The effectiveness of parent–child interaction therapy in the Netherlands: Preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective.– This presentation provides preliminary results from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for Dutch families. Method.– Although data collection is not finished already, fifty families were eligible for treatment in a community mental health setting. Children's mean age was 4.8 years and 33 children were boys (62%). Most of them were randomly assigned to PCIT or Creative Family Therapy (treatment as usual; TAU). The standard, non-time limited PCIT was conducted by the trained therapists. Pre and post-treatment measures included questionnaires (Child Behavior Checklist, Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory) and observations from the Dyadic Parent Child Interaction Coding System. Results.– Pre and post-treatment data of 20 families and six-month follow-up data of 15 families were analyzed. So far, eight families dropped out. Conclusion.– Though preliminary, results of the ongoing RCT will be discussed and will indicate if PCIT is an effective treatment modality for families in the Netherlands