Parent-adolescent Communication: Validation of a German Language Scale and Its Association With Child Mental Health

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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A German version of the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS, Barnes & Olson, 1982) will be validated in a large sample of children (10-18 years) and their parents. As a secondary objective, the association of communication quality, children's somatic symptoms and mental health will be explored.

Detailed Description
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The quality of parent-child communication (pcc) is likely to be of importance for child mental health, especially during adolescence. Therefore, pcc is relevant in etiologic research, diagnostics, and as a possible target for intervention in at-risk and clinical populations. Up to now, there is no validated questionnaire in German language to assess pcc as parent and child self-report. A German translation of the widely used Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS, Barnes & Olson, 1982) will be validated in this study. This questionnaire comprises 20 items that are identical in parent and child versions apart from the referent (my mother/my father/my daughter/my son). In the original scale, two subscales were found via factor analysis: Open communication and problems in communication (ten items each). Internal consistency was adequate in most studies. Several studies have shown associations between pcc and child mental health. In the current study, the primary aim is to validate the questionnaire in a community, an at-risk, and a clinical sample, with the at-risk sample comprising parent-child dyads with parents seeking parenting advice. The clinical sample will be recruited among in- and outpatients at the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Discriminative validity will be assessed in terms of group differences, construct validity in terms of correlations with different subscales on the parent-child relationship. With regard to the factorial structure, an exploratory factor analysis will be performed. As a secondary aim, the association between somatic symptoms, mental health, and pcc will be studied.

Official Title
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Validierung Eines Psychometrischen Fragebogens Zur Eltern-Kind-Kommunikation im Selbstbericht

Conditions
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Parent-Child Relations

Intervention / Treatment
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* Diagnostic Test: Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (questionnaire)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Consent to participate Child age: 10-18 years. Exclusion Criteria: - None.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 10 Years
Maximum Age: 99 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Community sample<br>Adolescents (10-18 years) and their parents, recruited via schools or online sampling, from the general population | Diagnostic Test: Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (questionnaire)<br>* Observational psychometric validation study<br>|
| At-risk sample<br>Parents seeking parenting advice in information centres/helplines. | Diagnostic Test: Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (questionnaire)<br>* Observational psychometric validation study<br>|
| Clinical sample<br>Children and parents are recruited among in- and outpatients at the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf | Diagnostic Test: Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (questionnaire)<br>* Observational psychometric validation study<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Parent-adolescent communication scale | 20 item measure consisting of two subscales (open and problem communication), 5-point Likert scale; child and parent report | Baseline | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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parent-child communication, parent-adolescent communication