Circle of Security - Parenting: A Systematic review on Effectiveness of use of the parent training program within Multi-problem Families
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7577/njsr.3482Keywords:
Attachment based intervention, Systematic review, Multi-problem Families, Circle of Security-Parenting (COS-p), Parental stress, Secure attachmentAbstract
Introduction: Circle of Security-parenting (COS-p) is a simplified, relationship-based programme with the intention of developing parents’ observation and inferential skills related to understanding their child’s needs, increasing sensitivity to their child, aiding in emotional regulation, as well as decreasing any of their negative attributions to their child. COS-p is a widely used parenting programme that is gaining global popularity, as it is currently being delivered across several continents. Despite being one of the most frequently used interventions in Norwegian child protective services (CPS), no research has been conducted on this programme’s effectiveness when used in the CPS context. This study therefore aims to establish a systematic overview of the programme’s effectiveness for families within the CPS system, regarding both caregivers and benefits for the children.
Method: The database searches were originally conducted in June 2018 and updated in April 2020, encompassing 13 international bibliographical databases. The search for grey literature was conducted, and the generated articles these were then manually searched. A non-statistical narrative approach was used to analyse the studies due to the heterogeneity of the outcome measures. Research studies on the effectiveness of COS-p intervention, where the participants reported a minimum of two specifically defined risk factors, were included for further analysis.
Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies included in the review focus on a diversity of separate and isolated factors concerning caregivers but not the effect of the accumulation of risk factors and how this may or may not influence the potential effectiveness of COS-p. The findings’ strengths include some improvements in reducing parental stress, increasing self-efficacy and parenting skills, and promoting an understanding of child behaviour. There is no conclusive evidence that COS-p assists in increasing the security of the parent-child attachment relationship.
Discussion: Given the limited number of studies, further research is needed to examine if COS-p improves child behaviour, if its effects can be sustained over time and if it is more effective for particular populations.
References
Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment. Lawrence Erlbaum.
Bernier, A., Carlson, S. M., Deschênes, M., & Matte-Gagné, C. (2012). Social factors in the development of early executive functioning. A closer look at the caregiving environment. Developmental Science, 15(1), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2011.01093.x
Bernier, A., & Dozier, M. (2003). Bridging the attachment transmission gap: The role of maternal mind-mindedness. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27(4), 355-365. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650250244000399
Bodden, D., & Deković, M. (2010). Multiprobleemgezinnen ontrafeld [Multi-problem families unravelled]. Tijdschrift Voor Orthopedagogiek, 49(6), 259-271.
Brandtzæg, I., & Thorsteinson, S. (2014, June 14-18). Implementation of Circle of Security in Scandinavia [Conference presentation]. World Association of Infant Mental Health, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Bråten, B., & Sønsterudbråten, S. (2016). Foreldreveiledning - virker det? En kunnskapsstatus (Fafo-rapport 2016:29). Fafo Institutt for arbeidsliv- og velferdsforskning.
Byar, D. P. (1985). Assessing apparent treatment-covariate interactions in randomized clinical trials. Statistics in Medicine, 4(3), 255-263. https://doi.org/10.1002/sim.4780040304
Caruana, T. (2016). Theory and research considerations in implementing the Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P) Program. Communities, Children and Families Australia, 10(1), 45-58.
Cassidy, J., Brett, B. E., Gross, J. T., Stern, J. A., Martin, D. R., Mohr, J. J., & Woodhouse, S. S. (2017). Circle of Security-Parenting: A randomized controlled trial in Head Start. Development and Psychopathology, 29(2), 651-673. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579417000244
Christiansen, Ø., Bakketeig, E., Skilbred, D., Madsen, C., Havnen, K. J. S., Aarland, K., & Backe-Hansen, E. (2015). Forskningskunnskap om barnevernets hjelpetiltak. Bergen: Uni Research Helse, Regionalt kunnskapssenter for barn og unge (RKBU Vest).
Coldwell, J., Pike, A., & Dunn, J. (2006). Household chaos - links with parenting and child behaviour. Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 1116-1122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01655.x
Cooper, G., Hoffman, K., & Powell, B. (2009). Circle of Security Parenting: A relationship based parenting program. Facilitator DVD Manual 5.0. Spokane, WA: Circle of Security International.
EIF Guidebook (2019). Circle of Security Parenting. Early Intervention Foundation. https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/circle-of-security-parenting#keyprogramme-characteristics.
Evans, G. W. (2004). The environment of childhood poverty. American Psychologist, 59, 77-92. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.59.2.77
Fearon, R.P., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M.J., Van IJzendoorn, M.H., Lapsley, A-M., & Roisman, G.I. (2010). The Significance of Insecure Attachment and Disorganization in the Development of Children's Externalizing Behavior: A Meta‐Analytic Study. Child Development, 81(2), 435-456. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01405.x
Feldman, M. (2010). Parenting education programs. In Llewellyn, G., Traustadottir, R., McDonnell, D. & Sigurjonsdottir, S.B. (ed.). Parents with intellectual disabilities; Past, present and futures, 121-137. Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470660393.ch8
Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 348-362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
Higgins, J. P. T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. J., & Welch, V. A. (Eds.). (2019). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (2nd ed.). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119536604
Hoffman K. T., Marvin, R. S., Cooper, G., & Powell, B. (2006). Changing toddlers' and preschoolers' attachment classifications: The Circle of Security intervention.Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(6), 1017-1026. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.74.6.1017
Holwerda, A., Reijneveld, S. A., & Jansen, D. E. M. C. (2014). De effectiviteit van hulpverlening aan multiprobleemgezinnen: Een overzicht [The effectiveness of care for multiproblem families: An overview]. University Medical Center Groningen.
Horton, E., & Murray, C. (2015). A quantitative exploratory evaluation of the Circle of Security-Parenting program with mothers in residential substance-abuse treatment. Infant Mental Health, 36, 320-336. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21514
Kimmel, M. C., Cluxton-Keller, F., Frosch, E., Carter, T., & Solomon, B. S. (2017). Maternal experiences in a parenting group delivered in an urban general pediatric clinic. Clinical Pediatrics, 56(1), 13-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922816675012
Kohlhoff, J., Stein, M., Ha, M., & Mejaha, K. (2016). The circle of security parenting (cos-p) intervention: Pilot evaluation. Australian Journal of Child and Family Health Nursing, 13(1), 3-7.
Kolthof, H. J., Kikkert, M. J., & Dekker, J. (2014). Multiproblem or multirisk families? A broad review of the literature. Child and Adolescent Behavior, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.4172/2375-4494.1000148
Maupin, A. N., Samuel, E. E., Nappi, S. M., Heath, J. M., & Smith, M. V. (2017). Disseminating a parenting intervention in the community: Experiences from a multi-site evaluation. Child and Family Studies, 26, 3079-3092. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0804-7
Mildon, R., & Polimeni, M. (2012). Parenting in the early years: Effectiveness of parenting support programs for Indigenous families. Closing the Gap, resource sheet no. 16. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. BMJ, 339:b2535. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2535
Mothander, P. R., Furmark, C., & Neander, K. (2018). Adding "Circle of Security - Parenting" to treatment as usual in three Swedish infant mental health clinics. Effects on parents' internal representations and quality of parentinfant interaction. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(3), 262-272. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12419
Pazzagli, C., Laghezza, L., Manaresi, F., Mazzeschi, C., & Powell, B. (2014). The circle of security parenting and parental conflict: A single case study. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00887
Perrett, F., Spies, R., & Dolby, R. (2015, August 13-14). Enhancing familial mental health through parental reflection and education: Circle of Security-parenting program. [Conference presentation]. 16th International Mental Health Conference, Gold Coast, Australia.
Plauborg, R., & Jacobsen, A. L. (2017). Cos-P: Circle of Security - Parenting. Socialstyrelsen. https://vidensportal.dk/temaer/Omsorgssvigt/indsatser/circleof-security-2013-parenting-cos-p
Powell, B., Cooper, G., Hoffman, K., & Marvin, R. (2014). The Circle of Security intervention: Enhancing attachment in early parent-child relationship. Guilford.
Rothwell, W. J. (2005). Editorial and introduction. International Journal of Training and Development, 9, 1. https://doi.org/10.1111./j.1360-3736.2005.00217.x
Sameroff, A. J. (2000). Developmental systems and psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 12, 297-312. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579400003035
Seitz, V. (1981). Intervention and sleeper effects: A reply to Clark and Clark. Developmental Review, 1(4), 361-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-2297(81)90031-9
Spratt, T. (2011). Families with multiple problems: Some challenges in identifying and providing services to those experiencing adversities across the life course.Journal of Social Work, 11(4), 343-357. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017310379256
Tausendfreund, T., Knot-Dickscheit, J., Schulze, G.C., & Grietens, H. (2016). Families in Multi-Problem Situations: Backgrounds, Characteristics and Care Services. Child and Youth Services, 37(1), 1-19.https://doi.org/10.1080/0145935X.2015.1052133
Thompson, R. A. (2016). Early attachment and later development: Reframing the questions. In Cassidy, J. & Shaver, P.R. (ed.). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research and clinical applications, 330-348. 3rd Ed. Guilford Press.
Whipple, N., Bernier, A., & Mageau, G. A. (2011). A dimensional approach to maternal attachment state of mind: Relations to maternal sensitivity and maternal autonomy support. Developmental Psychology, 47(2), 396-403. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021310

Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Tina Gerdts-Andresen

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).