Trial results for a micro-randomized study investigating mobile behavioral parent training for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-04-29. The study found that personalized in-the-moment parenting suggestions resulted in a mean positive sentiment of 0.409 in passive audio data.
Background
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting children, characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is a widely recognized and effective intervention for managing ADHD symptoms and improving child behavior. However, traditional BPT often requires in-person sessions, which can pose accessibility challenges for many families. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions, such as smartphone applications, offer a promising solution to deliver BPT more flexibly and provide real-time support to caregivers, potentially enhancing the consistency and effectiveness of parenting strategies in daily life.
Trial design
This completed study, identified as Phase NA, enrolled 34 participants with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The trial aimed to develop and refine a personalized behavioral parent training intervention for caregivers using a smartphone application. The program delivered positive parenting techniques through videos and quizzes and provided in-the-moment feedback. This micro-randomized trial specifically investigated whether in-the-moment feedback, delivered via smartphone push notifications, influenced parenting behaviors. The study compared three conditions: "Personalized In-the-moment Parenting Suggestions," "Personalized In-the-moment Parenting Feedback," and "No Micro-intervention in the Moment."
Key results
The trial measured various outcomes, including sentiment analysis from passive audio data and intervention engagement:
- Passive Audio Data-Positive Sentiment Analysis:
- For the group receiving "Personalized In-the-moment Parenting Suggestions," the mean proportion of positive sentiment was 0.409 (Standard Deviation: 0.492).
- For the group receiving "Personalized In-the-moment Parenting Feedback," the mean proportion of positive sentiment was 0.369 (Standard Deviation: 0.483).
- For the group with "No Micro-intervention in the Moment," the mean proportion of positive sentiment was 0.388 (Standard Deviation: 0.488).
- Passive Audio Data-Negative Sentiment Analysis:
- For the group receiving "Personalized In-the-moment Parenting Suggestions," the mean proportion of negative sentiment was 0.296 (Standard Deviation: 0.457).
- For the group receiving "Personalized In-the-moment Parenting Feedback," the mean proportion of negative sentiment was 0.327 (Standard Deviation: 0.470).
- For the group with "No Micro-intervention in the Moment," the mean proportion of negative sentiment was 0.305 (Standard Deviation: 0.461).
- Intervention Engagement:
- For the group using "mBPT With Personalized Micro-interventions," the mean number of modules completed was 3.58 (Standard Deviation: 2.81).
What this means
The results suggest that mobile behavioral parent training, particularly when incorporating personalized in-the-moment parenting suggestions, may contribute to a slightly higher proportion of positive sentiment in parent-child interactions compared to direct feedback or no micro-intervention. While the differences in sentiment analysis means across groups are modest, the findings indicate the potential utility of mobile platforms for delivering targeted support to caregivers of children with ADHD. The reported engagement of completing a mean of 3.58 modules also highlights the feasibility of caregiver participation in such digital interventions, offering an accessible avenue for ongoing parental support and skill development.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT06012851, titled "Mobile Behavioral Parent Training for Childhood ADHD: A Micro-randomized Trial", were posted on 2026-04-29 on clinicaltrials.gov.