e Effectiveness of Group Format Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Compared to Treatment as Usual in a Community Outreach Organization

Forty-four participants recruited from a community outreach organization were assigned to receive either group format Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) or group format treatment as usual (TAU). The expected interaction between time and condition was such that participants in the PCIT group experienced a significantly greater decrease in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems compared to participants in the TAU group. This interaction was not significant regarding parenting stress or child abuse potential between the PCIT and TAU conditions. There was a significant increase in positive caregiver skills from pretreatment to posttreatment for the PCIT group; however, there was not a significant decrease in caregiver negative talk.