Parent Therapeutic Factors in Mental Health Treatment for Autistic Children

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dc.contributor.advisorWeiss, Jonathan
dc.contributor.authorTing, Victoria Elizabeth
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-08T15:43:24Z
dc.date.available2022-08-08T15:43:24Z
dc.date.copyright2022-01-14
dc.date.issued2022-08-08
dc.date.updated2022-08-08T15:43:23Z
dc.degree.disciplinePsychology (Functional Area: Clinical-Developmental)
dc.degree.levelDoctoral
dc.degree.namePhD - Doctor of Philosophy
dc.description.abstractCognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for many autistic children who experience mental health problems, and parents are particularly involved in their psychotherapy. The current research is the first to use a mixed-method approach to investigate how parents contribute to the therapeutic process in mental health treatment for autistic children. Study 1 used a grounded theory-informed approach to develop a conceptual framework of the therapeutic process factors associated with successful parent involvement in CBT for autistic children. Seventeen therapists and 11 mothers participated in individual semi-structured interviews about their involvement in a CBT program for autistic children ages 8-13 years, where parents attended 10 weekly sessions with their child. The conceptual framework depicts how parent involvement varies depending on child-, parent-, and environmental factors. Parents' contributions to the therapeutic process were grouped into five main functions: logistical coordinator, co-facilitator, coach and cheerleader, companion and teammate, and complementary helper. Parents' beliefs and attitudes toward therapy (i.e., therapy commitment, criticalness, and flexibility) also influenced their involvement. Study 2 examined the development and psychometric properties of a novel observational measure of parent therapeutic factors in parent-involved CBT for autistic children, which was developed based on Study 1's findings. Following pilot coding, two coders coded three videotaped CBT sessions for 60 parent-child dyads. The Parent Therapeutic Factors Observational Rating Scale (PTFORS) therapeutic functions subscale had adequate interrater reliability, internal consistency, and item stability. Preliminary evidence supporting content, discriminant, and predictive validity is discussed. The current research addresses two significant gaps in the literature by identifying and defining relevant parent therapeutic factors, and creating an observational measure to examine parent involvement in therapy. With further evidence supporting its validation, the PTFORS may be a useful tool to improve our understanding of how to maximize child treatment gains in parent-involved psychotherapy for autistic children. Clinicians may also seek to use the conceptual framework to guide formulation and treatment planning in their work with families.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10315/39567
dc.languageen
dc.rightsAuthor owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.
dc.subjectMental health
dc.subject.keywordsAutism
dc.subject.keywordsCBT
dc.subject.keywordsPsychotherapy
dc.subject.keywordsParent
dc.subject.keywordsTherapeutic factors
dc.titleParent Therapeutic Factors in Mental Health Treatment for Autistic Children
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation

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