The effectiveness of a parenting program based on positive psychology on self-efficacy، emotional distress، and psychological burden on mothers of children with behavioral problems

Introduction: Childrenchr('39')s behavioral problems are described as extraversion behaviors and are often directed at others ، including; the mother is the primary caregiver rather than the child.  The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a parenting program based on positive psychology on self-efficacy، emotional distress، and psychological burden on mothers of children with behavioral problems. Methods: The method of this quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design was unequal with the control group. The research society were Mothers of Children with behavioral problems in Aligoderz city in 2019-20. Among which the mothers of 30 students were selected by available sampling method and randomly assigned to two equal groups (15 people in each group). The experimental group received 12 sessions of 90-minute parenting training based on positive psychology، and the control group did not receive any intervention. The research tools were Dumkachr('39')s Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale(1996)، Toronto’s Alexithymia Scale (1994)، Pai and Kapurchr('39')s Family Burden Interview Schedule (FBIS)(1984)، and Connerschr('39') Parent Rating Scale(1998). Data were analyzed by analysis of mixed variance، Shapiro-vilk test، Machili test and Levin test with the help of SPSS software version 22. Results: The findings showed that in the post-test phase، there was a significant difference between them in terms of all three variables of self-efficacy، emotional distress and psychological burden. In other words، positive parenting training increased self-efficacy (F = 11.6; p <0.05)، decreased emotional distress (F= 23.16; p <0.05 )، and decreased psychological burden (F = 8.01; p <0.05) in mothers of children with behavioral problems. Conclusion: Parenting program based on Positive Psychology with Emphasis on Positive Psychological Aspects such as; Promoting self-esteem، self-efficacy، and enhancing positive aspects of life can help mothers with children with behavioral problems.