Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Ed. Specalist

Degree

*Ed.S.

Degree Name

Education Specialist (Ed.S.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational and Psychological Studies

Major Professor

Kathy Bradley-Klug, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Heather Agazzi, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Sarah Dickinson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

John Ferron, Ph.D.

Keywords

Parenting Interventions, Parenting Stress, Stress Biomarkers, Disruptive Behaviors

Abstract

Chronic stress is heightened for caregivers of children with heightened disruptive behaviors. With chronic stress supported as a major factor leading to maladaptive parenting and caregiving practices, exploring new ways to collect data on parenting stress remains a critical research priority (van der Lubbe et al., 2024). Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) programs are linked to improved parent-child relationships and reduced problem behavior (Armstrong, 2006; Agazzi, 2021; Patrusky, 2025). However, few studies have used physiological biomarkers in conjunction with self-reported measures to explore connections in this area. Similarly, other physiological considerations are rarely considered upon evaluation of the impacts of BPT programs on parenting stress. This gap in the literature necessitated an investigation into the effects of BPTs on self-reported parenting stress, blood pressure levels, and child disruptive behavior. Grounded in Engels (1977) Biopsychosocial and Belsky’s (1984) Process of Parenting models, this study examined the physiological, psychological, and lifestyle-related outcomes before and after caregiver participation in a well-established BPT intervention, Helping Our Toddlers Developing Our Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS; Agazzi & Dickinson, 2025). Five healthy caregivers participated in this single-case multiple-baseline design. Blood pressure readings were collected over the span of 10 weeks, and parenting stress was evaluated throughout baseline, intervention and post-intervention phases. Visual analyses, a multilevel hierarchical model, and Spearman’s rank orders were used to evaluate the outcomes of the study. The results of the multilevel hierarchical analyses did not indicate statistical significance in blood pressure reductions across the intervention phases. However, visual analyses and descriptive statistics indicated a reduction in average BP readings after the onset of the intervention across all participants. Similarly, results of Spearman’s rank order indicated a weak, negative relationship between total parenting stress and average systolic BP readings (p = -.20). Findings from this single-case study provide useful insights for future researchers regarding study design and contextual factors. They also offer supplementary support for the HOT DOCS intervention’s impact on child behavior and preliminary evidence suggesting reduced average BP levels among parents in a nonclinical sample. Although exploratory in nature, these findings contribute valuable context for future research examining the use of biomarkers to assess parenting stress.

Download

Share

COinS