New parenting study aims to help kids with asthma
Press release: 6 October 2010
A successful parenting programme that has previously helped children with behavioural problems is being expanded to see if it can also help improve the lives of youngsters with asthma.
The research, by clinical psychologists at The University of Manchester, is based on findings that over-protective or overly lenient parenting can make asthma worse.
The study will provide 120 parents of children with asthma with information and guidance on how to manage bad behaviour when it happens and how to prevent problems with asthma.
The research team hope to help parents avoid what they call ‘parenting traps’. Lead researcher Dr Sally Clarke said: “A parenting trap is, for example, letting a child throw a tantrum in a supermarket just because they are unwell.
“This can teach the child to act sick even when they are well and encourage them to use their illness to get out of things they don’t want to do.”
The research team is using a parenting programme recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) called ‘Triple P’, which stands for Positive Parenting Programme.
Triple P, which has previously improved the lives of children with behavioural problems and young people with learning disabilities, is being developed specifically for use with children with asthma.
“Triple P is an excellent programme that has already helped improve the lives of many families,” said Dr Clarke. “This new study will test whether the same principles can also improve the quality of life of children with asthma and their families.”
The parents will have access to asthma ‘tip sheets’ and eight weeks’ worth of short video clips, as well as their own self-help booklet. They will be able to participate online or by post.
More information about the study can be found on the Parenting and Asthma study website.
Ends
Notes for editors
This research is being overseen by two of the world's leading proponents of Triple P, Professor Matthew Sanders, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Queensland, Australia and Rachel Calam, Reader in Clinical Psychology at The University of Manchester.
Further information
Aeron Haworth
Media Relations
Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences
The University of Manchester
Tel: +44 (0)161 275 8383
Mob: +44 (0)7717 881563
Email: aeron.haworth@manchester.ac.uk
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