[Childhood difficulties: representations by the family and caregivers; value of interviews]

This investigation was conducted in 7 consultation centers in child psychiatry of the Lyon region (France). The aim was to evaluate the influence of the care professional's response to the demands of the consulting party, on the evolution of the child. The investigation is based on what is said about the difficulties of the child, as manifested in the way care professionals, parents and children perceive them. Relevant instruments and a reliable methodology are used in assessing these various parameters. Results indicate that what happens in the first interview might be more important than the effective type of intervention in determining the evolution of the subsequent intervention.