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Changes in Hyperactivity and Temperament in Behaviourally Disturbed Preschoolers after Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2012

Reginald D.V. Nixon
Reginald D.V. Nixon*
Affiliation:
University of Sydney
*
*Address for correspondence: Reginald D.V. Nixon, Centre for Trauma Recovery, University of Missouri – St. Louis, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd, St Louis, MO 63121, USA. Email: nixon@umsl.edu
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Abstract

Changes in hyperactivity and temperament in preschool-aged children who underwent a behavioural management program with their mothers were examined. Families of 34 behaviourally disturbed preschool-aged children (aged 3–5) were randomly allocated to either parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT; Eyberg, 1988) or a waiting-list control group (WL). A group of 21 nondisturbed preschoolers was recruited as a social validation comparison condition (SV). Diagnostic status was assessed using a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV disruptive behaviour disorders, with measures of behaviour and temperament obtained via parent report. At posttreatment, PCIT preschoolers were reported by their mothers to have reduced hyperactivity and more flexible temperament, and were less likely to meet criteria for ADHD than the WL group. By 6-month follow-up, children who had received PCIT were comparable to the SV group on ratings of oppositional behaviour and hyperactivity. The finding that a behavioural intervention may influence stable child characteristics is discussed.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , 01 September 2001, pp. 168 - 176
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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