Using randomized controlled trials to ask questions regarding developmental psychopathology: A tribute to Dante Cicchetti
Date
2024-02-28
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Development and Psychopathology
Abstract
Dante Cicchetti, the architect of developmental psychopathology, has influenced so many of us in profound ways. One of his many contributions was in demonstrating the power of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to study the effects of Child–Parent Psychotherapy (CPP). These RCTs have shed light on causal mechanisms in development. Following Cicchetti and colleagues’ work, we designed a brief home visiting program, Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), to help parents respond in sensitive, nurturing ways, so as to enhance children’s attachment and self-regulatory capabilities. In the current study, we assessed adolescents’ reports of the closeness of their relationships with their mothers 12 years after their mothers completed the intervention. A total of 142 adolescents participated (47 randomized to ABC, 45 randomized to a control intervention, and 50 from a low-risk comparison group). Adolescents whose mothers had been randomized to ABC reported closer relationships with their mothers than adolescents randomized to the control condition, with significant differences seen on approval, support, companionship, and emotional support subscales. Consistent with Cicchetti et al.’s work, these results provide powerful evidence of the long-term effects of an early parenting intervention.
Description
This article was originally published in Development and Psychopathology. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579424000245. © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press
Keywords
attachment, prevention, randomized controlled trial, adolescence, parenting
Citation
Miller KN, Bourne SV, Dahl CM, et al. Using randomized controlled trials to ask questions regarding developmental psychopathology: A tribute to Dante Cicchetti. Development and Psychopathology. Published online 2024:1-10. doi:10.1017/S0954579424000245