Parental Invalidation Research Articles

Comparative study of perceived invalidating environment and stress coping strategies between patients with drug resistant epilepsy and functional dissociative seizures

Background and objectivesWe investigated perceived invalidating environment during childhood and stress-coping strategies in patients with; functional dissociative seizures (FDS, n=26), drug-resistant epilepsy patients with no psychiatric comorbidity (DREnc, n=23), and drug-resistant epilepsy patients with psychiatric comorbidity (DREpc, n=34). Design/MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study. Patients underwent Video Electroencephalography to confirm the diagnosis and completed a psychiatric assessment supported by clinical instruments. Invalidating environment and stress coping were studied through the ICES and CAE questionaries, respectively. A series of multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed with the explored variables. ResultsThe maternal negative response model predicted a higher probability of FDS condition. A chaotic family type increased the likelihood of DREpc instead of FDS. DREpc and FDS patients displayed many different behaviors to cope with stress other than trying to solve the problem, the most used strategy in the DREnc group. Parental invalidation was higher in DREpc than in FDS. ConclusionsOur results deepen the data provided by previous studies indicating that multiple variables of biosocial origin have significant effects on these groups of patients. The presence of an invalidating environment may predict FDS but also the presence of psychiatric disorders among DRE. Psychotherapeutic strategies to enhance these variables might be necessary for this population.

Suicide Ideation Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adolescents: The Role of Parental Invalidation of Adolescents' Gender Identity.

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth experience chronic and acute stressassociated with their gender identity contributing to their increased risk of suicide and suicide ideation (SI) compared to non-TGD peers. This study examined how invalidating and accepting gender-related experiences with a parent impact SI severity among TGD adolescents cross-sectionally and longitudinally, within-person.Participants were 15 TGD adolescents with past month SI recruited across community and clinical settings. Adolescents completed a baseline assessment of validated interviews and self-report measures on parental invalidation and SI severity. Over a 14-day follow-up period, adolescents reported instances of parental gender invalidation and acceptance, relative stress of those experiences, and SI severity multiple times/dayvia ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Bivariate associations of parental invalidation and acceptance with SI were examined at baseline, while multilevel models examined the relationship within-person over follow-up. Cross-sectionally, greater perceived invalidation and non-affirmation by their parents was associated with more severe SI. Over the follow up, instances ofperceivedparental invalidation were associated with passive SI within-person. Findings partially supportthe minority stress theory and social safety perspectiveby showing that perceived gender-invalidation from parents affectsSIin TGD adolescents, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Further research is needed to identify specific emotional and cognitive factors, such as perceived stress, that contribute to the risk ofSIamong TGD youth and inform the development of targeted interventions for this vulnerable population.

Moderators and predictors of treatment outcome following adjunctive internet-delivered emotion regulation therapy relative to treatment as usual alone for adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury disorder: Randomized controlled trial.

Despite the wide-ranging negative consequences of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), there are few evidence-based treatments for NSSI among adolescents and little is known about what treatments that work best for whom. The objective of this study was to investigate moderators (i.e., for whom a specific treatment works) and predictors (i.e., factors associated with treatment outcome independent of treatment type) of treatment outcome in a randomized clinical trial comparing internet-delivered emotion regulation individual therapy for adolescents (IERITA) plus treatment as usual (TAU) to TAU alone. Adolescents (N=166; mean [SD] age=15.0 [1.2] years) with NSSI disorder were randomized to IERITA plus TAU (n=84) or TAU-only (n=82). Adolescent emotion regulation difficulties, suicidality, NSSI frequency, depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties, global functioning, and age, and parental invalidation, were measured pre-treatment and investigated as moderators and predictors of treatment outcome (i.e., NSSI frequency during treatment and for 4weeks post-treatment). A zero-inflated negative binomial generalized linear mixed effects regression model was used to estimate the rate of NSSI change as a function of both treatment condition and moderator/predictor. No significant moderators of treatment outcome were found. Parental invalidation was a significant predictor of treatment outcome regardless of treatment condition, such that high levels of parental invalidation pre-treatment were associated with a less favorable NSSI frequency. We did not find evidence of a differential treatment effect as a function of any of the examined client factors. Future research should investigate moderation in larger samples and with sufficient statistical power to detect moderation effects of smaller magnitude. Results suggest that parental invalidation may have a negative impact on treatment response and highlight the importance of further investigating parental invalidation in the context of NSSI treatments.

Validating the biosocial model of borderline personality disorder: Findings from a longitudinal study.

This longitudinal study aimed to validate the biosocial theory of borderline personality disorder (BPD) by examining the transactional relationship between individual vulnerabilities and parental invalidation, and their links to BPD symptoms. We recruited a sample of 332 adolescents (mean age = 14.18 years; 58.3% female) residing in Singapore and administered self-report measures across three time-points (six months apart). Results from our path analytic model indicated that parental invalidation, impulsivity, and emotional vulnerability exhibited unique predictive associations with emotion dysregulation six months later. There was also a reciprocal prospective relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and BPD symptoms. Using random-intercepts cross-lagged panel models, we found partial evidence for a within-individual reciprocal relationship between parental invalidation and emotional vulnerability, and a unidirectional relationship of within-individual changes in impulsivity positively predicting changes in parental invalidation six months later. Overall, the study provided partial empirical support for the biosocial model in a Singaporean context.

Retrospective reports of perceived parental invalidation and borderline personality traits: The indirect effect of personality functioning.

This study examined the indirect effect via Criterion A (personality functioning) of the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) in the relationship between retrospective reports of perceived parental invalidation and borderline personality traits measured by Criterion B (pathological personality traits). A total of 3,019 college students completed self-report scales of the Chinese Invalidating Family Scale, Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form 2.0, and Personality Inventory for DSM-5. It was found that the indirect effect of personality functioning was significant for the association between levels of perceived overall-B = 0.52, 95% CI [0.47, 0.57], maternal-B = 0.83, [0.75, 0.91], and paternal-B = 0.97, [0.87, 1.08] invalidation, and BPD traits. The outcomes of the research suggested the critical role of personality functioning as a potential mediator in the pathological effect of perceived parental invalidation on the development of borderline personality disorder features. While the study is limited by the use of self-report measurement, retrospective responding, and cross-sectional design, significant implications on the biosocial model and AMPD were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

To feel safe inside and out: The effect of self-compassion and social safeness underlie the relationship between parental invalidation and borderline features in sexual minority adults

ABSTRACT Sexual minority (SM) individuals experience minority-related social stressors that increase their vulnerability to experience psychopathological symptoms. Invalidating environments include non-acceptance of emotional expressions, and constitute a risk factor for developing borderline personality traits. Although research suggests that self-compassion and social safeness can act as protective factors to SM people against the development of anxiety and depression, less is known about their role in borderline personality symptoms experienced by SM. This study aims to test the mediation effect of self-compassion and social safeness in the relationship between paternal and maternal invalidation and borderline traits in a sample of 132 SM individuals with aged between 18-63 years old (M = 34.3, SD = 11.4). Self-report questionnaires were completed using an online survey. Data were analysed through SPSS and PROCESS Macro. Results showed that self-compassion and social safeness mediate the relationship between both maternal and paternal invalidation and borderline traits. These seem to echo previous studies about the positive relationship between parental invalidation and borderline personality traits, and adds to it by suggesting that difficulties in experiencing self-compassion as well as in feeling socially safe are significant risk factors underlying this relationship. These results yield clinical implications for affirmative psychological interventions with SM individuals, which are fully discussed.

Hovering or invalidating? Examining nuances in the associations between controlling parents and problematic outcomes for college students

Objective: The purpose of these studies was to examine whether college students’ beliefs about themselves (i.e., self-compassion and beliefs about emotions) could be mechanisms explaining the relationship between problematic parenting behaviors (helicopter parenting and parental invalidation) and outcomes including perfectionism, affective distress, locus of control, and distress tolerance. Participants: Respondents included 255 (Study 1) and 277 (Study 2) college undergraduates. Methods: Simultaneous regressions and separate path analyses with helicopter parenting and parental invalidation as predictors, with self-compassion and emotion beliefs as mediators. Results: Across both studies, parental invalidation predicted perfectionism, affective distress, distress tolerance, and locus of control, and these links were often mediated by self-compassion. Self-compassion emerged as the most consistent and strongest link between parental invalidation and negative outcomes. Conclusion: People who internalize their parents’ criticism and invalidation such that they hold negative beliefs about themselves (i.e., low self-compassion) may be vulnerable to negative psychosocial outcomes.

Parental invalidation and its associations with borderline personality disorder symptoms: A multivariate meta-analysis.

Childhood invalidation has been postulated to be implicated in the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD), according to the biosocial model. Despite its significance, most systematic reviews and meta-analyses have focused on examining the associations between extreme forms of invalidation, such as sexual abuse, and BPD. Nonetheless, individuals could experience mild-to-severe levels of parental invalidation, with or without abuse. This study examined the relationship between parental invalidation as an overall construct and BPD symptoms, synthesized across 21 studies (total N = 7,198). As most reviewed studies utilized retrospective self-report measures, the effect sizes derived pertained largely to the association between reported childhood parental invalidation and BPD symptoms. We conducted a multivariate meta-analysis to account for the dependence of multiple effect sizes obtained from a single study and to maintain precision in obtained effect sizes. Maternal, paternal, and overall parental invalidation were positively associated with BPD symptoms, with small-to-moderate effect sizes of .26, .23, and .25, respectively. The mean effect size of maternal invalidation was greater than that of paternal invalidation. We also investigated if the parental invalidation-BPD associations were moderated by child gender, age, and culture (degree of individualism). Only overall parental invalidation and BPD symptoms association was moderated by child's gender, with larger effect sizes found for samples with a greater proportion of males. Age and culture did not moderate the parental invalidation-BPD association. Risk of publication bias was low. Our findings provide support for the invalidating childhood environment component of the biosocial model. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Direct and indirect associations among mothers’ invalidating childhood environment, emotion regulation difficulties, and parental apology

BackgroundEffective emotion regulation abilities are essential for engaging in positive, validating parenting practices. Yet, many parents report difficulties with both emotion regulation and positive parenting, and these difficulties may in part be the result of parents’ own childhood experiences of invalidation. Building upon prior literature documenting the intergenerational transmission of invalidation and emotion dysregulation, the present study examined the associations between these constructs and a specific parenting practice – parental apology – that can be conceptualized as a type of validating parenting practice.MethodsUsing a sample of 186 community mothers, we tested direct and indirect relationships via correlational and path analysis between participants’ retrospective reports of parental invalidation during childhood, difficulties with emotion regulation, and two aspects of parental apology – proclivity (i.e., participants’ self-reported propensity to apologize to their child) and effectiveness (i.e., participants’ inclusion of specific apology content when prompted to write a child-directed apology). Parental invalidation, difficulties with emotion regulation, and parental apology proclivity were measured via self-report questionnaires. Apology effectiveness was measured by coding written responses to a hypothetical vignette.ResultsThere was a significant negative bivariate relationship between difficulties with emotion regulation and parental apology proclivity and effectiveness. Parents’ own childhood experiences of invalidation were linked to parental apology indirectly via emotion regulation difficulties.ConclusionsResults suggest that mothers with greater difficulties regulating emotions may be less able to or have a lower proclivity to apologize to their child when appropriate. Thus, parent apology may be an important addition to current calls for parent validation training.

Nonsuicidal Self-injury in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Literature Review

This article presents an overview on nonsuicidal self-injury in Southeast Asia. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic review was conducted regarding self-injury in Southeast Asia. Seventeen studies eligible for inclusion were identified. Findings revealed that self-injury is most common among youth between the ages of 14 and 35 years old. The prevalence rates reported were from 7.1% to 11.4% in community samples and 20.7% to 75.9% in clinical samples. The most common function for self-injury is that it serves as an emotion regulation strategy, and the main causes appear to stem from individual (emotional dysregulation, low self-esteem, gender and psychiatric disorders) and environmental factors (childhood maltreatment, childhood neglect, parental invalidation and academic stress). Comorbidity with depressive disorders, adjustment disorders and anxiety disorders are most often reported. The paucity of studies with high heterogeneity calls for further research exploring self-injury which may inform better mental health practice and policymaking in Southeast Asia.

Supplemental Material for Parental Invalidation and Its Associations With Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis

Supplemental Material for Parental Invalidation and Its Associations With Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis

Sense of mastery among older adults and its relation to invalidating childhood experiences

ObjectivesSense of mastery, a well-recognized resource for older adults, has been shown to be related to early life experiences, especially parent-child interactions. Yet while there are indications that a reduced sense of mastery is related to early experiences of child maltreatment, this association has not been studied among older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between experiences of childhood parental invalidation and sense of mastery among older adults, through the mediation of self-objectification and perceived disrupted body boundaries. Methods: Three-hundred-and-sixteen older adults (Mean = 72.24; SD = 8.12 years; range: 60-94) filled out a battery of questionnaires assessing their levels of exposure to childhood parental invalidation experiences, sense of self-objectification, disrupted body boundaries, and sense of mastery Results: A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis supported the hypothesized research model. More specifically, two significant indirect effects were observed, according to which the association between invalidating childhood experiences and sense of mastery was mediated by both self-objectification and by disrupted body boundaries. Conclusion: As these results suggest that early life experiences continue to affect individuals’ sense of self in older age, they should be considered an important factor for evaluation and intervention.

Examining the intergenerational transmission of parental invalidation: Extension of the biosocial model.

This study examined the intergenerational transmission of parental invalidation and whether parental difficulties in emotion regulation mediated the association between past experiences of invalidation and current invalidating parenting practices. We also aimed to investigate whether gender might influence the transmission of parental invalidation. We recruited a community sample of 293 dual-parent families (adolescent and their parents) based in Singapore. Parents and adolescents each completed measures of childhood invalidation, whereas parents additionally reported on their difficulties in emotion regulation. Results based on path analyses demonstrated that past parental invalidation experienced by fathers positively predicted current perceived invalidation by their children. The association between mothers' childhood invalidation and current invalidating practices was fully mediated by mothers' difficulties with emotion regulation. Further analyses revealed that parents' current invalidating behaviors were not predicted by their past experiences of paternal or maternal invalidation. These findings point to the importance of considering the family invalidating environment as a whole when examining the influence of past experienced parental invalidation on emotion regulation and invalidating behaviors of second-generation parents. Our study provides empirical support for the intergenerational transmission of parental invalidation and highlights the need to address childhood experiences of parental invalidation in parenting programs.

Momentary borderline personality disorder symptoms in youth as a function of parental invalidation and youth-perceived support.

Parental invalidation is central to etiological models of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Previous studies relied on retrospective accounts or laboratory observations to examine these associations. There is a dearth of research assessing these constructs in daily life, and limited studies have tested the effect of parental invalidation on BPD symptoms during early adolescence, when BPD onsets. The current study took a dynamic approach to assess parents' validating and invalidating behavior and its effect on youths' BPD symptom expression in daily life, while accounting for parent-perceived helpfulness of these behaviors and youth-perceived support. A psychiatric sample of 162 early adolescents (age range = 10-14 years; 47% female) and their parent completed a four-day ecological momentary assessment study. Parents reported on the use of validating and invalidating (e.g. punishing and ignoring) behaviors during parent-child conflict, as well as perceived helpfulness of these behaviors. Youth reported on their BPD symptoms and perceived parental support. Multilevel models were used to test the between- and within-person effects of parents' validating and invalidating behaviors, parent-perceived helpfulness and youth-perceived support, and their interaction on youth's momentary expression of BPD symptoms. At the between-person level, invalidating behaviors, specifically punishing behaviors, were related to greater BPD symptoms in daily life, while ignoring behaviors were associated with fewer BPD symptoms. Youth-perceived support predicted fewer BPD symptoms. Results underscore the importance of parental invalidation for the expression of BPD symptoms in daily life and also highlight the importance of youth's subjective experience of parental support. Findings are discussed in terms of etiological and intervention models that emphasize a dyadic framework.

Unraveling Prospective Reciprocal Effects between Parental Invalidation and Pre-Adolescents' Borderline Traits: Between- and Within-Family Associations and Differences with Common Psychopathology-Parenting Transactions.

The etiology of borderline personality pathology has consistently been framed as an interactional process between child vulnerability (i.e. emotional sensitivity and reactivity; Linehan, 1993) and invalidating parenting strategies, which evolves into increased emotion dysregulation and disinhibited behavior of the child and in turn activates more parental invalidation. Despite the strong theoretical base in support of these high-risk parent-child transactions, invalidating parenting behaviors have mostly been explored as a cause of child dysregulation and disinhibition, rather than as a result of child-driven effects. Also, most transactional research in this regard focused at differences between families, thereby not addressing potential changes within families across time. The current study therefore examines bidirectional between- and within-family effects of childhood borderline-related traits and maternal invalidation in the sensitive developmental phase of pre-adolescence (n = 574; 54.4% girls) along three assessment points. Cross-Lagged Panel Models and Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models indicated detrimental parenting effects of invalidation on subsequent development in borderline-related traits of the child both between and within families, and additional child-driven effects for subsequent invalidating parenting strategies within families. Beyond these transactions between borderline-related traits and parenting, the current study also indicates significant differences in the direction of effects when exploring transactions between more common dimensions of child internalizing/externalizing symptomatology and parental invalidation, suggesting a more substantial parenting etiology in the developmental process of borderline traits throughout pre-adolescence. Future longitudinal research may explore to what extent the transactional nature of borderline personality traits during important developmental stages indeed holds unique aspects compared to more common manifestations of symptomatology at young age.

Invalidating childhood environments and nonsuicidal self-injury in university students: Depression and mental pain as potential mediators.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential mediating effects of depression and psychache (i.e., extreme mental pain) on the relationship between parental invalidation and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in young adults. A sample of 2474 university students responded to previously validated measures of current NSSI, childhood parental invalidation, depression, and psychache. Using a parallel mediation model, path analysis using structural equation modeling demonstrated full mediation by depression and psychache of the link between parental invalidation and NSSI. Findings suggest that the association between invalidating childhood environments and NSSI has the potential to be mitigated by addressing issues of depression and psychache.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Invalidating Childhood Environment Scale in Spanish (ICES)

Background/Objective: The Invalidating Childhood Environment Scale (ICES) is an instrument designed to assess retrospectively parental invalidation experience, according to Marsha Linehan’s definition of invalidation. The main aim of this paper is to determine the factorial structure of the ICES. Three factor structures: Standard Model, Reduced Model, and 2 Factor Model are examined. Also, the association between invalidating experience and borderline symptoms is studied. Method: Data from a non-clinical, volunteer sample of 274 adults was collected. Participants completed 4 surveys: Demographic surveys, Invalidating Childhood Environment Scale (ICES), Borderline Symptoms List (BSL 23), and Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Statistical analyses included confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression. Results: The results of the analysis presented indicate that the ICES is a reliable instrument, and that the 2 Factor Model is good fit and allows for a broader understanding of invalidation and it’s qualities. The results of the linear regression analysis indicated a mild but significant association between invalidation and BPD symptoms. Internal consistency was acceptable for all levels. Conclusion: The outcome of this study shows that the ICES is a useful instrument that can be used to make progress in uncovering the role of childhood invalidation in BPD.

The role of parental emotional validation and invalidation on children’s clinical symptoms: A study with children exposed to intimate partner violence

Parental emotional validation has been proposed of as a major explanatory mechanism of the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and children’s psychological problems. The present study examined the effect of parental emotional validation and invalidation on the relationship between exposure to IPV, and both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms. Sample was composed of Portuguese children exposed to IPV and an age- and gender-matched control group. Structural equation modeling was conducted. Children who were exposed to IPV presented higher scores on PTSD (p < .001, d = .99) and depression symptoms (p < .01, d = .63), and paternal (p < .05, d = .67) and maternal (p < .01, d = .81) emotional invalidation. Children who were exposed to IPV presented lower scores on paternal emotional validation (p < .001, d = 1.23). Exposure to IPV directly predicts both PTSD and depression symptoms but the indirect effect was stronger. Paternal emotional validation moderated the impact of exposure to IPV on clinical symptoms; the relationship between exposure to IPV and both PTSD and depression symptoms was mediated by maternal emotional invalidation. Findings suggest the potential usefulness of parental emotional validation and invalidation as treatment goals in clinical intervention with this population. Interventions to improve the therapist-patient alliance recommend that therapists use emotional validation. Training of emotional validation skills in parenting training may prevent the deleterious effects of exposure to IPV.

Adult attachment in eating disorders mediates the association between perceived invalidating childhood environments and eating psychopathology

This study aimed to evaluate the associations between perceived invalidating childhood environments, attachment in intimate relationships and eating psychopathology, to explore how these variables interact with each other, and to explore potential mediators to this pattern of association in a clinical eating disorder (ED) sample. One hundred thirty-seven ED outpatients were evaluated with the Invalidating Childhood Environments Scale (ICES), the Eating Disorder-15 (ED-15) and the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory (ECR). Paternal invalidation was associated to the ED-15 total score through avoidance of proximity and anxiety over abandonment, while maternal invalidation was only associated to the ED-15 total score through avoidance of proximity. Our results highlight the potential role of the perception of an invalidating family environment in the development of eating pathology and of difficulties in intimate relationships. These results endorse the relevance of address parental invalidation and promote adequate emotion regulation strategies and interpersonal competencies in the context of intimate relationships.

Precursors of the emotional cascade model of borderline personality disorder: The role of neuroticism, childhood emotional vulnerability, and parental invalidation.

The emotional cascade model proposes that the emotional instability and engagement in maladaptive behaviors within borderline personality disorder (BPD) may be linked to rumination. Previous research has established that BPD is highly related to neuroticism, childhood emotional vulnerability, and parental invalidation. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to assess whether the constructs of the emotional cascade model relate to other constructs within the BPD nomological network. More specifically, neuroticism, childhood emotional vulnerability, and parental invalidation should relate to the ruminative process and engagement in maladaptive behaviors as described by the emotional cascade model. The current study investigated the relation between these factors using a cross-lagged panel design with data collected online at 3 time points in a student sample and an Amazon Mechanical Turk sample. Neuroticism predicted rumination 1 month later across both samples and for 3 measures of rumination. Childhood emotional vulnerability and parental invalidation predicted rumination 2 months later for 2 measures of rumination in the student sample only. Future studies should continue to investigate the potential role of personality traits and BPD vulnerability factors within the emotional cascade model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).