CONFIRMATORY AND DISCONFIRMATORY FAMILY COMMUNICATION AS PREDICTOR OFOFFSPRING SOCIOEMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING - A 10 TO 14 YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF CHILDREN AT RISK

Forty-nine families from the University of Rochester Child and Family Study were followed up 10 to 14 years after initial assessment. Two in clusion criteria were applied: at least one of the parents should have been hospitalized for a functional psychiatric disorder before initia l assessment and the male index offspring should be 18 years or older at follow-up. Family communication was observed by the Consensus Rorsc hach procedure and coded with the Confirmation-Disconfirmation Coding System. Offspring childhood social competence was rated by peers, teac hers and parents. Outcome measures included the Denver Community Menta l Health Questionnaire, the Global Assessment Scale and hospitalizatio n for a psychiatric disorder. Results showed that the family's level o f confirmation and disconfirmation communication during Consensus Rors chach at initial testing predicted offspring interpersonal functioning and hospitalization for psychiatric disorders. These findings were no t due to the initial social competence or IQ of the child, the level o f functional impairment in parents or their social class.