Mindful Parenting Research Articles

Uncovering the Links Between Problematic Smartphone Usage and Subjective Vitality: The Role of Mindful Parenting and Parenting Stress.

In recent years, scientific research has increasingly focused on the relationship between parents' mobile phone usage and parenting. As smartphones have become pervasive among parents, concerns have arisen regarding how this usage might influence parenting practices and well-being. Therefore, studies that examine the relationship between parents' technology usage-particularly smartphone usage-and their well-being and parenting practices are of significant value. Such research can provide deeper insights into how technology shapes family dynamics and parental roles over time. Our research aimed to investigate the relationships among problematic smartphone usage, mindful parenting, parenting stress, and subjective vitality. The study involved a cross-lagged panel design with two waves of longitudinal research, and parents with at least one child between the ages of 1 and 14 participated. The results revealed that problematic smartphone use has a negative correlation with mindful parenting and subjective vitality, while it has a positive correlation with parenting stress. Serial mediation analysis showed that mindful parenting and parenting stress, both longitudinally and sequentially, mediate the relationship between problematic smartphone usage and subjective vitality. These findings suggest that problematic smartphone use adversely affects parents' well-being by increasing stress and reducing mindful engagement in parenting. Interventions focusing on reducing problematic smartphone use and enhancing mindful parenting practices may improve parental well-being and reduce stress.

VALIDATING THE INTERPERSONAL MINDFULNESS IN PARENTING (IM-P) SCALE FOR PARENTS IN INDONESIA

The concept of mindful parenting, derived from the broader framework of mindfulness, has gained increasing recognition in Indonesian parenting practices over recent years. However, the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting (IM-P) instrument, which possesses strong psychometric properties, has not yet been available in Bahasa. The purpose of this study is to adapt the IM-P instrument into a valid and reliable Indonesian version. The IM-P was translated and adapted into Indonesian, involving a sample of 735 parents (M = 36.63; SD = 7.354) with children aged 3 to 17 years. Using a random sampling procedure, the first sample (n = 367) was used for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while the second sample (n = 368) was used for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The study revealed that the Indonesian version of the IM-P consists of 20 items and 4 dimensions: Emotional Awareness of Self and Child, Self-Regulation in Parenting, Non-judgmental and Compassion for Child, and Non-judgmental and Compassion for Self. Overall, the IM-P Indonesia demonstrated good reliability. Additionally, the IM-P Indonesia showed a significant negative correlation with parenting stress, except for the dimension of Non-judgmental and Compassion for Self. These findings suggest that the IM-P is a valid and reliable measure for use within the Indonesian population.

Exploring the Link Between Mothers' Spiritual Well-Being and Positive Parenting in the Turkish Context: The Role of Mindful Parenting.

This cross-sectional study examined the role of mindful parenting in the association between spiritual well-being and positive parenting behaviors among mothers of typically developing children. The sample comprised 381 mothers of children aged 4-17years. We collected the data using the Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS-3), the Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire (MIPQ), and the Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS). We tailored our analysis through the subscales of the SWBS-3 (transcendence, harmony with nature, and anomie) to control the contamination effects of other psychological constructs (e.g., meaning and connectedness) on the measurement of spiritual well-being. The correlation analysis yielded significant results, indicating a relationship between the SWBS-3 subscales and mothers' mindful parenting skills (i.e., being in the moment with the child and mindful discipline) and positive parenting practices. Moreover, the mediating effect analysis revealed that mindful parenting skills assumed diverse roles in the relationship between transcendence, harmony with nature, and anomie and positive parenting practices. The findings were then addressed in the context of the existing literature.

Mindful With Your Baby/Toddler: A Single Case Design (SCD) Study.

Transitioning to motherhood comes with new and intensive tasks that may cause parental stress, low parental self-efficacy, and internalizing problems. This can in turn negatively affect the mother-child relationship. Mindful with your Baby/Toddler (MwyB/T) is a mindfulness-based intervention for parents of young children experiencing parental stress and internalizing problems. Previous evaluative studies showed promising results, but methodology of these studies was limited. The current study used a single case design, including a baseline, intervention, posttest, and follow-up phase, to evaluate the effectiveness of MwyB/T. Ten participants were included and completed daily administered personalized items and validated questionnaires measuring mindfulness, mindful parenting, parental self-efficacy, internalizing problems, and parental stress, for 10 participants. Personalized items were first coded into themes and then assessed using visual analysis and descriptive effect size measures. Reliable change indices were computed for the questionnaires. All mothers improved on personalized items, with most improving on most (or all) of their items. On the questionnaires the majority of mothers improved. Results indicate that MwyB/T could benefit mothers with various intervention goals. More research is needed on the role of personalized items, both as a research measure and an as a possible additional element of interventions.

The Impact of Maternal Childhood Trauma on Children's Problem Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Maternal Depression and the Moderating Role of Mindful Parenting.

This study investigates the impact of maternal childhood trauma on children's problem behaviors, focusing on the mediating role of maternal depression and the moderating role of mindful parenting. The study used a convenience sampling method to survey 385 mother-child pairs from kindergartens in Jinan, China. Data were collected in two waves, and various validated questionnaires were used to assess maternal childhood trauma, depression, mindful parenting, and children's problem behaviors. Maternal childhood trauma positively predicted children's problem behaviors. Maternal depression was found to mediate this relationship. Mindful parenting moderated the effects of maternal childhood trauma and depression on children's problem behaviors, with high levels of mindful parenting mitigating these adverse effects. Maternal childhood trauma impacts children's problem behaviors both directly and indirectly through maternal depression. Mindful parenting serves as a protective factor, reducing the negative impact of maternal childhood trauma and depression on children's problem behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of interventions aimed at enhancing mindful parenting practices to improve child outcomes.

Mindful parenting and irrational beliefs of Turkish gifted students’ parents

The purpose of this study is twofold, to examine gifted students’ parents’ (n=202) irrational belief levels and the level of mindful parenting, and to investigate whether or not gifted students’ parents’ irrational belief levels explain the parents’ level of mindful parenting. The results showed that the level of mindful parenting was not low and the level of irrational beliefs of the parents were not high. There was no significant difference between the total scores of the Mindfulness in Parenting Scale (MIPQ) and subscale scores that took into account the variables of parents’ educational background and monthly income level. Mothers' scores were significantly higher than fathers’ in one subscale of the MIPQ. With regards to the parents’ monthly income level and educational background variables, significant differences were obtained in the level of total and subtest scores of Parents' Irrational Beliefs Scale (PIBS). The total MIPQ and PIBS scores of the parents showed a significant negative low correlation, and total PIBS scores explained a 4.56% variance in MPIQ scores. As parents' irrational belief levels decrease, levels of mindful parenting increase. In addition, one of the variables that explains mindful parenting is the irrational beliefs of parents.

Efektivitas Pelatihan Mindful Parenting Terhadap Penurunan Kecenderungan Child Maltreatment pada Anak Usia Dini

Child maltreatment is a risky act and it has a serious impact, especially for early childhood. Mindful parenting training is one of the parenting concepts that can minimize the occurrence of child maltreatment. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of mindful parenting training on reducing the tendency of child maltreatment in parents. This study uses a pre-experimental design method with a one group pre-test-post-test design. The sample selection was determined using purposive sampling technique. The subjects in this study amounted to 35 parents of students at Aisyah Integrated Birrul Walidain Kindergarten in Kudus, Central Java. Hypothesis testing was conducted using paired sample t-test, where a significance value of P = 0.000 (P < 0.05) was obtained, which means that the hypothesis is accepted. In other words, mindful parenting is effective in reducing the tendency of child maltreatment by parents in early childhood.

Study Protocol for the Development and Preliminary Efficacy Assessment of AdoptMindful2Care@Web: A Web-Based Mindful Parenting Postadoption Intervention.

Developing postadoption interventions to prevent parenting stress and promote parents' well-being is urgent. Mindful parenting-based interventions show promise in achieving these goals and are well received by adoptive parents (APs). However, face-to-face interventions face significant barriers. E-health tools offer a solution by improving accessibility and flexibility and reducing long-term costs. Our main aim is to develop and assess the preliminary efficacy of a web-based mindful parenting postadoption intervention, AdoptMindful2Care@Web, by using a user-centered approach to ensure its effectiveness and cost efficiency. First, two quantitative surveys will be conducted to assess the needs and preferences of APs and gather input from adoption professionals. Then, a prototype version of the intervention will be created and tested for usability with the APs via the Think-Aloud method. Finally, a pilot version will undergo a two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial to assess its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy via self-report questionnaires. By developing AdoptMindful2Care@Web employing a user-centered approach, we hope to provide an effective intervention that is adjusted to the reality of its users and the surrounding context. In doing so, we will be able to promote AP access to specialized mental health care efficiently.

Differing relationships between parenting stress, parenting practices and externalising behaviours in autistic children.

There is much research on parenting stress and child behaviours of autistic children. However, researchers have rarely explored whether how parents raise their children (called 'parenting practices') links to parenting stress and child behaviours. This is important, as if we know which parenting practices lead to better outcomes, parents can be supported to use parenting practices that are most helpful to them and/or their child. We asked parents of school-aged children to complete a survey on parenting stress, parenting practices and child behaviours. We found that parents who reported being more stressed (i.e. high levels of parenting stress) reported their children showed more observable behaviours that others find challenging such as aggression. Parents who were more stressed also reported lower mindful parenting (i.e. a style of parenting characterised by being present, non-judgementally in the moment) and were more permissive (e.g. giving in) in their parenting. However, these parenting practices did not impact the link between parenting stress and child behaviours. Results suggest we should focus on ways to reduce parents' stress, which could include changing parenting practices which is consistent with strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming approaches.

Centering Diverse Communities within Mindful Parenting Interventions in the U.S.: A Narrative Literature Review

Background: While mindfulness-based interventions targeted toward parents (and families) in the U.S. offer promise for the treatment and prevention of youth psychological disorders, current research has established the underrepresentation of diverse participants in the research literature. The full extent of inequalities in the demographics of participation in parent mindfulness intervention is less understood. Objective: This study aimed to utilize a narrative literature review approach to examine and describe the degree to which research on mindful parenting interventions is inclusive of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities, non-clinical samples (no diagnosed disorder), cultural adaptions, and skills specific to parenting. Methods: An electronic database search of US-based studies was undertaken for empirical studies that primarily focused on parent mindfulness interventions, which reported outcomes related to either parenting behaviors or child mental health outcomes. After a full-text review, the search resulted in 34 articles. A narrative literature review of the 34 studies was conducted to assess the inclusion of BIPOC communities, non-clinical samples, cultural adaptions, and skills specific to parenting. Results: This review found notable gaps in the degree to which mindful parenting research (1) included BIPOC populations in study samples; (2) focused on non-clinical samples; (3) adapted interventions to align with the cultural needs of participants; and (4) included the application of mindfulness to enhancing knowledge, skills, and behaviors specific to parenting. Conclusions: Given these gaps in the parent mindfulness literature, greater research attention is needed on mindful parenting interventions targeted toward BIPOC communities with no clinical diagnoses, interventions optimized by cultural adaptations, and explicit applications to parenting.

Effectiveness of Play Therapy Programme in Promoting Early Child Development of under-5 Children visiting Tertiary Care Hospital in Rural Settings: Study Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background Good care and conscious, mindful parenting are the essential requirements of the early childhood period. Good care in early childhood consists of mindful handling of children’s needs like hunger, care in sickness, socio-emotional needs, safety, love and affection. Good care promotes children’s development and provides a favourable environment for learning. It’s a well-known fact that hospitalization is a stressful situation for child of any age. Play is an integral part of early childhood period which is virtually restricted in hospital settings. This study will try to explore the effectiveness of play therapy delivered in hospital settings, on early child development. Methods This will be a randomized control trial conducted in the Paediatrics department of a tertiary care hospital in Wardha, India. The sample size will be 360 children, 180 each in intervention and control arm. The hospitalized children from intervention arm will receive customized Play Therapy sessions from trained research assistants and will be followed up at scheduled home visits for one year from the date of enrolment. All children will be assessed for changes in cognitive, motor and socio-emotional development scores. The differences in development scores between intervention and control groups will be compared and effect sizes of changes will be calculated. Discussion Implementation of play stimulation activities have been reported as useful strategies for promoting child development and good recovery during hospitalization. This trial will attempt to explore the effectiveness of play therapy on changes in child development scores of children from intervention group compared to the control group. The customized play therapy program will be adapted to paediatric inpatient settings, and attempts will be made to improve the Play Therapy kit for hospitalized children. Registration Clinical Trial Registry of India Registration No.: C.T.R.I./2022/03/041355, dated 24/03/2022. Protocol Version: v6 Dated 04/10/2024.

Parental mindful parenting and adolescent resilience: the chain mediating role of self-compassion and emotion regulation

Parental mindful parenting and adolescent resilience: the chain mediating role of self-compassion and emotion regulation

Mindful parenting and grit among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of basic psychological needs and the moderating role of mindfulness

Mindful parenting and grit among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of basic psychological needs and the moderating role of mindfulness

'Living in the Present' mindfulness for parents of children with skin conditions: a single group case series.

Parents of children with skin conditions can experience stress from the additional responsibilities of care. However, there is a lack of psychological interventions for families affected by a dermatological diagnosis. To investigate (1) whether delivering the 'Living in the Present' mindfulness curriculum to parents of children with skin conditions reduced stress and increased both parental/child quality of life (QoL), and (2) determine intervention acceptability. Ten parents of children with eczema, ectodermal dysplasia, ichthyosis, and alopecia took part in a mindfulness-based intervention. Using mixed methods, a single-group experimental case design (SCED) was conducted and supplemented by thematic analysis of exit interviews. Parents completed idiographic measures of parenting stress, standardised measures of QoL, stress, mindfulness, and took part in exit interviews. Children also completed QoL measures. Tau-U analysis of idiographic measures revealed three parents showed some significant improvements in positive targets, and five parents showed some significant improvements in negative targets. Assessment of reliable change demonstrated that: one parent showed improvement in mindful parenting, three parents showed improvement in parenting stress, seven parents showed improvement in anxiety, three parents showed improvements in depression, six parents showed improvement in QoL, and four children showed improvement in QoL. However, two parents showed increased anxiety. Thematic analysis revealed positive changes to mood following mindfulness, although challenges were highlighted, including sustaining home practice. Findings suggest this specific form of mindfulness intervention could be effective for parents of children with skin conditions; however, further robust studies are needed.

Bidirectional Longitudinal Relationship Between Perceived Paternal and Maternal Mindful Parenting and Depressive Symptoms in Children

Bidirectional Longitudinal Relationship Between Perceived Paternal and Maternal Mindful Parenting and Depressive Symptoms in Children

Maternal interpretation of infant emotions related to mothers’ mindfulness and mother-infant stress

ABSTRACT We aimed to identify maternal characteristics predicting interpretation of infant emotions, as well as relations between such interpretations and mother-infant stress. Specifically, we investigated (1) prospective associations between maternal dispositional mindfulness and interpretation of infant emotions, and (2) concurrent associations between maternal interpretation of infant emotions and mothers’ and infants’ cortisol during a dyadic stressor in a non-clinical community sample (n = 78) of mother-infant dyads. Mothers completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire at 3 months postnatal, and the IFEEL Picture infant emotion interpretation task at 6 months postnatal. At 6-months, mother-infant dyads completed the Face-to-Face Still Face paradigm, and physiological stress was assessed via salivary cortisol. Regression analyses revealed significant links between aspects of maternal mindfulness – specifically, Observing, Describing, and Acting with Awareness facets – and infant emotion interpretation; more mindful mothers’ emotion ratings were less negatively biased and covered the full spectrum of infant emotions, congruent with the range of responses given by a low-risk reference sample. In turn, less negativity bias and greater interpretive congruence predicted lower infant and mother cortisol during the stress session, with effects small-medium in size. Findings highlight the potential role of maternal interpretation of infant emotions in mindful parenting.

Self-Compassion, Dispositional Mindfulness, and Parenting Stress: The Mediating role of Mindful Parenting

The purpose of this study is to examine whether mindful parenting mediates the relationship between self-compassion, dispositional mindfulness, and parenting stress. A total of 208 parents participated, with 156 being female and 52 being male. Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Parenting Stress Scale, and the Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire (MIPQ). The findings revealed that mindfulness in parenting plays a mediating role between self-compassion, dispositional mindfulness, and parenting stress. These results indicate that higher levels of dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion may facilitate the practice of mindful parenting, potentially leading to a corresponding reduction in parenting-related stress. These findings underscore the importance of actively addressing and alleviating parenting stress as a crucial factor in fostering the development of self-compassion, mindfulness, and the application of mindful parenting.

Mindful Parenting and Subjective Well-Being in Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Parenting children with neurodevelopmental disorders presents unique challenges. These challenges can impact the well-being of parents, leading to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, which ultimately can lower subjective well-being. This study aims to investigate the relationship between mindful parenting and subjective well-being using a correlational quantitative approach. Data were collected through questionnaires measuring mindful parenting and subjective well-being. The participants in this study were 106 parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Data analysis was conducted using the product-moment correlation technique. The results indicated a positive correlation (r = 0.413, p 0.05) between mindful parenting and subjective well-being, suggesting that higher levels of mindful parenting are associated with higher subjective well-being in parents. These findings highlight the potential of mindful parenting interventions to support the well-being of parents in families with children with special needs. Future research should use larger and more representative samples to enhance the generalizability of the findings. The implications of this research include the development of mindful parenting programs and policies to support families facing the challenges of raising children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Reducing parenting stress in Chinese parents of children with learning disabilities with a mindful parenting program: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundParents raising children with Learning Disabilities (LDs) often face multiple challenges and high levels of parenting stress, especially in societies with intense academic competitions. Mindful parenting (MP) is an emerging approach that brings mindful awareness to parent–child interactions and is found effective in reducing parenting stress in various parent populations. AimsThis study examined the effectivenesss of an 8-week online MP program on Chinese parents of children with LDs. Methods and proceduresA MP program was adapted and implemented in an online format with 69 parents of children with LDs. A randomized controlled trial design was used to examine the efficacy of the mindful parenting group compared with a wait-list control group. Parenting stress, mindful parenting and self-compassion were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Outcomes and resultsCompared with the wait-list control group, the MP group participants showed decreased parenting stress (d = 0.62, p < 0.05), improved mindful parenting (d = 0.63, p < 0.05), and increased self-compassion (d = 0.61, p < 0.05). Conclusions and implicationsThese findings support the effectiveness of an online MP intervention in reducing parenting stress and increasing mindful parenting and self-compassion among Chinese parents of children with LDs. The behavioral and intrapersonal aspects of MP are more amenable to improvement, whereas the attitudinal and interpersonal aspects, particularly non-judgmental acceptance and compassion towards the child, are resistant to change. Future studies should explore strategies to enhance these attitudinal aspects and interpersonal processes of MP.

Mindful Parenting and Gratitude to Parents: A Guideline from Buddhist Perspective

Mindful Parenting and Gratitude to Parents: A Guideline from Buddhist Perspective