Video Feedback During the Emotion Development Module of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

Leah Williams

Abstract:
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy - Emotion Development (PCIT-ED), an adaptation of PCIT, has been found efficacious in treating preschoolers' depression. The main change in PCIT-ED is the added Emotion Development module. During this module the parent receives coaching on how to help their child manage negative emotions, including during evocative activities that bring about children's emotions and after the activities through video feedback. In video feedback, the therapist reviews video clips of parent-child interaction, helps the parent to recognize the child's emotion cues, and highlights parent strengths and areas for improvement. The Therapist-Parent Interaction Coding System (TPICS) measures therapists' coaching techniques and parent behaviors. The purpose of this study was to adapt the TPICS for video feedback coaching. Two reliable coders coded sessions separately, met and reviewed coding, and reached agreement on new codes. New therapist and parent codes included child perspective taking, emotion observation, and open and closed questions. Therapist codes such as reflective description, child observation, and process comments were extended to parents as well. Forty 5-minute clips from sessions 16 and 18 of PCIT-ED were coded using the adapted TPICS. Frequently occurring therapist coaching strategies included labeled and unlabeled praises, indirect commands, and reflective descriptions. Frequently occurring parent codes included reflective descriptions, child observations, child perspective taking, and verbalization of parents' own thoughts. Since video feedback is not standard in PCIT, it is important to understand how therapists use it to coach parents in PCIT-ED. Future research should examine links between video feedback coaching styles and treatment outcomes.