Maternal attachment status, psychosocial stressors and problem behaviour: follow-up after parent training courses for conduct disorder

Abstract

37 Mothers of children with conduct disorder who had received Parent Management Training (PMT) were interviewed using the Adult Attachment Interview, 13-43 months after treatment. Child behaviour levels at follow-up were strongly associated with the scores at referral in the unresolved attachment group, but not in the resolved group. This was reflected in a statistical interaction between referral behaviour score and resolved/unresolved attachment status in a regression model. This model, which also included a strong independent contribution from a composite psychological stress index, explained 66% of the variance in follow-up behaviour scores. The implications of these results for predicting the outcome of PMT are discussed.