Effectiveness of the Prevention Program for Externalizing Problem Behavior (PEP) in Preschoolers with Severe and No or Mild ADHD Symptoms

Zusammenfassung. Abstract: Objective : The prevention program for externalizing problem behavior (PEP), developed for parents and teachers of preschool children, showed the effectiveness of both modules (PEP-PA and PEP-TE) under routine care conditions in two separate studies. This secondary analysis examined the effects of both modules on preschool children with severe attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms compared with children with no or mild ADHD symptoms. Methods : In the within-subject control group, design changes in child symptoms and problem behavior in specific situations at home and school during the waiting period were compared with changes during the intervention period (3 months each). Results : For children with severe ADHD, parent training reduced specific problem situations at home (HSQ-D[please provide full name here]), and teacher training showed significant effects on oppositional-aggressive behavior as well as the total problem score of the Caregiver Teacher Report Form (C-TRF). Children with no or mild ADHD benefited from parent training on the HSQ-D score, oppositional-aggressive behavior and the total problem score of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), while teacher training had significant effects on all outcomes assessed. Conclusion : Our results suggest that parent training reduces mainly specific behavior problems at home in children with severe ADHD symptoms and with no/mild ADHD symptoms, while teacher training reduces ADHD symptoms and ODD[please provide full name here] symptoms including specific behavior problems in the kindergarten in children with no/mild ADHD symptoms. However, in children with severe ADHD only overall problems and ODD symptoms were significantly reduced by teacher training.