Poster #59 - Longitudinal Bidirectional Associations Between Parent-Child Dynamics and Oppositional Defiant Dimensions in Boys

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Objective. Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms are prevalent and problematic among children, and are associated with difficulties in a variety of domains, including parenting problems (Bussing et al., 2003; Derella et al., in preparation). While studies of the dimensions of ODD have identified important differential effects for internalizing versus behavioral disorders (Burke, Hipwell, & Loeber, 2010), relatively little attention has yet been given to the possibility that parent-child interactions may be differentially affected by chronic irritability versus defiant behavior. This is particularly important, given that childhood chronic irritability has also gained increasing recognition with the novel diagnosis of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, which overlaps with the irritability dimension of ODD (Stringaris et al., 2017). Clarifying our understanding of reciprocal risk factors for dimensions of child and parent behavior may enhance our models of prevention and intervention for children with ODD. The present analyses examine the influence of irritability versus behavioral symptoms on changes in four measures of parenting behavior, and also test the influence of those parenting behaviors on changes in child symptoms in turn.
Methods. Data for the present analyses come from the Developmental Trends Study, a longitudinal study of 177 clinic-referred boys in Pennsylvania and Georgia assessed across childhood and adolescence. At baseline, boys were 7 to 12 years old; the current study harnesses annual parent-reported data from baseline to age 17. Children in the sample were Caucasian (70%) or African-American (30%). Child symptom counts of ODD dimensions, as well as covarying symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD), were assessed each year. A parenting practices questionnaire yielded annual measurement of parent-child relationship quality, timid discipline, poor communication, and parental involvement. Clustered generalized linear models were conducted to predict reciprocal relationships between ODD dimensions and parenting constructs, with predictor variables and an autoregressive effect lagged by one year (T-1). Model distributions were specified as appropriate to each outcome variable and a robust estimator of variance was used.
Results. Of the parenting variables of interest, only poorer parent-child relationship quality independently predicted increasing behavioral and irritability ODD symptoms over time. In terms of child effects, worsening parent-child relationship quality was predicted by the behavioral ODD dimension and ADHD symptoms. While both ODD dimensions predicted increasingly timid parenting, only ADHD contributed to worsening parental communication. Boys’ behavior was unrelated to change in parental involvement over time.
Conclusions. Consistent with prior research in this sample (Burke et al., 2008), boys’ behavior demonstrated substantial “child effects,” but effects on specific parenting behaviors depended on youth symptom domain. It is notable that only poorer parent-child relationship quality contributed to change in ODD symptoms over time after controlling for other disruptive behavior symptoms and parenting practices. Boys’ behavioral symptoms of ODD and ADHD reciprocally contributed to a worsening relationship. This suggests that in addition to facilitating change in specific parent and child behaviors, therapeutic interventions might also be strengthened by directly targeting the quality of the relationship. In contrast, behavioral and irritability symptoms impacted timid parenting in a unidirectional manner.

Authors

• Olivia Juliette Derella, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Emilie Bertschinger, University of Connecticut
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jeffrey Burke, University of Connecticut
  Non-Presenting Author