Training Effects on Recovering Parents' Self-Efficacy to Identify Problems, Solutions and Resources to Prevent Internet Addiction in Youth

Abstract

This study examined the effects of a 2-hour training on the self-efficacy of parents in recovery from substance use disorder to intercede in their children's Internet technology use in order to prevent future problems with Internet addiction (IA). Using a quasi-experimental pre-post-test/post-test design, 32 parents between the ages of 19-48 in a recovery center were assigned to receive the parent training or to participate in control-comparison group. Prior to the study, a Parental Self-Assessment Inventory (PSAI) was developed and field tested as a measure of Parental Self-Efficacy (PSE) to identify problems, solutions and resources supported in research to increase resiliency of children and adolescents to manage appropriately their technology use. During the study, The PSAI demonstrated internal consistency and was shown to be an effective measure of PSE to intervene effectively in youth Internet technology use. A doubly univariate analysis was conducted to determine whether there were significant PSAI outcomes between study participants. Significant multivariate effects were not found for main effect of group. However, significant multivariate effect with a large effect size was found for the main effect of time. Moreover, a statistically significant and large effect size was also found for the multivariate the training by group interaction. The parent training produced a significant positive effect on PSE of the study participants who attended the 2-hour training. Researchers, counselor educators, and clinicians could all benefit from considering these findings when addressing parenting issues for individuals in recovery.