Research PCIT: (Whalen) Changes in Self-Reported & Observed Parenting Following a Randomized Control Trial of PCIT-ED for the Treatment Of Preschool Depression

There is robust evidence that Parent-Child Interaction Therapy—Emotion Development (PCIT-ED), which expands standard PCIT by including a novel emotion development module, benefits children with preschool-onset major depressive disorder (PO-MDD). While prior studies indicate increases in self-reports of adaptive parenting techniques at the end of PCIT-ED treatment, no prior research has utilized observational parenting data. The present study is unique in that it assessed observed changes in both parental behavior and affect following treatment. Results indicate that following treatment, caregivers showed observed increases in positive affect and decreases in negative affect when interacting with their child, along with self-reported improvements in parenting practices and declines in punitive practices.