Parental Hostility Research Articles

It takes three: Parental hostility, brain morphology and child externalizing problems in a parent-offspring neuroimaging trio design.

Hostility often co-occurs in parents and associates with increased aggression and inattention problems in children. In this population-based cohort of 484 mother-father-child neuroimaging trios, we investigated the degree to which associations of prenatal and childhood parental hostility would be associated with maternal, paternal and child brain structural differences. Also, we examined whether hippocampal volumes of the parents or child mediate the association of prenatal parental hostility with child externalizing behaviors. Maternal and paternal hostility was assessed with the hostility subscale of the Brief-Symptom-Inventory at three time points: prenatally at 30 weeks gestation, and when the child was 3 and 10 years old. During adolescence assessment wave (age 14), maternal, paternal, and offspring assessment included a magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI). Child externalizing problems were assessed with Youth-Self-Report-Child-Behavior-Checklist.Our findings suggest that maternal and paternal hostility were each associated with smaller gray matter, white matter, and hippocampal volumes of their own and their partner's brain. Prenatal maternal but not paternal hostility was associated with smaller total gray matter, white matter, and hippocampal volumes in the offspring. The child's hippocampal volumes partially mediated the associations of prenatal parental hostility (latent-construct) with adolescent externalizing behavior, even after adjusting for prior child externalizing problems. Moreover, parental psychopathology may have long-lasting neurodevelopmental correlates in children that underlie the intergenerational transmission of behavioral problems. The behavior of family members results from a system of interdependent dyadic relationships over time that associate with specific brain structural differences.Significance statement Parental hostility often co-occurs in the parents. Research suggests that what transpires in one family subsystem, e.g. hostility among parents, is related to what transpires in other subsystems, e.g. mother-child or father-child, and can negatively impact child development. To understand the neurobiological effects of parental hostility on the families, these can best be studied with trio analysis as parents and children may all be affected. Overall, the findings elucidate how hostility of a parent negatively relates to different family subsystems and associated brain characteristic, such as the hippocampal volume. Our findings suggest that the behavior of family members results from a system of interdependent dyadic relationships over time that associate with specific brain structural differences.

Bidirectional effects of parenting and ADHD symptoms in young children: Effects of comorbid oppositional symptoms.

Psychosocial factors play an important role in the manifestation of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and accompanying impairment levels in children. In a community sample of 796 children evaluated at 4, 5, and 6 years of age, bidirectional effects were examined for each of three components of parenting (parental support, hostility, scaffolding skills) and ADHD-specific symptoms that are not associated with symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder. Results indicated that (a) age 4 parenting factors were not associated with changes in ADHD-I (inattention) or ADHD-H (hyperactive-impulsive) symptoms in the subsequent year, (b) ADHD-I and ADHD-H symptoms at age 4 were not associated with changes in parenting factors at age 5, (c) age 5 ADHD-I and ADHD-H symptoms were associated with decreases in parental scaffolding skills and increases in parental hostility from ages 5 to 6 years, and (d) parental support at age 5 was associated with a decrease in ADHD-H symptoms at age 6. Findings suggest that ADHD symptoms can lead to poorer parenting attitudes and behavior, while parental support during kindergarten has a small effect on decreasing ADHD-H symptoms over time.

Integrating the family stress model within a longitudinal sibling-adoption study of adolescent externalizing behavior.

Using a sample of linked adopted children, adoptive and birth parents (N = 561), and biological siblings residing in the birth parent home (N = 191), we examined the role of genetics within family stress processes. We tested parental hostility (7 years) as a mediator of the associations between socioeconomic strain and rearing parent psychopathology (4 years) and adolescent externalizing behaviors (11 years) in adoptive and biological parent homes. Next, we examined parent social support (4 years) as a moderator of paths from socioeconomic strain and parent psychopathology to parental hostility. Parental hostility significantly mediated effects of socioeconomic strain and parent psychopathology on adolescent externalizing behaviors in biological and adoptive parent homes, respectively. Equivalence testing of the paths to adolescent externalizing behaviors across family types indicated a negligible role of passive gene-environment correlation. Parent social support significantly attenuated the effect of parent psychopathology on parental hostility in biological families. Birth parent externalizing behaviors were not significantly associated with adoptee externalizing behaviors nor adoptive parent hostility, suggesting negligible heritable risk or evocative gene-environment processes. Full- and half-sibling correlations indicated that children's unique rearing contexts contributed to the parenting they received and the externalizing behavior they exhibited. Implications for intervention are discussed.

Adverse childhood experiences and externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors in children and adolescents: A longitudinal study

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a profound impact on individuals, shaping their long-term health and life opportunities. This study delves into the complex ties between ACEs and the socioemotional development of Australian children and youth by examining the relationships between adverse childhood experiences and externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors. MethodsThis study utilized data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and employed the generalized estimating equation method to investigate the relationships between adverse childhood experiences and externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors in Australian children and adolescents. ResultsAdverse childhood experiences such as physical punishment, hostile parenting, parental conflicts, separation, financial strain, and parental mental health issues increased the risk of externalizing and internalizing behaviors while reducing prosocial behaviors. The risk increases with the number of ACEs, as evidenced by the incidence ratio (IR); for example, for externalizing behaviors, an ACEs score of one leads to IR = 1.69, while an ACEs score of 4 results in IR = 3.34. Similar trends were observed for internalizing and prosocial behaviors. LimitationsThe presence of imbalanced longitudinal data, arising from variations in the number of observations across different time points, challenges robust inferences. Furthermore, this study investigates the relationship between ACEs and behavioral problems, without establishing causality. Consequently, the results should be interpreted with caution. ConclusionsThe findings of this study highlight that adverse childhood experiences significantly influence behavioral outcomes in children and adolescents. These findings underscore the critical need for early detection and intervention to mitigate the consequences of traumatic childhood experiences.

The effects of illicit drug use during pregnancy and parental hostility on problem behaviors in school-aged children over and above genetic influences.

Previous work has examined the impact of prenatal illicit drug use (PDU) on children's problem behaviors. However, many PDU-related risk factors, including genetic and rearing environmental risks, can also influence offspring's problem behaviors, thus confounding PDU, genetic, and rearing environmental influences. This study aimed to (a) identify effects of PDU on school-aged children's problem behaviors, including both externalizing and internalizing behaviors at Age 7, after controlling genetic and specific rearing environmental (e.g., maternal and paternal hostility at Ages 4.5 and 6) influences and (b) examine interaction effects between PDU and maternal and paternal hostility in predicting children's problem behaviors at Age 7. We used a parent-offspring adoption design to partition genetic and prenatal effects from postnatal rearing environmental influences. Participants were 561 children adopted at birth (42% female; 56% White, 19% multiracial, 13% Black/African American, 11% Latine, and 1% other), their adoptive parents, and their birth parents. Results indicate that PDU did not show a direct impact on Age 7 problem behaviors before or after controlling genetic risks and adoptive mother's and father's hostility. However, we found significant interactions between adoptive father's hostility and PDU when predicting children's problem behaviors, such that higher paternal hostility was associated with higher externalizing and internalizing behaviors for children whose birth mothers were non-use or rare use of illicit drugs during pregnancy. The results suggest that different from non- or rare drug-exposed children, higher levels of PDU may override the effects of paternal hostility, but not maternal hostility, on problem behaviors at Age 7. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Who's most at risk? A person-centered approach to understanding the long-term relationship between early social media use and later depression across adolescence.

Person-centered analyses examined the relationship between social media use and depression over an 8-year period. The purpose was to examine the varying ways early social media use was associated with the development of depressive symptoms with a hypothesis that social media would not have a uniform association with depressive symptoms across adolescents. Participants included 488 adolescents (52% female), living in the United States, who were surveyed once a year for 8 years (beginning in 2010 when the average age for participants was 13.33 years old). Longitudinal mixture regression was used to identify classes of adolescents representing unique ways their early social media use was related to the development of depressive symptoms over an 8-year period. Five classes were found representing unique ways social media use was related to depression. Findings suggest social media use does not impact all adolescents in the same way. Social media use was related to increased depression for adolescents with greater parental hostility, peer bullying, anxiety, reactivity to stressors, and lower parental media monitoring. In other instances, social media use was related to less depression or was unrelated to depression. By identifying which adolescents may be most at risk from social media use, health providers, schools, and caregivers can tailor interventions to fit the needs of each adolescent.

Dimensions of Parenting and Children's Conduct Problems: The Importance of Considering Children's Callous-Unemotional Traits.

Research has clearly indicated that the development of serious behavioral problems in children and adolescents is influenced by parenting. However, recent research has refined the role of parenting by showing the importance of distinguishing between different types of parenting and in considering the role of callous-unemotional traits (CU traits) and conduct problems (CP) of the children. In the current study, we advance this research by distinguishing between emotional (e.g., parental warmth; parental hostility) and behavioral (e.g., use of positive reinforcement; inconsistent discipline/harsh discipline) aspects of parenting and by considering the way parents respond to children's emotions (i.e., coaching and dismissing). The sample consisted of 136 mothers (M = 38.09 years, SD = 4.51 years, 45.41% high school degree) with a child (age range 3-5 years) enrolled in kindergarten in central Italy. Multiple regression analyses indicated that, after controlling for level of CP, use of positive reinforcement (β = -0.31, p < 0.001) and warm feelings (β = -0.22, p < 0.05), remained associated with CU traits and punitive parenting was no longer significant. Consistent with predictions, use of positive reinforcement was no longer associated with conduct problems when controlling for CU traits and the positive associations with punitive parenting (β = 0.24, p < 0.05) and negativity (β = 0.36, p < 0.001) remained significant. These findings support the need for continued research that considers both the emotional and behavioral aspects of parenting and disentangles their associations with conduct problems and CU traits. Such research could not only advance causal theories for children with conduct problems but also help to guide more effective treatments, especially for those with elevated CU traits who often leave treatment with significant conduct problems remaining.

Peer Victimization and Callous-Unemotional Traits: The Impact of Parents and Teachers.

Research on the link between peer victimization and callous-unemotional (CU) traits has primarily relied on cross-sectional designs and yielded equivocal findings. In light of the poor outcomes related to peer victimization and CU traits, it is important to determine whether this link is reciprocal in nature and to identify factors that may influence its strength. Accordingly, the current study investigated the bidirectional association between peer victimization and CU traits over a 6-month period, accounting for the moderating effects of parents (i.e., support and hostility) and teachers (i.e., support and conflict). Participants included 284 third- through fifth-grade students (ages 7-12; 51.8% boys; 51.1% Hispanic) and their homeroom teachers. Children provided ratings of peer victimization, parental hostility, and parent and teacher support. Teachers provided ratings of CU traits and student-teacher conflict. A series of cross-lagged panel models were estimated. Results revealed that, at higher levels of parental hostility, peer victimization predicted increases in CU traits over time; in contrast, peer victimization predicted decreases in CU traits at lower levels of parental hostility. Surprisingly, at higher levels of teacher conflict, peer victimization predicted decreases in CU traits over time. CU traits did not interact with parent or teacher variables to predict subsequent peer victimization. Moreover, parental hostility was positively associated with subsequent peer victimization, whereas teacher support predicted decreases in victimization over time. These findings build on previous research examining environmental influences on the expression of CU traits by highlighting peer victimization and parental hostility as potential risk factors.

Parenting experiences and outcomes among former adolescent mothers: A mixed methods study.

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to examine parenting outcomes and experiences over time among marginalized adolescent mothers enrolled in randomized clinical trials (RCT) between 2002 and 2016 testing Minding the Baby® (MTB), an early home visiting program. The quantitative phase examined associations between measures of maternal experiences and parenting outcomes from 71 participants 2-8 years since RCT completion. MTB mothers reported less hostile parenting and fewer child behavior problems. The sequential qualitative phase involved interviews with a subsample (n = 31) and revealed six themes about their personal and parenting maturation. Through integration of quantitative and qualitative data, we generated metainferences, revealing a nuanced understanding of participants' experiences. Integrated findings revealed the complex personal and parenting experiences among former adolescent mothers during their developmental phases of emerging and early adulthood. Findings inform clinical and research approaches to promote personal growth and positive parenting outcomes over time among women who began childbearing in adolescence.

Influence of early childhood parental hostility and socioeconomic stress on children's internalizing symptom trajectories from childhood to adolescence.

Children and adolescents with elevated internalizing symptoms are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, and other psychopathology later in life. The present study examined the predictive links between two bioecological factors in early childhood-parental hostility and socioeconomic stress-and children's internalizing symptom class outcomes, while considering the effects of child sex assigned at birth on internalizing symptom development from childhood to adolescence. The study used a sample of 1,534 children to test the predictive effects of socioeconomic stress at ages 18 and 27 months; hostile parenting measured at child ages 4-5; and sex assigned at birth on children's internalizing symptom latent class outcomes at child ages 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16-19. Analyses also tested the mediating effect of parenting on the relationship between socioeconomic stress and children's symptom classes. Other covariates included parent depressive symptoms at child ages 4-5 and child race and ethnicity. Analyses identified three distinct heterogenous internalizing symptom classes characterized by relative symptom levels and progression: low (35%); moderate and increasing (41%); and higher and increasing (24%). As anticipated, higher levels of parental hostility in early childhood predicted membership in the higher and increasing symptom class, compared with the low symptom class (odds ratio (OR) = .61, 95% confidence interval (CI) [.48,.77]). Higher levels of early childhood socioeconomic stress were also associated with the likelihood of belonging to the higher-increasing symptom class compared to the low and moderate-increasing classes (OR = .46, 95% CI [.35,.60] and OR = .56, 95% CI [.44,.72], respectively). The total (c = .61) and direct (c' = .57) effects of socioeconomic stress on children's symptom class membership in the mediation analysis were significant (p <.001). Study findings suggest that intervening on modifiable bioecological stressors-including parenting behaviors and socioeconomic stressors-may provide important protective influences on children's internalizing symptom trajectories.

Internet/Video Gaming: The Relevance of a New Phenomenon in the Youth.

The high level of technological growth in contemporary society, beside benefits, provokes different kinds of damages, especially among the worldwide youth population. World statistics have recognized that video and internet game addiction is a growing problem. In this context, it is supposed that 0.3 to 1.0 percent of the general population might be qualified as a potential sufferer of internet gaming disorder. However, youth between 18-34 years are the highest risk population. New research has shown the need of early identification of at-risk young people for internet addiction. Adverse experience in children of different forms of stress, negative life circumstances and especially negative, hostile parenting can lead to depression, social and cultural problems, together with significant boredom and loneliness levels. These are all confirmed to be related with addictive behaviour. Some neural correlates are discussed as the possible background of game addiction. Finally, therapeutic possibilities are presented.

Maternal personality change from pregnancy until 12 months postpartum: Associations with parenting.

Although many studies have shown that personality-as a relatively stable characteristic-is a predictor of parenting behavior, personality changes occur during adulthood. Therefore, we do not know whether previous findings based on personality assessed (long) after the birth of the child indicate that personality as assessed before the child is born predicts behaviors parents eventually display. Possibly, personality changes are additionally predictive for parenting behavior. With this three-wave longitudinal study, we aimed to examine whether mothers' personality change from pregnancy to postpartum predicts maternal parenting behavior above and beyond personality traits as assessed during pregnancy. A sample of 239 pregnant women participated in the study (Mage = 29.95 years, SD = 4.08, range 20-43; 53% primiparous; 95% of Dutch descent). Women reported their big five personality traits during pregnancy (T1), at six- (T2), and 12 months postpartum (T3). At the postpartum assessments, mothers also reported on their affectionate and hostile parenting behavior. Latent Difference Score models indicated that personality at T1 predicted hostile but not affectionate parenting behavior at T2. Changes in personality from T1 to T2 were associated with maternal hostile and affectionate parenting at T2, whereas changes from T2 to T3 were unrelated to parenting. Personality as assessed during pregnancy may thus be helpful in identifying mothers at risk of early hostile parenting behavior. Identifying predictors of personality change may inform preventive efforts aimed at reducing this risk, as personality changes from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum were more predictive of maternal parenting than initial levels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Maternal and Paternal Hostility and Adolescents’ Emotional Problems: The Moderated-Moderation Model by Gender and Age

Hostility is a key dimension of parenting for adolescent outcomes. This study purposed to examine the predictive effect of maternal and paternal hostility on adolescents’ emotional problems and whether adolescent gender and age moderated this relationship. These aims were examined in a sample of 1,408 adolescents aged 11 to 18 years and their cohabiting mothers and fathers, with a total of 4224 Turkish participants. The findings demonstrated that maternal and paternal hostility were linked to adolescents’ emotional problems regardless of gender and age. In addition, girl adolescents exposed to maternal hostility reported more emotional problems than boys exposed to maternal hostility. Overall, adolescents’ age and gender did not moderate the relationship between parental hostility and adolescents’ emotional problems. As a result, parental hostility seemed to be an important risk factor for adolescents’ emotional problems.

Связь стилей родительского воспитания c учебной мотивацией и эмоциональным состоянием подростков в условиях цифровизации

Background. The emotional state, the length of screen time and the level of educational motivation of schoolchildren are often a matter of concern for many parents. The study examines the relationship between educational motivation, the level of anger, and parenting styles from the adolescents’ point of view. Objectives. Identification and description of the specific interrelations between various aspects of parenting and the teenagers' motivation and anger in the context of global digitalization. Study Participants. The study involved 265 people (54% — female). The average age of the respondents was 13.8 years (M = 13.8, Me = 14, SD = 1.62). Methods. To study parenting styles, teenagers filled out the ad hoc questionnaire “Adolescents about parents”. The motivational and emotional components of the adolescents’ personality were examined by means of Andreeva &amp; Prikhozhan’ questionnaire “Motivation of learning and emotional attitude to learning”. The level of digital engagement of adolescents was assessed on the basis of daily statistics of the average time spent using a mobile phone. Statistical analysis was performed using the general linear model (GLM) method in the Jamovi 2.3.16.0 program. Results. According to the results of the GLM model, the adolescents’ achievement motivation is negatively related to their average screen time. The level of educational motivation of adolescents is positively associated with the positive interest and autonomy provided by their parents. The teenagers’ level of anger is positively associated with directiveness, hostility and inconsistency of parents. According to the Wilcoxon test results, parenting styles such as directiveness, hostility and autonomy are more pronounced in fathers than in mothers. Conclusions. The most favorable parenting style for achieving high academic motivation and reducing the level of anger in adolescents is a pronounced positive interest and autonomy provided by parents along with a low level of directiveness, hostility and inconsistency. Achievement motivation has a negative relationship with the length of teenagers' screen time.

The pooled prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common childhood neurobehavioral disorders, which has a serious negative effect on educational achievement, peer relationships, social functioning, behavior, and self-esteem of children. However, the pooled prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is not well known in Ethiopia. Therefore, the main objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents in Ethiopia. PubMed, HINARI, Science Direct, Psych INFO, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and cross-referenced were searched to identify relevant articles. Quality appraisal was done using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Heterogeneity was tested using the I-square statistics. Publication bias was tested using a funnel plot visual inspection. Further, trim and fill analysis was done to correct publication bias.Forest plots and tables were used to present results. The random effect model was used to compute the pooled prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents. The overall pooled prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents in Ethiopia was 14.2% (95% CI: 8.48, 22.83). Being male (OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.54; 3.12), being aged 6-11 years (OR: 3.67, 95% CI: 1.98; 6.83), low family socioeconomic status (OR: 3.45 95% CI: 2.17; 5.47), maternal complication during pregnancy (OR: 3.29, 95% CI: 1.97; 5.51) and family history of mental illness (OR: 3.83, 95% CI:2.17; 6.77) were factors associated with a higher odds of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents. The overall pooled prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents is high in Ethiopia as compared to previous literature. To reduce the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents, emphasis has to be given to prevention, early detection, and management of pregnancy-related complications. Moreover, parents with mental illness should be supported and properly treated to reduce the impact of hostile parenting on their child's health. Registered in PROSPERO with ID: CRD42024536334.

Spin-outs’ knowledge legacies and parent hostility: a competitive dynamics view

This study adopts a competitive dynamics perspective to illuminate how and when different types of knowledge transferred by a spin-out trigger parent hostility. Specifically, I propose based on the awareness-motivation-capability framework that (1) transfers of market-related and technology-related knowledge will yield hostility and that (2) market commonality, resource similarity, and competitive intensity will exacerbate this effect. Findings from 207 spin-outs support several of my hypotheses. The study contributes to the extant literature by providing a more nuanced view on knowledge legacies, in particular regarding their interplay with a spin-out’s competitive positioning.

Correlation between Parental Hostility and Child Self-Control and Aggression.

(1) Background: Child aggression is not easily reduced as children grow up, and it is a serious problem that can develop into a life of crime if left unaddressed. (2) Methods: This study was conducted among elementary school children and their parents in C and K provinces and D city. Data were collected through a survey. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to analyze parental hostility and each child's self-control and aggression. (3) Results: Child aggression had a significant negative correlation with self-control and a significant positive correlation with parental hostility. In particular, there was a significant positive correlation between physical aggression and revenge, which are sub-factors of parental hostility. In addition, the children's self-control was significantly negatively correlated with parental hostility. (4) Conclusions: Since there is a positive correlation between children's aggression and self-control, it is necessary to develop strategies to improve self-control when seeking intervention measures for children's aggression. In addition, since there is a significant quantitative correlation between children's aggression and parental hostility, it is necessary to deal with parental hostility in order to control children's aggression. Since there is a significant negative correlation between parental hostility and children's self-control, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of parental attitudes and behaviors to improve children's self-control.

Identifying multilevel predictors of trajectories of psychopathology and resilience among juvenile offenders: A machine learning approach.

Mental ill health is more common among juvenile offenders relative to adolescents in general. Little is known about individual differences in their long-term psychological adaptation and its predictors from multiple aspects of their life. This study aims to identify heterogeneous trajectories of probable psychiatric conditions and their predictors. Participants included 574 juvenile offenders who were first convicted for serious crimes and without detention history. The participants were assessed at 11 timepoints over seven years (2000-2010). Growth mixture modeling revealed the same three trajectories for both probable anxiety and probable depression: stable low trajectory (75.96%; 75.78%), stable high trajectory (15.16%; 10.98%), and recovery (8.89%, 13.24%). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression identified three multilevel predictors for memberships of different trajectories. Risk factors against stable low trajectory lay within personal (e.g., neuroticism), relationship (e.g., parental hostility), and contextual levels (e.g., chaotic neighborhood). Resilience factors for stable low trajectory included strong work orientation and low education level of father. Recovery was predicted by Black race, self-identity, high education level of father, and nonincarcerated sentencing. Our findings suggest that both psychopathology and psychological resilience could be predicted by multiple personal, relationship, and contextual factors in the social ecology of juvenile offenders.

A tale of two cities: Chinese mothers' parental burnout and parenting behaviors in Shanghai and Nanning.

Parental burnout is a psychological syndrome that develops in response to the chronic stressors in one's role as a parent. It can be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of both parents and children and has been empirically proven to result in more negative parenting behaviours. Based on recent research, parental burnout is more prevalent in individualistic cultures. Considering that parenting norms and practices vary greatly across cultures, there could be different effects of parental burnout on parenting practices in different areas. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between parental burnout and parenting behaviours in Shanghai and Nanning, two cities in China that differ in the extent to which they have been exposed to the cultural influence of Western individualism, and to examine the moderating effect of city on these relationship patterns. Three hundred and sixty-eight mothers in Shanghai and 180 mothers in Nanning took part in the survey. On average, mothers in Shanghai had more severe parental burnout than their counterparts in Nanning. Furthermore, parental burnout was associated with positive parenting behaviours (i.e., parental warmth) and negative parenting behaviours (i.e., parental hostility and neglect), and the associations between parental burnout and negative parenting behaviours in Nanning were greater than in Shanghai. These results can be explained by cultural differences in individualism and collectivism between Shanghai and Nanning. This study extends the knowledge on the role of culture in shaping parental roles.

Co‐parenting and parenting behaviour: The role of parent mental health for mothers and fathers in the postnatal period

AbstractThe relationship between co‐parenting, parent mental health and parenting remains unclear for parents during the postnatal period, particularly fathers. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate these relationships for families in the postnatal period. Routinely collected self‐report data from 138 mothers and 138 fathers participating in Family Foundations, a co‐parenting intervention facilitated by a community health service in Melbourne, were used. Path analysis revealed that for mothers, more supportive co‐parenting was associated with fewer mental health difficulties and, in turn, low parenting hostility and high parenting warmth. For fathers, supportive co‐parenting was associated with fewer mental health difficulties, which was associated with low parenting hostility but not parenting warmth. Co‐parenting was also directly associated with parenting warmth and hostility for fathers. The findings highlighted some key differences between mothers and fathers and the importance of interventions targeting the co‐parenting relationship during early childhood.