Mind the Gap: Exploring Parental Intentions, Actual Engagement, and Associated Outcomes in Tailored Digital Parent Training

Background/Objectives: Digital parent training (DPT) programs offer scalable solutions for childhood disruptive behaviors but face significant engagement challenges. Although content tailoring may enhance outcomes, its clinical impact remains under-examined. This study aimed to (a) describe the correspondence between program recommendations, parental choices and engagement, and (b) examine how initial decisions are associated with subsequent engagement and therapeutic outcomes. Methods: A secondary analysis of three randomized trials included 151 parents of children (ages 3–7) with disruptive behaviors. Participants were classified as ‘Recommendation-Adherent’ (n = 63) or ‘Beyond-Recommendation’ (n = 88) based on whether initial content selections matched or exceeded program recommendations. Clinical outcomes (child behavior, parenting styles) and objective usage metrics were assessed at baseline and post intervention. Results: Many parents chose to expand the intervention scope beyond clinical recommendations (e.g., 91.5% selected the non-recommended Emotion Regulation module). However, this proactive initial intention did not increase objective engagement; groups did not differ significantly in total usage time, login days, or module completion rates. Although both groups showed comparable improvements in child behavior, intending to adhere to the recommended pathway was associated with significantly greater reductions in permissive parenting (laxness; p = 0.029) after adjusting for baseline differences. Conclusions: The findings highlight a discrepancy between parents’ intent to expand intervention scope and their actual engagement capacity. While the decision to adhere to a tailored pathway was associated with specific improvements in permissive parenting, the observational nature of the study precludes causal claims. Nevertheless, the results suggest that guided tailoring may serve as a protective function against choice overload. Aligning program demands with the practical realities of parental effort could help families focus finite energy on essential clinical targets.