A follow-up to the Incredible Years Parenting programme: The reflections of mothers one to two years later

Aim: The aim of the present research was to investigate mothers’ experiences from the perspective of one to two years after they had completed the Incredible Years Parenting programme (IYP). Rationale/Method: A substantial body of research indicates that the IYP is an effective way of tackling behavioural problems in children. Outcomes for parents have been less thoroughly investigated. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents (N=7), followed by thematic analysis of their responses. Findings: Results indicated that the overarching theme was change in the mother. The other themes were change in the child, change in approach to parenting, change in relationships, and increased access to social support. This research indicates that the IYP can be a powerful intervention for parents. The mothers valued the social support provided by the IYP and there was some suggestion that the IYP helped mothers who were experiencing mental health difficulties. According to the mothers interviewed, the father-child relationship could be enhanced even when the father did not attend the IYP. The research found that in some circumstances implementation of the IYP could cause mother-partner friction as the maternal way of parenting began to change. It was also found that the participants disseminated information gathered from the IYP to their family and friends. Conclusions: Evidence from the present study suggests that further changes to the delivery of the IYP and the support structures which are in place for participants, both during and following participation, could be considered, to further increase the effectiveness of the programme.