Parents of early adolescents who report experiencing stress will be randomly assigned to receive the 8 week PM or PE intervention. Before, during, and after the interventions, and at 6 month, 1 year, and 2 year follow-ups (into middle adolescence), the researchers will collect questionnaire, interview, and biological measures of parent stress, parenting, and adolescent substance use and psychological symptoms. At pre- and post-intervention, observed parenting and stress reactivity will be measured in a parent-adolescent interaction task. Some mothers will also complete fMRI sessions at pre- and post- examining emotion-related neurobiological mechanisms.
This study will conduct a large Randomized Controlled Trial to test effects of a parenting mindfully (PM) intervention versus a parent education (PE) intervention for highly stressed parents of adolescents.