Parent and Child Trauma Symptoms During Child–Parent Psychotherapy: A Prospective Cohort Study of Dyadic Change

Five randomized controlled trials have shown that child–parent psychotherapy (CPP) improves trauma symptoms in children. Less is known about parent symptoms or moderators of symptom change. In a sample of 199 parent (81% biological mother; 54% Latina/o) and child (aged 2 to 6 years; 52% male; 49% Latina/o) dyads who participated in an open treatment study of CPP, this study investigated whether parent and child symptoms similarly decreased during treatment and whether improvement was moderated by parent, child, and treatment characteristics. Parents completed baseline and posttreatment interviews regarding exposure to traumatic events, posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS), and other mental health indices. Latent difference score analysis showed that PTSS significantly decreased by more than 0.5 SD for parents and children. The PTSS improvement in parents was associated with reductions in child avoidance, r = .19, p = .040, and hyperarousal, r = .33, p < .001. Girls showed a greater reduction than boys in reexperiencing, β = −.13, p = .018, and hyperarousal, β = −.20, p = .001. Contrary to expectations, parent and child improvement in PTSS was greater for those with fewer parental lifetime stressors, βrange = .15 to .33, and for those who participated in fewer treatment sessions, βrange = .15 to .21. The extent of improvement in parent PTSS varied based on clinician expertise, β = −.20, p = .009. Significant reductions in parent and child PTSS were observed during community‐based treatment, with CPP and symptom improvement varying according to child, parent, and treatment characteristics. Resumen Spanish s by the Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET) Síntomas de Trauma en Padres e Hijos durante la Psicoterapia Padre‐Hijo: Un Estudio de Cohorte Prospectivo del Cambio Diádico CAMBIO DIÁDICO EN SÍNTOMAS DE ESTRÉS POSTRAUMÁTICO (PTSS) RELACIONADO AL TRATAMIENTO Cinco ensayos controlados randomizados han mostrado que la psicoterapia padre‐hijo (CPP) mejora los síntomas de trauma en los niños. Se conoce menos acerca de los síntomas en los padres o de los moderadores del cambio sintomático. En una muestra de 199 diadas de padres (81% madre biológica; 54% Latina/o) e hijos (de 2 a 6 años de edad; 52% hombres; 49% Latina/o) que participaron en un estudio abierto de tratamiento con CPP, este estudio investigó si los síntomas de padres e hijos disminuyeron de forma similar durante el tratamiento y si la mejoría era moderada por características del padre