Parent-adolescent Communication: Validation of a German Language Scale and Its Longitudinal Association With Adolescent Mental Health

NCT05332236 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: E-K-Kom-Val
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 2,338
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

A German version of the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS, Barnes \& Olson, 1982) will be validated in a large sample of children (10-18 years) and their parents. As a secondary objective, the association of communication quality, children's somatic symptoms and mental health will be explored. After two years, participants from the community sample will be contacted again to see whether baseline communication quality predicts adolescent mental health two years later.

Conditions

Parent-Child Relations

Keywords

parent-child communication, parent-adolescent communication

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Parent-adolescent communication scale

  20 item measure consisting of two subscales (open and problem communication), 5-point Likert scale; child and parent report

  Baseline

• Change in general adolescent mental health

  Changes in general adolescent mental health will be measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), total scale. The total scale consists of 20 items rated on a 3-step scale. Higher values indicate higher symptom burden.

  From baseline to 2 years after recruitment

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Depressive symptoms two years after recruitment

  Two years after initial recruitment.

• Change in somatic complaints

  From baseline to two years after recruitment.

Study Arms (3)

Community sample

Adolescents (10-18 years) and their parents, recruited via online sampling, from the general population

Diagnostic Test: Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (questionnaire)

At-risk sample

Parents seeking parenting advice in information centres/helplines.

Diagnostic Test: Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (questionnaire)

Clinical sample

Children and parents are recruited among in- and outpatients at the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf

Diagnostic Test: Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (questionnaire)

Interventions

Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (questionnaire) DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Observational psychometric validation study

At-risk sample; Clinical sample; Community sample

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 99 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Children and their parents from the general population, parents seeking advice in parenting support centres and their children, parents and children recruited among in- and outpatients at the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf

You may qualify if:

• Consent to participate
• Child age: 10-18 years.

You may not qualify if:

• \- None.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf: lead

Study Sites (1)

University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf

Hamburg, 20246, Germany

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Zapf H, Boettcher J. Psychometric evaluation of the german version of the parent-adolescent communication scale. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2025 Mar;34(3):1097-1109. doi: 10.1007/s00787-024-02541-4. Epub 2024 Aug 7.

  PMID: 39110191 BACKGROUND

• Zapf H. Parent-adolescent communication quality does not moderate the association of emotional burden and somatic complaints in adolescents: a cross-sectional structural equation model. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2025 Mar 22;19(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s13034-025-00882-9.

  PMID: 40121474 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Holger Zapf, PhD

  Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: FAMILY BASED
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 11, 2022
• First Posted: April 18, 2022
• Study Start: May 20, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2024
• Study Completion: May 31, 2025
• Last Updated: October 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Locations

DE (1)