How parents view professional behaviors: A cross-professional analysis

Questionnaire data from 966 US parents of children with serious emotional disorders are drawn on to explore the importance & frequency of professional behaviors as a function of family characteristics. Results indicate that parents with lower income & less education tend to work more with social workers, counselors, & teachers, & less with psychologists & psychiatrists. Professional behaviors concerned with the parent-professional relationship, honesty, non-blaming attitude, supportiveness, & inclusion in decisionmaking are considered important by most parents regardless of the professional with whom they work. Parents rate professionals differently on the importance of evaluation, home visits, & providing child-raising information, reflecting their expectations about the roles & training of professionals. Significant differences across professions are found with respect to the frequency of providing information on childrearing, advocacy, home visits, resources, & help with coping, although these behaviors are considered relatively less important by parents. Discrepancies between what parents considered important & what they experience suggest that parents' expectations are only partially met; implications for practice, professional education, & research are discussed. 4 Tables, 59 References. Adapted from the source document.