Parent-child Relationship Quality Research Articles

The Pilot of a Therapeutic Family Camp Intervention to Improve Adoptive Family Functioning

The trauma-related emotional and behavioral struggles of adopted children can affect the adoptive family system due to the emotional interdependence of families. To meet the needs of adoptive families, a two-weekend therapeutic family camp intervention was developed from an existing 2-3 week camp model for adopted children called Hope Connection®. The current study examined the preliminary effectiveness of the revised camp, Hope Connection 2.0, to address adoptive families’ needs. A two-group (waitlist (n = 4 families) vs. intervention (n = 5 families)) pre-post design was used. The results indicated trending decreases in adopted children’s trauma-related emotional and behavioral struggles and trending increases in parent-child relationship quality and family functioning. These findings support future research of the effectiveness of Hope Connection 2.0 to improve adoptive family outcomes.

Longitudinal associations between sibling relationship quality and child adjustment after divorce

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined the interplay between the parent–child and sibling relationships in their associations with child adjustment after divorce, in order to understand the postdivorce impact of the sibling relationship more thoroughly.BackgroundThe sibling relationship is unique in its lifetime duration and frequent interactions, and is associated with child adjustment in intact families. Research on the sibling relationship in divorced families is warranted, as it is one of the few stable factors in children's lives shortly after divorce.MethodTo examine direct and moderating effects of the sibling relationship, data from N = 117 children (Mage = 12.85) of 65 families and their recently divorced parents (60 mothers, 45 fathers) were used. Longitudinal associations of sibling support, sibling conflict, parent–child relationship quality, and their interactions with child adjustment were estimated with generalized estimating equations.ResultsThe sibling relationship was related to children's (relative change in) externalizing problems and self‐esteem over time, but not to internalizing problems. Especially high sibling support was found beneficial and buffered the adversity of sibling conflict regarding children's self‐esteem. There was no substantial evidence that siblings moderated parent–child relationship quality.ConclusionsIn the context of divorce and adequate parent–child relationship quality, the sibling relationship seems to be complementary rather than compensatory to that of parents. Given the role of siblings in externalizing behaviors and self‐esteem, potential benefits of targeting the sibling relationship in (preventive) interventions aimed at divorced families should be explored.

Integrating Health Care Strategies to Prevent Poverty-Related Disparities in Development and Growth: Addressing Core Outcomes of Early Childhood.

Poverty-related disparities appear early in life in cognitive, language, and social-emotional development, and in growth, especially obesity, and have long-term consequences across the life course. It is essential to develop effective strategies to promote healthy behaviors in pregnancy and the early years of parenthood that can mitigate disparities. Primary preventive interventions within the pediatric primary care setting offer universal access, high engagement, and population-level impact at low cost. While many families in poverty or with low income would benefit from preventive services related to both development and growth, most successful interventions have tended to focus on only one of these domains. In this manuscript, we suggest that it may be possible to address both development and growth simultaneously and effectively. In particular, current theoretical models suggest alignment in mechanisms by which poverty can create barriers to parent-child early relational health (i.e., parenting practices, creating structure, and parent-child relationship quality), constituting a final common pathway for both domains. Based on these models and related empirical data, we propose a strength-based, whole child approach to target common antecedents through positive parenting and prevent disparities in both development and growth; we believe this approach has the potential to transform policy and practice. Achieving these goals will require new payment systems that make scaling of primary prevention in health care feasible, research funding to assess efficacy/effectiveness and inform implementation, and collaboration among early childhood stakeholders, including clinicians across specialties, scientists across academic disciplines, and policy makers.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Remembered Parental Rejection on Media Use among Young Adults

Problematic media use has become commonplace in recent years, especially among adolescents and young adults. This study examined the association between problematic media use and parent-child relationship quality as mediated by social intimacy with best friends. Data from 228 university students between the ages of 19 through 26 years (Mage = 22.90) were collected. Measures used were the mother and father versions of the Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ, short form), the Usage Subscale of the Media and Technology Usage and Attitude Scale, and the Miller Social Intimacy Scale. Results showed significant associations for both men and women among all the variables. This indicated that the more parental (maternal and paternal) rejection the young adults experienced in childhood the lower was their social intimacy with best friends, but the greater was their self-reported media and technology usage. Findings from hierarchical multiple regression analyses confirmed that remembered parental (both maternal and paternal) rejection had a strong direct effect on media and technology usage among both men and women. But the analyses also showed a significant indirect effect of low social intimacy with best friends on media and technology usage. The findings have implications for parents, teachers, educators, mental health professionals and policy makers.

Longitudinal study of the cascading effects of racial discrimination on parenting and adjustment among African American youth

ABSTRACT Attachment theory posits that parenting plays akey role in children’s attachment and subsequent development. Given the normativity of racial discrimination on everyday life experiences of African American families, there is a need to integrate historical and socio-environmental processes in studies to understand how minoritized parents raise secure and stable children. Results from the current study revealed direct associations between mothers’ reports of discrimination and heightened depression and anxiety. Maternal discriminatory experiences were indirectly associated with more negative parenting and compromised parent-child relationship quality, through mothers’ psychological functioning. Elevated emotional and behavioral management problems among youth were directly associated with exposure to racial discrimination. Exposure to discrimination during middle childhood facilitated adapted or learned strategies to manage similar situations as youth transitioned into adolescence, with reduced patterns of depressive symptomology. No significant gender effects emerged. Implications for theoretical advancement and future research are provided.

Mother-Child and Father-Child Relationships in Emerging Adults from Divorced and Non-Divorced Families

The main aim of this study was to analyze the associations between parental divorce and interparental conflict with the quality of parent-child relationships. Specifically, we analyzed trust, communication and alienation in both father-child and mother-child relationships in a sample of 1078 Spanish emerging adults from divorced and non-divorced families. The interaction between parental divorce and conflict was also analyzed. In support of our expectations, parental divorce was associated with lower trust and communication, along with higher alienation in father-child and mother-child relationships. When interparental conflict was included, parental conflict was more strongly associated with lower trust and communication in mother-child relationships, and higher alienation in both mother-child and father-child relationships. However, parental divorce was still associated with low trust and communication with fathers, when interparental conflict and the interaction between parental divorce and conflict were added. In summation, our results suggest that both parental divorce and conflict should be taken into account in the study of the consequences of family-related stress variables on adult children’s wellbeing. These findings add to the current literature and contribute to better comprehend the effects of parental divorce and conflict on both mother-child and father-child affective relationships in an understudied cultural context. The implications, limitations and future research recommendations are discussed.

P024 Children’s sleep and fathers’ health and wellbeing: a systematic review

Abstract Introduction Night-waking is typical across infancy and early childhood. Although mothers are traditionally primary carers for children overnight, child sleep may impact others in the household, such as co-dwelling fathers. Despite expectations of more ‘hands on’ fathering, the relationship between children’s sleep and fathers’ health and wellbeing has not been previously synthesised. Methods This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement and registered with the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Focusing on fathers, this review synthesised evidence pertaining to effects of children’s sleep (from birth to 12 years) on fathers’ health and wellbeing. Results From 4,421 records, 29 studies met inclusion criteria. Findings showed: (1) child sleep was associated with father’s sleep when child sleep was measured through father-report or objective measurement; (2) poorer child sleep was associated with poorer general health and wellbeing among fathers, however, associations of poor child sleep with depression were fewer; and (3) poor child sleep was negatively associated with quality of within-couple and parent-child relationships. Discussion Results suggested two principal issues: (1) Systematic variation in measures and findings underscores importance of objective measurement. Yoked actigraphy techniques are vital for understanding inter-relationships of family sleep and attendant outcomes. (2) Different patterns of child sleep and parent outcomes suggest direct and indirect pathways of effect. Understanding patterns of overnight caregiving, and factors underpinning parent decisions, are important for understanding mechanisms linking child sleep to fathers’ outcomes and for designing effective interventions to support parents.

Adolescent and parent sleep quality mediates the impact of family processes on family members’ psychological distress

ObjectiveTo examine the role of adolescents’ and their parents’ sleep quality as mediators of family-level processes and family members’ psychological distress (ie, anxiety/depressive symptoms). DesignShort-term prospective design with an initial survey followed by a 7-day twice-daily (morning and evening) diary. SettingOnline survey for high school students and their parents across the United States. ParticipantsA total of 193 adolescent (Mage = 15.7 years old, standard deviation = 0.94; 54.4% female) and parent (Mage = 47.6 years old, standard deviation = 5.4; 80% female) dyads. MeasurementIn the initial survey, adolescents reported on family dysfunction, parent-child relationship quality, and parents reported on their own romantic relationship satisfaction. Both adolescents and parents reported their daily levels of sleep quality (morning diaries) and their psychological distress (evening diaries) for 7 days. ResultsAt the level of between-family differences, parents’ sleep quality mediated the association between their baseline reports of romantic relationship satisfaction and daily levels of psychological distress. In addition, adolescents’ sleep quality mediated the association between family-level dysfunction and their own psychological distress. After controlling for between-family associations, spikes in parents’ and/or adolescents’ sleep quality on specific mornings predicted corresponding drops in parents’ evening reports of psychological distress on those same days. Finally, parents’ and adolescents’ sleep quality demonstrated significant levels of concordance across the 7 days of the daily diary. ConclusionsFindings underscore the dynamic and tightly related processes within the family system and the important role that sleep plays in linking them with family members’ psychological distress.

Parents' distress and poor parenting during a COVID-19 lockdown: The buffering effects of partner support and cooperative coparenting.

The COVID-19 pandemic is placing demands on parents that may amplify the risk of parents' distress and poor parenting. Leveraging a prepandemic study in New Zealand, the current research tested whether parents' psychological distress during a mandated lockdown predicts relative residual changes in poorer parenting and whether partner support and cooperative coparenting buffer this potentially detrimental effect. Participants included 362 parents; 310 were from the same family (155 dyads). Parents had completed assessments of psychological distress and parenting prior to the pandemic and then reported on their distress, parenting, partner support, and cooperative coparenting during a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. Parents' distress during the lockdown predicted relative residual increases in harsh parenting, but this effect was buffered by partner support. Parents' distress also predicted residual decreases in warm/responsive parenting and parent-child relationship quality, but these effects were buffered by cooperative coparenting. Partner support and cooperative coparenting are important targets for future research and interventions to help parents navigate challenging family contexts, including COVID-19 lockdowns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Changes in family chaos and family relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a longitudinal study.

The purpose of this article was to explore how family chaos, parenting processes, parent-child relationship qualities, and sibling relationship qualities changed before versus the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included one parent and two adolescent-aged children from 682 families (2,046 participants). Parents and youth participating in an ongoing longitudinal study in five Midwestern states in the United States completed an additional web-based assessment of family processes and family relationship qualities during the May-June 2020 pandemic-related shutdowns. A series of two-wave latent change score models indicated that family chaos increased with the onset of pandemic-related shutdowns and that the level of chaos within a family during the shutdowns had implications for changes in several parenting processes and family relationship qualities. Specifically, higher levels of family chaos during the pandemic mitigated observed increases in parental knowledge and were associated with declines in parental autonomy granting. Family chaos during pandemic-related shutdowns also was associated with increases in maternal-child conflict, paternal-child conflict, and sibling conflict as well as decreases in paternal-child intimacy, sibling intimacy, and sibling disclosure. Overall, consistent with a family stress perspective, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased strain and commotion within many households, and these changes had implications for multiple family relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Interplay between genetic risk and the parent environment in adolescence and substance use in young adulthood: A TRAILS study.

Many adolescents start using tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis. Genetic vulnerability, parent characteristics in young adolescence, and interaction (GxE) and correlation (rGE) between these factors could contribute to the development of substance use. Using prospective data from the TRacking Adolescent Individuals' Lives Survey (TRAILS; N = 1,645), we model latent parent characteristics in young adolescence to predict young adult substance use. Polygenic scores (PGS) are created based on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for smoking, alcohol use, and cannabis use. Using structural equation modeling we model the direct, GxE, and rGE effects of parent factors and PGS on young adult smoking, alcohol use, and cannabis initiation. The PGS, parental involvement, parental substance use, and parent-child relationship quality predicted smoking. There was GxE such that the PGS amplified the effect of parental substance use on smoking. There was rGE between all parent factors and the smoking PGS. Alcohol use was not predicted by genetic or parent factors, nor by interplay. Cannabis initiation was predicted by the PGS and parental substance use, but there was no GxE or rGE. Genetic risk and parent factors are important predictors of substance use and show GxE and rGE in smoking. These findings can act as a starting point for identifying people at risk.

The Protective Role of Parent Resilience on Mental Health and the Parent-Child Relationship During COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is linked to particularly potent psychological effects for children and their caregivers while families adjust to new daily routines for work, education, and self-care. Longitudinal associations are presented from a national sample of 271 parents (mean age = 35.29 years, 48.5% female) on resilience, mental health and stress indicators, and parenting outcomes. Multigroup path model results indicate significant associations between resilience and parent stress or parent perceived child stress initiates a sequence of significant linkages to parent depression, followed by caregiver burden and parent–child relationship quality. This final set of linkages between depression and both parenting outcomes were significantly stronger for men, who also reported higher rates of perceived child stress. Results suggest that fathers’ depression symptoms and associated spill-over to perceived child stress is producing stronger effects on their parenting experiences than effects reported by mothers.

Emerging Adult Antisocial Problems and Psychological and Physical Maltreatment: Moderation by Other Parent-Child Relationship Quality.

Current research supports that both psychological/physical maltreatment by parents and parent-child relationship quality strongly correlate with children's psychopathology. Less research has examined the interaction effects among these variables, especially in emerging adults. The current study analyzed the association between psychological/physical maltreatment experienced from one parent and antisocial behaviors displayed by emerging adults, as well as the moderating effect of the other parent's parent-child relationship quality. This sample included 1,364 emerging adults (953 females, 411 males) who reported on past year psychological and physical maltreatment and parent-child relationship quality. Results indicated that, when considered together, parent-child relationship quality was a stronger predictor of emerging antisocial problems than maltreatment, with the exception of the father-son dyad. Additionally, overall findings suggested that having a high-quality relationship with one caregiver was associated with lower antisocial problems in the context of high maltreatment from the other caregiver. Nevertheless, there were deviations from this norm. Unexpectedly, the lowest antisocial problems in females were associated with higher levels of paternal physical maltreatment combined with higher levels of maternal parent-child relationship quality. Moreover, the combination of low paternal psychological maltreatment and low maternal relationship quality was associated with particularly high antisocial problems in males. It is important to note the findings in the context of this sample of college students, who could be considered an advantaged group relative to some others. Since our sample might not represent our entire population of interest, which is emerging adults, it is important for future studies to examine these relationships across more diverse emerging adults. Practical implications are discussed.

Parent-child relationship quality and adolescent health: Testing the differential susceptibility and diathesis-stress hypotheses in African American youths.

This study tested two competing models of differential susceptibility and diathesis-stress in a prospective longitudinal study of African American youths (N=935). It examined whether individual variations in the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis at age 11 interact with middle childhood parent-child relationship quality to predict mental and physical health problems in adolescence (ages 11-15years old). Adolescent boys with lower levels of cortisol reactivity to laboratory challenges had the highest levels of internalizing problems if they experienced a high conflictual relationship with their parents. Equally low-reactive boys, however, reported the lowest number of physical illnesses if their relationship with their parents was characterized by high levels of intimacy and support.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescents' Daily Lives: The Role of Parent-Child Relationship Quality.

COVID‐19 lockdown measures have profoundly impacted adolescent’ daily life, with research suggesting an increase in irritability, stress, loneliness, and family conflict. A potential protective factor is parent–child relationship quality; however, no studies have investigated this. We used data from SIGMA, a longitudinal, experience sampling cohort study, in which N = 173 adolescents aged 11 to 20 were tested before and during COVID‐19. Multilevel analyses showed decreased daily‐life irritability and increased loneliness from pre‐ to mid‐pandemic. Daily‐life stress levels were unchanged. Relationship quality was negatively associated with irritability and loneliness and buffered against the increase in loneliness. Effect sizes were small and do not support a strong effect of the first lockdown on irritability, stress, loneliness, and family conflict in adolescents.

The role of visits and parent–child relationship quality in promoting positive outcomes for children of incarcerated parents

AbstractIn the current study, we sought to determine the effects of parent visits on a range of psychological outcomes among children of incarcerated parents. Drawing on data from the Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents Enhancement Demonstration Project, a recent, large‐scale evaluation of mentoring programme practices, we hypothesized that ongoing contact would lead to an improved parent–child relationship which, in turn, would promote a range of psychosocial outcomes in children. Results of a structural equation model (n = 228) revealed a significant positive association between child's frequency of visits with their incarcerated parent and child–parent relationship quality, which in turn, was significantly associated with the child's life purpose and depression/loneliness. Findings from the current study shed light on the importance of children's visits with their incarcerated parent for later psychological outcomes.

Longitudinal Relations Between Parental Strain, Parent\u2013Child Relationship Quality, and Child Well-Being During the Unfolding COVID-19 Pandemic

As COVID-19 sweeps across the globe, scientists have identified children and families as possibly particularily vulnerable populations. The present study employed a developmental framework with two measurement points (the first at the peak of the lockdown restrictions (N = 2,921), the second after restrictions had been majorly loosened (N = 890)) to provide unique insights into the relations between parental strain, child well-being, and child problem behavior. Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed longitudinal effects of child well-being and problem behavior at T1 on parental strain at T2 with parent–child relationship quality as a moderator. True intraindividual change models showed that decreases in parental strain between measurement points predicted increases in child well-being and decreases in child problem behavior. Thus, the present research points to parental stress coping and child emotional adjustment as promising avenues for professionals and policy makers in their efforts to ensure child and family well-being throughout the pandemic.

Genetic differential susceptibility to the parent-child relationship quality and the life span development of compassion.

The development of compassion for others might be influenced by the social experiences made during childhood and has a genetic component. No research has yet investigated whether the parent-child relationship quality interacts with genetic variation in the oxytocin and dopamine systems in predicting compassion over the life span. In the prospective Young Finns Study (N = 2099, 43.9% men), we examined the interaction between mother-reported emotional warmth and intolerance toward their child assessed in 1980 (age of participants, 3-18 years) and two established genetic risk scores for oxytocin levels and dopamine signaling activity. Dispositional compassion for others was measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory 1997, 2001, and 2012 (age of participants, 20-50 years). We found a gene-environment interaction (p = .031) that remained marginally significant after adjustment for multiple testing. In line with the differential susceptibility hypothesis, only participants who carry alleles associated with low dopamine signaling activity had higher levels of compassion when growing up with emotionally warm parents, whereas they had lower levels of compassion when their parents were emotionally cold. Children's genetic variability in the dopamine system might result in plasticity to early environmental influences that have a long-lasting effect on the development of compassion. However, our findings need replication.

Topical Review: Developmental Framework of Moderators of Family Conflict for Type 1 Diabetes Outcomes

To present a developmental framework of family conflict in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) that aims to guide future research. Developmental and pediatric literature are reviewed to highlight family factors that may modify the degree to which diabetes-related family conflict is related to adolescent health outcomes. Developmental literature suggests that family conflict is not inherently bad; rather, conflict that arises under optimal conditions (moderate frequency, warm and accepting relationships) can be adaptive for adolescents. However, family conflict is consistently associated with poor disease outcomes in youth with T1D, with few researchers examining specific moderators of these associations. In this topical review, we highlight moderators of family conflict and developmental outcomes identified in adolescents without chronic illness (e.g., cultural factors, parent-child relationship quality, conflict characteristics) and how these moderators may operate for a pediatric chronic illness such as T1D. Incorporating conceptualizations of family conflict from mainstream developmental research has important implications for future research and intervention adaptations on family conflict in pediatric populations.

Association of parenting with suicidal ideation and attempts in children and youth: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

BackgroundSuicide is a leading cause of death in children and youth, with suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts (referred to as non-fatal suicidal behaviors (NFSB)) being among its strongest predictors. Positive parenting (e.g., warmth, responsiveness), negative parenting (e.g., control, hostility), and parent-child relationship quality (e.g., trust, communication) have been reported to be associated with differences in NFSB in this population. To date, no comprehensive systematic review has considered together the wide range of parenting factors studied in relation to NFSB, and no meta-analysis of existing findings has been conducted. The present study will critically appraise and synthesize the existing evidence from observational studies that examine the relationships between parenting factors and (i) suicidal ideation and (ii) suicide attempt in children and youth.MethodsStudies will be retrieved from APA PsycInfo, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library databases. Retrospective, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies, conducted in clinical and population settings, among youth aged less than 25 years and published as articles and dissertations in English or French will be eligible. Two reviewers will select articles using the Covidence Software after title and abstract screening and full-text assessment, will extract information using double data entry, and will appraise studies’ quality using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Any disagreements will be discussed with a third reviewer. Publication bias will be evaluated using funnel plots and Egger’s test. In addition to a narrative summary of results, meta-analyses will be conducted using results from at least three studies. Three-level random effect models will allow to derive pooled estimates from dependent effect sizes (from the same sample or study). In case of significant heterogeneity, moderation analyses will be performed considering participants’ characteristics and methodological aspects of studies. The results will be reported according to the PRISMA guidelines, and the certainty of evidence will be assessed using the GRADE approach.DiscussionIn highlighting parenting factors associated with NFSB and in estimating the overall strength of these associations in children and youth, our results will inform further intervention and prevention strategies designed for young people experiencing NFSB and their families.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42020165345