NCJ Number
124791
Journal
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1986) Pages: 315-329
Date Published
1986
Length
15 pages
Annotation
To compare parent psychopathology and family functioning among 27 juvenile firesetters and 27 nonfiresetters who were inpatients of a psychiatric facility, a standard psychiatric interview was administered individually to each mother or maternal guardian. Each guardian also completed, within 2 to 4 weeks of the child's hospitalization, several measures designed to reflect psychological dysfunction, marital satisfaction, and family environment.
Abstract
The 12 girls and 42 boys ranged in age from 6 to 12 years and in full-scale intelligence quotient from 70 to 120. Analyses of variance for the child variables of age, race, gender, and other subject and demographic differences indicated no significant differences between the firesetters and nonfiresetters. Similar analyses also indicated no differences between parents of firesetters and nonfiresetters in age, social class, proportion of single versus two-parent families, and welfare status. Two-way analyses of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist revealed significantly higher total scores for mothers of firesetters than for mothers of nonfiresetters. Mothers of firesetters also were significantly more depressed and reported lower consensus with their partners and less affectional expression than did mothers of nonfiresetters. Families of firesetters revealed significantly lower control scores on the Family Environment Scale, indicative of less structure and rule enforcement in their homes compared to nonfiresetters. The study findings provide preliminary evidence as to an association between childhood firesetting and both parental psychopathology and dysfunction in the marital relationship. 2 tables, 36 references.