Relationships between Child Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms and Caregiver Strain and Parenting Stress.
Children with emotional and behavioral disturbance often have difficulties in multiple symptom domains. This study investigates the relationships between child symptoms and caregiver strain and parenting stress among 177 youth and their caregivers participating in a school-based system of care. Youth were grouped by symptom domain and included those with low scores on both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, those with only high internalizing symptoms, those with only high externalizing symptoms, and those with high symptoms levels in both internalizing and externalizing domains. Results revealed significant group differences on measures of caregiver strain and parenting stress. Caregivers of youth with symptoms in both internalizing and externalizing domains reported the highest levels of strain and stress; however, there was some variation in group differences by caregiver outcome. The results of this study emphasize the importance of not only providing services for youth, but also providing support services for their caregivers.
Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut ; Indiana University, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Bloomington, Indiana.
Ellen L
EL
Vaughan
Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut.
Richard
R
Feinn
Southern Connecticut State University, Department of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut ; The PARK Project, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Stanley
S
Bernard
The PARK Project, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Maria
M
Brereton
Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, Connecticut.
Joy S
JS
Kaufman
Caregiver strain; Parenting stress; Serious Emotional and Behavioral Disturbance