Difficult Temperament Research Articles

Bonding and parent-child quality of interaction in parents with eating disorder: A scoping review.

To summarise existing evidence on bonding and parent-child quality of interaction in parents with eating disorder (ED). A scoping review was conducted. Seven databases (PsycInfo, Embase, Medline, Pubmed, OpenGrey, ProQuest and Google Scholar) were examined and studies exploring research into bonding and quality of interaction in parents with ED were included. Seventeen quantitative studies were included in the review. Reviewed literature suggests that parents with ED tend to be more intrusive, may exhibit more negative expressed emotions and may be involved in higher levels of mealtime conflicts during mealtimes. Additionally, they may be less sensitive and may offer less structured in non-feeding interactions. Children of parents with ED may have a more difficult temperament, may display greater internalisation and externalisation problems, may be less responsive to their parents and exhibit more behavioural difficulties. Overall, we found that parents with ED are more likely to have difficulties during interactions with children, compared with controls, both in feeding and non-feeding contexts which might impact children's mental health. Proposals for future research are suggested to enhance our understanding of the intergenerational transmission of ED, holding the potential to pinpoint therapeutic and preventative targets for both parents with ED and their children.

Adverse Relations between Substandard Housing and Self-Regulation are Accentuated for Children with Difficult Temperament

Adverse Relations between Substandard Housing and Self-Regulation are Accentuated for Children with Difficult Temperament

Maternal antenatal depression, oxytocin, and infant temperament: The roles of ethnicity and adult attachment avoidance

This study examined the associations between maternal depression and oxytocin in pregnancy, caregiving sensitivity and adult attachment style, and infant temperament. One hundred and six women recruited from a public hospital antenatal clinic in Australia, and their infants completed assessments at three time points (Time 1: pregnancy; Time 2: 3-month postpartum; Time 3: 12-month postpartum). Mothers completed self-report questionnaires assessing maternal depression symptom severity at Time 1-3, adult attachment style at Time 2, and infant temperament at Time 3. At Time 1, they also provided a blood sample to assess peripheral oxytocin levels, and at Time 2, participated in a parent-child interaction session, which was later coded for caregiving behavior (sensitivity). Neither maternal depression nor lower levels of oxytocin during pregnancy predicted difficult infant temperament; rather, it was predicted by non-Caucasian ethnicity. When all other variables were free to vary, adult attachment avoidance mediated an association between maternal depression during pregnancy and difficult infant temperament. Results highlight the potential value of interventions focusing on adult attachment insecurity for pregnant women and raise questions about associations between culture/ethnicity and infant temperament.

Functional Constipation: Pathophysiology, evaluation, and management.

Functional constipation (FC), a disorder of the gut-brain interaction of multifactorial pathophysiology that is prevalent in paediatrics. It is associated with bothersome symptoms, increased healthcare costs, disgruntled caregivers and impaired health-related quality of life. Paediatric FC is a clinical diagnosis based on the Rome IV criteria and is characterised by decreased bowel movement frequency and/or hard, painful stools and can be complicated by retentive faecal incontinence. Stressful life events, difficult temperaments and emotional and behavioural challenges have been implicated in increasing risk of developing paediatric FC. To provide current concepts in pathophysiology, evaluation and management of paediatric FC. We reviewed pertinent literature after a comprehensive search utilising PubMed with keywords FC, chronic childhood constipation and paediatric FC. In the last decade, advances in our understanding of paediatric FC have changed the landscape of diagnosing and treating this disorder. Although polyethylene glycol is the first-line treatment for maintenance of FC, the armamentarium of therapeutics has expanded including the first Food and Drug Administration- agent, linaclotide, for children 6-17 years of age in conjunction with more emphasis on behavioural and physical therapy interventions. Treatment approach to paediatric FC should be individualised and integrated focusing on parental education, lifestyle and behavioural modifications, and pharmacological therapy to maximise therapeutic success. This review highlights advances in pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of FC in children.

Difficult Toddler Temperament - Prevalence and Associated Factors at 18-Month Follow-Up of a Birth Cohort.

Difficult temperament coupled with other risk factors may lead to mental health problems in childhood and have long-lasting effects in adolescence and adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of parental perception of difficult temperament in toddlers and identify significant factors associated with individual and family-level sociodemographic risk factors. The prevalence of parental perception of difficult temperament was derived from items in the 18-month follow-up questionnaire within the Watch Me Grow (WMG) longitudinal birth cohort study in a multicultural and socioeconomically disadvantaged community in Sydney, Australia. Data was available for 500 children and their parents. Descriptive analysis was used to calculate the participant characteristics and the prevalence of parental perception of difficult temperament, whereas multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess significant risk factors associated with a difficult temperament. Parental perception of difficult temperament in the cohort was 7.3% (n = 492). Findings of the multivariable logistic regression showed that screen time >2 hours a day (AOR 2.43, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.9), child not being read to (AOR 3.92, 95% CI: 1.8, 8.5), and family history of mental health problems (AOR 2.69, 95% CI: 1.1, 6.5) significantly increased the odds of having a difficult temperament. Toddlers with difficult temperament were less likely to have received stimulatory experiences, and their families were more likely to be under greater stress. The findings emphasize the importance of parental support and anticipatory guidance in promoting nurturing care to facilitate child health and development, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

Understanding difficult temperament in adults: A mixed-methods study

Difficult temperament is a set of behavioral characteristics that are associated with mental health and a significant predictor of psychopathology. This study aims to investigate which temperamental characteristics can be considered attributes of difficult temperament in Lithuanian adults. The sample consisted of 429 adults between 18 and 79 years of age. The Adult Temperament Questionnaire was used to assess temperamental characteristics and perceived difficult temperament. Data were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. The results revealed that the set of attributes perceived as constituting difficult temperament includes characteristics such as negative mood, intensity of emotional reactions, low adaptability, withdrawal, and low regularity. Quantitative data analysis uncovered an unexpected negative relationship between perceived difficult temperament and the rhythmicity characteristic, while a new category of stubbornness emerged in the qualitative data. The findings provide new knowledge about both the cultural specifics of difficult temperament and the content of the temperament construct in general. These results can also aid in the development of further research on difficult temperament, as well as in the planning of mental health interventions and psychological counseling.

Aggression among Preschool Children within the Framework of Temperament, Attachment and Parental Attitudes

Aggression is a common problem in preschool children. The relationship between aggressive behaviors in early ages and psychopathologies in later years has been shown in previous studies. Therefore, it is imperative to understand both the causes of childhood aggression and identify the sustaining factors. This review discusses aggression in the context of temperament, parental attitudes, and attachment factors. The concept of temperament was explained with the terminology of difficult and easy temperament, emotionality, activity, sociability, and impulsivity factors, especially from the perspectives of Thomas and Chess, Goldsmith and Plomin, and Cloninger, and associated with aggression in the preschool period. In addition, possible causes of aggression in children were assessed with attachment theory. Finally, the relationship between parents, their attitudes towards aggression, socioeconomic determinants in the family, and the possible relationship between aggression in children were discussed. This study examines the determinants of preschool children's aggression to solve aggression problems, focusing on family and temperamental characteristics. A more holistic assessment of aggression with child and parent characteristics is intended.

Massage Therapy for Infant Temperaments: An Intervention Study

A form of complementary therapy, infant massage, has the potential to ameliorate difficult infant temperaments and transform them into easier ones. This study aimed to ascertain the impact of newborn massage therapy on infants' temperament. A total of 102 participants were divided into two groups for this quasi-experimental study using a pretest and posttest. Over the length of five weeks, twice each week, the experimental groups received ten-time massages in total. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) was applied to the data. This study discovered that infant massage improved the temperament in the experimental group from difficult to easy, a result that was mirrored in the control group. Infants may develop a more positive temperament through the utilization of infant massage therapy. Healthcare professionals are required to provide a thorough understanding of the physiological and psychological growth of infants, placing special attention on strategies that promote a positive temperament.

Within-individual relationships between mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study.

Although the importance of the dynamic intra-individual relationship between mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms has been widely recognized, the complex interplay between them is not well understood. Furthermore, the potential role of prenatal depressive symptoms and infant temperament in this relationship remains unclear. This study aims to examine the bidirectional influence of mother-to-infant bonding on postpartum depressive symptoms within individuals and to elucidate whether prenatal depressive symptoms and infant temperament would influence deviations from stable individual states. Longitudinal data were collected from 433 women in early pregnancy. Of these, 360 participants completed the main questionnaires measuring impaired mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms at least once during the postpartum period. Data were collected at early and late pregnancy and several postpartum time points: shortly after birth and at one, four, ten, and 18 months postpartum. We also assessed prenatal depressive symptoms and infant temperament. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used. Within-individual variability in mother-to-infant bonding, especially anger and rejection, significantly predicted subsequent postpartum depressive symptoms. However, the inverse relationship was not significant. Additionally, prenatal depressive symptoms and difficult infant temperament were associated with greater within-individual variability in impaired mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms. The present study demonstrated that the within-individual relationship between mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms is likely non-bidirectional. The significance of the findings is underscored by the potential for interventions aimed at improving mother-to-infant bonding to alleviate postpartum depressive symptoms, suggesting avenues for future research and practice.

Factors associated with contemporary fatherhood.

The most prevalent conceptualization of parenting of our time is intensive parenting which refers to parents' overinvolvement in children's lives, placing the child's needs before others' needs, including the needs of the parents themselves (i.e., Child-centrism). Intensive parenting is mostly attributed to mothers as they are still bearing the bulk responsibility for child rearing. Nevertheless, as the role of fathers changed in recent decades it is crucial to examine intensive parenting among fathers and understand whether factors that are associated with intensive mothering are associated with intensive fatherhood as well. The current study uses Belsky's Process of Parenting model to fill-in the gap. Participants were 301 Israeli fathers of preschool children aged 22 to 50 years old (M=36.34, SD=5.01). They filled out online self-report questionnaires dealing with intensive parenting style, child temperament, social support, marital satisfaction, and parental self-efficacy. The model explained 64% of paternal child-centrism. Fathers who reported having children with more difficult temperament, reported low social support, low marital satisfaction, and low self-efficacy, were more intensive in their parenting style. The present findings are discussed in relation to previous findings regarding maternal child-centrism with an emphasis on their important implications for professionals working with families for the benefit of parents' and children's wellbeing.

Smartphone use during the perinatal period: Findings from a longitudinal study with first-time parents

Becoming a parent is a complex life transition involving many adaptations in psychological functioning. To date, we know little about how couples use smartphones during their transition to parenthood. This study examined changes in different aspects of parental smartphone use and associations with specific parental and infant characteristics in the perinatal period.Ninety-five first-time parents completed questionnaires at three time points: during the last trimester of pregnancy, at 1.5–2 months, and at 3–4 months after birth. We assessed parents’ daily smartphone usage time, feelings of immersion during smartphone use, smartphone addiction, and interruptions in social interactions caused by smartphone use. Linear mixed models served to test changes in smartphone use and associations with parental impulsivity, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and with infant temperament.Whereas parents’ daily smartphone usage time remained similar, feelings of immersion during smartphone use decreased over the perinatal period. After birth, higher levels of parental impulsivity and anxiety as well as a more difficult infant temperament predicted higher levels of smartphone addiction. A more difficult infant temperament was associated with higher levels of immersion during smartphone use.Our study provides, for the first time, systematic and longitudinal evidence on parental smartphone use during the perinatal period. Results suggest that more impulsive and anxious parents and parents with infants who are experienced as more difficult are at risk for more problematic smartphone use during this life transition.

Joint Developmental Trajectories of Conduct Problems and Hyperactivity/Inattention: Antecedent Risk Markers for Group Membership.

This study investigated joint trajectories of conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention from age three to nine in a cohort of 7,507 children in Ireland (50.3% males; 84.9% Irish). The parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to collect information on conduct problems(CP) and hyperactivity/inattention(HI). Information regarding risk markers was collected when participants were nine-months-old via parent report and standardised assessments. Using a person-centred approach (i.e., group-based multi trajectory modelling), six trajectories were identified: no CP/low HI, low-stable CP/HI, low-declining CP/stable HI, desisting co-occurring CP/HI, pure-increasing HI, and high chronic co-occurring CP/HI. Specific risk markers for group membership included: male sex; birth complications; perceived difficult temperament; lower primary caregiver age and education level, and higher stress level; prenatal exposure to smoking, and indicators of lower socioeconomic status. Primary caregiver-child bonding and having siblings were protective markers against membership in elevated groups. Results suggest support for both 'pure' HI and co-occurring trajectories of CP and HI emerging in toddlerhood. However, no support was found for a 'pure' CP trajectory, which may support the suggestion that children on a persistent CP trajectory will have coexisting HI. Intervention efforts may benefit from starting early in life and targeting multiple risk markers in families with fewer resources.

Cohort profile: the U-BIRTH study on peripartum depression and child development in Sweden

PurposeThe current U-BIRTH cohort (Uppsala Birth Cohort) extends our previous cohort Biology, Affect, Stress, Imaging and Cognition (BASIC), assessing the development of children up to 11 years after birth. The...

The Impact of Postpartum Depression on Socio-professional Integration

The modern woman nowadays is subjected to more and more challenges. Whether it is due to her work, her appearance or her marital status, she must always show that she is coping in the most efficient way. This constant measurement and confrontation of the performance achieved in a certain field leads to the perception of otherwise normal, physiological actions as stressful. The mother who raises her child wants to face the multiple challenges, even when she is being subjected to pressures from the family, her own requirements, values ​​and beliefs and at the same time from the micro group she belongs to or from society. That's why her slip into depression is extremely easy. The support she might receive from family, friends, professionals can save her from further complications such as deepening depression, job loss, long-term loss of self-esteem, child neglect and child abuse, the transition to a suicidal act in a moment of imbalance or the transition to alcohol misuse, sometimes witnessed by the child. Identifying factors involved in the onset and maintenance of postpartum depression can help prevent it and provide early intervention within vulnerable families with the aim of making women stronger and children healthier and happier. Postpartum depression is a fairly common phenomenon in the female population, the cumulative forms giving a percentage of 31%, of which minor forms occupy 19% and moderate and severe forms 12%. Among the factors that have an important influence we list: a weaker support of the mother by her support group, problems related to the mother's low self-esteem, the more difficult temperament of the child who can be more agitated and disrupts the mother's sleep-wake rhythm, but also the existence of other previous episodes of postpartum depression of the mother and the number of previous births.

Doğum Sonrası Babalık Depresyonu: Aile ve Çocuk Gelişimine Etkisi

The postpartum period is when parents undergo great changes and gain new responsibilities. Factors such as the changes that come with having a baby, not meeting the expectations about parenthood, having a child with a difficult temperament or health problems, or relational problems can be quite challenging in this period. These problems can deeply affect the psychological well-being of the parents. Although studies on depressive symptoms of mothers during pregnancy and postpartum are at an important level, studies aiming to examine the psychological state of fathers for the same period are still limited. However, perceptions that postpartum depression develops due to hormonal changes during pregnancy have been reshaped by the findings that this situation may also develop due to psychosocial factors. Relatedly, the number of studies on postpartum depression experienced by fathers has increased over time. Results of those studies show that fathers' psychological state also influences their parenting and the development of children. Fathers may experience paternal depression due to a lack of social support, economic conditions, relationship dynamics, and changing living conditions in the postpartum period. This situation may cause fathers to avoid parenting duties, spend less time with their children, be unable to cooperate with the mother, and have anger problems or deterioration in the relationship with the mother. The effects of depression on individuals' parenting styles negatively affect child-parent attachment and may cause children to develop emotional and behavioral problems. Therefore, it is very important to examine fathers' psychological state for children's development and the healthy progress of family dynamics. This review aims to address the effect of paternal depression on parenting and child development.

Temperament and adolescent suicide attempts: a case-control study with multi-ethnic Asian adolescents

BackgroundSuicide is the leading cause of death for adolescents in several parts of Asia, including Singapore. This study examines the relationship between temperament and youth suicide attempts in a sample of multi-ethnic Singaporean adolescents.MethodsA case-control design compared 60 adolescents (Mage = 16.40, SDage = 2.00) with a recent suicide attempt (i.e., past 6 months) with 58 adolescents (Mage = 16.00, SDage = 1.68) without any history of suicide attempts. Presence of suicide attempts was established using the semi-structured interviewer-administered Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Participants also completed self-report measures on temperament traits, psychiatric diagnoses, stressful life events, and perceived parental rejection in an interview-based format.ResultsPsychiatric comorbidity, recent stressful life events, perceived parental rejection, and all five “difficult temperament” traits, were significantly overrepresented among adolescent cases relative to healthy controls. Adjusted logistic regression models revealed significant associations between suicide attempt, MDD comorbidity (OR: 10.7, 95% Cl: (2.24–51.39)), “negative mood” trait (OR: 1.12–1.18, 95% Cl: (1.00–1.27)), and the interaction term of “positive mood” and “high adaptability” traits (OR: 0.943 – 0.955, 95% Cl: (0.900 − 0.986)). Specifically, “positive mood” predicted lower likelihood of a suicide attempt when “adaptability” was high (OR: 0.335 – 0.342, 95% Cl: (0.186 − 0.500)) but not low (OR: 0.968 – 0.993, 95% Cl: (0.797 − 1.31)).ConclusionTemperament screening may be important to identify adolescents at higher or lower risk of suicide at an early stage. More longitudinal and neurobiological research converging on these temperament findings will be helpful in ascertaining temperament screening as an effective suicide prevention methodology for adolescents.

Mothers with Neuroticism: Parenting When Faced with Challenges

SYNOPSIS Objective. The study documents how the personality trait of neuroticism is implicated in two aspects of parenting under two forms of challenge, low income and rearing a difficult child. Design. Relations of maternal neuroticism with sensitivity and stimulation in parenting and the total HOME score were examined when children were 54 months old and 5th grade, with a focus on how neuroticism moderates the effect of low household income and child temperament on parenting. Results. Mothers high in neuroticism were less likely to manifest sensitivity or provide stimulation. Maternal neuroticism moderated the effects of low income on sensitivity, stimulation, and the overall home environment, particularly at 54 months. However, significant interactions between maternal neuroticism and child difficult temperament were only found for the total HOME score at age 11. Conclusions. Living in adverse circumstances may make it difficult for mothers with neuroticism to engage productively in parenting.

Perceived social support, newborn temperament and socioeconomic status in postpartum depression: report from southwest Serbia

Aim of the studyThe aim of this study is to asses the relationship between postpartum depression and perceived social support, newborn temperament, and selected sociodemographic variables.Subject or material and methodsThe sample consisted of 145 mothers, with an average age of 27, mostly married. The following instruments were used in the research: Questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, Neonatal temperament scale, Edinburgh scale of postpartum depression - EPDS and Scale of perceived social support.ResultsThe results showed that reduced social support from partners, friends, and family, difficult newborn temperament, and low socioeconomic status correlated with postpartum depression.DiscussionThe practical implications of the research are reflected in the understanding of social support as a significant predictor of depression in the postpartum period and the implementation of the social component in the system of support and assistance to pregnant women and mothers.ConclusionsRecognizing the factors that cause mood disorders after childbirth is an important part of the diagnosis and prevention of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a non-psychotic postpartum mood disorder that can last up to 12 months postpartum. The etiological disorder is still not differentiated because it is differentiated through a bio-psycho-social basis.

Editorial

This year’s first issue of APP appears with a variety of relevant clinical topics presented by nine groups of authors from different countries. It opens with two original articles raising awareness about postpartum mental health conditions. Anida Vrcić Amar and Hana Sejfović from Serbia presented correlations of reduced social support from partners, friends and family, difficult newborn temperament, and low socioeconomic status with postpartum depression. In the second paper, Sara Dalley and Catherine M. Hickey from Memorial University of Newfoundland show the effects of implementation of an educational session aimed at increasing awareness of the impact of breastfeeding on mental health and it’s possible protective influence on female’s mood.

Infant temperament with anxiety postpartum mothers in primary health care Sleman, Indonesia

Introduction: Changes in psychological conditions after childbirth often occur, one of which is anxiety. During the postpartum period, anxiety is a common disorder that occurs in as many as 30% of women, with at least one episode of anxiety in their lifetime. Anxiety in postpartum mothers is caused by the infant, who has an easy or difficult temperament. Therefore, this study aims to determine the relationship between infant temperament and anxiety in postpartum mothers in ​​the Sleman Yogyakarta Public Health Center. Methods: This type of research is a non-experimental quantitative with a cross-sectional approach involving 80 samples of postpartum mothers aged up to the first six weeks in the Sleman Yogyakarta Public Health Center. Sampling with a purposive sampling technique. The instruments used were the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire (ICQ) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rate Scale (HARS). The statistical test used in this research is Chi-Square. Results: Most infant temperaments were easy (68.8%) and mild postpartum anxiety (50%). Statistical test results show a p-value of 0.001. Conclusion: An infant's temperament influences anxiety in postpartum mothers. Nurses must improve the quality of maternity nursing care services through education and early detection to prevent postpartum anxiety.