Scaling Up Parenting Interventions is Critical for Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.

Of all the potentially modifiable influences affecting children's development and mental health across the life course, none is more important than the quality of parenting and family life. In this position paper, we argue that parenting is fundamentally linked to the development of life skills that children need in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We discuss key principles that should inform the development of a global research and implementation agenda related to scaling up evidence-based parenting support programs. Research over the past 50 years has shown that parenting support programs of varied intensity and delivery modality can improve a wide range of developmental, emotional, behavioral and health outcomes for parents and their children. Such findings have been replicated across culturally and socioeconomically diverse samples, albeit primarily in studies from Western countries. We highlight the evidence for the relevance of parenting interventions for attaining the SDGs globally, and identify the barriers to and strategies for achieving their scale-up. The implications of the global COVID-19 pandemic for the delivery of evidence-based parenting support are also discussed.

Anticipated Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Family Members Affected by Addiction

Aim: Although affected family members of individuals suffering from addiction (AFMs)show elevated levels of stress and strain they have been not adequately addressed by research and care.To date, there are no reliable data on the effects of the social restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on burden and care offers for AFMs. Method: International survey of experts and a survey of treatment providers from Germany. Results: While mainly an increase in strain due to the effects of the pandemic regarding increased risk behavior by the addicted family member and an increase of interpersonal conflicts is expected, also some possible positive effects on subgroups of AFMs were reported. Overall, a decline in supply for relatives and a trend for reduced demand for help by AFMs were reported from treatment providers. Conclusions: Effects of Addiction on the families should routinely be assessed in studies on addictive and affective disorders as well as in studies on domestic violence. Evidence-based support for AFMs should be offered nationwide and digital as well. Networking with other psychosocial offers should be optimized.