Prävention von problemen des sozialverhaltens im vorschulalter: Evaluation des Eltern- und Kindertrainings EFFEKT

Background: There is a lack of sound evaluations of developmental prevention programs in Germany. Objective: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a child social skills training program, a parenting training, and a combination of both. Method: From a sample of 675 kindergarten children and their families, 227 participated in one of the three training schemes and 227 were assigned to equivalent control groups. Outcomes were measured 2-3 months and up to 24 months after the programs by using preschool teachers' reports on the Preschool Social Behavior Questionnaire and a content analysis of the school report cards in first grade. Results: The programs showed positive short-term effects on conduct problems, hyperactivity, and emotional problems. Effects were most pronounced for the combined programs and for children with more problems. Long-term effects were less consistent across programs but revealed an overall reduction of problematic children at school. Conclusions: Results are concordant with international meta-analyses and justify a cautious optimism toward such programs.