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Childhood Callous-Unemotional Traits Moderate the Relation Between Parenting Distress and Conduct Problems Over Time

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Abstract

The present short-term longitudinal study examines the bidirectional effects among paternal-reported and maternal-reported involvement, distress and conduct-problems (CP) in children ages 7–12 years with callous-unemotional (CU) traits as a potential moderator. Latent profile analysis revealed four groups: high, moderate, decreasing, and low on CU traits. Findings suggested that children high on CU traits were at higher risk to exhibit CP and were more likely to experience low parental-involvement and high parental-distress compared to children with low, decreasing, and moderate CU traits. Findings from the cross-lagged structural equation model suggested that high levels of CP predicted increases in parenting distress, and this was shown for youth with high levels of CU traits. In turn, parental-reported distress predicted increases in CP for children in the low and decreasing CU groups. A negative bidirectional association between maternal-involvement and CP was also identified. Findings extend cross-sectional research showing parents become distressed by CP behaviors, particularly when accompanied by high CU traits.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (CHILD/0308(ΒΕ)/18), awarded to Kostas A. Fanti. We thank Evita Katsimicha and Maria-Zoe Hadjicharalambous for useful comments on a previous draft of this paper.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Kostas A. Fanti

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Durham, DH1 3LE, Durham, UK

    Luna C. Munoz Centifanti

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  1. Kostas A. Fanti
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  2. Luna C. Munoz Centifanti
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Correspondence to Kostas A. Fanti.

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Fanti, K.A., Munoz Centifanti, L.C. Childhood Callous-Unemotional Traits Moderate the Relation Between Parenting Distress and Conduct Problems Over Time. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 45, 173–184 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-013-0389-3

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