Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T07:25:41.042Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Concurrent Treatment of Marital and Child Behaviour Problems in Behavioural Family Therapy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2014

Mark R. Dadds
Mark R. Dadds*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Get access

Abstract

Much research has demonstrated that marital discord and divorce are risk factors for the development of childhood behavioural and emotional disorders. Although theoretical models and research programs that focus attention on possible mechanisms of influence are scarce, it is clear that marital discord can powerfully influence children via its effect on spouse's parenting behaviour. Thus, marital discord can represent a significant impediment for intervention programs that aim to help children by providing parent training. It is argued that marital and child focused interventions can be successfully integrated in behavioural family therapy. A description of the process and content elements of such an integration is presented, and future directions for research and practice are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , September 1992 , pp. 139 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Blechman, E.A. (1981). Toward comprehensive behavioral family intervention: An algorithm for matching families and interventions. Behavior Modification, 5, 221–236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blechman, E.A. (1984). Competent parents, competent children: Behavioral objectives of parent training. In Dangel, R.F. & Polster, R.A (Eds.), Parent training: Foundations of research and practice, (pp. 34–63). New York: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Brody, G.H., & Forehand, R. (1985). The efficacy of parent training with maritally distressed and nondistressed mothers: A multimethod assessment. Behavioral Research and Therapy, 23, 291–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chamberlain, P., Patterson, G.R., Reid, J., Kavanagh, K., & Forgatch, M. (1984). Observation of client resistance. Behavior Therapy, 15, 144–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dadds, M.R. (1987). Families and the origins of child behavior problems. Family Process, 26, 341–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dadds, M.R. (1989). Child behavior therapy and family context. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 11, 27–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dadds, M.R., & McHugh, T. (1992). Social support and treatment outcome in behavioral family therapy for child conduct problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 252–259.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dadds, M.R., & Powell, M. (1991). An examination of sampling and sex effects in the relationship of marital discord to childhood aggression, anxiety and immaturity. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 19, 553–567.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dadds, M.R., & Sanders, M.R. (1992). Behavioral Family Intervention. Needham, MA: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Dadds, M.R., Sanders, M.R., Behrens, B.C., & James, J.E. (1987). Marital discord and child behaviour problems: A description of family interactions during treatment. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 16, 192–203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dadds, M.R., Schwartz, S., & Sanders, M.R. (1987). Marital discord and treatment outcome in the treatment of childhood conduct disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 396–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dadds, M.R., Sheffield, J.K., & Holbeck, J.F. (1990). An examination of the differential relationship of marital discord to parents' discipline strategies for boys and girls. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 18, 121–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Emery, R.E. (1982). Interparental conflict and the children of discord and divorce. Psychological Bulletin, 9, 310–330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gelfand, D.M., & Teti, D.M. (1990). The effects of maternal depression on children. Clinical Psychology Review, 10, 329–353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griest, D.L., & Forehand, R. (1981). How can I get any parent training done with all these other problems going on? Child Behavior Therapy, 4, 73–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griest, D.L., Forehand, R., Rogers, T., Breiner, J., Furey, W., & Williams, C.A. (1982). Effects of parent enhancement therapy on the treatment outcome and generalization of a parent training program. Behavior Research and Therapy, 20, 429–436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griest, D.L., Wells, K.C., & Forehand, R. (1979). Examination of predictors of maternal perceptions of maladjustment in clinic referred children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 82, 194–203.Google Scholar
Griest, D.L., & Wells, K.C. (1983). Behavioral family therapy with conduct disorders in children. Behavior Therapy, 14, 37–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grych, J.H., & Fincham, F.D. (1990). Marital conflict and children's adjustment: A cognitive-contextual framework. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 267–290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howes, P., & Markman, H.J. (1989). Marital quality and child functioning: A longitudinal investigation. Child Development, 60, 1044–1051.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacobson, N.S., & Margolin, G. (1979). Marital therapy: Strategies based on social learning and behavior exchange principles. New York: Brunner/Mazel.Google Scholar
Kanfer, F.H., & Schefft, B.K. (1988). Guiding the process of therapeutic change. Champaign, IL: Research Press.Google Scholar
Kelley, M.L., Embrey, H.L., & Baer, D.M. (1979). Skills for child management and family support: Training parents for maintenance. Behavior Modification, 3, 373–396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambert, M.J., DeJulio, S.S., & Stein, D.M. (1978). Therapist interpersonal skills: Process outcome, methodological considerations and recommendations for future research. Psychological Bulletin, 85, 467–489.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lochman, J.E. (1990). Modification of childhood aggression. In Hersen, M., Eisler, R.M., & Miller, P. (Eds.), Progress in behavior modification: Vol. 25 (pp. 47–85). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Locke, H.J., & Wallace, K.M. (1959). Short term marital adjustment and prediction tests: Their reliability and validity. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 21, 251–255.Google Scholar
Markman, H.J., Duncan, S.W., Stoorasli, R.D., & Howes, P.W. (1987). The prediction and prevention of marital distress: A longitudinal investigation. In Hahlwg, K. & Goldstein, M. (Eds.), Understanding major mental disorders: The contribution of family interaction research (pp. 266–289). New York: Family Process Press.Google Scholar
Miller, G.E., & Prinz, R.J. (1990). Enhancement of social learning family interventions for childhood conduct disorder. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 291–307.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oltmanns, R.F., Broderick, J.E., & O'Leary, K.D. (1977). Marital adjustment and the efficacy of behavior therapy with children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 724–729.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Patterson, G.R. (1980). Mothers: The unacknowledged victims. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 45(Serial No. 186).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patterson, G.R. (1982). Coercive family process. Eugene, OR: Castalia Press.Google Scholar
Reid, W.J., & Cristafulli, A. (1989). Marital discord and child behavior problems: A meta-analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 18, 105–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, M.R., & Dadds, M.R. (1982). The effects of planned activities and child management training: An analysis of setting generality. Behavior Therapy, 13, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, M.R., & Glynn, T. (1981). Training parents in behavioral self management: An analysis of generalization and maintenance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 14, 223–237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sanders, M.R., & James, J.E. (1983). The modification of parent behavior: A review of generalization and maintenance. Behavior Modification, 7, 3–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schaffer, R.B. (1985). Effects of marital role problems on wive's depressed mood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 541–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spanier, G.B. (1976). Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing marital quality. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38, 15–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sweet, A.A. (1987). The therapeutic relationship in behavior therapy. Clinical Psychology Review, 4, 253–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wahler, R.G. (1980). The insular mother: Her problems in parent-child treatment. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13, 207–219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wahler, R.G., & Dumas, J.E. (1984). Changing the observational coding style of insular and non-insular mothers: A step toward maintenance. In Dangel, R.F. & Polster, R.A. (Eds.), Parent training: Foundations of research and practice, (pp. 379–416. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Wahler, R.G., & Graves, M.G. (1983). Setting events in social networks: Ally or enemy in child behavior therapy. Behavior Therapy, 14, 19–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waring, E.M., & Patton, D. (1984). Marital initimacy and depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 641–644.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Webster-Stratton, C. (1990). Long term follow-up of families with young conduct problem children: From preschool to grade school. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 19, 144–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, K.C., Griest, D.L., & Forehand, R. (1980). The use of self control package to enhance the temporal generality of a parent training program. Behavior Research and Therapy, 18, 347–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar