Anxiety, Autonomic Dysregulation, Depression, Parent-Child Relations
Conditions
Keywords
Polyvagal Theory, Adversity, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Attachment, Autonomic Reactivity, Oxytocin
Brief summary
The goal of this study is to explore possible benefits of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The main goals of the study are: * To investigate whether pre-survey measures of autonomic reactivity relate to the overall functioning of participants. * To examine the effects of PCIT To identify individual characteristics that influence the effects of PCIT. Participants will: * complete 5 online surveys (1x pre-PCIT, 3x during PCIT, and 1x post-PCIT) * complete the PCIT program
Detailed description
It is the specific intent of this proposal to experimentally explore the possible benefits and mechanisms through which PCIT can influence self-reported stress and autonomic and neuroendocrine functioning in parents. This will be accomplished by our team by using well-validated self-report measures of mental health, autonomic reactivity, parental stress and attachment, and non-invasive measurements of levels of oxytocin. Specific Aim 1: To investigate whether pre-intervention measures of ANS reactivity and the neuropeptides oxytocin relate to the overall functioning of the participants. * The investigators will examine how measures of autonomic reactivity and levels of oxytocin relate to prior mental/medical health. * Hypothesis: Participants with lower levels of oxytocin and/or increased autonomic reactivity will report being more impacted by their prior adversity and having more emotional/physical symptoms. Specific Aim 2: To investigate the impact of PCIT * The investigators will explore whether PCIT leads to improvements in parental stress, parent-child attachment, and parental neuroendocrine functioning. * Hypothesis: Parents will show a significant decrease in perceived stress and improvement in emotional wellbeing oxytocin levels following CDI. They will also show a decrease in perceived stress, and improvement in attachment and emotional wellbeing following the entire PCIT intervention. Specific Aim 3: To identify individual characteristics that influence the effectiveness of PCIT. * The investigators will explore the impact of specific vulnerability and resiliency factors (e.g., stress, prior adversity) on how well parents benefit from PCIT * Hypothesis: Parental stress and prior mental/medical adversity will negatively impact the effectiveness of intervention
Interventions
BEHAVIORALParent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
Participants will undergo the standard PCIT program, which consists of two phases: Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) and Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI). * CDI Phase: Parents will learn and practice techniques that focus on strengthening the parent-child relationship through play and positive reinforcement. * PDI Phase: Parents will be coached in effective discipline strategies to manage their child's behavioral problems.
Sponsors
University of Florida
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
OTHER
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 89 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Parents of children aged 2-7 years old who are eligible for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) based on behavioral concerns. * The primary caregiver of the child and be actively involved in the child's daily care. * Willing to attend all PCIT sessions and complete pre-, mid- and post-intervention assessments. * Fluent in English to ensure comprehension of the intervention and assessment materials.
Exclusion criteria
* Parents with diagnosed severe mental health disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) that may interfere with participation in PCIT. * Children with conditions that require interventions other than PCIT (e.g., severe developmental disabilities). * Parents who have previously participated in PCIT are excluded to avoid confounding results.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Measuring Change in Autonomic Reactivity using the Body Perceptions Inventory Short Form | Through study completion, an average of 20 weeks | This 20-item measure is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (never = 1, occasionally = 2, sometimes = 3, usually = 4, always = 5). Items are summed to determine total autonomic reactivity score, with the higher scores indicating greater autonomic reactivity |
| Assessing the Impact of Adversity History | Up to 1 week | This measure assesses the impact of six types of traumatic experiences (childhood adverse experiences, childhood maltreatment, intimate partner maltreatment, other person maltreatment, life-threatening situations, sudden losses, and person health situations). Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (did not occur = 0, occurred and no impact on my life = 1 to big impact on my life = 4). Items are summed to determine total impact scores. |
| Measuring change in oxytocin Levels | Up to 4 weeks | Oxytocin levels will be assessed using salivary samples. Increased salivary oxytocin indicates improvement. |
| Measuring change in parental stress using the parental stress scale | Through study completion, an average of 20 weeks | This 18-item questionnaire assesses parents' feelings about their parenting role via a 5-point Likert scale (Strongly disagree = 1 to Strongly agree = 5). Lower scores indicate lower levels of parental stress. |
| Measuring change in parental attachment using the Child-Parent Relationship Scale | Through study completion, an average of 20 weeks | This 30-item questionnaire assesses parents' views of their relationship with their child via a 5-point Likert scale (1 = definitely does not apply to 5 = definitively applies). The scores for the subscales (e.g., closeness, conflict, dependency) are calculated by summing the relevant items, with higher scores indicating more positive views of the relationship. |
| Measuring change in child behavior using the parent-report Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory | Through study completion, an average of 20 weeks | This 36-item measure assesses the frequency and severity of disruptive behaviors, as well as the extent to which parents find the behaviors troublesome via a 7-point Likert scale (1 Never Occurs to 7 = Always Occurs) and a binary Problem scale. Total Intensity Scale scores range from 36 to 352, with clinical cut-off scores of 131-133. |
| Measuring change in anxiety using the General Anxiety Disorder-7 | Through study completion, an average of 20 weeks | This 7-item measure assesses anxiety via a 4-point Likert scale (0 = Not at all to 3 = Nearly every day) with higher scores reflecting more symptoms of anxiety. |
| Measuring change in depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 | Through study completion, an average of 20 weeks | This 8-item measure assesses depression via a 4-point Likert scale (0 = Not at all to 3 = Nearly every day) with higher scores reflecting more symptoms of depression. |
| Measuring change in post-traumatic stress symptoms using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 | Up to 1 week | This 20-item measure assesses PTSD symptoms via a 5-point Likert (0 = Not at all to 4 = Extremely) with higher scores reflecting more symptoms of PTSD. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTBritney Duner, LCSW
CONTACTKourtney Schroeder, PsyD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBritney N. Duner, LCSW
University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORLiliana L. Acosta, PhD
University of Florida
Outcome results
None listed