Family Interaction and Psychopathology

Abstract

Previous research has not identified parent-child interaction patterns associated with different forms of child psychopathology. This study examined whether specific parent-child interaction patterns are differentially associated with childhood depression and anxiety and childhood aggression. Forty-two clinically-referred children and adolescents 8 to 16 years old and their primary parents constituted the sample. Children were classified into four groups based on parental responses to the Child Behaviour Checklist (Achenbach, 1991): Aggressive (n = 9); depressed/anxious (n = 11); mixed aggressive and depressed/anxious (n = 12); and children whose parents report few clinical symptoms (n = 10). Parents and children participated in a 6-minute videotaped conflict discussion task, and the observed behaviours (verbal and nonverbal) were coded using the Structural Analysis of Social Behaviour (Benjamin, 1974). Results suggest that parents of aggressive children were less affirming and understanding, more critical and blaming, and less disclosing and expressive towards their children than parents of nonaggressive children. When aggressive children were also depressed, their parents tended to be less critical towards them than parents of aggressive only children. Parents of depressed/anxious children were also less disclosing and expressive, but no more critical or hostile than parents of nondepressed children. Aggressive children were less warm towards their parents than nonaggressive children, and depressed/anxious children tended to be less controlling and domineering towards their parents than nondepressed children. The results provide insight into the specific family behaviours of children with different problems.