AzTrials
AzTrials

Parental Emotion SocializationTIK-PTNCT07350083

Tuning in to Kids® for Parents of Preschool-aged Children in Portugal

A study testing Tuning in to Kids® in people with Parental Emotion Socialization and Parents' Beliefs About and Reactions to Children's Emotions, run by Lusofona University at 1 site in Portugal.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Early parent-child interactions, namely how parents respond to their children's emotions (i.e., emotion socialization parenting practices [ESPP]), may play a critical role in how children develop emotion regulation abilities. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 99 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Tuning in to Kids®
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
152 participants
Where
1 sitePortugal
Study dates
2 Dec 2025to 30 Sep 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 99 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Parents/legal guardians:
  • with at least one child aged between 3 and 6 years old (inclusive) who lives with the parent/legal guardian,
  • with at least 18 years old,
  • who can read, understand, and speak Portuguese
  • who live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area or Lisbon District. When applicable, both parents will be allowed to participate.

Who cannot join

  • parents' poor Portuguese language skills
  • parents' being currently enrolled in another structured parenting program
  • if the target child is already attending elementary school at the time of recruitment
  • if the target child has a diagnosis of a severe Communication and/or Developmental Disorder, or
  • if the target child is under a child protection measure that implies that the child does not live with their parents (e.g., if the child is in foster care).
  • Only participants that give informed consent to participate in the study will be included and randomized to one of the study conditions (TIK vs. waiting list group).

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Portugal1 site, 1 recruiting
  • School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Lusófona University

    Lisbon, 1749-024

    Stephanie Alves, +351 21 751 5500, stephanie.alves@ulusofona.pt

    Recruiting

Other trials in Portugal

About this study

Official title: Promoting Parental and Child Mental Health Through Emotion-focused Parenting Programs: Adaptation, Implementation, and Evaluation of Tuning in to Kids® in Portugal

Early parent-child interactions, namely how parents respond to their children's emotions (i.e., emotion socialization parenting practices [ESPP]), may play a critical role in how children develop emotion regulation abilities. When parents rely on unsupportive ESPP, this can result in regulatory problems, which are a transdiagnostic symptom of MH problems, being a major cause of its etiology. Emotion-focused parenting programs, such as Tuning in to Kids® (TIK), promote parents' emotion coaching skills, enabling children to understand and regulate their emotions in more effective ways, while also supporting parents in managing their own emotions.

This study aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability, implementation fidelity and efficacy of the TIK program among parents of preschool-aged children in Portugal. TIK is a 6-week group, face-to-face program grounded in the principles of emotion coaching, among other theoretical backgrounds such as Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation Theories.

This trial is a parallel two-arm randomized clinical trial. Participants will be parents/legal guardians (> 18 years old) with at least one child between 3 and 6 years old and with proficiency in portuguese. At least 152 parents/legal guardians will be recruited with the support of several community partners. Interested parents will be contacted by telephone to confirm their eligibility. Participants will be informed about their eligibility during the intake interview, followed by a full explanation of the clinical trial procedures. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (TIK) or a waitlist control group, with the latter receiving the intervention after the follow-up assessment. The intervention consists of six weekly in-person group sessions plus one follow-up session, each lasting approximately 2 hours. Participants in both groups will complete questionnaires at three time points - baseline, post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up - covering different dimensions of children (e.g., children's emotional and developmental difficulties) and parental (e.g., parenting stress) psychological functioning, and parenting (e.g., ESPP).

Being tested
Tuning in to Kids®
Keywords
Tuning in to Kids®, parental emotion socialization, randomized controlled trial, preschool, children emotional and behavioral difficulties

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Tuning in to Kids®Behavioural

    Tuning in to Kids® (TIK) is a manualized program delivered by trained facilitators (6 weekly - 2h - group sessions) and aimed to promote parents' emotion socialization practices that are supportive of the child's expression of emotion (emotion coaching; e.g., comforting, teaching constructive means of coping), while reducing unsupportive ESPP (emotion dismissing; e.g., punishing or minimizing). An additional booster session may be held after two months of program's conclusion. TIK includes strategies informed by emotion coaching principles, including psychoeducation, roleplays, video materials, mindfulness-based exercises, and group discussions. By addressing a core mechanism leading to different emotional and behavioral childhood disorders (i.e. difficulties in emotion regulation), TIK is susceptible to promoting children's long-term full potential and parental mental health outcomes.

Study groups in NCT07350083
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Tuning in to Kids® interventionExperimentalParticipants will attend a 6-week, in-person group program structured around emotion coaching principles (Tuning in to Kids®).
Receives: Behavioral: Tuning in to Kids®
Waiting list groupOtherParticipants will be offered and receive TIK after the conclusion of the final follow-up assessment.
Receives: Behavioral: Tuning in to Kids®

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Changes from baseline in parents' beliefs about children's emotions

    Measured with the Parents' Beliefs About Children's Emotions Questionnaire (PBACE). The PBACE is a 33-item self-report questionnaire, with items rated on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). The present study will use the following subscales: Value of Anger, Manipulation, Control, and Autonomy. Subscale scores will be calculated by averaging item responses, with higher scores indicating stronger endorsement of the corresponding belief in that category.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 months follow-up

  2. Changes from baseline in parents' reactions to children's emotions

    Measured with the Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES). The CCNES is a parent-report measure assessing how parents respond to children's negative emotions across 12 hypothetical scenarios, with responses rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (very unlikely) to 7 (very likely). The CCNES comprises seven subscales: Emotion-Focused, Problem-Focused, Expressive Encouragement, Minimizing, Punitive, Distress, and Ignoring reactions. Items from the first three subscales are summed to create a composite measure of emotion coaching, whereas items from the remaining four subscales are summed to assess emotion dismissing responses. For each scale, total scores are calculated by averaging item responses, with higher scores indicating greater endorsement of the corresponding practice.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 months follow-up

  3. Changes from baseline in parents' emotion regulation (parenting-specific)

    Measured with the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale (IM-P). The IM-P is a 29-item self-report instrument rated on a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 (never true) to 5 (always true). The Self-Regulation in Parenting will be assessed as primary outcome. Subscale scores will be calculated by summing item responses. Higher scores on the Self-Regulation in Parenting subscale indicate greater ability to regulate emotions and behaviors within the parenting context.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 months follow-up

  4. Changes from baseline in parents' emotional regulation (general)

    Measured with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form (DERS-SF). The DERS-SF is a self-report measure, including 18 items, rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always). A total score is obtained by averaging all items, with higher scores indicating greater difficulties. In line with the recommendations of the Portuguese authors, items 1, 4 and 6 will be excluded from the analyses.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 month follow-up

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Changes from baseline in children's behavioral and emotional difficulties

    Measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - Parent (SDQ-P). The SDQ-P is a self-report measure for parents, including 25 items, each rated on a 3-point Likert scale, from 0 (not true) to 2 (certainly true). The total difficulties score is calculated by summing the scores from the following subscales: Emotional Symptoms, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity/Inattention, and Peer Relationship Problems. Higher scores reflect greater difficulties. The Prosocial Behavior subscale is scored separately, as a measure of strengths. Two age-specific versions will be presented to parents (for children aged 3-4 and 5-6). The versions differ slightly in wording, but share the same scoring method and interpretation.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 month follow-up

  2. Changes from baseline in children' emotional regulation

    Measured with the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC). The ERC is a self-report measure consisting of 20 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (almost always). The ERC comprises two subscales: Emotion Regulation, and Emotion Lability/Negativity. For each subscale, a total score is obtained by the sum of the items. Higher scores on the Emotion Regulation subscale indicate higher emotion regulation; whereas higher scores on the Lability/Negativity subscale indicate higher difficulties in emotion regulation.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 month follow-up

  3. Changes from baseline in parenting stress

    Measured with the Parental Stress Scale (PSS). The PSS is a self-report scale comprising 18 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A total score is calculated by summing all items, with higher scores reflecting higher levels of parenting stress. Following the recommendations from the Portuguese authors, items 1-2 and 17-18 will be excluded from the analyses.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 month follow-up

  4. Changes from baseline in depressive symptoms

    Measured with the Depressive Symptoms subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). This subscale consists of 7 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale, from 0 to 3 (e.g., "not at all", "most of the time"). The total score is obtained by summing the scores of the items, with higher scores being indicative of higher levels of depressive symptoms.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 month follow-up

  5. Changes from baseline in parenting self-efficacy

    Measured with the Self-Efficacy subscale of the Me as a Parent Questionnaire (MaaP). This subscale consists of 4 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A total score is obtained by adding up the items, with higher scores reflecting higher levels of perceived self-efficacy.

    Measured: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 month follow-up

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted20 Jan 2026
  2. Study start2 Dec 2025
  3. Primary completion30 Sep 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Sep 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
152 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07350083
Sponsor's protocol ID
TIK-PT/FCG/335706
Other IDs
FCG/Growing Minds/335706, UID/05380/2025
Acronym
TIK-PT
Status last verified
Jan 2026
First submitted
23 Dec 2025
Last updated
20 Jan 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Collective results from this trial will be shared to scientific and non-scientific communities after its conclusion.

Publications

  • Alves S, Faria M, Pinto TM, Cruz AR, Sousa C, Beato A, Albuquerque SM, Dias V, Jongenelen I, Lamela D, Costa R, Pires R. Tuning in to Kids(R) for parents of preschool-aged children in Portugal: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychol. 2026 Apr 16;14(1):795. doi: 10.1186/s40359-026-04450-4.

    PubMed 41987342

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Tuning in to Kids® in people with Parental Emotion Socialization and Parents' Beliefs About and Reactions to Children's Emotions, run by Lusofona University at 1 site in Portugal.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Portugal. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Stephanie Alves (+351 21 751 5500, stephanie.alves@ulusofona.pt), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Changes from baseline in parents' beliefs about children's emotions (time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 2 months follow-up). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07350083, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Jan 2026.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in