Evidence-based parenting support (EBPS) programs derived from social learning theory, cognitive behavioural principles, and developmental theory are among the most successful innovations in the entire field of psychological intervention. EBPS programs have been at the cutting edge of global dissemination efforts to increase community access to evidence-based parenting programs. Despite the widely recognised success of these efforts, existing models of parenting intervention are not a panacea, and much can be done to improved outcomes. Efforts to improve outcomes have included the emergence of a population-based approach to increase reach of intervention. This has included the development of flexible delivery modalities, including online parenting interventions, the incorporation of strategies to enhance cultural relevance and acceptability of programs, and more recently, applications with parents in very low resource settings. Further enhancements of outcomes are likely to be forthcoming as we gain a better understanding of the mechanisms that explain positive intervention effects and non-response to interventions. More cost-effective online professional training models are needed to disseminate and promote the sustained use of EBPS programs. New interventions are required for the most vulnerable parents when parenting concerns are complicated by other problems such as trauma, addictions, relationship conflict, family violence, mental health problems and intergenerational poverty. However, to scale effective programs, Commonwealth and state government policies and funding priorities need to respond to evidence about what works and make sustained investments in the implementation of parenting programs. Possible strategies to enhance the policy impact of intervention research are discussed.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) has been associated with depression and can have an impact on quality of life. Therefore, researchers have suggested the potential utility of psychological interventions for targeting depression among CSU patients. Psychological interventions that may hold the most promise are those that are brief and easily transportable, such as brief behavioural activation treatment for depression. We report results of a preliminary investigation of an uncontrolled open trial of a one-session behavioural activation treatment for depression designed for patients with CSU (BATD-CSU) at a university-based allergy and immunology clinic. Participants were 11 females with chronic, poorly controlled urticaria and symptoms of depression. Following the completion of pretreatment questionnaires, participants were administered BATD-CSU primarily by non-mental health professionals trained and supervised in its delivery. One month post-BATD-CSU, participants completed follow-up questionnaires. Participants exhibited significant reductions in depression severity, avoidance/rumination, and work/school impairment. BATD-CSU was also associated with improvements in urticaria control one month post-treatment. Moreover, five of nine patients reported reliable and clinically significant improvement on at least one outcome. Results demonstrate that BATD-CSU may have benefits for CSU patients even when consisting of one session and delivered by professionals with limited background in psychological interventions, thus speaking to its feasibility and transportability.

The concept of exposure is ubiquitous in the research and practice of clinical psychology, most notably in cognitive-behavioural models. Yet there remains confusion and ambiguity around how exposure in ‘exposure therapy’ is characterised. Current definitions are found to be inadequate, as each identifies certain features of the exposure process but omits others. As such, an elaborated model of exposure is presented, referred to here as the re-exposure-extinction learning process. This process involves a complex causal situation consisting of clinical features (the cause/causes, C), acting upon a person (the field, F), to bring about re-exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli and then extinction learning, leading, over time, to therapeutic change (the effect/effects, E). Importantly, re-exposure and extinction learning are two processes distinct from the therapeutic procedures (i.e., techniques and methods) used to bring them about. Furthermore, these processes are not inherently tied to a particular model of therapy or clinical intervention. They are, therefore, logically independent of the procedures used to facilitate them. Considering this reconceptualisation, we propose that working in the transference, a cornerstone of psychodynamic psychotherapy, can be understood as a complementary and effective method of facilitating the re-exposure-extinction learning process. We argue that this is achieved through enabling a person to repeatedly re-evaluate their fearful expectations as they manifest in the unfolding dynamics of the therapeutic relationship. Finally, some clinical implications indicated by this elaborated model are explored.

Physical punishment of children is linked to negative developmental outcomes. The widely used Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) promotes alternative responses to physical punishment. Data on the effectiveness of the Triple P Seminar Series is limited. In this study, Canadian parents’ reports of physical punishment, non-physical punishment, and non-punitive responses were compared before and after they attended the Triple P Seminar Series. Twenty-seven parents of children aged 2 to 6 years attended the Seminar Series and completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires measuring the number of times they used various physical punishments, non-physical punishments, and non-punitive responses in the past month. Hypotheses were tested using univariate descriptive analyses, paired samples t tests, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests. Parents’ reports of physical punishment decreased on only one of the four physical punishment items (shaking/grabbing) from pre- to post-intervention. Over the course of the Seminar Series, parents became more likely to emphasise rules and to punish their children by taking things away from them. The findings suggest that the Seminar Series has limited effectiveness in reducing physical punishments or increasing non-punitive responses. Further research on this question is needed.