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- Childhood behaviour problems: evaluation of an early parent training programme in the portuguese communityPublication . Maciel, Laura Jardim; Basto Pereira, MiguelChildhood externalising behaviours constitute a prevalent developmental difficulty associated with significant short- and long-term consequences, both for the individual and for their families. Parenting programmes are considered one of the most effective interventions to address this issue. However, most of these programmes originate from Anglosphere contexts, generating important gaps in empirical research regarding their cross-cultural transportability. In Portugal, few evidence-based parenting interventions have been implemented and empirically evaluated, resulting in a problematic limitation in service provision that addresses childhood externalising problems. Additionally, the parental mechanisms underpinning childhood behaviour improvements in these programmes remain insufficiently studied. This doctoral thesis aimed to address these concerning limitations by studying the cross-cultural transportability of Anglosphere-developed parenting programmes to non-Anglosphere settings. Concomitantly, it aimed to culturally adapt, implement and assess the UK-developed Being a Parent (BaP) programme in Portugal, and analyse potential parental processes arising from the intervention that promote changes in child behaviour. The execution of these objectives resulted in the development of five papers. The first paper conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and examined differences in the effectiveness of Anglosphere-developed parenting programmes when implemented in non-Anglosphere countries. The second paper, a narrative review, synthesised the theoretical framework, delivery model, and evidence of the BaP programme. The third contribution is the protocol of our feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) that outlines the methodological approach to the experimental trial of the Portuguese version of the BaP programme, Ser Pai & Ser Mãe (SPSM). Our fourth paper reports the results of this feasibility RCT, in which 55 families were randomised to an intervention and a waitlist control group, with the intervention group participating in the 9-session SPSM programme. The feasibility of the programme and changes in children’s behaviours were evaluated. The fifth paper, with a mixed-methods design, examined the mechanisms of parental change potentially associated with improvements in externalising behaviour during childhood. Our findings provide robust support for the international dissemination of parenting programmes. Our meta-analysis demonstrated that Anglosphere-developed parenting programmes can maintain effectiveness in reducing childhood externalising behaviour when transported to non-Anglosphere countries. The experimental trial of the SPSM-BaP programme showed not only its feasibility of implementation in the Portuguese context, but also significant improvements in children’s aggressive behaviour, authoritarian parenting practices, and parental sense of competence. Additionally, the mixed-methods study identified several parental mechanisms associated with improvements in child behaviour. These mechanisms seem to operate reciprocally, reinforcing improvements in child and parental behaviour, thus conceptualising an explanatory model of how parenting interventions work. Despite its limitations, this doctoral thesis presents relevant contributions beyond the assessment of the SPSM-BaP programme. They add scientific evidence to the broader literature on cross-cultural transportability and on the mechanisms promoting change in parenting programmes. These findings not only consolidate the empirical literature, but also assume relevance for guiding future research, the development of public policies, and professional practice, both in Portugal and globally.