Screening Parents During Child Evaluations: Exploring Parent and Child Psychopathology in the Same Clinic

Abstract

Objective-Children of depressed and/or anxious parents are at increased risk for developing psychiatric disorders. Little research has focused on screening parents bringing their children for psychiatric evaluation, and few studies have included fathers or Hispanic children. This study aimed to: 1) identify current symptom rates in parents bringing their children for evaluation and 2) determine if parental symptoms were associated with children's symptoms, diagnoses, and functioning.Method-The sample included 801 mothers, 182 fathers, and 848 children (ages 6-18). The majority were Hispanic (55.66%) who attended a child and adolescent psychiatric evaluation service. Parent and child symptoms were assessed via parental reports. Children's diagnoses and functioning were determined by clinicians. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine if severity of parental symptoms was associated with clinical child variables adjusting for child and parent demographic variables.Results-18.80% of mothers and 18.42% of fathers reported elevated internalizing symptoms. Maternal symptoms were significantly associated with problems in children's functioning and children's anxiety, depression and oppositional/conduct diagnoses; but not attention deficithyperactivity disorder. Adjusting for parental and child demographics had a reduction on the effect of maternal symptoms on child depression. Paternal symptoms and functioning were positively associated with children's diagnoses, but smaller and not significant. Both parents' symptoms were significantly associated with children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, these significant effects were not moderated by marital status or child ethnicity. Unit 24, New York, N.Y. 10032, Phone: 212-543-6824, Fax: 212-543-6660, vidairh@childpsych.columbia.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIMH or the National Institutes of Health. Conclusions-This study highlights the importance of screening parents when their children receive a psychiatric evaluation. It supports the development of mental health services that addresses psychiatric needs of the entire family within one clinical setting. Keywords parent screening; child psychiatric evaluationChildren and adolescents whose parents suffer from depression and anxiety are at high risk for developing their own psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Top-down studies assessing offspring of parents with lifetime symptoms as compared to non-symptomatic ...

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