How Do Parent Psychopathology and Family Income Impact Treatment Gains in a School-Based Intervention for Trauma?

The current study examined the impacts of parent psychopathology and family socioeconomic status on symptom reduction for children participating in Bounce Back, a school-based intervention for elementary students exposed to trauma. Participants in this study were 52 first through fourth graders ( M age = 7.76; 65% male) who were predominately Latinx (82%). Schools were randomly assigned to immediate treatment or waitlist control. Children whose parents reported higher socioeconomic status showed steeper declines in symptoms compared to lower socioeconomic status. Further, children of parents who endorsed high PTSD symptoms reported attenuated treatment effects, whereas children of parents who endorsed high hostility reported enhanced treatment effects. Although Bounce Back is an effective intervention for reducing PTSD symptoms and improving coping skills among children exposed to trauma and other ongoing stressors, treatment gains are attenuated for children from families with low socioeconomic status, and parent psychopathology also impacts treatment effects. The effectiveness of Bounce Back may vary based on socioeconomic status and parent psychopathology. Future research should examine methods of tailoring Bounce Back for children coping with economic stress and parent psychopathology.