Parent-child interaction therapy with behavior problem children: Maintenance of treatment effects in the school setting

Followup school assessments were conducted 12 months and 18 months following completion of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), a behavioral family therapy for preschool children with disruptive behavior disorders. Subjects in the treatment group displayed significant home and school behavior problems prior to treatment, and showed clinically significant improvement in home behavior after completing the 14-session program. Additionally, behavioral improvements generalized to school without direct classroom intervention. At the 12-month followup, subjects in the treatment group maintained post-treatment improvements on observational and teacher rating measures of classroom conduct problems and showed further improvements in social competency. Compared to the 72 control subjects, the treatment group improved to within the normal range of conduct problems and social competence at the 12-month followup. At the 18-month followup, subjects maintained improvements in compliance, but demonstrated declines on most measures into the range of pre-treatment levels.