Coaching Vs. Self-Help for Parents of Children with ADHD: Outcomes and Processes

The high number of parents in need of psychotherapy and the high costs of psychological help have led scholars to look for alternative avenues that would provide mental health services to this population. One such alternative is the use of books, known as bibliotherapy. Self-help (e.g., reading a book with no therapist involvement) has emerged as a possible cost-effective intervention. The authors of this study assessed two 3-month interventions for parents of children with ADHD: a) emotional coaching by a therapist (n = 35); versus b), self-help using a book (n = 31). The interventions were found to be equally effective in increasing parental competence and positive responses to negative child emotions. However, in the coaching condition, participant drop out was lower and parents had fewer restrictive responses to their children. In both conditions parents developed self-awareness, gained new perspectives of the situation, and reported change in their behavior.