How Does Parental Support and Their Readiness to Change Affect Children with Behavior and Emotional Problems?

Through research and models authors tried to explain factors that contribute to someone's readiness for behavior change, emphasizing the importance of support from relevant others. Since this is especially important when it comes to children and youth with behavioral and emotional problems and their parents, the research question of this study was to explore how parental readiness for change and their support affected readiness for change of children. The sample consisted of 112 pairs of children and parents (N = 224). All participants assessed their readiness for change in relation to a specific problem due to which they were involved in the psychosocial intervention. Parents assessed their readiness to give support while children assessed their perception of parental support and self-efficacy. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used. Results show similar patterns in children and parents in describing problems either through naming specific problems that bother the child or through describing circumstances that cause problems. Denial of the problem was present to a small extent. Contrary to the assumption that a child’s higher readiness for change would be significantly contributed by age, self-efficacy, and levels of family and child risk, only the child’s perception of parental support proved significant in the hierarchical linear multiple regression model (t = 4.670**; ΔR 2 = 0.248). Results emphasize the importance of parents’ engagement and active participation in interventions aimed at changing behavior problems of their children.