title: Predicting behavior problems in children with epilepsy: child factors, disease factors, family stress, and child-mother interaction.
abstract: This study examines the relative role of parent-child relationships, family stress, and disease factors in predicting behavior problems in children with epilepsy. It extends existing literature on parent-child relationships and behavior problems by examining children with biological risk. Child-mother interaction was observed for 51 children with epilepsy ages 7-13 years and related to teacher- and parent-reported behavior problems. Child's self-reliance correlated with parent-reported problems; expression of affect related to teacher-reported externalizing problems. A child self-reliance factor accounted for behavior problems after partialing age, gender, IQ, epilepsy variables, and family stress. The term child gender x quality of mother-child interaction predicted teacher-reported externalizing problems, with mother-child interaction correlated with behavior problems for boys. Child-parent relationships predict the development of behavior problems over and above the influence of disease-related factors, even for children at considerable biological risk.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Pianta
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lothman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*