knowledge, skill building, competency enhancement, and support to strengthen family protective factors, such as communication, trust, problem-solving skills, and conflict resolution. Through over a decade-long experience piloting evidence-based family skills packages globally, we developed a universal open-source family skills package, “Family UNited” (FU), designed for families with children aged 8 to 15 years living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The current study aims to explore the efficacy, fidelity, and acceptability of FU in Trentino and Parma, Italy. We plan to conduct a multi-site, non-blinded, two-armed, cluster-randomised controlled trial to assess efficacy in 160 families: the intervention group receiving FU and the waitlist/control group only receiving FU after the completion of all data collection points. We will prospectively collect outcome data, assessing changes in parenting skills and family adjustment in caregivers, children’s behaviour, resilience capacities, and attitudes towards peer violence. To assess programme delivery, fidelity, feasibility, and acceptability we will include an embedded process evaluation. This study aims to evaluate the improvement in parenting skills, child well-being, and family mental health after participation in FU, compared to no intervention. Even though this trial is to be conducted in a high-income country, such results complement the existing piloting experience in LMIC. with impact-related measures encouraging the adoption of such approaches globally and beyond the EU borders.

Keywords: cluster-randomised controlled trial (cRCT); study protocol; family skills programme; parenting skills; violence and substance use in youth; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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