Do mothers and fathers agree? Examining interparental ratings of youth externalizing behaviors among ethnically diverse families

Objective This study examined the association between youth, parent, and family characteristics in mother-father agreement of youth externalizing behaviors among ethnically diverse families. Method Eighty-eight mother-father dyads of youth (44% Latino, 38% European-American, 17% African American) 6-16 years participated. Results Overall associations between parent's reports of youth behavior problems were positively correlated. Significant predictors of parent difference scores in regression analyses included mother's depression scores (negatively), mother and father parenting stress scores (positively and negatively, respectively), and child's symptom severity (positively in the Inattention and Learning Problems models; negatively in the Defiance/Aggression model). Conclusions Results highlight the need for psychosocial screening of youth's parents during child psychological assessment to identify situations in which both parent reports are needed for youth assessment. Further, it contributes to the small literature base of discrepancies in parent reports in minority youth and expands upon the minimal research involving paternal caregivers.