Emotional Well-being Of Parents Research Articles

LE BIEN-ETRE EMOTIONNEL DES PARENTS DENFANTS AUTISTES

The impact of autism on parents quality of life is an undeniable clinical reality. Quality of life, a multidimensional concept, encompasses various interdependent domains that can be assessed. Evaluating the emotional well-being of parents of autistic children, particularly as a function of the childs age, has become a major concern. The challenges associated with raising and caring for an autistic child can lead to chronic stress, sleep disturbances, relationship difficulties, and a decline in overall quality of life for parents. This study is situated within this dynamic, seeking to understand how the childs development influences the emotional well-being of their parents, and thus to identify risk factors associated with increased psychological distress. The results will not only allow for the identification of the specific needs of these parents but also for the development of personalized support strategies to prevent mental health disorders and improve the quality of life of parents. Objective: We are specifically interested in the emotional well-being of parents of autistic children. Method: We explored the relationship between parental emotional well-being and the childs age by collecting data from 50 parents (25 mothers and 25 fathers) using the Beach Quality of Life Scale. Results: Our results reveal a significant correlation between the childs age and the level of parental emotional well-being, suggesting that the childs age could significantly influence the parental experience. Conclusion: These results highlight the crucial importance of implementing appropriate supports to accompany parents of autistic children, particularly those with younger children who may benefit from specific resources to cope with developmental challenges.

Information seeking behaviours of parents engaging with information about complementary feeding in the southwest of England

Complementary feeding describes the transition from milk feeding to family foods or ‘solids’ and should occur around six months of age(1). Diet in the early years can influence health in later life by shaping food preferences1 and may increase the risk of obesity and metabolic disorders later in life(2,3). Parents can find the period of complementary feeding stressful due to experiencing a lack of support for parents during this stage(4). This study investigated how parents of infants under two years of age engaged with information about complementary feeding using qualitative methods informed by critical realism and information behaviour theories.Dyadic, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of infants aged four to twentyfour months in southwest England to explore their information needs. Interviews were conducted in person or online at the convenience of the participant. Data were recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.Ten interviews were conducted and four overarching themes were identified: 1)“I don’t really remember them giving advice about weaning”Although parents initially relied on NHS resources, gaps led them to seek additional guidance from online platforms or commercial sources. They required both practical support for infant feeding but also emotional support as transitioning onto solids could be a stressful experience. 2)“Just done what you’re expected to do”Parents’ perceptions of societal expectations regarding infant feeding could influence their feeding practices. This sometimes conflicted with their knowledge of complementary feeding, leading to dual beliefs and behaviours, such as altering feeding behaviours in public to adhere to social norms. 3)“This is what works for us”Parents found that following complementary feeding guidance was challenging. Many parents followed their child’s appetite and discussed finding balance in their children’s diets. Parents also referred to balancing the idealised version of complementary feeding they strived for while remaining realistic to practicalities. 4)“I had done the research and he just kinda went along with it”Complementary feeding practices were linked to perceptions of good parenting. Mothers, in particular, adhere to societal norms and ideals of infant care, which influenced their informationseeking patterns. This adherence to societal constructs often resulted in gendered disparities, with mothers primarily responsible for seeking information while fathers played a supportive role.Findings suggest that current services are not meeting parents’ information needs about complementary feeding. Accessible information from credible sources is required to enable parents to make informed feeding decisions and to follow them confidently during the critical phase of complementary feeding. Policymakers should address the impact of social media and commercial baby food companies, considering parental emotional well-being and ensuring information accessibility regardless of gender.

The Effect of 5Q Parental Education on Children's Emotion through Healing of Inner Child among Parents

The research aim of this study is to understand the relationship between parental emotional well-being and child outcome. This study delves into the profound impact of 5Q parental education on children's emotional well-being through the intricate process of healing the inner child among parents. The 5Q framework, encompassing Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ), Adversity Quotient (AQ), Social Quotient (SQ), and the innovative "You Quotient" (UQ), serves as the cornerstone of this transformative educational program. By intertwining principles of personal growth, self-awareness, and effective communication, the 5Q approach aims to empower parents to navigate the complex landscape of parenthood with confidence and competence. Central to this study is the concept of the inner child, deeply rooted in psychological theory, which symbolizes unresolved emotions and experiences from childhood that continue to influence adult behaviours and familial dynamics. Through a qualitative research methodology, this study rigorously examines the experiences of a diverse sample of 100 participants engaged in a comprehensive 6-month 5Q parental education program. Results from the qualitative analysis revealed a profound impact of the 5Q parental education program on participants' emotional well-being and parenting practices. An overwhelming majority of 82 out of 100 participants reported significant enhancements in their emotional intelligence (EQ) following the healing of their inner child. This transformation was characterized by heightened self-awareness, improved emotional regulation, improved parenting skills and strategies, strengthened parent-child relationship that foster suitability relationship. This study underscores the transformative potential of 5Q parental education in fostering nurturing family environments conducive to holistic child development. The understanding of the relationship between parental emotional well-being and child outcome is emphasized. By addressing the emotional needs of parents and facilitating the healing of their inner child, this program not only empowers individuals but also lays the foundation for resilient, empathetic, and emotionally intelligent generations to come, laying the foundation for their optimal development.

Linking child externalising problems to psychological distress in parents: Mobile phone use by children as a mediator.

Child externalising problems, such as acting out and hostility, have been found to be significant stressors for parents, leading to increased distress levels. This cross-sectional study examined the mediating role of parents' use of mobile phones to soothe or engage children in the association between child externalising problems and distress in parents. Altogether 937 parents of children aged 5-12 reported their child's externalising problems, child's mobile phone use, and their distress through an online survey. The findings indicated that parents of children with high externalising problems are more likely to use mobile phones to soothe their children and keep them engaged in daily activities, which, in turn, is associated with higher distress in parents. Child externalising problems and distress in parents remained significantly and positively associated even after accounting for the mediating effect. The results highlight the child-driven effect on distress in parents through parenting behaviours, indicating the importance of providing alternative parenting strategies to cope with child externalising behaviours, in order to promote parental emotional well-being.

Paternal Role Adaptation in Premature Infants in NICU: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Aims and objectives: This study aimed to explore the adaptation experiences of first-time fathers of preterm infants after experiencing the trauma of preterm birth. Background: Becoming a father is a significant life event that can bring about profound changes in a man's identity and lifestyle. However, there is currently a lack of research on the adaptation experiences of fathers of preterm infants.Design: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted. Methods: Thirteen fathers of preterm infants were recruited from June 2022 to April 2023 at Chongqing Children's Hospital in China. Participants were all first-time parents, and their infants had received treatment in neonatal intensive care units. Deep semi-structured interviews, guided by a questionnaire, were conducted to collect data. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. Reporting followed COREQ guidelines. Results: The data analysis generated 28 themes, including 9 subordinate themes and 3 superordinate themes. The superordinate themes were "Role preparation", "Post-traumatic adjustment", and "Growth adaptation". Conclusion:Fathers of premature infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) face unique challenges during their child's hospitalization and in the initial three months following discharge. The father's ability to navigate these challenges and embrace the complex aspects of fatherhood signifies his adaptation to the role. Relevance to clinical practice: Healthcare providers should assess the role adaptability of fathers of preterm infants and provide timely and effective interventions to support parental emotional well-being and parenting behavior.

Use of volunteers in early years interventions for parents: A scoping review of roles and the extent of evaluation research in this area.

Early years interventions, particularly those supporting parents in the first 1001 days of their infants life, support healthy development of infants and prevent adverse experiences that can have long term negative impacts. Volunteers are often used to deliver such interventions. This scoping review aimed to explore the roles and characteristics of volunteers across early years interventions and map the evaluation in this field to identify gaps in the literature. A scoping review was conducted according to the Arksey and O'Malley Framework. Academic databases and grey literature sources were searched to identify literature evaluating volunteer-based interventions for parents in the first 1001 days of their infant's life (conception to aged two). Research conducted in the UK or comparable high-income countries since the year 2000 were identified and data relating to the volunteer role, intervention design and evaluation methods were mapped. Sixty-six articles were eligible for inclusion in the review. Volunteers were commonly involved in interventions to provide peer support for a range of parenting related matters, support breastfeeding and the mental and emotional wellbeing of parents. Volunteer roles were categorised based on their background (peers or non-peer volunteers), their responsibilities (provider of peer support, educator or providers of practical support) and the delivery style of their role (in person one to one support, group leader or remote support). Research most often involved exploring the experiences of those involved in receiving or delivering the interventions and measuring outcomes in relation to breastfeeding and parent mental wellbeing. Volunteers play a large role in the provision of early years interventions. Their varied contribution is presented through a typology that will allow comparisons of roles in future research. Further research exploring the impact on the volunteers and the organisation will support decision making around choosing a volunteer led model within early years services.

Level of Negative Emotional States among Parents of Speech and Language Delay

Background: The prevalence and impact of delayed speech and language disorders in children have increasingly become a concern, particularly regarding the psychological well-being of their parents. Prior research has explored various factors influencing parental stress in families with children suffering from different developmental disorders, including Down, Williams, Fragile X, and Prader-Willi syndromes. However, there is a need to understand specifically how delayed speech and language disorders in children affect the emotional states of their parents. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of children with primary and secondary speech and language delays. It sought to identify the predominant emotional states in these parents and understand the relationship between the child's developmental status and the parent's emotional well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Multan, involving parents of 70 children with delayed speech and language disorders. Using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) Inventory, parents were assessed for levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The study employed a non-probability convenient sampling technique, and the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 23. Results: The analysis showed significant correlations between depression, anxiety, and stress. Depression had a mean score of 6.986, anxiety had a mean score of 5.529, and stress showed the highest mean score at 7.971. These results indicate that stress is the most prevalent emotional issue among these parents, exceeding the levels of depression and anxiety. Conclusion: The study concludes that parents of children with delayed speech and language disorders in Multan experience high levels of stress, overshadowing other negative emotional states like depression and anxiety. These findings highlight the need for targeted support and interventions for these families, focusing not only on the child's development but also on the mental health and well-being of the caregivers.

Associations of youth mentoring with parent emotional well-being and family functioning: Longitudinal findings from a study of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada

This study explores the association between child’s participation in a community-based mentoring program and parents' emotional well-being and perceived family functioning. 553 parents and their children were recruited through 20 Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada agencies. Assessments were completed at the time of program referral and 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, and 30-month post-baseline. Controlling for parent and child demographic characteristics, child’s behavioral difficulties and physical health problems, and baseline scores of parents’ mental health, family functioning, and social support, growth curve modelling was conducted to compare parents with mentored (n = 352) and non-mentored children (n = 201) in their reports of depression, social anxiety, hostility, and family functioning across the six time points. Findings indicated a greater rate of improvement over time in family functioning of parents with mentored children as compared to parents with non-mentored children. Parents with mentored children reported lower levels of depression, social anxiety, and hostility/aggression than parents with non-mentored children, but the group differences were marginally non-significant at p <.10. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were small in magnitude. Sensitivity analyses with growth curve models suggested that the findings were robust for family functioning and parental social anxiety. Findings provide preliminary evidence for the potential of one-on-one mentoring relationships between children and community volunteers that are established through formal programs to benefit the parents and families of participating children.

Pain monitoring app leads to less pain in children with cancer at home: Results of a randomized controlled trial.

The authors developed a pain monitoring app offering educational information, and real-time health care professional feedback on clinically significant pain (>4 numeric rating scale [NRS]-11) for children with cancer to reduce pain at home. This monocenter, nonblinded randomized controlled trial enrolled Dutch children (0-18years old) receiving cancer treatment (≥3months after diagnosis, ≥2months treatment remaining). Children were randomly assigned to use the app or receive usual care (two parallel groups). We assessed whether use of the app yielded less clinically significant pain (aim 1) and whether it affected pain severity, duration, interference, pain management strategies, and parental emotional well-being (aim 2). The app was also evaluated by families (aim 3). A total of 94 children were randomized to use the app (15 drop-outs), and 90 were to receive care as usual (11 drop-outs). The app group (n=79, mean age: 7.5 [5.1] years, 48% girls, 63% hemato-oncology diagnosis) reported significantly less clinically significant pain compared to usual care (n=79, mean age: 7.5 [5.4] years, 52% girls, 65% hemato-oncology diagnosis) (odds ratio [OR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.198-0.734]) (aim 1), as well as significantly lower pain severity (β=-0.27; 95% CI, -0.407 to -0.142). No differences were found for duration, interference, or management strategies. Parents in the app group reported significantly less distress compared to usual care (β = -0.84; 95% CI, -1.61 to -0.03]) (aim 2). Families generally evaluated the app positively (aim 3). Use of the app resulted in less clinically significant pain at home. The exact working mechanisms of the app should be further elucidated.

Parents' Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region.

Acute otitis media (AOM) in children aged 5 years old and younger poses a critical health concern, affecting both the general health of children and the emotional well-being of parents. The objective of this study was to evaluate parental understanding, attitudes, and experiences related to AOM and its management, including the use of antibiotics without physician prescription. A cross-sectional study was carried out during the months of May and June of 2023. To collect data for this study, a validated questionnaire was converted into a Google form and given to parents of children aged 5 years and younger who sought healthcare for their children in primary healthcare centers in Abha city, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. A total of 406 parents participated in this study, 64.8% of them were women and 45.3% of them were in the age range of 25 to 34 years. The majority (90.1%) resided in urban areas and a significant proportion (72.2%) had a university education. Among the respondents, 22.7% agreed that bacteria are the cause of AOM, while 21.7% agreed that it is caused by viruses. A total of 51.0% acknowledged the need for antibiotics in the management of AOM. In terms of treatment, 84.5% and 83.5% believed that analgesics and antibiotics, respectively, were the most effective for otalgia. A substantial portion, 43.1%, 34.7%, and 37.7%, respectively, believed that antibiotics could reduce pain, relieve fever, and prevent recurrence. Almost three-quarters sought medical advice primarily from paediatricians and 37.7% obtained information about AOM from the Internet. Furthermore, almost a third (28.8%) chose not to wait for the physician's appointment and immediately administered antibiotics without the physician's prescription due to concerns about disease progression. Approximately two fifths (38.4%) requested physicians to prescribe antibiotics, a pattern that was in agreement with the actual rate of antibiotic prescriptions (38.4%). A notable deficiency in knowledge and unsafe practices about AOM and its management is evident among parents in the Aseer region. This underscores the pressing need for an educational program aimed at improving parental health literacy regarding otitis media causes and treatments, as well as its preventive measures.

Sociality, wellbeing, and emotions in children during the pandemic. The case of Pompei

Our objective in this work was to show how the pandemic and mitigation efforts affected the physical and emotional well-being of parents and children in our research context through early March of 2020. The methods used in our research include the analysis of children's drawings, as well as interviews with teachers and family members. During this period of the restriction, our research verified the presence of reduced physical activities, eating disorders, increased requests for and reliance on video games, and screen time for entertainment, all fears related to isolation, restlessness dreams, emotional withdrawal, and sadness/depression.

Comparison of Cognitive and Emotional Deficiencies Between Parents of Children with Special Needs and Parents of Typically Developing Children

Purpose: Parenting a child with special needs poses unique challenges that can significantly impact the cognitive and emotional well-being of parents. This study aims to compare cognitive and emotional deficiencies between parents of children with special needs and parents of typically developing children to understand the extent of these challenges and inform targeted interventions. Methodology: This descriptive, causal-comparative study included 120 parents, divided into two groups: 60 parents of children with special needs and 60 parents of typically developing children, all from Kashan, Iran. Participants completed the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using ANOVA to compare cognitive and emotional deficiencies between the groups. Findings: The study found that parents of children with special needs had significantly higher levels of cognitive deficiencies, including distraction, memory-related problems, inadvertent errors, and failure to recall names, compared to parents of typically developing children. Additionally, these parents exhibited greater emotional deficiencies, such as difficulty identifying and describing feelings and externally oriented thinking. Conclusion: Parents of children with special needs experience substantial cognitive and emotional challenges, likely due to the increased caregiving demands and chronic stress. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, such as emotional regulation training and enhanced social support, to improve the well-being of these parents and their ability to care for their children effectively.

Bienestar emocional de los padres de niños con lesión del plexo braquial obstétrica: un estudio transversal

Emotional well-being of parents with children with obstetric brachial plexus injury: A cross-sectional study. There is evidence that mothers of children with obstetric brachial plexus injury (PBO) show depressive and anxious symptoms and have low quality of life. Most of these studies evaluate only mothers (without considering fathers) and there are no recent data that collect their adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the role of social support in this population and their emotional well-being has not been explored to date. The aim of the current study was to evaluate depressive symptoms, anxiety, social support and quality of life in this population. To do this, all participants were interviewed online in order to evaluate these variables. Parents (90% women; mean age = 37.47; SD = 4.82) of 30 children between 0 and 6 years old with brachial plexus injury (40% women; mean age = 2.80; SD = 1, 60) participated. The levels of depressive and anxious symptomatology were moderate. The level of satisfaction regarding the social support received was high, while the average number of people who provide help was low. The participants presented a high quality of life and health in variables such as physical function, physical role, bodily pain, general health, social function, emotional role and mental health. However, they presented a moderate level life quality and health in vitality. This study provides evidence on variables related to the mental health of primary caregivers of children with PBO during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.

Relationships Among Parenting Stress and Well-Being, COVID-19 Information Management, and Children's COVID-19 Fear.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, caregivers who are facing high stress levels and decreased emotional well-being may parent their children differently. Certain children are experiencing greater fear in response to COVID-19, and research is needed to identify parenting behaviors significantly linked with children's COVID-19 fear. The purpose of this article was to evaluate whether the association between parenting stress and children's COVID-19 fear could be explained by parents' COVID-19 information management and emotional well-being. Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. The sample consisted of 595 caregivers of children during the COVID-19 pandemic; 40.0% men, 69.2% non-Latinx White, 12.1% Black, 10.1% Latinx, 6.6% Asian, and <2% others. Children had an average age of 11.3 years. Parents completed self-report measures. The bootstrapped confidence interval (0.040, 0.148) for the indirect effect (0.090) revealed that parent emotional well-being significantly mediated the relation between parenting stress and children's COVID-19 fear. In addition, parent management of children's COVID-19 knowledge significantly mediated the relation between parenting stress and children's COVID-19 fear. We found that the combined effect of parents' emotional well-being and parents' management of children's COVID-19 knowledge significantly mediated the positive relation between parenting stress and children's COVID-19 fear. Based on our findings, once parents' parenting stress is decreased and their well-being increases, parents may be more likely to provide children with developmentally appropriate and accurate COVID-19 information.

Factors affecting the emotional wellbeing of women and men who experience miscarriage in hospital settings: a scoping review

BackgroundMiscarriage can be a devastating event for women and men that can lead to short- and long-term emotional distress. Studies have reported associations between miscarriage and depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder in women. Men can also experience intense grief and sadness following their partner’s miscarriage. While numerous studies have reported hospital-related factors impacting the emotional wellbeing of parents experiencing miscarriage, there is a lack of review evidence which synthesises the findings of current research.AimsThe aim of this review was to synthesise the findings of studies of emotional distress and wellbeing among women and men experiencing miscarriage in hospital settings.MethodsA systematic search of the literature was conducted in October 2020 across three different databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsycInfo) and relevant charity organisation websites, Google, and OpenGrey. A Mixed Methods appraisal tool (MMAT) and AACODS checklist were used to assess the quality of primary studies.ResultsThirty studies were included in this review representing qualitative (N = 21), quantitative (N = 7), and mixed-methods (N = 2) research from eleven countries. Findings indicated that women and men’s emotional wellbeing is influenced by interactions with health professionals, provision of information, and the hospital environment. Parents’ experiences in hospitals were characterised by a perceived lack of understanding among healthcare professionals of the significance of their loss and emotional support required. Parents reported that their distress was exacerbated by a lack of information, support, and feelings of isolation in the aftermath of miscarriage. Further, concerns were expressed about the hospital environment, in particular the lack of privacy.ConclusionWomen and men are dissatisfied with the emotional support received in hospital settings and describe a number of hospital-related factors as exacerbators of emotional distress.Implications for practiceThis review highlights the need for hospitals to take evidence-informed action to improve emotional support services for people experiencing miscarriage within their services.

Parental Disease Specific Knowledge and Its Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life.

Objective: Structured education programs have been shown to improve somatic outcome and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a variety of chronic childhood diseases. Similar data are scarce in paediatric liver transplantation (pLTx). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of parental disease-specific knowledge and psychosocial disease outcome in patients after pLTx. Methods: Parents of 113 children (chronic liver disease n = 25, after pLTx n = 88) completed the transplant module of the HRQOL questionnaire PedsQL, the “Ulm quality of life inventory for parents of children with chronic diseases” ULQUI, and a tailor-made questionnaire to test disease-specific knowledge. Results: Parental knowledge was highest on the topic of “liver transplantation” and lowest in “basic background knowledge” (76% and 56% correct answers respectively). Knowledge performance was only marginally associated with HRQOL scores, with better knowledge being related to worse HRQOL outcomes. In contrast, self-estimation of knowledge performance showed significant positive correlations with both PedsQL and ULQUI results. Conclusion: Patient HRQOL and parental emotional wellbeing after pLTx are associated with positive self-estimation of parental disease-specific knowledge. Objective disease-specific knowledge has little impact on HRQOL. Parental education programs need to overcome language barriers and address self-efficacy in order to improve HRQOL after pLTx.

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC METHODS USED FOR WORK WITH FAMILIES RAISING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Modern practical psychotherapy structurally includes several areas and profiles, among which one of the first places is occupied by family psychotherapy, in particular, systemic family psychotherapy. Such psychotherapy for families raising children with special educational needs is of particular importance. Psychological support for mentioned families should be aimed at creating the social and psychological conditions restoring emotional well-being of parents having children with special educational needs and favourable for these children’s development. Family psychotherapy can take various forms and directions aimed at families raising children with special educational needs. One of the best formats of corrective and supportive psychotherapy for these families is psychotherapeutic assistance, psychotherapy aimed at actuation of family members’ personal and psychological resources, especially children with psychological difficulties. Revealed significant shortcomings and mistakes become a self-disclosure tool necessary for positive personal changes and personality manifestations in the form of internal mental states and external behavioural reactions. Repeated psychotherapeutic influences on the behavioural models used by parents of children with special educational needs help them to better understand their children, their behaviour, reduce anxiety, improve self-confidence and confidence in their abilities to overcome life problems. A psychotherapist’s necessary quality is his/her ability to maintain a positive attitude towards a client or, to say more correctly, faith in the positive existential foundation, which should be freed from life blockages and false personality defences. Only in this case, the psychotherapist can simultaneously maintain a open, natural communication and at the same time not react with negative emotions to the client’s negative manifestations. We have found that the rejection of their children by parents of autistic children is associated with negativism, irritability, increased anxiety and depression, rigidity. Increased anxiety among parents with autistic children increases their irritation, resentment, and guilt.

Improvements in Parental Emotional Well-Being During Home Visiting Support: What Works for Whom?

Abstract Home visitors can support parents who have low levels of emotional well-being. While support may be effective for some families, the circumstances in which it is effective are less well understood. Longitudinal administrative data from Home-Start UK were analysed to identify how the nature of support was related to changes in parental emotional well-being, and whether these effects were the same for families with different risk factors. Sub-groups were identified of people experiencing problems with various aspects of emotional well-being: mental ill health (n = 1,289), social isolation (n = 1,413) and low self-esteem (n = 1,400). Multiple linear regression models were used to explore the relationships between the nature of support and the rate of improvement. These effects were considered in subgroups of families with domestic violence problems, disabled parents, a disabled child, large family sizes or multiple risks. More frequent visits and support being provided by paid workers, as opposed to volunteers were related to faster improvements. Paid worker support was particularly related to faster improvements in families with domestic abuse, disabled parents and multiple risks. However, volunteer support seemed just as effective for large families and those with disabled children. These findings have implications for those providing and commissioning home visiting services.

The link between parental psychological control, depressive symptoms and epigenetic changes in the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1)

AimsThis paper examines the relationship between parental Psychological Control (PC) and depressive symptoms in adolescents and assesses whether this relationship was mediated by DNA methylation, focusing on the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1), which plays a crucial role in HPA-axis functioning and is linked to environmental stress and depression. This is among the very few studies that looked at the relation between DNA methylation, environmental stress and depression in family trios. MethodsThe study cohort consisted of 250 families: father, mother and a biologically related adolescent (adolescents (48.9% boys), mean age: 15.14, SD= 1.9; mean age mothers: 45.83, SD= 4.2; mean age fathers: 47.77, SD= 4.7). Depressive symptoms and PC were measured in adolescents and in both parents. DNA methylation levels in NR3C1 were examined in all participants. ResultsDepressive symptoms in adolescents were predicted by PC of both mothers and fathers. Moreover, maternal depressive symptoms were associated with maternal PC, and fathers’ depressive symptoms and PC. In fathers, only the level of their self-reported PC was associated with their depressive symptoms. There was no relation between adolescents’ DNA methylation and depressive symptoms or the level of parental PC. Yet, there was a significant association between maternal depressive symptoms and maternal epigenetic patterns in NR3C1. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the need for more research in order to better understand the biological and contextual mechanisms through which parenting and parental emotional well-being is related to the development of psychopathology.

Well-being of Parents and Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey.

As the coronavirus disease pandemic spread across the United States and protective measures to mitigate its impact were enacted, parents and children experienced widespread disruptions in daily life. Our objective with this national survey was to determine how the pandemic and mitigation efforts affected the physical and emotional well-being of parents and children in the United States through early June 2020. In June 2020, we conducted a national survey of parents with children age <18 to measure changes in health status, insurance status, food security, use of public food assistance resources, child care, and use of health care services since the pandemic began. Since March 2020, 27% of parents reported worsening mental health for themselves, and 14% reported worsening behavioral health for their children. The proportion of families with moderate or severe food insecurity increased from 6% before March 2020 to 8% after, employer-sponsored insurance coverage of children decreased from 63% to 60%, and 24% of parents reported a loss of regular child care. Worsening mental health for parents occurred alongside worsening behavioral health for children in nearly 1 in 10 families, among whom 48% reported loss of regular child care, 16% reported change in insurance status, and 11% reported worsening food security. The coronavirus disease pandemic has had a substantial tandem impact on parents and children in the United States. As policy makers consider additional measures to mitigate the health and economic effects of the pandemic, they should consider the unique needs of families with children.