This study of ''high risk'' investigated a 3-year follow-up sample of
boys in the University of Rochester Child and Family Study of intact f
amilies in which at least one parent had been hospitalized for a psych
iatric disorder. These families and their sons were studied in order t
o identify predictive factors for child outcome. Best-functioning (n =
17) and worst-functioning (n = 13) groups of boys (from a total N = 9
4) were differentiated successfully by time 1 parent and family intera
ction predictors. These variables included several measures of parent
deviant communication and balanced/warm family interaction, chronicity
and level of parent pathology, and socioeconomic class. Parent diagno
sis was not associated significantly with outcome.