Parental Support Research Articles

The role of interpersonal emotion regulation tendencies in the association between maternal childhood maltreatment and social support in parenting.

Alleviating psychological stress in parenting is crucial for breaking the intergenerational cycle of childhood maltreatment (CM). However, issues with social support-recognized as effective in addressing parenting challenges, including psychological stress-have been noted among parents with CM experiences. Specifically, these issues include a lack of resources and diminished effectiveness of social support. Previous findings suggest that decreased interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) contributes to both issues; however, no empirical study has examined this mechanism. This study explored the role of IER in the association between CM, social support, and psychological stress. Data from 1889 Japanese mothers were used for analysis. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted. Structural equation modeling validated the model, indicating that CM is associated with increased psychological stress through decreased IER and reduced social support resources (χ2=8.67, p<.05, CFI=0.99, GFI=1.00, AGFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.042). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant IER×social support utilization interaction effect on psychological stress (β=-0.06, p<.01). Social support utilization significantly associated with reduced psychological stress for both high and low IER mothers; however, the association was stronger for those with high IER (β=-0.23, p<.01) than those with low IER (β=-0.12, p<.01). Decreased IER tendencies are linked to social support challenges among parents with CM experiences. However, high IER tendencies may exacerbate psychological symptoms in parenting contexts, necessitating careful consideration in interventions.

The Pittsburgh Study: A Tiered Model To Support Parents During Early Childhood

ObjectiveTo test the feasibility of implementing The Pittsburgh Study’s (TPS) Early Childhood Collaborative, a population-level, community-partnered initiative to promote relational health by offering accessible preventive parenting program options for families with young children. Study designTPS partnered with healthcare and community agencies serving families in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to enroll and screen 878 parents of 1,040 children 4-years-old and under. Participants were assigned to one of four tiered groups based on identified needs: (1) universal, (2) targeted/universal, (3) secondary/tertiary, or (4) tertiary programs. Parents were offered choices in empirically supported parenting programs within group ranging from texting programs to intensive home visiting. Program selection was optional. Chi-square tests were conducted to examine the likelihood of selecting a program by group. ResultsAbout 25% of participants were assigned to each tiered group; 78% of parents chose to enroll in a parenting program. In general, parents with higher levels of adversity were more likely to select a parenting program compared with those reporting less adversity, including secondary/tertiary versus targeted/universal groups (81.4% vs. 72.8%), and tertiary versus universal and targeted/universal groups (83% vs. 74.1% and 72.8%, respectively; p < .001). ConclusionOur high program enrollment rate supports the feasibility of TPS. TPS successfully engaged families in the study by offering choices in, and optimizing accessibility to, parenting programs. TPS is highly aligned with recent recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics for tiered approaches as part of a broad public health strategy for supporting early relational health.

Parent-Adolescent Discrepancies in Perceiving Parental Psychological Control and Autonomy Support Predict Adolescents' Psychological Adjustment: Does Adolescent Gender Make a Difference?

Few studies simultaneously examined how parent-adolescent discrepancies in reporting psychological control and autonomy support predicted adolescents' adjustment and the moderation by adolescent gender remains unknown. This longitudinal study addressed these gaps using a Chinese sample of 310 adolescents (158 girls; Mage = 13.34, SD = 0.36) and their parents. Adolescents reported depression and resilience and dyads reported parenting. The latent difference scores analysis showed higher psychological control and lower autonomy support perceived by adolescents than parents and larger parent-boy discrepancies in psychological control. Psychological control discrepancies predicted higher adolescents' depression and autonomy support discrepancies predicted lower boys' depression. The results suggest that parent-adolescent discrepant perceptions of different parenting behaviors predict adolescents' adjustment via different processes, which vary for boys and girls.

Lived Education Experience of Young Adults with Childhood- and Adult-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Multi-Centre Canadian Qualitative Study.

Young adults with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) have physical, cognitive and psychosocial health issues and other comorbidities that may impact educational attainment and ultimately lifetime socioeconomic achievement. We aimed to understand the lived educational experiences of young adults with SLE and assess their perceived barriers from SLE. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely with participants from two Lupus clinics in Canada. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, double-coded and analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach. Thirteen participants (85% female), with a median age of 20.5 years, seven with childhood- and five adult-onset SLE were interviewed. Four themes were identified: (1) Challenges due to lupus: difficulties adjusting to the diagnosis, physical and cognitive symptoms of SLE; (2) Changes in aspirations: education or career goals modified by reducing course load or shifting to more sedentary or less demanding careers; (3) Facilitators of student success: social support from family and friends, parental financial support, individualized accommodations from institutions, and asynchronous learning opportunities as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic; (4) Coping and moving forward: using more adaptive than maladaptive coping strategies were used to self-manage, including self-acceptance, pacing and planning. While most participants are successfully engaging in higher education, their performance was often negatively impacted by the physical and cognitive toll of SLE. Social support and academic accommodations helped to alleviate the challenges experienced by this group. Going forward, clinicians should initiate conversations about the educational experiences of young adults with SLE to proactively address challenges they may face.

Black Children's Perceptions of Parental Support and Parenting Practices: 6-Month Weight Loss and Retention in a Pediatric Weight Management Program.

Black families are less likely to continue in pediatric weight management programs (PWMPs) and have less optimal outcomes. Few studies have examined how parenting practices and perceived support influence Black children's retention and weight loss in PWMPs. To fill this gap, this study sampled Black children and their parent (N=49) who were participating in a Midwest PWMP to explore how children's reports of parental support and parenting practices at program initiation associate with early weight loss 3- and 6-month and retention at 6-month in the PWMP. There were no significant findings for the association of children's reports of parenting practices and their perceptions of parents' support for making health changes in the PWMP. However, the findings were in the anticipated direction, with effect sizes ranging from -0.92 to 0.42. Children who reported that their parent was supportive of their behavior change had less weight loss (i.e., increases in BMIz) from baseline to 3months than those who perceived their parent's as unsupportive or neither supportive or unsupportive (p=0.004). There were no significant correlations between BMIz change at 3 or 6months and reports of parenting practices. Additional research and with a larger sample are needed to further understand how parenting practices and support are associated with healthy behavior changes and retention of Black children and families in PWMPs.

Family adversity and co-occurring pain, psychological, and somatic symptom trajectories from late childhood through early adolescence.

This study examined the relative impact of earlier versus proximal childhood exposures to family adversities (parental health problems, family conflict, financial hardship, abuse, violence) and supportive caregiving (warm and supportive parenting behaviors) on youths' symptom trajectories across early adolescence. We used parent-reported survey data to differentiate co-occurring Pain, Psychological, and Somatic Symptom (Pain-PSS) trajectories among youth in the longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study® (2016-2022). Family adversities and supportive caregiving were derived from youth and parent surveys and coded as occurring earlier (by age 9-11yrs; baseline) or proximally (occurring during study follow-up years 1-4; by age 11-15yrs). Sequential modeling determined whether proximal exposures mediated the effects of earlier exposures on youths' Pain-PSS trajectories (data reflect adjusted relative risk ratios (adj. RRR [95% confidence interval]). Four Pain-PSS trajectories were differentiated among 7,546 youth, 14.3% of whom were classified with High Pain/High PSS. Earlier exposure to any family adversity increased the risk for higher Pain-PSS relative to the lowest symptom trajectory (e.g., parental mental health or somatic problems increased the relative risk for a High Pain/High PSS trajectory to 3.85 [2.84, 5.22] and 5.75 [4.36, 7.58], respectively). Most proximal exposures increased the risk for higher symptom trajectories, fully or partially mediating effects of earlier exposures. Higher proximal supportive caregiving lowered the risk for the High Pain/High PSS trajectory by 80%, fully mediating the impact of earlier caregiving. Findings suggest that family adversities and supportive caregiving may be important interventional targets to lower the risk for co-occurring symptom persistence across early adolescence.

The Bidirectional Relations Between Parental Autonomy Support, Gratitude and Academic Engagement in Chinese Adolescents.

Abundant evidence highlights the benefits of self-determined motivation (e.g., parental autonomy support as internalized extrinsic motivation, gratitude as intrinsic motivation) on academic engagement during adolescence, yet the potential mutual relations remain relatively unexplored. This study investigated the bidirectional relations and potential mechanisms among parental autonomy support, gratitude, and academic engagement using a traditional cross-lag-panel model (CLPM) and a within-person CLPM with random intercept (RI-CLPM) in a sample of Chinese youth (N = 1214; Mage = 15.46, SDage = 0.71; 39.30% girls) across three time points with 6-month intervals. The results indicated that the bidirectional relation between parental autonomy support and academic engagement was present in CLPM but not in RI-CLPM. However, the bidirectional relations between gratitude and academic engagement, and between gratitude and parental autonomy support, existed at both levels. Furthermore, in CLPM, parental autonomy support influenced academic engagement through gratitude, and gratitude, in turn, affected academic engagement through parental autonomy support. Academic engagement impacted gratitude via parental autonomy support, and simultaneously, academic engagement influenced parental autonomy support through gratitude. Academic engagement served as a mediator between parental autonomy support and gratitude, as well as between gratitude and parental autonomy support. Five self-enhancing loops were identified in CLPM. These findings reveal a virtuous cycle of mutual influence between parental autonomy support, gratitude, and adolescent academic engagement, highlighting the important role of academic engagement in strengthening autonomous motivation.

Outcomes used to measure the clinical application of neonatal palliative and/or end-of-life care in neonatal settings: a systematic review.

Standardised reporting of outcomes in neonatal palliative and/or end-of-life care would facilitate comparison of practice and lead to more informed decisions about practice. We systematically reviewed evidence evaluating outcomes currently used to characterise the clinical provision of palliative and/or end-of-life care in neonatal settings. A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was undertaken using Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, OVID PsycINFO, OVID MIDIRIS and EBSCOhost CINAHL. No date or language restrictions were used. Studies were included if they measured or reported outcomes related to the clinical practice of neonatal palliative care in a neonatal unit. Of 7998 records identified through database searching, 20 articles were included. Identified studies were retrospective chart reviews. No studies used standardised outcomes and all used proxy outcome measures. Results were organised according to the WHO domains of paediatric palliative care. All studies (n=20) reported documentation of physical symptoms and functional status (physical domain); six documented parental emotional and support needs (psychological domain); four reported sibling support and wider family presence (social and cultural domain), and three reported support from spiritual services (spiritual domain). Despite neonatal death accounting for the largest category of child death under 5 years of age, there are no standardised outcomes from which to characterise or develop clinical practice. Developing a core outcome set for neonatal palliative and end-of-life care would ensure that services can be compared using reliably collected and collated data and help advance care in this area.

Whose autonomy support is more effective in promoting exercise adherence in higher vocational college students - based on self-determined theory

ObjectiveBased on the self-determination theory, the three types of autonomy support of parents, teachers and peers as a whole were included in the same research system to explore their effects on exercise adherence of higher vocational college students and their internal mechanisms.MethodsThe study used the exercise autonomy support scale, autonomous motivation scale and exercise adherence scale to construct and test the hypothesised pathways for promoting exercise adherence among students in higher vocational college. Using the data obtained from a survey of 436 higher vocational college students as the unit of analysis, and taking into account the variable of students’ self-determined motivation. The three types of autonomy support of parents, teachers and peers were simultaneously incorporated into the same research system to explore their effects on higher vocational college students’ exercise adherence and their internal mechanisms.ResultsExcept for parent autonomy support, neither teacher nor peer autonomy support had a significant positive effect on exercise adherence of higher vocational college students. Unlike the role played by teacher autonomy support, neither parent nor peer autonomy support was able to positively predict exercise autonomous motivation among higher vocational college students.ConclusionParent autonomy support can positively influence the exercise adherence of higher vocational college students, neither teacher nor peer autonomy support can significantly positively influence the exercise adherence of higher vocational college students. Teacher autonomy support can significantly and indirectly influence higher vocational college students’ exercise adherence through autonomous motivation, while parent and peer autonomy support cannot indirectly influence higher vocational college students’ exercise adherence through autonomous motivation.

Examining the associations between social support and postpartum depression symptoms among adolescent mothers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Globally, adolescent mothers are at increased risk for postpartum depression (PPD). In Kenya, 15% of adolescent girls become mothers before the age of 18. While social support can buffer a mother's risk of PPD, there are gaps in knowledge as to whether-and which types-of social support are protective for adolescent mothers in Kenya. Understanding the associations between support and postpartum depression symptoms among adolescent mothers can inform mental health interventions. Cross-sectional data of adolescent mothers ≤ 1 year postpartum (aged 14-19 years old) in an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya (N = 193) were used in analyses. Participants with scores ≥ 10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were classified as having postpartum depressive symptoms. To fully examine the different ways that social support might matter for adolescent mothers, we examined several domains of social support: child's father support during pregnancy, parental support during pregnancy, parental support of girl's education, membership in a social club, having a good female friend and having a supportive female adult one can turn to for help. We used bivariate and adjusted modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors to examine the associations between support measures and depressive symptoms, controlling for relevant covariates. One-quarter of participants experienced postpartum depressive symptoms (24.9%). Adolescent mothers who reported their mothers or their fathers as being very supportive of girls' education had a lower risk of depressive symptoms (ARR 0.35, 95% CI 0.20-0.61; ARR:0.34, 95% CI 0.13-0.90, respectively) than those whose mothers or fathers were less supportive. Adolescent mothers who had a good female friend to confide in had decreased risk of depressive symptoms (ARR 0.61; 95% CI 0.37-0.99). Having a mother or father being very supportive of girls' education and having a good female friend reduced risk of depressive symptoms. With the unique challenges of early childbearing and high adolescent birth rates in Kenya, interventions which increase parental and peer support during pregnancy and the postpartum period could improve adolescent mothers' mental health.

“How Safe is Financial Safety Net?” Level and Form of Parental Financial Support and Its Role in Need-Supportive and Need-Thwarting Parenting and Well-Being of Emerging Adults

“How Safe is Financial Safety Net?” Level and Form of Parental Financial Support and Its Role in Need-Supportive and Need-Thwarting Parenting and Well-Being of Emerging Adults

Supplemental Material for Black and Latine Parent’s Science and Math Support Matters: How Patterns of Parent Support Relate to Adolescents’ Motivational Beliefs and Course Taking Across High School

Supplemental Material for Black and Latine Parent’s Science and Math Support Matters: How Patterns of Parent Support Relate to Adolescents’ Motivational Beliefs and Course Taking Across High School

Exploring the relationship between teacher and parent support and students’ noncognitive outcomes via Latent Profile Analysis

Support from both teachers and parents is essential for shaping students’ noncognitive outcomes. Despite the acknowledged importance of both support sources, research on their combined impact remains sparse. Therefore, this study examined the patterns of combined teacher and parent support and their relationship with students’ noncognitive outcomes such as self-confidence, interest in learning, anxiety, attitude, and student activeness. We applied Latent Profile Analysis to analyze data from 274 secondary school students in China, identifying four distinct profiles of teacher–parent support: low teacher support–low parent support, medium teacher support–low parent support, high teacher support–low parent support, and high teacher support–high parent support. Analysis of variance was employed to analyze the differences in noncognitive support across these profiles, identifying significant differences in self-confidence, interest in learning, and anxiety across profiles; however, surprisingly, teacher and parent support were not significantly correlated with attitude or student activeness. This study highlights the critical role of teacher–parent support; contributes new insights for educators, parents, and schools; and underscores the necessity of personalized support tailored to individual needs.

Relationship Between Attitude Towards Mathematics and Academic Achievement of Eleventh-Class Students

This study explores gender-based differences and the relationship between attitudes toward mathematics and academic achievement among eleventh-grade students. Mathematics plays a pivotal role in intellectual development and societal progress, yet students' attitudes toward the subject often influence their academic outcomes. This research examines the correlation between attitudes and performance, alongside potential gender-based impacts. The study involved 100 eleventh-grade students from D.A.V. Inter College in Unn Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, selected using a mixed random sampling method. Data were collected using the Attitude Towards Mathematics Scale (ATMS) and academic performance records. The ATMS assessed dimensions such as confidence, enjoyment, fear, and perceived utility, while academic achievement was measured through standardized test scores and cumulative performance. Results showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.273, p = 0.006) between attitudes toward mathematics and academic achievement. Students with extremely favorable attitudes (67% of participants) achieved higher academic performance, with 46% scoring between 71–80 marks and 21% achieving 81–90 marks. Conversely, students with less favorable attitudes demonstrated lower academic success. Gender differences, however, were not statistically significant in either attitudes (p = 0.230) or achievement (p = 0.445). Boys, comprising 64% of the sample, exhibited slightly higher confidence levels, but overall attitudes and academic outcomes were comparable across genders. The study highlights the centrality of positive attitudes in academic success, with the mean academic achievement score at 3.13 (SD = 0.747) on a 4-point scale and the mean attitude score at 1.59 (SD = 1.006), reflecting generally favorable perceptions. Most academic achievements were in the mid-range (61–80 marks), suggesting that while attitudes significantly influence performance, external factors such as teaching quality and resources also play crucial roles. This research underscores the importance of fostering positive attitudes toward mathematics to enhance achievement. Interventions aimed at building confidence and enjoyment, alongside addressing systemic barriers like inadequate resources and rigid curricula, are recommended. Future studies should adopt longitudinal designs and explore external influences such as parental support and societal standards to deepen understanding.

Neonatal unit admission and offspring mental health trajectories across childhood and adolescence: a nationally representative UK cohort study

ObjectiveTo investigate the associations between neonatal unit admission (NNU) and subsequent emotional and behavioural difficulties during childhood and adolescence.DesignLongitudinal general population cohort study.SettingThe Millennium Cohort Study: nationally representative UK-based cohort.ParticipantsAll...

Effect evaluation of a participatory developed school-based healthy sleep intervention for adolescents.

Sleep deprivation and reduced sleep quality are common in adolescents and negatively impact their physical and mental wellbeing. This study evaluates the effect of a participatory-developed school-based healthy sleep intervention for adolescents. A 16-week long intervention, cocreated with adolescents, was conducted with two schools with four schools serving as measurement-only controls. Intervention elements included a kickoff event, posters, Instagram posts, an application, and class activities. Data on sleep parameters, sleep hygiene, and psychosocial factors were collected before, immediately after, and 6 months after implementation (N = 1,176; 15.2 ± 0.7 years; 37.9% girls). Sleep duration was objectively measured with activity trackers in a subsample (n = 133). Generalized linear mixed models were applied to analyze the intervention effect in RStudio. Participants in the intervention group demonstrated significant increases in sleep knowledge and larger decreases in supportive peer and parental factors compared to the control group. At 6 months, the intervention group displayed increased self-reported weekend sleep duration and objectively measured week sleep duration. There was a significantly smaller increase in the use of screens in bed and barriers toward screen use in bed in the intervention group compared to the control group. Finally, a significant decrease in peer modeling and mental support of parents was observed in the intervention group (versus significant increase and no significant change in the control group, respectively). Researchers developing healthy sleep interventions should consider combining a participatory approach with a theory-based protocol including the use of active parental components. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

UPAYA GURU MENGEMBANGKAN BUDAYA LITERASI DALAM PEMBELAJARAN DI KELAS AWAL SDN 12 ANGGREK

This study aims to describe: (1) Teachers' efforts in developing a culture of literacy, (2) Supporting and inhibiting factors of a culture of literacy. This study uses a qualitative approach with data collection techniques used, namely interviews, observations, and document studies. The data analysis process is carried out using data collection, data condensation. Data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Testing the validity of the data using triangulation of methods and sources. The results of this study include: (1) Teachers' efforts in developing a culture of literacy that is applied include the creation of a supportive literacy environment, such as attaching pictures and texts in the classroom, and providing literacy facilities such as reading corners and libraries that make it easier for students to access reading., (2) Supporting and inhibiting factors of a culture of literacy, literacy facilities and an environment that supports a culture of reading. The active involvement of teachers in literacy activities, both before and after learning, also strengthens these efforts. However, the main challenges faced are student laziness and lack of parental support in supporting literacy activities at home. In addition, students tend to prefer digital information.

Short-term mentalization-based therapy for common childhood mental disorders - a pilot quasi-randomised controlled trial.

Internalizing and externalizing psychiatric disorders among children are common and debilitating, affecting family interactions, learning and peer relations. The aim of the present quasi-randomised pilot-study was to investigate preliminary effects of a mentalization-based time-limited treatment (MBT-C) for children with mixed psychiatric disorders. The trial comprised 17 children, aged 4-11 with mixed disorders, and their parents, admitted to an outpatient psychotherapy clinic. Quasi-randomization allocated patients to 12 sessions MBT-C with parallel parent support, or wait-list control. Compared to wait-list controls, significant improvements were observed in child pathology (d = 1.23, p = .006), therapist-rated global functioning (d = 1.73, p = .002), parent-perceived overall distress and impairment (d = 1.42, p = .017), and child-perceived emotional distress (d = 1.32, p = .024). No significant effects were observed for parent-perceived symptoms (d = 0.41, p = .28). Within-group changes and long-term effects were calculated for all participants including the wait-list after being crossed-over to treatment. Results were either maintained or further improved at 6- and 12-months follow-ups. This trial provides preliminary support for MBT-C in children with mixed disorders.

Balancing boundaries: Observed parental autonomy support and psychological control in the context of parent-adolescent interactions and adolescent depression.

Autonomy support (AS) and psychological control (PC) are important parenting behaviors in adolescence, with low AS and high PC relating to adolescent depression. Studies on observed levels of AS and PC in a clinical sample are lacking. The current study aimed to (1) develop a reliable coding system for parental AS and PC in parent-adolescent interactions and gain insights into its ecological validity in a healthy control (HC) sample, and (2) disentangle observed and adolescent-perceived parenting behaviors in relation to adolescent depression. HC adolescents (N = 80, Mage = 15.90, 63.7% girls, 91.3% White) and their parents (N = 148, Mage = 49.00, 53.4% female, 97.3% White) and adolescents with depression (current MDD/dysthymia; N = 35, Mage = 15.60, 77.1% girls, 65.7% White) and their parents (N = 62, Mage = 50.13, 56.5% female, 79.0% White) participated in three videotaped dyadic interaction tasks (problem solving, event planning, and reminiscence). Adolescents reported on their parents' behavior and their own positive and negative affect after each task, while observed AS and PC were coded from the videos. Multilevel analyses showed that observed AS and PC, coded with our reliable system, related to adolescent-perceived parenting (in daily life), confirming ecological validity. Adolescents with depression (vs. HC) had more negative perceptions of parenting, whereas observed AS and PC did not differ, indicating a negativity bias of adolescents with depression. Lastly, observed PC related to a lower affective state in adolescents with depression, but not HC. Parents could be psycho-educated on the impact of this behavior in a clinical setting.

Balancing duty and family: the effects of support systems on women in law enforcement

ABSTRACT Childcare resources and parental support remain a concern for many women police officers, who oftentimes become disparately impacted in the workplace due to their identity as a parent. Unpacking how resources and support might directly and indirectly impact commitment to the organization therefore becomes quite important, particularly in light of the retention crisis being faced by agencies across the country. This mixed-methods study employs: (1) ordinary least squares regression and structural equation modeling, in addition to (2) inductive content analysis in order to explore the relationship between organizational commitment, parental support, and social support. Results indicate that parental support and social support have significant positive direct and indirect effects on organizational commitment. Qualitative findings further contextualize that challenges related to scheduling and promotion, breastfeeding, and differential expectations between mothers and fathers are prominent. Potential avenues for improvement in these areas are explored.