Parent-child relationship disorders: what do the Child Vulnerability Scale and the Parent Protection Scale measure?

While scales exist to aid clinicians in the assessment of parent-child relationship disorders, there are minimal data regarding their clinical usefulness. This study examined the ability of parent responses to questions regarding the child's health, behavior, and development to predict total scores on the Child Vulnerability Scale and the Parent Protection Scale. Of 120 potential participants, 103 parents (92% mothers, 69% white, 54% married, 44% lower socioeconomic status) with children aged 2-5 years completed the Child Health and Family Functioning Questionnaire. Logistic regression yielded a correct prediction rate of 77% for perceived child vulnerability and 76% for parental overprotection. Our data provide support for the independence of parental perceptions of increased child vulnerability and parental overprotection as well as for the content validity of the Child Vulnerability Scale and the Parent Protection Scale.