Parents of children with chronic health conditions (and the children themselves) may benefit from problem-solving skills training (PSST), a systematic review and meta-analysis suggests.
A total of 23 randomised clinical trials were assessed, involving 3141 parents. PSST was the primary focus of intervention across all the trials.
Overall, the study found PSST to have a ‘significant positive effect’ on problem-solving skills, depression and distress in parents.
Compared to control groups, PSST was also associated with fewer mental health problems in their children. And researchers found a small possibility that PSST may reduce parent-child conflict.
The authors believe that further research is needed, including how to integrate digital tools in training. They wrote: ‘With the rapid development of internet and mobile technologies in paediatric nursing, future research could combine in-person PSST with enhanced online materials.’
Image | Shutterstock
