The role of parent-child interactions in developmental psychopathology: methodological and intervention challenges and opportunities

Book excerpt: Parenting research has always faced substantial methodological challenges, assumptions and stigma, limiting understanding and translation to more family-centred support. In addition, the focus of most research has focused on the early years with far less knowledge about the role of parents in pre-adolescence, adolescence, and the transition to adulthood or beyond. Parenting work lacks diversity with regards to inclusion across cultural settings and is usually limited to mothers, the role of fathers, grandparents, adoptive and foster parents and step parents is under-represented.