Parenting practices and referral to a juvenile psychosocial care reference center

Abstract In this study, the parenting practices of adults who are legal guardians of youths referred to the Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infantojuvenil (Psychosocial Care Center for Children and Adolescents) due to the use of psychoactive substances and/or aggression (Referral Group) were compared with parenting practices of legal guardians of youths who have never been referred to Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infantojuvenil (Non-Referral Group). Forty participants from the Non-Referral Group and 17 from the Referral Group answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Parenting Styles Inventory. Referral Group participants reported lower frequencies of positive monitoring and moral behavior, and more frequent responses related to neglect, inconsistent punishment, and physical abuse. A bivariate logistic regression model showed that having the mother as the legal guardian and primary caregiver was a predictor of non-referral to Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infantojuvenil, with neglect being a predictive factor of referral. The results indicate that differences in parenting practices can be associated with the outcome of referral to mental health services. Therefore, the importance of population interventions focused on promoting positive parenting practices is emphasized.