Child Mental Health Outcomes Research Articles

Family and School Counseling

Family and school counseling play an important role in addressing the complex problems and challenges faced by children and young people. This article explains the benefits and challenges of family and school counseling, the various counseling methods used, and their effectiveness in treating mental health and behavioral problems. With a mixed methods approach, data is collected from parents, teachers, and students to identify the problems and concerns most commonly addressed through counseling, the effectiveness of counseling in addressing those problems, and the factors that contribute to the success of counseling interventions. These findings highlight the importance of early intervention and collaboration between families, schools, and mental health professionals in promoting positive mental health outcomes for children and adolescents.

Caregiver experiences of racism and child mental health outcomes: cross-sectional analysis from Aotearoa New Zealand.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of vicarious racism experienced by children (0-14 years) in Aotearoa New Zealand and investigate the association between vicarious racism and diagnosed child mental health conditions. Adult and child 2016/2017 New Zealand Health Survey data were merged to create child-caregiver dyads. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between the caregiver experiences of racism (exposure) and diagnosed child mental health conditions (outcome), adjusting for confounders and exploring potential pathway variables. Looking at 2,989 dyads, the prevalence of "any" vicarious racism was higher for Māori (28.1%; 95% CI 24.2-31.9), Pacific (23.2%; 95% CI 17.9-28.5) and Asian (29%; 95% CI 23.6-34.5) children compared to European/Other children (12.5%; 95% CI 10.2-14.8). A statistically significant association was identified between >2 reports of vicarious racism and the outcome (OR= 2.53, 95% 1.18-5.43). Adding caregiver psychological distress reduced this association (OR= 1.92, 95% 0.91-4.08). Children in Māori, Pacific and Asian ethnicity groupings experience higher exposure to vicarious racism than those in the European/Other grouping. Multiple experiences of vicarious racism are associated with increased odds of diagnosed child mental health conditions in a dose-response distribution.

Relationship Between Parental Postnatal Distress and 5-Year Mental Health Outcomes of Children Born at

The purpose of this study was to compare mental health symptoms and diagnoses at age 5 years between children born <30 weeks' gestation and their term-born peers and associations with postnatal symptoms of depression and anxiety in their mothers and fathers. Parents of children born <30 weeks' gestation (n = 106) and at term (n = 105) completed measures of anxiety and depression symptoms within 4 weeks of birth and questionnaires assessing child socioemotional symptoms and mental health/neurodevelopmental diagnostic criteria at age 5 years. At age 5 years, children born <30 weeks' gestation were more likely to show clinically concerning levels of total difficulties (odds ratio [OR] = 3.97, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-13.05), emotional problems (OR = 3.71, 95% CI, 1.14-12.15), and inattention/hyperactivity problems (OR = 4.34, 95% CI, 1.51-12.47) than term-born peers. They also showed higher rates of mental health/neurodevelopmental diagnoses than their term-born peers (18% vs 9%), although evidence for the group difference was weak ( p = 0.08). Maternal postnatal anxiety and depression symptoms were related to poorer child mental health outcomes in many domains. There was little evidence that paternal postnatal anxiety/depression symptoms were related to child outcomes or that any associations varied by birth group. Children born <30 weeks' gestation showed more mental health symptoms than their term-born peers at age 5 years. Maternal postnatal distress was associated with poorer child mental health across both groups, reinforcing the need for early identification and support of mental health distress in the postnatal period to improve longer-term child well-being.

Does social capital aid in leveling the income gradient in child mental health? A structural analysis of the left-behind and not-left-behind Chinese children

BackgroundFew prior studies have investigated the income gradient in child mental health from a socio-environmental perspective. In an age when child mental health problems in a rapidly changing social environment have become a worldwide issue, an understanding of the socio-environmental mechanisms of the income disparities in child mental health outcomes is imperative and cost-effective.MethodsBy conducting structural equation analyses with Chinese nationally representative survey data, this study explored the family income gradient in child depression and its potential socio-environmental pathways at the neighborhood, family and school levels, differentiating left-behind and not-left-behind children.ResultsWe found a robust family income gradient in depressive symptoms. Neighborhood cohesion mitigated the income gradient in depressive symptoms by playing a suppression role. School social capital acted as a mediator. Neighborhood trust, neighborhood safety and family social capital played no significant impact. The mitigating and mediating roles of social capital components were significant among only the not-left-behind children.ConclusionsTo reduce income-related inequalities in child mental health in the long run, integrating policies that directly reduce poverty with policies that improve distal socio-environments is necessary.

Use of technology in evidence-based programs for child maltreatment and its impact on parent and child outcomes.

Technology has been used in evidence-based child maltreatment (CM) programs for over a decade. Although advancements have been made, the extent of the application of technology in these programs, and its influence on parental and child outcomes, remains unclear within the context of changes that emerged because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This scoping review provides a contextualized overview and summary of the use of technology in evidence-based parenting and child programs serving families impacted by child maltreatment and the effects of technology-enhanced programs on target outcomes. Using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework, we searched seven databases to identify peer-reviewed and grey literature published in English from 2000 to 2023 on evidence-based programs, according to the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse (CEBC), that included technological supports for two populations: at-risk parents for child maltreatment prevention, and children and youth 0-18 years exposed to child maltreatment. All study designs were included. Eight evidence-based parenting programs and one evidence-based child trauma program were identified as using technology across a total of 25 peer-reviewed articles and 2 peer-reviewed abstracts meeting inclusion criteria (n = 19 on parent-level programs; n = 8 on child-level programs). Four studies were published in the context of COVID-19. Two main uses of technology emerged: (1) remote programmatic delivery (i.e., delivering all or part of the program virtually using technology) and (2) programmatic enhancement (i.e., augmenting program content with technology). Improvements across parenting and child mental health and behavioral outcomes were generally observed. Technology use in evidence-based child maltreatment programs is not new; however, the small sample since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in this review that met inclusion criteria highlight the dearth of research published on the topic. Findings also suggest the need for the inclusion of implementation outcomes related to adoption and engagement, which could inform equitable dissemination and implementation of these programs. Additional considerations for research and practice are discussed.

An exploration of outdoor play and wellbeing in Northern Irish primary schools

ABSTRACT The increasingly poor physical and mental health outcomes for children in Northern Ireland are, in part, attributed to a sedentary, indoor lifestyle and a concern that children are not availing of outdoor play opportunities. For some children, the school playground is the only accessible outdoor space available to them and is therefore a critical site in terms of promoting wellbeing. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study which investigated school staff’s attitudes and children’s views, perspectives and experiences of play in school playgrounds in Northern Ireland. The findings illustrate that the school playground shapes the way in which children access outdoor play through its physical, policy and social setup; and that the design, structure, management and provision of the school playground all play a role in shaping children’s play behaviours and enjoyment of play. Findings also indicate that children are not being consulted about their play space, and schools lack policies and training opportunities for staff regarding outdoor play. Based on the findings and applying concepts associated with the Affordance Framework [Gibson, J. J. (1979). The ecological approach to visual perception. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates], the transformative potential of restructuring primary school playgrounds in Northern Ireland is highlighted and implications for future research, policy and practice are outlined.

The integration hypothesis and positive mental health outcomes for children and young asylum-seekers in Iceland

The current global situation affects millions of people forced to flee their homes in search of safety and protection. Child and youth forced migrants are often exposed to stressful life events before arrival in the country of resettlement and suffer more mental health problems than other migrants. For this population, finding the balance between maintaining their heritage culture while interacting with the larger new society is related to better mental health, a phenomenon referred to as the integration hypothesis. The present study sought to address gaps in the literature by examining the integration hypothesis among children and youth who sought asylum in Iceland. The study examined the acculturation strategy preferences of participants and their relationship to mental health outcomes. Participants were 75 individuals, ages 13–24, who arrived in Iceland between 2016 and 2020. Part of the data was collected via face-to-face interviews, while mental health measures were administered. Participants who preferred integration showed the best mental health outcomes, while those who chose marginalization had poorer mental health. Study results support the integration hypothesis in Iceland and underline the importance of helping immigrant children and youth recognize the value of maintaining their heritage culture while interacting with the larger society.

PCR36 Vision-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health Outcomes of Children and Young People with Visual Impairment and Their Carers

To investigate the associations between vision-related quality of life (VQoL) and mental health outcomes of children and young people with visual impairment (CYP-VI) and their parents/carers, as a first step towards development of family-centred intervention.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences, child mental health, and the mediating effect of maternal depression: A cross-sectional, population-based study in rural, southwestern Uganda.

This study aimed to examine the intergenerational effects of maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and child mental health outcomes in rural Uganda, as well as the potentially mediating role of maternal depression in this pathway. Additionally, we sought to test the extent to which maternal social group membership attenuated the mediating effect of maternal depression on child mental health. Data come from a population-based cohort of families living in the Nyakabare Parish, a rural district in southwestern Uganda. Between 2016 and 2018, mothers completed surveys about childhood adversity, depressive symptoms, social group membership, and their children's mental health. Survey data were analyzed using causal mediation and moderated-mediation analysis. Among 218 mother-child pairs, 61 mothers (28%) and 47 children (22%) showed symptoms meeting cutoffs for clinically significant psychological distress. In multivariable linear regression models, maternal ACEs had a statistically significant association with severity of child conduct problems, peer problems, and total child difficulty scores. Maternal depression mediated the relationship between maternal ACEs and conduct problems, peer problems, and total difficulty, but this mediating effect was not moderated by maternal group membership. Maternal depression may act as a potential mechanism linking maternal childhood adversity with poor child mental health in the next generation. Within a context of elevated rates of psychiatric morbidity, high prevalence of childhood adversity, and limited healthcare and economic infrastructures across Uganda, these results emphasize the prioritization of social services and mental health resources for rural Ugandan families.

Parental Influence on Child Mental Health Post-Hurricane Harvey

PurposeMany children who face natural disasters experience significant mental health consequences. Parents play a prominent role in the likelihood of child mental health outcomes after a weather-related disaster. This study aimed to examine the relationship between parent risk factors and children’s psychological well-being post Hurricane Harvey.MethodsParents (n = 140) completed a survey that measured hurricane exposure, parental depression and anxiety, parenting behaviors, and assistance given and received during or after Hurricane Harvey. Additionally, parents were asked to complete questionnaires assessing one of their children’s post-disaster psychosocial functioning and distress.ResultsResults indicated that heightened parent anxiety was significantly associated with an increased risk for emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and hyperactivity-inattention symptoms in children. Additionally, inconsistency in parental discipline was significantly associated with an increased risk of child conduct problems. Further, higher numbers of assistance types received by parents—a proxy indicator of resource loss—was associated with higher child emotional distress scores.ConclusionsBroader systems-level interventions that address parents’ physical and emotional needs may help mitigate maladaptive reactions in children and facilitate greater post-disaster psychosocial adjustment.

0637 Associations Between Sleep Quality and Child Behavioral Problems, a Longitudinal Analysis

Abstract Introduction Internalizing and externalizing behaviors are important mental health outcomes in children. Internalizing symptoms are characterized by a disturbance in mood or emotion. Symptoms include loneliness, sadness, anxiety, rumination, and depression. Externalizing symptoms are behaviors that are aversive to others and experienced by other people. Symptoms include aggression, hyperactivity, property destruction, and losing one’s temper. This longitudinal analysis examined how children’s sleep quality related to their internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Methods 246 Children (n = 246 at T1, n = 196 at T2, n = 151 at T3), with a mean age of 9.9 (SD = 1.4) at time one, participated in a longitudinal study on sleep and substance use. Sleep quality was measured with the Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale (range 1-6); higher scores represent better sleep quality. Child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were measured using the Childhood Behavior Checklist; higher scores indicate higher levels of behavioral problems. The associations between sleep quality, and internalizing and externalizing behavior at T1, T2, and T3 were examined. One year separated each time-point. Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. Latent variables of sleep quality, internalizing, and externalizing were created from the observed measurements at the three time-points. Latent variables of internalizing and externalizing were regressed on sleep quality. Results The model indicated an excellent fit with the data (χ2 = 21.94, p = 0.46; CFI = 1.00; TLI = 1.00; RMSEA = 0.00). All observed variables loaded significantly onto their respective latent variables, internalizing, externalizing, and sleep quality (p &amp;lt; 0.001). Results indicated that the latent variable of sleep quality predicted both the latent variables of internalizing (b = -0.34, se = 0.09, p &amp;lt; 0.001) and latent externalizing behaviors (b = -0.31, se = 0.08, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusion These results indicate children with better sleep quality have fewer internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. This suggests that improving sleep quality could improve behavioral problems in children. Alternatively, improving behavioral problems may improve sleep quality. Future research should examine the directionality of this relationship. Future research should also test if sleep or behavioral interventions improve sleep quality and child behavioral problems. Support (if any) NIH Grant R01 AA020364

COVID-19 Stress in Relation to Parent Emotional Intelligence and Child Mental Health among a Canadian Sample

Due to the unprecedented nature of COVID-19, more studies are needed to examine how parents and children are impacted by the pandemic, and more specifically the role of parental Emotional Intelligence (EI) in the link between COVID-19 stressors and child mental health outcomes. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between COVID-19 stressors, parental EI, and child anxiety and depression outcomes. Fifty parents (mean age = 41.98 years; 88% mothers) of children between the ages of 8-11 years old (mean age = 9.46 years; 74% boys) completed online questionnaires assessing COVID-19 stress, parental EI, and child anxiety and depression symptoms. Although no significant results were found between parent COVID-19 stress, parent EI, and child depression symptoms, the results suggest that parental COVID-19 stress was related to child anxiety. Exploratory analyses were conducted examining specific domains of COVID-19 stress, parental EI, and child anxiety and depression symptoms. Findings indicate the resilience of child mood and parental EI to COVID-19 stress among this sample, as well as child anxiety being a potential area of risk during the pandemic. Knowledge of these associations gives insight into areas to prioritize for mental health clinicians in assessment and intervention.&#x0D; &#x0D; Public significance statement: There is a need for more research on parent and child psychological outcomes during COVID-19. This study suggests an association specifically between parental COVID-19 stress and child anxiety, and not with child depressive symptoms. Findings help with better understanding the experiences of families during COVID-19.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adolescents’ mental health, Quality of Life and communication

Mental health problems and lower Quality of Life (QoL) are more common in deaf and hard-of-hearing – (D)HH – children than in typically hearing (TH) children. Communication has been repeatedly linked to both mental health and QoL. The aims of this study were to compare mental health and QoL between signing deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH), hard-of-hearing (HH) and TH children and to study associations between mental health/QoL and severity of hearing loss and communication. 106 children and adolescents (mean age 11;8; SD = 3.42), 59 of them DHH and 47 HH, and their parents reported child mental health and QoL outcomes. Parents also provided information about their children's communication, hearing loss and education while their children's cognitive ability was assessed. Although (D)HH and their parents rated their mental health similar to their TH peers, about twice as many (D)HH children rated themselves in the clinical range. However, (D)HH children rated their QoL as similar to their TH peers, while their parents rated it significantly lower. Associations between communicative competence, parent-reported mental health and QoL were found, whereas severity of hearing loss based on parent-report had no significant association with either mental health or QoL. These results are in line with other studies and emphasise the need to follow up on (D)HH children's mental health, QoL and communication.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Latent Profiles of Maternal Distress: Associations With 5-Year Maternal and Child Mental Health Outcomes

To examine profiles of distress of mothers of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and relate profiles to maternal and child outcomes at child age 5 years. A racially and economically diverse sample of mothers (n= 94; 39% African American, 52% White) of preterm infants (≤30 weeks of gestation) completed validated questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety (state and trait), NICU stress, and life stress at NICU discharge of their infant. Mothers reported on their own and their children's symptomatology at child age 5. A latent profile analysis was conducted to categorize maternal symptomatology. Latent profile analysis yielded 4 distinct maternal profiles: low symptomatology, high NICU stress, high depression and anxiety, and high state anxiety. Social determinants of health factors including age, education, neighborhood deprivation, and infant clinical risk distinguished the profiles. Mothers in the high depression and anxiety profile reported more anxiety and life stress at follow-up and reported their children experienced more anxious/depressed symptoms. Existing literature has gaps related to examining multiple dimensions of NICU distress and understanding how patterns of mood/affective symptoms, life stressors, and related social determinants of health factors vary across mothers. In this study, one specific profile of maternal NICU distress demonstrated enduring risks for poorer maternal and child mental health outcomes. This new knowledge underscores sources of disparate health outcomes for mothers of preterm infants and the infants themselves. Universal screening is needed to identify at-risk dyads for poor health outcomes in need of individualized interventions that address both maternal and child well-being. We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented sexual and/or gender groups in science. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our reference list. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list.

Early morning physical activity is associated with healthier white matter microstructure and happier children: the ActiveBrains project

The background of this study is to examine the associations of individual and combined early morning patterns (i.e., active commuting to school, physical activity before school, having breakfast and good sleep) with white matter microstructure (WMM) and, whether the associated white mater microstructure outcomes were related to mental health outcomes in children with overweight or obesity. 103 children with overweight or obesity (10.0 ± 1.1 years old, 42 girls) from the ActiveBrains project participated in this cross-sectional study. Early morning patterns and mental health indicators (i.e., self-esteem, optimism, positive and negative affect, stress, depression and anxiety) were self-reported by the children using validated questionnaires. WMM was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging using diffusion tensor imaging. When examined independently, early morning patterns were not related with WMM (all P > 0.05). However, the combination of early morning patterns was related with WMM (P < 0.05). Specifically, physically active early morning patterns (i.e., active commuting to school and physical activity before school) were associated with global fractional anisotropy (FA) (β = 0.298, P = 0.013) and global radial diffusivity (RD) (β = − 0.272, P = 0.021), as well as with tract-specific FA (β = 0.314, P = 0.004) and RD (β = − 0.234, P = 0.032) in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Furthermore, combined physically active early morning pattern-associated global (i.e., FA and RD) and tract-specific (i.e., FA and RD in the SLF) WMM indicators were positively associated with happiness (β absolute value range from 0.252 to 0.298, all P < 0.05). A combination of physically active early morning patterns may positively relate to white matter microstructure in children with overweight or obesity, and, in turn, happiness.

(Not) getting what you want: frustration and emotion regulation in children with sex chromosome trisomies.

The presence of an additional X or Y chromosome (sex chromosome trisomies, SCT) is associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental difficulties, including socio-emotional problems, across the life span. Studying emotion regulation in young children with SCT could signal deviations in emotional development that serve as risk markers to guide clinical care. This study explored the presence and variety of emotion regulation strategies in 75 SCT children and 81 population-based controls, aged 1-7 years, during a frustration-inducing event in which physiological (heart rate) and observational data (behavioral responses) were collected. Children with SCT were equally physiologically aroused by the event as compared to controls. However, they showed more emotion regulation difficulties in terms of behavior compared to controls that were not explicable in terms of differences in general intellectual functioning. Specifically, they had a more limited range of behavioral alternatives and tended to rely longer on inefficient strategies with increasing age. The field of practice should be made aware of these early risk findings regarding emotion regulation in SCT, which may potentially lay the foundation for later socio-emotional problems, given the significant impact of emotion regulation on child and adult mental health outcomes. The current results may help to design tailored interventions to reduce the impact of the additional sex chromosome on adaptive functioning, psychopathology, and quality of life.

Fine particulate matter exposure and pediatric mental health outcomes: An integrative review.

Climate change is expected to worsen air pollution globally, which contributes to a multitude of negative health outcomes in humans. The purpose of this integrative review is to examine the relationship between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. This review utilized Whittemore and Knafl's methodology for conducting an integrative review. After a thorough search of the literature, 17 articles were selected for this review and evaluated utilizing the Johns Hopkins Evidence Based Practice Appraisal Tool. Of the 17 articles, all were quantitative observational study designs. The studies were then synthesized into four outcome themes. These themes included emergent and general psychiatric outcomes, neurodevelopmental disorders, stress and anxiety, and depression. The strongest evidence supports a possible correlation between PM2.5 exposure and adolescent mental health outcomes, although there were some studies that contradicted these associations. While research on this topic is in its early stages, more needs to be conducted to determine causality with any of the associations presented to improve generalizability of the findings. Nurses must be aware of and part of the solution to address climate change and resulting air pollution, as it is a potentially significant threat to children's mental health in the 21st century.

COVID-19 Policies, Pandemic Disruptions, and Changes in Child Mental Health and Sleep in the United States

The adverse effects of COVID-19 containment policies disrupting child mental health and sleep have been debated. However, few current estimates correct biases of these potential effects. To determine whether financial and school disruptions related to COVID-19 containment policies and unemployment rates were separately associated with perceived stress, sadness, positive affect, COVID-19-related worry, and sleep. This cohort study was based on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study COVID-19 Rapid Response Release and used data collected 5 times between May and December 2020. Indexes of state-level COVID-19 policies (restrictive, supportive) and county-level unemployment rates were used to plausibly address confounding biases through 2-stage limited information maximum likelihood instrumental variables analyses. Data from 6030 US children aged 10 to 13 years were included. Data analysis was conducted from May 2021 to January 2023. Policy-induced financial disruptions (lost wages or work due to COVID-19 economic impact); policy-induced school disruptions (switches to online or partial in-person schooling). Perceived stress scale, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-Toolbox sadness, NIH-Toolbox positive affect, COVID-19-related worry, and sleep (latency, inertia, duration). In this study, 6030 children were included in the mental health sample (weighted median [IQR] age, 13 [12-13] years; 2947 [48.9%] females, 273 [4.5%] Asian children, 461 [7.6%] Black children, 1167 [19.4%] Hispanic children, 3783 [62.7%] White children, 347 [5.7%] children of other or multiracial ethnicity). After imputing missing data, experiencing financial disruption was associated with a 205.2% [95% CI, 52.9%-509.0%] increase in stress, a 112.1% [95% CI, 22.2%-268.1%] increase in sadness, 32.9% [95% CI, 3.5%-53.4%] decrease in positive affect, and a 73.9 [95% CI, 13.2-134.7] percentage-point increase in moderate-to-extreme COVID-19-related worry. There was no association between school disruption and mental health. Neither school disruption nor financial disruption were associated with sleep. To our knowledge, this study presents the first bias-corrected estimates linking COVID-19 policy-related financial disruptions with child mental health outcomes. School disruptions did not affect indices of children's mental health. These findings suggest public policy should consider the economic impact on families due to pandemic containment measures, in part to protect child mental health until vaccines and antiviral drugs become available.

Mental Health Is a Family Affair-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Associations between Mental Health Problems in Parents and Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As a multidimensional and universal stressor, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the mental health of children, adolescents, and adults worldwide. In particular, families faced numerous restrictions and challenges. From the literature, it is well known that parental mental health problems and child mental health outcomes are associated. Hence, this review aims to summarize the current research on the associations of parental mental health symptoms and child mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a systematic literature search in Web of Science (all databases) and identified 431 records, of which 83 articles with data of over 80,000 families were included in 38 meta-analyses. A total of 25 meta-analyses resulted in significant small to medium associations between parental mental health symptoms and child mental health outcomes (r = 0.19 to 0.46, p < 0.05). The largest effects were observed for the associations of parenting stress and child mental health outcomes. A dysfunctional parent-child interaction has been identified as a key mechanism for the transmission of mental disorders. Thus, specific parenting interventions are needed to foster healthy parent-child interactions, to promote the mental health of families, and to reduce the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Associations between Gendered Family Structures and Adolescent Stress, Loneliness, and Sadness in South Korea.

While a large literature connects family environments characterized by access to two married biological parents to better child mental health outcomes, we know less about the mechanisms linking family structure to mental health outcomes for children living in other family structures. While essentialist theory suggests that access to both male and female parents will be an important determinant of child mental health, some research directly comparing single-mother and single-father families found no difference in child outcomes by parent gender, suggesting evidence for more structural theories of gender. However, most of this research uses data from Western countries and seldom extends to examining mental health outcomes. In this paper, we used data from a large, generalizable survey of Korean adolescents (the 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey) to compare the mental health of children living in families with two married biological parents, single mothers, and single fathers. Our findings underscore the importance of examining family environments in different contexts.