Practitioner Perceptions of Issues Facing Parents with a Refugee Background and the Potential Utility of the Triple PPositive Parenting Program

Parents with a refugee background face a vast array of unique stressors placing them at a higher risk of using dysfunctional or coercive parenting strategies. Children with a refugee background are at an increased risk of behavioural and emotional problems making the quality of parenting they receive particularly important in determining positive life outcomes. To meet the unique needs of this vulnerable group, tailored parenting interventions are required. However, no evidence-based parenting interventions have been assessed for acceptability of use with parents from a refugee background. The Triple PPositive Parenting Program is a behavioural parenting intervention that has been extensively evaluated both at a population level and for culturally specific groups. Thus, the current thesis aimed to examine the perceptions of 42 practitioners working directly with refugees in Brisbane and Sydney, regarding: the current issues facing parents with a refugee background, and the potential utility of Triple P for these families. A mixed-method approach was used, including a quantitative survey and qualitative focus-groups. Quantitative results revealed that practitioners perceived all of the Triple P parenting strategies as highly acceptable and useful for parents with a refugee background, and were highly likely to recommend the use of the strategies to their clients. Qualitative results revealed that practitioner perceptions of refugee issues and program implementation fall into the six broad themes of: 1) practical adjustment to country, 2) adapting to culture, 3) trauma and mental health, 4) parenting and fear of child protection, 5) potential program barriers, and 6) program adaptation and implementation. Implications for implementing parenting and other interventions with parents from a refugee background, and directions for future research, are discussed.