title: Parent-child interaction therapy: application to maltreating parent-child dyads.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Parent-Child Interaction Training (PCIT), which uses a social learning framework, is a dyadic intervention that is designed to alter specific patterns of interaction found in parent-child relationships. Previous research suggests that maladaptive and high-risk characteristics found in maltreating parent-child dyads may be responsive to PCIT. The primary focus of this study is to examine the effectiveness of PCIT with maltreating parent-child dyads.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study describes the effectiveness of PCIT with 136 biological parent-child dyads in which 66.9% (N=91) of the children had been maltreated. Of the 91 maltreated children, 64.8% (N=59) of the parents had maltreated their children, and were thus considered to be at high risk of repeating the abuse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primary outcomes of this study show the following: (1) a decrease in child behavior problems, (2) a decrease in parental stress, and (3) a decrease in abuse risk from pre- to post-treatment for dyads with and without a history of maltreatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results add to the body of research supporting PCIT as a promising intervention and as a means to aid both children and parents in high-risk families for maltreatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of California at Davis Children's Hospital, CAARE Diagnostic and Treatment Center, 3300 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95825, USA.
authors.forename: Susan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Timmer
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Urquiza
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Zebell
authors.forename: Jean M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McGrath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010989:Play Therapy; D012056:Reinforcement, Social; D012201:Reward; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome