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Parent–Child Discordance and Child Trauma Symptomatology Throughout Therapy: Correlates and Treatment Response

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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.

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Funding

This research was funded by grants to Robert T. Muller, Ph.D., from the Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and the Hedge Funds Care Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada

    Veerpal Bambrah & Kristina M. Cordeiro

  2. Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Tessie Mastorakos

  3. The Child and Adolescent Psychology Centre, Toronto, Canada

    Kristin Thornback

  4. Department of Psychology, York University, Behavioural Sciences Building, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada

    Robert T. Muller

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  1. Veerpal Bambrah
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  2. Tessie Mastorakos
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  3. Kristina M. Cordeiro
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  4. Kristin Thornback
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  5. Robert T. Muller
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Correspondence to Robert T. Muller.

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Bambrah, V., Mastorakos, T., Cordeiro, K.M. et al. Parent–Child Discordance and Child Trauma Symptomatology Throughout Therapy: Correlates and Treatment Response. J Fam Viol 33, 281–295 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-017-9948-x

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