Physical Abuse Treatment Outcome Project: Application of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to Physically Abusive Parents, Final Report

• NCJ Number: 213210
• Author(s): Mark Chaffin Ph.D.; Jane F. Silovsky Ph.D.; Beverly Funderburk Ph.D.; Linda Anne Valle Ph.D.; Elizabeth V. Breston Ph.D.; Tatiana Balachova Ph.D.; Shelli Shultz Ph.D.; Barbara L. Bonner Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 25 pages
• Grant Number(s): 90CA1633
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Corporate Author: Ctr on Child Abuse and Neglect
• Sale Source: Ctr on Child Abuse and Neglect
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded February 27, 2006.

Annotation

This report presents the results from a 4-year research project assessing the efficacy and sufficiency of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in preventing re-reports of physical abuse.

Abstract

Main findings indicated that parent participants in the PCIT-based intervention had significantly lower re-report rates than the standard community parenting group intervention: 19 percent and 49 percent re-report rates, respectively. Wrap-around services, such as home visits, depression treatment, and family or marital counseling did not improve re-report outcomes and there was some evidence that these wrap-around services actually had a negative impact on re-report rates. Future study of this surprising trend is warranted. Re-report outcomes were relatively consistent across different therapists and parent participants. Finally, while the PCIT-based intervention was more effective than the standard community intervention, it was also more costly, ranging between $371 and $1,326 to avert a single re-report, depending upon staffing and related considerations. The findings support the use of PCIT-based behavioral parenting programs with the addition of a motivational enhancement orientation for physically abusive parents. Evaluation methodology involved randomly assigning 110 physically abusive parents entering the child welfare system into 1 of 3 intervention groups: (1) a modified PCIT-based parenting program; (2) the same modified PCIT-based program plus individualized wrap-around services; and (3) a community parenting group program. Parents completed pre-treatment assessment measures including a demographic questionnaire and questionnaires assessing child abuse potential, child neglect, abuse dimensions, depression, child behavior, readiness for treatment, intelligence, and alcohol and other drug problems. Official child maltreatment reports were also examined with parents’ consent. Follow-up was conducted for subsequent maltreatment reports for a median of 850 days following treatment completion. Future physical abuse reports and time to first physical abuse re-referral event were analyzed using survival analysis. Follow up studies should attempt to replicate these results in a field setting. Tables, figures, footnotes, references