Discrepancies in Child–Mother–Father Reporting About the Child’s Emotional and Social Difficulties at the Entry to Treatment

Early psychological theories discuss how parents’ expectations and the way they perceive their children as extensions of themselves are related to how they evaluate and perceive their children’s difficulties. Accordingly, child–parent discrepancies in reporting the child’s emotional and behavioral difficulties have been consistently detailed in the literature. However, to date, studies have included only one parent in the assessment. The current pilot study examined reports of children’s difficulties among child–mother–father triads at the entry to treatment. The sample included 46 triads of child–mother–father who sought treatment at a community mental health clinic. Participants completed online questionnaires including demographic information and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) about the child’s difficulties. The analysis revealed that children reported more severe difficulties than their parents. Generally, mothers’ reports were more similar to the children’s self-reports than fathers’. Additionally, parents have higher levels of agreement about externalizing behaviors/difficulties compared to internalizing behaviors/difficulties. These findings emphasize the importance of employing a multi-informant assessment involving the child’s and both parents’ perspectives about the child’s condition at the entry to treatment to establish a more reliable and valid understanding of their status. Furthermore, when facing discrepancies in reporting, clinicians should incorporate this in the problem formulation and treatment plan.