Citation

Adrian M, Berk MS, Korslund K, Whitlock K, McCauley E, Linehan M. Prof. Psychol. Res. Pr. 2018; 49(4): 274-281.

Affiliation

University of Washington, Department of Psychology.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/pro0000200

PMID

30906109

PMCID

PMC6424515

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate family processes theoretically implicated in the onset and maintenance of adolescent self-harm. In the present study, we focus on understanding parental validation and invalidation in response to their adolescent in order to estimate the association between parental responses and self-harm in a high risk group of adolescents. We also sought to determine the influence of psychotherapy on parental validation and invalidation over time during participation in a randomized clinical trial of psychotherapy designed to reduce self-harm. Thirty-eight teens (M_age= 14.85; 94.1% female, 55.3% Caucasian, and 17.5% Latino) and their parents participated in three assessments over a six month period corresponding to pretreatment, midtreatment and end of treatment in the trial.

RESULTS indicate a robust association between parental validation, invalidation and adolescent self-harm. There were no significant associations observed between parental validation, invalidation, and adolescent suicidal ideation. Observed levels of parental validation and invalidation were not changed during the six-month course of psychotherapy.

Language: en

Keywords

Self-harm; adolescent psychotherapy; parent-child interactions; parental validation