Abstract
Several investigators have underlined the importance of long-term prevention programs in order to expect positive results for at-risk children. One essential prerequisite to addressing this issue is the retention of participants in such programs. The present study aims at examining the contribution of mother–child interactions, mother's social isolation, improvement in the mother–child relationship, and improvement in the child's behavior to the prediction of persistence. Participants (n = 59 disruptive boys) were recruited for a 3-year multicomponent preventive intervention program. Results indicated an improvement of the boys' behavior (reduction of inattention/hyperactivity and reduction of fighting) during the first year of the program, and showed that mother–child positive interactions before the beginning of the program were the best predictors of persistence. Implications of these results for long-term preventive programs are discussed.
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Charlebois, P., Vitaro, F., Normandeau, S. et al. Predictors of Persistence in a Longitudinal Preventive Intervention Program for Young Disruptive Boys. Prev Sci 2, 133–143 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011537922991
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011537922991