Parental Emotional Support Research Articles

Neighborhood poverty and allostatic load in African American youth.

This study was designed to determine whether living in a neighborhood in which poverty levels increase across adolescence is associated with heightened levels of allostatic load (AL), a biological composite reflecting cardiometabolic risk. The researchers also sought to determine whether receipt of emotional support could ameliorate the effects of increases in neighborhood poverty on AL. Neighborhood concentrations of poverty were obtained from the Census Bureau for 420 African American youth living in rural Georgia when they were 11 and 19 years of age. AL was measured at age 19 by using established protocols for children and adolescents. When youth were 18, caregivers reported parental emotional support and youth assessed receipt of peer and mentor emotional support. Covariates included family poverty status at ages 11 and 19, family financial stress, parental employment status, youth stress, and youths' unhealthful behaviors. Youth who lived in neighborhoods in which poverty levels increased from ages 11 to 19 evinced the highest levels of AL even after accounting for the individual-level covariates. The association of increasing neighborhood poverty across adolescence with AL was not significant for youth who received high emotional support. This study is the first to show an association between AL and residence in a neighborhood that increases in poverty. It also highlights the benefits of supportive relationships in ameliorating this association.

Joint relation of intimate partner violence and parenting stress to observed emotionally unsupportive parenting behavior.

Grounded in Emotional Security Theory (Cummings & Davies, 1994), the present study examined the unique role of parenting stress in the transmission of conflict from intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization to observed emotionally unsupportive parenting behavior (i.e., hostility, psychological control, emotional unavailability) within a community sample. Participants included 64 demographically diverse mother-child dyads (children 8-11 years). Through a comparison of 2 models, indirect effects (mediation) and conditional effects (moderation), results indicated that the relation between maternal IPV victimization and observed emotionally unsupportive parenting behavior was both indirect via parenting stress and conditional upon the level of maternal parenting stress, such that higher levels of IPV victimization were related to emotionally unsupportive parenting behavior only when mothers also experienced higher levels of parenting stress. FINDINGS suggest intervention efforts designed to reduce maternal parenting stress and increase parental emotional support might be important in reducing risk for parental engagement in emotionally unsupportive parenting behavior in the wake of IPV victimization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved) Language: en

Parental Emotional Support and Adolescent Happiness: Mediating Roles of Self-Esteem and Emotional Intelligence

This study investigated the influence of parental emotional support on adolescent self-esteem, emotional intelligence and adolescents’ happiness along with the possible mediating effects of emotional intelligence and self-esteem between parental emotional support and adolescent happiness. In addition, it explored whether the relationship among the variables differs according to the gender of parents and adolescents. Data were collected from 278 Korean high school students (140 males and 138 females). Multi-group structural equation modeling analyses were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that parental emotional support did not directly affect adolescent happiness, but rather influenced it indirectly through the mediating effect of self-esteem. While both maternal and paternal emotional support had a positive influence on self-esteem, only maternal emotional support had a significant impact on emotional intelligence, indicating that parental emotional support may have different influences on adolescent emotional intelligence according to the parents’ gender. The results also indicated that maternal/paternal emotional support may have a different impact according to adolescents’ gender. For male adolescents, only paternal emotional support affected happiness through self-esteem. For female adolescents, both maternal and paternal emotional support exerted a significant influence on happiness via self-esteem, whereas maternal support had a direct influence on all other variables.

Gene×Environment interactions in early externalizing behaviors: parental emotional support and socioeconomic context as moderators of genetic influences?

This study uses longitudinal population-based samples of young siblings to examine the effects of two hypothesized moderators of early externalizing behaviors: parental emotional support and family socioeconomic status. The first sample, a twin sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), was composed of approximately 600 twin pairs measured on externalizing at ages 4 and 5. Results indicated stronger genetic influences on externalizing at lower levels of parental emotional support but higher levels of socioeconomic status; only the latter interaction remained significant when the two moderators were simultaneously modeled. These moderation effects were not replicated in our analyses of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Child Supplement (CNLSY) data, which contained 1939 pairs of full and half siblings measured on externalizing at ages 4-5 and ages 6-7. Our results highlight the need for replication in quantitative behavior genetics research on externalizing behaviors. Potential causes for non-replication are discussed.

The mediating effect of self-evaluation bias of competence on the relationship between parental emotional support and children's academic functioning.

It is well established that children's self-evaluation bias of competence is related to the quality of parent-child emotional relationship. Such biases are linked to children's academic functioning and achievement. Links have also been established between the quality of parent-child emotional relationship and children's academic functioning. No study has yet explored how the effects of children's emotional relationship with their parents and children's self-evaluation bias combine to explain their academic functioning. The first goal was to examine whether the quality of parental emotional support reported by both children and parents was related to the children's self-evaluation bias of competence. The second goal was to examine the relationships between children's and parents' reports of emotional support, and children's academic functioning as measured by teachers' report of their motivation, self-regulation of school activities, and academic achievement. The third goal was to determine whether a children's self-evaluation bias mediated the relationship between parental emotional support and academic functioning. In a 2-year longitudinal design, participants were 524 elementary pupils (grades 4 and 5), one of their parents, and their teachers. Our results indicated that a bias in self-evaluation in the first year of the study mediated the relationship between the quality of parental emotional support assessed at the first year and their school functioning evaluated by their teacher 1 year later. The mediational model received clear support when it refers to the emotional support reported by children, but mixed support when reported by parents.

The protective factors of family structure on child depression: Focusing on parental emotional support and community support

The protective factors of family structure on child depression: Focusing on parental emotional support and community support

Perceived discrimination among African American adolescents and allostatic load: a longitudinal analysis with buffering effects.

This study was designed to examine the prospective relations of perceived racial discrimination with allostatic load (AL), along with a possible buffer of the association. A sample of 331 African Americans in the rural South provided assessments of perceived discrimination from ages 16 to 18 years. When youth were 18 years, caregivers reported parental emotional support and youth assessed peer emotional support. AL and potential confounder variables were assessed when youth were 20. Latent growth mixture modeling identified two perceived discrimination classes: high and stable, and low and increasing. Adolescents in the high and stable class evinced heightened AL even with confounder variables controlled. The racial discrimination to AL link was not significant for young adults who received high emotional support.

The protective factors of family structure on child depression: Focusing on parental emotional support and community support

The protective factors of family structure on child depression: Focusing on parental emotional support and community support

Effectiveness of depression and anxiety prevention in adolescents with high familial risk: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundDepression and anxiety disorders during adolescence can have detrimental consequences. Both disorders are related to negative outcome in various areas during adolescence and are also predictive of depression and anxiety disorders later in life. Especially parental psychopathology and being female are risk factors that increase the probability of developing one of these disorders during adolescence. Research has shown that prevention programs have promising results, especially for adolescents who have these risk factors. Therefore, in this study, we will focus on the effectiveness of a prevention program ‘A jump forward’ that has been developed for adolescent girls with a familial risk of depression and/or anxiety.Methods/DesignWe designed a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an indicated and selective prevention program aimed at depression and anxiety in adolescent girls. Adolescents aged between 11 and 15 years old with depressive and/or anxiety symptoms and with parents who show indicators of parental psychopathology will be randomly assigned to the experimental (N = 80) or control groups (N = 80). Participants in the experimental group will follow a preventive intervention, consisting of six sessions of 90 minutes each. All participants will complete baseline, intervention phase 1 (after session 2), intervention phase 2 (after session 4), post-intervention, 6 month follow-up, and 12 month follow-up assessments. Furthermore, parents will be asked to complete assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 12-month follow-up. Primary outcome will be depressive symptoms. Secondary outcomes will be anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideation, response style, negative cognitive errors, parental emotional support and parental control, parental psychopathology, parenting stress and adolescents’ depression and anxiety symptoms according to the parents.DiscussionThis paper described the study designed to evaluate a program for preventing depression and/or anxiety in high-risk adolescents over a 12-month follow-up period. If the program showed to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and preventing adolescents from developing clinical levels of these disorders, our results would be relevant to practice. Thus, the intervention could be used on a large scale. Moreover, this study aims to contribute to the evidence-based prevention of depression and anxiety of adolescents.Trial registrationDutch Trial Register NTR3720

The Relationship Between Parental Expressed Emotions and Non-suicidal Self-injury: The Mediating Roles of Self-criticism and Depression

Perceived parental expressed emotions have a substantial effect on adolescents’ well-being and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The present study examines the mediating effects of self-criticism and depression in the relationship between perceived parental expressed emotions and NSSI. In total, 358 adolescents between the ages of twelve and twenty were examined. The brief NSSI assessment tool was used to assess NSSI. Depressive symptoms and self-criticism were examined with the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI-NL) and the Self Rating Scale. Finally, the self-report questionnaire of the level of expressed emotions was used to assess perceived parental expressed emotions. The lifetime prevalence of NSSI in the current study was 13.41 %. Results of a mediation analysis show the relationship between self-criticism and NSSI is mediated by depressive symptoms. Furthermore, results of a path model analysis, explaining 20 % of the variance in NSSI frequency, show a direct effect of perceived parental environment (perceived lack of emotional support and perceived parental criticism) on NSSI frequency, as well as indirect paths via adolescent risk factors (depressive symptoms and self-criticism). Perceived lack of parental emotional support had a direct effect on frequency of NSSI, as well as an indirect effect via depressive symptoms. Perceived parental criticism on the other hand, had no direct effect on frequency of NSSI, but showed an indirect effect through self-criticism. This study improves our understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in NSSI by interrelating significant family and adolescent risk factors. Limitations and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

The relation of parent–child interaction qualities to social skills in children with and without autism spectrum disorders

This study examined associations between parent-child interactions and the development of social skills in 42 children (21 typically developing and 21 with autism spectrum disorders) between the ages of 3 years, 0 months and 6 years, 11 months. We expected that positive parent-child interaction qualities would be related to children's social skills and would mediate the negative relation between children's developmental status (typical development vs autism spectrum disorders) and social skills. Videotapes of parents and children during a 5-min wordless book task were coded for parent positive affect and emotional support as well as parent-child cohesiveness. Emotional support and cohesiveness were significantly related to children's social skills, such that higher emotional support and cohesiveness were associated with higher social skills, R (2) = .29, p = .02, and R (2) = .38, p = .002, respectively. Additionally, cohesiveness mediated the relation between children's developmental status and social skills. These findings suggest that parent emotional support and cohesiveness between parents and children positively influence children's social skills. Parent positive affect was unrelated to social skills. Implications of these findings for social skills interventions are discussed, particularly for young children with autism spectrum disorders.

Parental emotional support during emerging adulthood and Baby Boomers’ well-being in midlife

This study examined whether parental emotional support around emerging adulthood influenced well-being in midlife. We applied latent growth curve (LGC) models on 337 Baby Boomers who were in their late teens to early 20s when they entered the Longitudinal Study of Generations (LSOG) in 1971. There was a small but significant decline in self-rated health and positive emotions through 2005, but not depressive symptoms. Greater support from fathers in 1971 was associated with better self-rated health, less depression, and a slower decline in self-rated health across midlife. Greater support from mothers was associated with more positive emotions. These associations did not significantly differ among sons and daughters. Findings are discussed in the context of cumulative advantage/disadvantage and life-stage specific challenges to highlight the importance of parental emotional support during life transitions.

Patients' and Parents' Perceptions of Appearance in Scoliosis Treated with a Brace: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

The perspective of trunk deformity is a matter of special concern for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. No research group has ever reported interviewing patients and their parents regarding differences in perception of body appearance in the course of Cheneau brace treatment. We aimed to investigate the level of agreement in the field of concerns and perceptions of spinal appearance in relation to brace- and scoliosis-related data between parents and female patients with AIS, treated with a Cheneau brace, by means of the Spinal Appearance Questionnaire-pl (SAQ-pl). In this cross-sectional study forty-one pairs of parents and female patients with AIS were asked to separately complete the Polish versions of the Spinal Appearance Questionnaire-pl patient form (SAQ-pl patient form) and the SAQ-pl parent form. Age of patients was 13.60 years SD 1.60 (range 10–17). Patients scored 2.70 (SD 0.60) and parents scored 2.70 SD 0.60 in the total score of the SAQ-pl. The study groups do not differ significantly in regards to the SAQ-pl results. The percentage of consistent answers on SAQ-pl items ranges from 34.10 % (item 20) to 78 % (item 8). Height, age and brace-wearing time per day, were significantly related to the differences in the patient-parent General perception of body shape (rs = −0.51, rs = −0.34, rs = 0.36, respectively). Parents and female patients with AIS have similar concerns and perceptions of spinal appearance. The discrepancies in General perception of spinal appearance between parents and AIS females decrease with age of patient. Parental emotional support may contribute to minimizing the risk factors of psychological impairment, especially in late adolescents with AIS.

Impact of parental emotional support and coercive control on adolescents' self-esteem and psychological distress: Results of a four-year longitudinal study

This study aims at investigating the impact of parental practices on youths' adjustment. In all, 605 adolescents completed questionnaires at ages 14, 16 and 18. Self-esteem, psychological distress as well as parental emotional support and coercive control were measured. Analyses based on individual growth models revealed that self-esteem increased with age, but psychological distress remained stable over time. Boys reported higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of psychological distress than girls. Maternal and paternal emotional support reinforced self-esteem over time. Maternal coercive control undermined self-esteem, but only at ages 16 and 18. Psychological distress decreased with parental emotional support but increased with parental coercive control at ages 14, 16 and 18. Overall, these results indicate that positive parental practices are related to youths' well-being. These findings support the importance of establishing intervention strategies designed to promote best practices among parents of teenagers to help them develop into well-adjusted adults.

The Contribution of Perceived Parental Support to the Career Self-Efficacy of Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Hearing Adolescents

The current study examined the contribution of different types of parental support to career self-efficacy among 11th and 12th grade students (N = 160): 66 students with hearing loss (23 hard of hearing and 43 deaf) and 94 hearing students. Participants completed the Career-Related Parent Support Scale, the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Self-Efficacy for the Management of Work-Family Conflict questionnaire. Different aspects of parental support predicted different types of career self-efficacies across the 3 groups. Differences among groups were also found when levels of parental support were compared. The deaf group perceived lower levels of parental career-related modeling and verbal encouragement in comparison with the hard-of-hearing students and higher levels of parental emotional support compared with the hearing participants. No significant differences were found among the research groups in career decision-making self-efficacy and self-efficacy in managing work-family conflict. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

The association of self-efficacy and parent social support on physical activity in male and female adolescents.

Previous research has shown that cognitive factors may account for the relationship between interpersonal factors and health behaviors. Given these findings, the current study sought to further explore the direct and indirect relationship between parental social support and adolescent physical activity (PA). Data were collected from 1,421 sixth graders (73% Black, 54% females, 71% on free or reduced lunch) in South Carolina. Measures for emotional social support, instrumental social support, and adolescent self-efficacy (SE) were assessed and PA was assessed via accelerometry. Parent instrumental social support was directly related to girls' PA and parent emotional social support was inversely related to girls' PA. Parent instrumental social support was indirectly related to boys' PA through boys' SE. The covaried association of SE with PA was significant for boys and marginal for girls. SE for overcoming barriers may be an important construct for understanding the relationship between parent instrumental social support and boys' PA in underserved populations. The mechanisms for engaging in PA may be different for adolescent girls and boys.

Emotional Reactivity to Network Stress in Middle and Late Adulthood: The Role of Childhood Parental Emotional Abuse and Support

This study examined whether recalled childhood parental emotional abuse and support were associated with emotional reactivity to network stress among middle-aged and older adults. Hypotheses were tested by performing 2-level multilevel modeling analysis on 787 participants aged 33-83 who participated in the Daily Stress Project (2004-2009). Adult daughters who recalled more childhood emotional abuse from their mother reported a higher average level of daily emotional distress nearly a decade later. The association between network stress and emotional distress was only significant among adult daughters. This emotional reactivity was attenuated by greater childhood emotional support from mothers. Recalled childhood mother-child relationship continues to influence stress and coping across the lifespan, especially among women.

Protocolo de intervención de enfermería para favorecer el vínculo afectivo entre el bebé recién nacido con síndrome de Down y su familia

The establishment of affective ties between mother and child is a universal phenomenon in all cultures. However, this process can be disrupted by contextual factors of the mother and her newborn child. The arrival of a baby is generally a joyful event in all families. Nevertheless, this situation can change when the newborn baby is not regarded as normal. This can sometimes cause a breach in the affective ties within the family, mainly between the parents and their child. Situations of this type are intensified when parents refuse to accept their Down's syndrome baby from the very beginning. Nursing professionals prepare strategies help in the emotional bonding from the time of diagnosis, and in the period immediately after childbirth. In this respect, nurses have a crucial role as information providers for the family. More specifically, they give parents emotional support and tell them about the importance of skin to skin contact, as well as the advantages of breastfeeding. The emotional process that the family is going through must be respected, especially the parents since they are responsible for the integration of the baby into the family unit. The objective of this research was to establish a standard nursing intervention protocol that helps to establish affective ties and bonding between the Down's syndrome baby and the family.

Nursing intervention protocol to help establish affective ties between the newborn infant with Down's syndrome and his/her family

Abstract The establishment of affective ties between mother and child is a universal phenomenon in all cultures. However, this process can be disrupted by contextual factors of the mother and her newborn child. The arrival of a baby is generally a joyful event in all families. Nevertheless, this situation can change when the newborn baby is not regarded as normal. This can sometimes cause a breach in the affective ties within the family, mainly between the parents and their child. Situations of this type are intensified when parents refuse to accept their Down's syndrome baby from the very beginning. Nursing professionals prepare strategies help in the emotional bonding from the time of diagnosis, and in the period immediately after childbirth. In this respect, nurses have a crucial role as information providers for the family. More specifically, they give parents emotional support and tell them about the importance of skin to skin contact, as well as the advantages of breastfeeding. The emotional process that the family is going through must be respected, especially the parents since they are responsible for the integration of the baby into the family unit. The objective of this research was to establish a standard nursing intervention protocol that helps to establish affective ties and bonding between the Down's syndrome baby and the family.

Parent Support and Stress among First-Generation and Continuing-Generation Female Students during the Transition to College

This study compares first-generation and continuing-generation female college students in terms of: (a) level of parents' emotional and informational support; (b) level of students' stress; and (c) the relationship between both types of parent support and students' stress during the transition to college. We collected survey data from an ethnically diverse sample of 339 young women about to enter college. Results indicate first-generation students perceive less emotional and informational parent support than do continuing-generation students. First-generation students who perceive higher levels of parent emotional support have less stress than those who do not. However, neither type of parent support significantly predicted stress levels for continuing-generation students.