Parent-child relationships to be studied

State College, Pa. -- The U.S. National Institutes of Mental Health is sponsoring a five-year study to identify patterns of interaction between parents and pre-school children.

The $1.6 million Pennsylvania State University research project involving at-risk families is expected to provide clues to mistreatment of children and identify potential interventions that might prevent the problem.

"There is very little understanding of the moment to moment interaction between parents and children in high risk families," said Associate Professor Elizabeth Skowron. "More than just understanding effects of child maltreatment, for example, we need to understand the ways in which ongoing relationship patterns in high risk and healthy families affect children's emotional and behavioral outcomes."

She said the overall goal is to develop more effective family therapies for maltreated children who are at-risk for emotional or behavioral problems.

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