ABSTRACT
This chapter describes behavioural family interventions for the management of childhood behaviour problems. It summarises the role of primary care staff, including health visitors, in delivering evidence-based programmes to families of children with challenging behaviour. Helping parents to develop effective child management strategies by way of behaviourally based family interventions is a proven effective treatment approach that is recommended with parents. Most effective interventions are based on social learning theory, are “cognitive-behavioural” in orientation, and such programmes are increasingly being used in the UK. The specific components essential in family interventions, there are other factors that influence the outcome of treatment. These factors are common to many different fields, including medicine, psychiatry and education, and can help to explain the positive and similar results obtained from theoretically different interventions. At higher levels, interventions become more intensive as difficulties become more severe.
