Parental Emotional Availability Research Articles

Parental Emotional Availability and Resilience Among Adolescents: The Role of Emotion Regulation

Parental Emotional Availability and Resilience Among Adolescents: The Role of Emotion Regulation

Investigation of adolescents and their mothers in terms of nomophobia.

Nomophobia (NoMP) is the fear of being unable to interact with others via mobile phones and is a current topic in adolescents` mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between NoMP in adolescents and their mothers` level of NoMP. The levels of depression, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms, NoMP, and perceived parental emotional availability were examined. One hundred fifty-five adolescents (60% girls) were included in the study with their mothers. Ninetythree (60%) adolescents (67.7% girls) and 64 (41.3%) mothers were classified as nomophobic. There was a positive correlation between the NoMP levels of adolescents and their mothers. Nomophobic girls perceived less paternal support. All psychopathologic symptoms were higher in the nomophobic mothers. There was no difference between nomophobic and non-nomophobic adolescents in terms of maternal psychopathologies. We suggest that parental effects should be investigated during the assessment of NoMP, especially in adolescent girls. The phone usage habits of mothers and their relationship with their adolescent children were closely associated with adolescent NoMP.

Parental Emotional Availability and Family Functioning in Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa Subtypes.

Emotional availability (EA) is a complex construct describing the emotional bond between parents and child, and it refers to support, sensitivity, warmth and closeness. Few studies have investigated the perception of parental EA and its association with dysfunctional eating pattern. The aim of the study is to explore the perception of mothers' and fathers' EA of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and any differences between the two subtypes of binge-purge (B/P) or restrictive (R) AN. Furthermore, it investigates the association of parental EA with AN symptomatology and with patients' perception of family functioning, which is identified as a maintenance factor for AN. A total of 60 adolescents between 12 and 18 years and their parents (n = 120) were recruited in two eating disorder (ED) specialized care centers. Patients completed the LEAP and the FACES IV questionnaires evaluating parental EA and family functioning, respectively. Results showed no difference between AN subtypes, but a greater perception of mother when compared to father EA was found. Moreover, the EA construct was found not to be associated with ED symptomatology but with a greater positive family functioning. Our study is the first that explores EA in AN, and results suggest the importance of considering parents' emotional engagement as part of the treatment core, together with the eating symptomatology management.

Üsküdar Üniversitesinde Öğrenim Gören Genç Yetişkinlerde Ebeveyn Duygusal Erişilebilirliği ve Algılanan Ebeveynlik Stilinin Benlik Saygısı ile İlişkisi

This study was conducted to explain the relationship between the emotional availability of parents and perceived parenting style and self-esteem in young adults. 207 young adult students studying at Üsküdar University in the 2018-2019 academic year were included in this correlational study. A random sampling method was used in the research. The participants have given the Sociodemographic Data Form, the Childhood Perceived Parenting Style Scale (CPPSS), the Parent Emotional Availability Scale-Mother (PEAS-M), the Parent Emotional Availability Scale-Father (PEAS-F), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The study’s results show a negative and low-level relationship between emotional availability to mothers and fathers and self-esteem. It was determined that there was no relationship between the scores obtained from the emotional accessibility to the parents, the perceived parenting style scale, the self-esteem scale, and the gender and marital status variables. There were significant differences in the age variable. Those aged 18-23 years had a higher level of self-esteem than those older than 39 years. Perceived parenting style is associated with self-esteem.

The association between family physical environment and child maltreatment

BackgroundA body of emerging research has indicated that adverse family physical environment is related to parenting problems such as parent-child conflict, decreased caregiver sensitivity, and less parental emotional availability. Yet, no study has examined if family physical environment is also associated with child abuse and neglect. ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the relationships between family physical environment and different types of child maltreatment. Participants and SettingThe study sample includes 1,624 mothers who participated in both year 3 and year 5 surveys of the U.S. Fragile Family and Child Well-Being Study (FFCWS). MethodsFamily physical environment was measured by the Infant-Toddler Child Care Home Observation of Environment (HOME). Child maltreatment was assessed by the Conflict Tactics Scale: Parent-Child Version (CTS-PC), and mother’s self-report if child protective services had a concern about the family’s child maltreatment. Multivariate logistic regression models were run to test if family interior (i.e., inside house conditions) or exterior (i.e., immediate outside house conditions) environment would predict child abuse and neglect, while controlling for a series of covariates. ResultsResults indicated that family exterior environment was not related to any type of child abuse and neglect. However, family interior environment was significantly associated with child neglect (OR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.02–1.20), but not with physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. ConclusionsStudy findings suggest that family interior environment is significantly associated with initial or ongoing child neglect. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Emotional Availability as a Moderator of Stress for Young Children and Parents in Two Diverse Early Head Start Samples.

Positive parent-child relationship quality is critical for buffering children from the effects of stress on development. It is thus vital to develop interventions that target parent-child relationship quality for families experiencing stress. We examined the moderating role of parent-child relationship quality (as measured by parental emotional availability [EA]) in the intergenerational association between parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their young children's hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs)-a physiological marker of cumulative hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA)-axis activity. Using data from 127 parent-child dyads collected by two of six ACF-funded Buffering Toxic Stress consortium sites, we tested interaction effects of parental ACEs with parental EA on young children's (Mage = 18.38, SDage = 7.10) HCC. Results revealed curvilinear main effects such that higher parental ACEs were significantly associated with greater HCC and stronger associations occurred at higher levels of parental ACEs. However, this association was moderated by parental EA. Thus, among children with higher parental history of ACEs, children of parents with higher EA had lower HCC compared to children of parents with lower EA. These findings provide support for the risk-buffering and risk-exacerbating role of parent-child relationship quality (e.g., EA) for the transmission of parents' early life adversity on their children's HPA-axis activity, documented here in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of children and parents served by Early Head Start. Findings suggest that intervention and prevention efforts targeting stress response in children of mothers with childhood adversity should also support parents in building an emotionally available relationship with their children.

A Systematic Review of the Effect of Parental Adverse Childhood Experiences on Parenting and Child Psychopathology.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined as early exposure to maltreatment and household dysfunction. Researchers have demonstrated the link between ACEs and negative psychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and health outcomes. A growing area of interest in the ACE literature concerns the relationship between ACEs, parenting, and child psychopathology due to the intergenerational effect of ACEs. Emotional availability and discipline strategies are two domains of parenting that can increase understanding of the associations between ACEs, parenting, and child psychopathology from an attachment framework because they are both salient during early childhood and directly influence a child's later behavior. This paper utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to elucidate the relationships between parental ACEs, parents' emotional availability and discipline strategies, and children's psychopathology. PubMed, PSYCINFO, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection were used to access the literature on June 16, 2020, and 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results from this review suggested that there is a direct association between ACEs and parental emotional availability and discipline techniques. Depression and dissociation were identified as potential mediators. There was support for the direct association between parental ACEs and children's internalizing and externalizing difficulties. Maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms, emotional availability, attachment, and children's maltreatment experiences were found to be possible mediators. Recommendations are proposed to address limitations within the literature to further expand upon the research of ACEs, parenting, and child psychopathology.

Persistent Short Sleep from Childhood to Adolescence: Child, Parent and Peer Predictors.

PurposeMany children have periods when they sleep too little, with widely recognized detrimental effects. Less is known about persistent short sleep during childhood. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of persistent short sleep in school-aged children and identify a set of child, parent, and peer predictors thereof.Participants and MethodsObjectively measured sleep duration (hip-held accelerometer) was biennially assessed in a community sample followed from 6 to 14 years (n=801). A latent profile analysis was applied to assess whether a subgroup of children slept consistently short across time and predictors of persistent short sleep were determined through regression analysis.ResultsA subgroup of children (n=160; 20.2%) was identified as having persistent short sleep across time. Temperamental negative affectivity (β=0.08; 95% CI=0.01, 0.15; p=0.03) and low observer-assessed parental emotional availability (β=−.09; 95% CI=−.18, −.01; p=0.04) predicted membership to that group. Teacher ratings of victimization from bullying were not associated with persistent short sleep (β=0.01; 95% CI: −.10, 11; p=0.88).ConclusionHigh child temperamental negative affectivity and low parental emotional availability may be involved in the development of persistent short sleep through childhood.

Predictive and Incremental Validity of Parental Representations During Pregnancy on Child Attachment.

Parental pre-natal representations predict the interactive patterns that parents will put in place after childbirth. Early interactions defined by high parental emotional availability (EA) influence the development of security in children. To date, research on the predictive role of parental pre-natal representations on child attachment is still poor. Moreover, investigations on pre-natal representations have mainly focused on mothers. This study aimed at: investigating the criterion validity of the Interview of Maternal Representations During Pregnancy-Revised (IRMAG-R) and of the Interview of Paternal Representations During Pregnancy (IRPAG), using EA, parental attachment, and child attachment toward both parents, as criteria; testing the incremental validity of the IRMAG-R and IRPAG in the prediction of child attachment, controlling for other covariates, such as depressive and anxious levels during pregnancy, EA, and parental attachment; evaluating the possible mediation role of EA on the relationship between parental representations during pregnancy and child attachment. Fifty couples of primiparous parents were recruited during pregnancy, when the IRMAG-R and IRPAG were administered to mothers and fathers. At 6–9 months after childbirth, the mother–child and father–child interactions were coded by means of the EA Scales (EAS). At 14–18 after childbirth, the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered to parents, and the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) was carried out to assess children's attachment toward mothers and fathers, respectively. The results showed significant correlations between parental pre-natal representations and EA, parental attachment and child attachment. As regards the prediction of child attachment, the IRMAG-R/IRPAG categories showed: a significant and large unique contribution for maternal representations; a close to be significant contribution for paternal representations (with a higher effect size for mothers than fathers). Moreover, while the indirect effect of pre-natal representations in the prediction of child attachment was not significant for mothers, it was instead significant for fathers. The results of this study confirmed the criterion validity of the IRMAG-R and IRPAG, and supported the incremental validity of the IRMAG-R and IRPAG in the prediction of children's attachment categories. Finally, the mediation models revealed that EA did not mediate the relationship between maternal pre-natal representations and child attachment, while it totally mediated the relationship between paternal pre-natal representations and child attachment.

Ebeveyn Duygusal Erişilebilirliği, Romantik İlişki Kalitesi ve Sosyal Bağlılık ile İyi Oluş Arasındaki İlişkide Yalnızlığın Aracılık Rolü

In this study, the relationship between psychological-subjective well-being levels, emotional availability to parents, quality of romantic relationships, and social connectedness of pre-service teachers were examined through loneliness. The study group of the research study consists of students who study at Bozok University Faculty of Education, have a romantic relationship, live separately from their families, and whose parents are alive. The total number of participants is 667, 408 of which are females, and 259 are males. In this study, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the short form of the Oxford Happiness Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Parental Emotional Availability Scale, the Perceived Relationship Quality Components Inventory, and the Social Connectedness Scale were used. SPSS 23 and Mplus 7.0 were used to analyze the data. The data obtained were tested by correlation and path analyses. It was determined that emotional availability to parents, romantic relationship quality and social connectedness predicted subjective and psychological well-being through loneliness.

Parents' adverse childhood experiences and parent-child emotional availability in an American Indian community: Relations with young children's social-emotional development.

This study examined relations among parent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), parent mental distress, child social-emotional functioning, and parent emotional availability (EA) among parents and children served by an Early Head Start program in an American Indian community. The majority of parents and children in the study were American Indian/Alaska Native. American Indian/Alaska Native communities experience relatively high rates of trauma, socioeconomic disparities, and mental health challenges. In this context, young children may be especially vulnerable to early life stress. Further, a strong body of literature demonstrates the long-term effects of ACEs on individuals' mental health, as well as their child's social-emotional functioning. In this study we examined a model to test the relation of parent ACEs to children's social-emotional functioning, with an indirect effect via a latent "mental distress" variable consisting of parent depression, anxiety, and parenting-related distress. Results supported this model, suggesting that parent ACEs related to children's social-emotional problems by way of parent mental distress. However, when a categorical measure of parent EA was added as a moderator, the model only remained significant in the low EA parent group. These results provided evidence for a "buffering" effect of high parent EA on the relation between parent ACEs, parent mental distress, and children's social-emotional problems.

Marte Meo as a port of entry to parental sensitivity - a three\u2013case study

BackgroundEarly parent- child relations play an important role in children’s development. Therapeutic intervention towards infants and toddlers at high-risk intends to prevent mental health problems. In this work, the parent-child-dyad is crucial. The video interaction guidance method, Marte Meo, is one among different methods used in attachment-based treatment in an outpatient infant mental health clinic. Parental sensitivity towards infants and toddlers needs is considered significant in developing secure attachment. Secure attachment is further considered decisive for mental health and the extent to which children are at risk of developing mental health problems. Different treatment methods aim at strengthening parents’ sensitivity. This study’s purpose was to gain further understanding about parent’s experiences with Marte Meo – therapy and highlight the importance for parental sensitivity.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional phenomenological hermeneutical study. Four biological parents of three infants and toddlers aged 0–20 months who received Marte Meo- therapy in a clinical context were selected. Data was collected using semi structured interviews.ResultsThis article presents the study’s key-finding; we suggest that sensitivity increases. The key components of this are: watching edited video interaction in a therapeutic context, emotional activation, mutuality, self-esteem / self-confidence and reflective function. These are further elaborated and discussed.ConclusionThe findings indicate that Marte Meo contributes to facilitate development-supportive interaction, strengthen parental sensitivity, emotional availability, reflective functioning and coping - experience.

Mother–Infant and Partner–Infant Emotional Availability at 12 Months of Age: Findings From an Australian Longitudinal Study

Emotional availability (EA) is a focal indicator of parent–infant relationship quality and plays a key role in determining healthy child development, yet factors thought to influence EA have not been examined comprehensively in the postnatal period in both mothers and partners. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of mother–infant and partner–infant bonding, mental ill‐health and substance use at 8 weeks postbirth on mother–infant and partner–infant EA at 12 months postbirth, accounting for a range of demographic and postnatal variables. Participants were 191 matched mother–partner–infant triads from a nested sample of an Australian longitudinal pregnancy cohort (The Triple B Pregnancy Cohort). Assessments were conducted at 8 weeks postbirth and at infant age 12 months. Parental EA was coded from dyadic interactions during a 20‐min free play observational video recorded at 12 months. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis, accounting for within‐dyad clustering, showed older parent age was associated with higher parent–child EA scores (χ2 = 6.28, p < .01), while parental tobacco use (χ2 = 7.35, p < .01) and depression (χ2 = 4.51, p < .05) at 8 weeks postnatal predicted poorer parent–child EA scores at 12 months. These novel findings suggest that it may be particularly important to support young couples and those struggling with symptoms of depression or tobacco use during the postnatal period.

(245) - Parent emotional availability is associated with reduced preoperative anxiety in children undergoing a tonsillectomy procedure

Child preoperative anxiety is associated with greater pain following surgery, and greater parent anxiety increases child anxiety during induction of anesthesia. Anxious parents are often less sensitive in their interactions with their child. Parent emotional availability (EA), is an observational measure of parent support and genuinity. Parent EA is the strongest predictor of child anticipatory distress for future painful procedures; however, it has not been explored within a surgical context. Therefore, we examined whether parent EA was associated with child anxiety during anesthesia induction Included were 84 children between 4–7 years old, undergoing an elective tonsillectomy. The parents' and child's surgical history was collected. On the day of surgery, parents reported their current state of anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Child pre-operative anxiety was determined using the modified-Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale. Two weeks following surgery, parent-child dyads returned to the hospital and reminisced about the surgery using a structured elicitation task. Parent EA (i.e. Structuring, Sensitivity, Non-intrusiveness, and Non-hostility) was assessed during this reminiscing task using the EA Scale. Linear regression was used to examine whether greater EA is associated with less child preoperative anxiety, after accounting for child age, gender, SES, prior surgeries (parent and child) and parent anxiety. If EA was significant, linear regressions for the individual parent EA subscales were explored. We found that greater parental EA was associated with less child preoperative anxiety (B = −.256, P = .026, R2 =.16). Analysis of the EA subscales revealed that greater parent structuring was important for lowering child anxiety during anesthesia induction (B = −.349, P = .006, R2 = .26). Altogether, parent behavior may be more influential on child anxiety during anesthesia induction than the parent's state of anxiety. Parent structuring (support and guidance) appears particularly important for reducing anxiety during induction. Results of the study support developing a parent-led intervention to reduce child preoperative anxiety.

Emotional Availability of Parents and Psychological Health: What Does Mediate This Relationship?

The relationship and interaction between a parent and child is of an ever-changing nature. In the first years of the child, parents are more supportive of the child’s development and guide the changes that take place. When adolescence ends and child becomes an adult, parent–child relationship takes on a different pattern in which the relation is more egalitarian. Despite this changing nature, research findings demonstrate that children who continue to receive emotional support from their parents, feel attached to them and care about their contributions and support. Thus, it becomes important to evaluate how certain parental properties affect psychological health within this changing relationship structure. From this point of view, this study examines the mediator role of emotion regulation skills, interpersonal relationship styles, and perceived social support on the relationship between parental emotional availability and general psychological health of individuals aged 16–25 who still live with their parents. It has been found that difficulty in emotion regulation, interpersonal relationship style, and social support has complete mediation effect on the relationship between both maternal and paternal emotional availability and psychological health.

Aggressive behaviour in adolescence: Links with self‐esteem and parental emotional availability

AbstractAggressive behaviours during adolescence may be predictive of later conduct disorders, hence it is important to early detect their signals and deepen the study of their possible risk factors. In order to address these issues, our study pursued two main objectives: to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the Aggression Questionnaire Short‐Form (AQ‐SF), a form never previously used among Italian adolescents; and to investigate the relation among aggressiveness, emotional relationship with both parents and self‐esteem in a sample of adolescents. Our results highlighted that psychometric properties of the Italian AQ‐SF are satisfactory and encourage a wider use of this tool; in addition, we found that self‐esteem plays a mediation role between parental emotional availability and aggression. Prevention efforts should focus on improving the relationship with both parents and strengthening adolescent's self‐esteem.

‘Haven of safety’ and ‘secure base’: a qualitative inquiry into factors affecting child attachment security in Nairobi, Kenya

ABSTRACTSecure attachment in childhood and adolescence protects children from engagement in high-risk behaviors and development of mental health problems over the life span. Poverty has been shown to create impoverishment in certain aspects of caregiving and correspondingly to compromise development of secure attachment in children. Nineteen children 8–14 years old from two schools in a middle-income area and an urban informal settlement area of Nairobi were interviewed using an adapted Child Attachment Interview (CAI) protocol. CAI was developed to provide a glimpse into the ‘meta-theories’ children have about themselves, parents, parenting, and their attachment ties with parents and extended family members. Narratives obtained with the CAI were analyzed using thematic analysis. Both Bowlby’s idea of ‘secure base’ and Bronfrenbrenner’s ‘ecological niche’ are used as reference points to situate child attachment and parenting practices in the larger Kenyan context. We found that with slight linguistic alterations CAI can be used to assess attachment security of Kenyan children in this particular age range. We also found that the narration ability in both groups of children was generally good such that formal coding was possible despite cultural differences. Our analysis suggested differences in narrative quality across the children from middle class and lower socioeconomic class schools on specific themes such as sensitivity of parenting (main aspects of sensitivity were associated with disciplinary methods and child’s access to education), birth order, parental emotional availability, and severity of interparental conflicts and child’s level of exposure. The paper puts in context a few cultural practices such as greater household responsibility accorded to the eldest child and stern to harsh disciplinary methods adopted by parents in the Kenyan setting.

Practicing attachment in the real world: improving maternal insightfulness and dyadic emotional availability at an outpatient community mental health clinic

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the study was to examine the efficacy of an attachment-based intervention program practiced at an outpatient clinic. Changes in parental insightfulness and dyadic emotional availability were assessed in 32 mother–child dyads from pre- to post-intervention. At both data collection points, mothers were interviewed with the Insightfulness Assessment and the mother–child dyad was observed in play sessions coded with the Emotional Availability Scales. Findings revealed a strong association between maternal insightfulness and dyadic emotional availability, both before and after treatment. In terms of intervention efficacy, positive gains were observed in both insightfulness and dyadic emotional availability from pre- to post-intervention. Mothers who changed their classifications from non-insightful to insightful following the intervention showed the greatest gains in emotional availability. These findings have important implications for the type of interventions and service delivery model that could work in real world clinical settings.

Predictors of change in depressive symptoms from preschool to first grade.

Children's depressive symptoms in the transition from preschool to school are rarely investigated. We therefore tested whether children's temperament (effortful control and negative affect), social skills, child psychopathology, environmental stressors (life events), parental accuracy of predicting their child's emotion understanding (parental accuracy), parental emotional availability, and parental depression predict changes in depressive symptoms from preschool to first grade. Parents of a community sample of 995 4-year-olds were interviewed using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment. The children and parents were reassessed when the children started first grade (n = 795). The results showed that DSM-5 defined depressive symptoms increased. Child temperamental negative affect and parental depression predicted increased, whereas social skills predicted decreased, depressive symptoms. However, such social skills were only protective among children with low and medium effortful control. Further, high parental accuracy proved protective among children with low effortful control and high negative affect. Thus, interventions that treat parental depression may be important for young children. Children with low effortful control and high negative affect may especially benefit from having parents who accurately perceive their emotional understanding. Efforts to enhance social skills may prove particularly important for children with low or medium effortful control.

What enhances the development of emotion understanding in young children? A longitudinal study of interpersonal predictors.

We studied potential determinants of the development of children's emotion understanding (EU) from age 4 to 6 in a Norwegian community sample (N=974) using the Test of Emotion Comprehension. Interpersonal predictors included the accuracy of parental mentalization, parental emotional availability, and teacher-reported child social skills. Intrapersonal child factors were child gender and verbal skills. Overall, children's EU increased significantly over time. After adjusting for child gender, age-4 EU, and parental socio-economic status, greater child verbal and social skills and greater parental mentalization each uniquely predicted growth in EU. Results are discussed in terms of theory and research on children's EU and parents' emotion socialization.