Poster #60 - Parent-Child Symptom Agreement: Links to Attrition from Trauma-Focused Treatment

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Despite the efficacy of trauma-focused treatment among children, rates of attrition in this population are high (Wamser-Nanney & Steiznor, 2017). Further, relatively few risk factors for premature termination have been identified. Parent-child symptom agreement has predicted treatment outcome among trauma-exposed children (Humphreys, Weems & Scheeringa, 2017); however, parent-child symptom discrepancies have not been examined in relation to attrition. If parent-child symptom discordance is a risk factor for premature termination, then it is possible that increasing caregiver’s awareness of children’s levels of difficulties could help prevent premature termination. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether parent-child symptom agreement was related to attrition. Three hundred and eight treatment-seeking children and their caregivers were included in the study (M = 9.73, SD =2.61; 65.1% female; 43.7% White). Demographic and family variables and levels of caregiver- and child-reported trauma symptom agreement were assessed in relation to two operational definitions of attrition: 1) clinician-rated dropout, and 2) whether the child received an adequate dose of treatment (i.e., 12 or more sessions; Warnick et al., 2012). Results indicated that younger child age, racial minority status, and higher levels of parent-child anxiety symptom discrepancies predicted both treatment non-completion and whether the child received an adequate dose. Parent-child posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) symptom agreement was unrelated to either definition of attrition. Parent-child symptom agreement regarding anxiety symptoms may help identify families at risk for premature termination from pediatric trauma-focused treatment.

Authors

• Rachel Wamser-Nanney, University of Missouri St. Louis
  Presenting Author

• Claudia Campbell, University of Missouri - St. Louis
  Non-Presenting Author