Abstract
This study uses a multi-method approach to investigate the effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in reducing children's behavior problems when parents report clinical levels of depressive symptoms. Participants were 132 children, 2-7 years of age, and their biological mothers, who either reported low (N = 78) or clinical levels of depressive symptoms (N = 54). Results showed that depressive mothers were likely to report more severe child behavior problems than non-depressive mothers at the pre-treatment assessment, but that depressive mothers reported greater reductions in child behavior problems than non-depressive mothers from pre- to post-treatment. The two groups showed similar levels of observed interaction quality at the pre-treatment assessment (i.e., parent and child emotional availability and parent verbalization patterns) and similar improvements in interaction quality from pre- to post-treatment. The implications of the findings for clinical practice were discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 406-423 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Child Psychiatry and Human Development |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2011 |
Keywords
- Maternal depression
- Parent-child interaction therapy
- Treatment outcomes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Developmental and Educational Psychology