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Parent–youth discrepancy in the assessment and treatment of youth in usual clinical care setting: consequences to parent involvement

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Abstract

Background

Involving parents in the treatment of youth referred for mental health problems is an important agenda. Parent involvement is associated with treatment retention, greater family participation, and positive outcomes. The main goal of the present study was to examine the role of youth and parent report of the youth’s psychopathology and interpersonal problems on parent involvement in outpatient treatment of the youth.

Methods

Data were gathered from 63 referred youth in treatment in an outpatient clinic. Subjects reported the youth’s interpersonal problems and problem syndromes. The direct account of the youth and parents was examined for association with two indices of parent involvement, namely, the mothers’ behavioral involvement (BI) and personal emotional involvement (PEI) in the treatment process.

Results

Results showed that while direct reports of the youth and parents were not significant predictors of parent involvement, discrepancy scores predicted parent involvement. Further, there were twice as many scales of interpersonal problems that were related to parent involvement as the syndrome scales.

Conclusion

The ability of discrepancy scores in predicting parent involvement underscores that it is not only a risk factor for later development of adverse outcomes, but also related with essential treatment processes. Clinicians may be able to address these issues and aid in treatment processes leading to desired outcomes.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the invaluable contribution of the youth and their parents by participating in this study. Further, we acknowledge the support of the department of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stavanger University Hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stavanger University Hospital, Post Box 1163, Hillevaag, N-4095, Stavanger, Norway

    Pravin Israel & Johannes H. Langeveld

  2. Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Aarhus, Denmark

    Per H. Thomsen

  3. Regional Center of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Bergen, Oslo, Norway

    Per H. Thomsen & Kjell M. Stormark

Authors
  1. Pravin Israel
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  2. Per H. Thomsen
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  3. Johannes H. Langeveld
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  4. Kjell M. Stormark
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pravin Israel.

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Israel, P., Thomsen, P.H., Langeveld, J.H. et al. Parent–youth discrepancy in the assessment and treatment of youth in usual clinical care setting: consequences to parent involvement. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 16, 138–148 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-006-0583-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-006-0583-y

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