Citation

Bambrah V, Mastorakos T, Cordeiro KM, Thornback K, Muller RT. J. Fam. Violence 2018; 33(4): 281-295.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10896-017-9948-x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Children and their caregivers often disagree when reporting on child behavioural and emotional difficulties. But how does parent-child discordance relate to outcomes, particularly among children undergoing trauma therapy? This study examined parent-child discordance in relation to children's trauma symptoms and therapy outcomes. Participants included 96 trauma-exposed children and their caregivers, who received Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Discordance was calculated using absolute difference scores between child- and parent- reported psychological symptoms. Parent-child discordance, calculated at pre-therapy, post-therapy, and at a six-month follow-up, predicted the severity of children's posttraumatic stress, dissociation, and internalizing and externalizing difficulties at each respective time-point. Pre-therapy discordance predicted improvements in externalizing behaviours after therapy and at follow-up. Improvements in discordance predicted improvements in trauma-specific symptoms over the course of treatment and at follow-up. The findings underscore how changes in parent-child discordance are related to child trauma symptoms and treatment response. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

Child Trauma; Dissociation; Externalizing symptoms; Internalizing symptoms; Parent–child discordance; Posttraumatic stress; Trauma Therapy