Feasibility of Digital Augmentation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

Can parents and children use real-time digital therapeutic augmentation of behavior therapy via smartwatch for proactively applying evidence-based parenting skills when temper tantrums are anticipated to occur?This randomized clinical trial of 50 children with externalizing behavior problems achieved recruitment benchmark and demonstrated that delivering digital intervention was feasible. In families completing parent-child interaction therapy, children wearing the smartwatch exceeded the adherence benchmark (primary outcome), and parents responded to behavior prompts for proactive parenting skills in less than 4 seconds.The findings inform the design of fully powered future efficacy study of wearable-based digitally augmented parent-child interaction therapy.

Corresponding Authors: Arjun P. Athreya, MS, PhD, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (athreya.arjun@mayo.edu), and Magdalena Romanowicz, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology (romanowicz.magdalena@mayo.edu), Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55902.

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