Parenting Stress Related to Behavioral Problems and Disease Severity in Children with Problematic Severe Asthma

Reduced parenting stress following a prevention program decreases internalizing and externalizing symptoms in the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (OBD) are at risk for developing mental disorders, and the literature suggests that parenting stress may represent an important risk factor linking parental psychopathology to offspring psychopathology. We aimed to investigate whether improvements in parenting stress mediated the relationship between participation in a prevention program and offspring internalizing and externalizing symptoms at follow-up.

METHODS

Families having a parent with BD (N = 25) underwent a 12-week prevention program. Assessments were conducted at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Families of parents with no affective disorders (i.e., control families) served as a comparison sample (N = 28). The Reducing Unwanted Stress in the Home (RUSH) program aimed to teach communication, problem-solving, and organization skills to improve the rearing environment. Measures included the Parenting Stress Index-4th Edition, the Behaviour Assessment Scales for Children-2nd Edition, and the UCLA Life Stress Interview.

RESULTS

Families having a parent with BD reported more parenting stress at pre-intervention, and more change across time, than control families. Improvements in parenting stress mediated the relationship between participation in the intervention and reduced offspring internalizing and externalizing symptoms. While families having a parent with BD reported more chronic interpersonal stress at pre-intervention, no intervention effects were found.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrate that a preventative intervention targeting parenting stress in families may serve to prevent the development of mental disorders in at-risk children.

10Vida: A Mental and Physical Health Intervention for Chronically Ill Adolescents and Their Caregivers in the Hospital Setting: An Open Study

Suffering from a chronic disease (CD) in adolescence can significantly impact the emotional health of adolescents and their families. MHealth can be a useful tool for these groups. However, few intervention programmes include the family system. The aim is to design an intervention programme (10Vida) for a paediatric population with a CD, and their families, to improve their adaptation to the disease. The study is a quasi-experimental repeated measures design in a open study, where the patients themselves, and their families, are their own control group. Participants will receive an intervention of seven individual sessions: five sessions with each patient, and two sessions with their caregivers. In the case of the patients, the aim is to improve their emotional state, their self-esteem, and their emotional competencies, reducing their perceived threat of illness. Furthermore, in the case of the caregivers, the aim is to improve their emotional state and reduce their burden. Indirectly, working with caregivers and those being cared for will improve family ties. The pilot study will involve 25 to 30 chronically ill adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years and their primary caregivers. Following the results, the necessary modifications will be included, and the programme will be offered to adolescents and their families who are willing to participate.

Parenting Stress and Child Externalizing and Internalizing Problems Among Low-Income Families: Exploring Transactional Associations

Although the association between parenting stress and child behavioral outcomes is well established (Deater-Deckard, Clin Psychol 5:314-332, 1998), longitudinal research examining the direction of these effects is limited. This study examined transactional associations between parenting stress and child externalizing and internalizing behaviors among 1209 low-income female caregivers (M_age = 34.51) with children in early childhood or early adolescence (i.e., either 2- to 5-years-olds or 9- to 15-year-olds at Time 1) across a 6 year time span using three time points. Parent-driven associations between parenting stress and child internalizing problems for the early childhood group were found. In the early adolescent group, transactional and child-driven associations were found between parenting stress and child externalizing problems, but only child-driven associations for internalizing problems. Thus, transactional associations were only supported for the early adolescent group. These findings suggest developmental differences in how parenting stress and child behavioral problems are linked among low-income families. Clinical implications are discussed.

Anxiety and depression in Dutch patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia and their caregivers: associations with health-related quality of life

Background

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) might be a risk factor for the development of anxiety and depression. This study investigated the associations between anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals with PCD and their caregivers.

Methods

Children, adolescents and adults with PCD and their caregivers were invited to participate in a mental health screening programme. During regular yearly outpatient visits, measures of anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), HRQoL (QOL-PCD), lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁)) and body mass index (BMI)) were collected and associations of anxiety, depression and HRQoL were estimated.

Results

A total of 103 individuals participated in the mental health screening programme. Elevated levels of anxiety (scores ≥10 on GAD-7) were found in 6% of adults (n=33), 14% of children (n=7), 6% of adolescents (n=17) and 20% of caregivers (n=46, 52% of mothers). Elevated depression levels (scores ≥10 on PHQ-9) were found in 18% of adults, 14% of children, 6% of adolescents and 11% of caregivers. Anxiety and depression were associated with scales on the QOL-PCD. Mothers reported higher anxiety scores than fathers (30% versus 9%, p=0.03). A strong negative relationship was found between depression in caregivers and physical functioning (QOL-PCD) of the child. Anxiety and depression were not significantly associated with anxiety/depression in their child.

Conclusion

This is the first study investigating anxiety and depression in individuals with PCD and their caregivers. Our results revealed elevated levels of anxiety and depression, which were associated with worse HRQoL. These results suggest the need for psychological support in PCD.

Individuals with PCD and their caregivers are at risk of developing symptoms of anxiety and depression, which are associated with worse HRQoL. There is an urgent need for psychological care in PCD, especially in adults with PCD and caregivers.https://bit.ly/3rmbgc9

Toward a Biological, Psychological and Familial Approach of Eating Disorders at Onset: Case-Control ANOBAS Study

Eating disorders (ED) are considered as heterogeneous disorders with a complex multifactor etiology that involves biological and environmental interaction. Objective: The aim was to identify specific ED bio-psychological-familial correlates at illness onset. Methods: A case-control (1:1) design was applied, which studied 50 adolescents diagnosed with ED at onset (12-17 years old) and their families, paired by age and parents' socio-educational level with three control samples (40 with an affective disorder, 40 with asthma, and 50 with no pathology) and their respective families. Biological, psychological, and familial correlates were assessed using interviews, standardized questionnaires, and a blood test. Results: After performing conditional logistic regression models for each type of variable, those correlates that showed to be specific for ED were included in a global exploratory model (R 2 = 0.44). The specific correlates identified associated to the onset of an ED were triiodothyronine (T3) as the main specific biological correlate; patients' drive for thinness, perfectionism and anxiety as the main psychological correlates; and fathers' emotional over-involvement and depression, and mothers' anxiety as the main familial correlates. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to use three specific control groups assessed through standardized interviews, and to collect a wide variety of data at the illness onset. This study design has allowed to explore which correlates, among those measured, were specific to EDs; finding that perfectionism and family emotional over-involvement, as well as the T3 hormone were relevant to discern ED cases at the illness onset from other adolescents with or without a concurrent pathology.

Adherence to Asthma Controller Therapy Among Children in Majmaah City, Saudi Arabia

Background and objective

Improving adherence to asthma medications may prevent asthma exacerbation, which is associated with a decline in lung function. The purpose of this study was to assess the adherence to asthma controller therapy and the factors that might influence the level of adherence among asthmatic children.

Materials and methods

We conducted a prospective observational study at the King Khalid Hospital in Majmaah, Saudi Arabia between January and April 2020; the study was conducted among children aged 1-14 years with a diagnosis of asthma. The data collected when available included age and gender by using a pre-tested questionnaire that contained four validated items, and the respondents were the parents of the affected children. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the data collection was performed via phone calls to ensure safety. Informed consent was obtained from the parents.

Results

We analyzed 152 asthmatic children to evaluate their adherence to asthma controller therapy. The majority of the children were males (60%). Asthma was most prevalent in the age group of 6-10 years (40.1%), followed by the age group of two to five years (32.9%). We found that the majority of the patients had poor adherence to asthma medication (83.6%) while the remaining had good adherence (16.4%). The total mean score for adherence to medication therapy was 5.16 (SD: 2.3).

Conclusions

The present study showed that the overall adherence level to the asthma controller therapy was poor among children. Larger, nationwide studies are needed to assess the adherence to asthma medications and implement interventions that can improve the same.

A systematic review of parenting interventions for child chronic health conditions

This systematic review summarizes the parenting intervention literature for parents of children with chronic health conditions and evaluates intervention effects on parenting (parenting skills and parenting efficacy) and child (behaviour, illness severity/control and quality of life) outcomes. Systematic searches using seven electronic databases (including CINHAL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO) were used to identify relevant papers published in English between 1997 and 2017, and reference lists were searched for additional relevant articles. Ten papers reporting on eight separate studies met inclusion criteria: three studies evaluated stand-alone parenting interventions, while the remaining five studies included parenting components in broader interventions that also targeted medically oriented aspects of illness management. Results suggest that parenting interventions may lead to improved parent self-efficacy, parenting behaviour, illness severity/control, child quality of life and child behaviour; however, intervention effects were mixed and confined to parent-report outcome measures. A paucity of studies using rigorous randomized controlled trial study designs limits the conclusions that can be drawn regarding intervention efficacy. Achieving adequate enrolment and retention of families in parenting intervention trials appears to be problematic within these clinical groups. Larger samples and more diverse clinical populations will support the reliability of future evaluations of parenting interventions in this context and improve generalizability of results.

Parents' Acceptance of Learning about Mindfulness for Managing Pediatric Asthma

Background: Emerging research suggests mindfulness may reduce stress and asthma symptoms in children, yet there is a gap in understanding parental views towards learning about mindfulness. Objective: This study aimed to compare the perceived acceptance to learn about mindfulness among parents of children with and without asthma, and to understand differences across income levels. Methods: This was a national, cross-sectional, online survey of parents of children 0–18 years. Acceptance was measured with questions on whether parents believe mindfulness could be beneficial while parenting, and if they would be willing to learn about mindfulness. Comparisons of mindfulness acceptance between income level were conducted using chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Results: Parents of children with asthma were more likely to be interested in learning about mindfulness from their health care provider compared to those without asthma (46% vs. 38%, p < 0.0001). At all income levels examined in the study, parents (63–75%) of children with asthma indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed that mindfulness can be beneficial when parenting. Conclusion: Findings suggest an opportunity to incorporate mindfulness teaching into asthma care for pediatric patients of all income levels.

The Impact of Environmental Chronic and Toxic Stress on Asthma

Several factors have been associated with the development of asthma and asthma-related morbidity and mortality. Exposures in the environment such as allergens and air pollutants have traditionally been linked to the risk of asthma and asthma outcomes. More recent literature has identified chronic psychosocial stress as an additional environmental exposure to consider in relation to asthma. Adverse childhood events (ACEs) and chronic and toxic stress have been associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic stress has also been shown to result in biological changes such as expression of immunologic genes, changes in expression of the beta-adrenergic (B2AR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR-α) genes, cytokine regulation, and alterations in the hypothalamic pituitary axis and cortisol levels which all may affect asthma pathophysiology and therapeutic response among patients exposed to chronic stress. Recent research has revealed associations between ACEs and chronic and toxic stress and asthma risk in pre-conception to early childhood as well as morbidity and response to asthma treatments among pediatric and adult age groups. As some populations are more significantly impacted by asthma such as racial and ethnic minority groups, the influence of psychosocial stress has also been explored as a potential factor responsible for observed disparities in asthma prevalence and outcomes among these groups which also experience higher rates of psychosocial stress. Racial discrimination has specifically been shown to affect asthma-related outcomes among minority groups. Interventions to address the impact of chronic and toxic stress such as yoga and meditation have been shown to improve asthma outcome measures. Chronic and toxic stress is an important environmental exposure to further consider as we continue to explore the differences in underlying asthma pathophysiology leading to various disease phenotypes among patients and clinical/therapeutic response to interventions and treatments.

Maternal Anxiety, Parenting Stress, and Preschoolers' Behavior Problems: The Role of Child Self-Regulation

OBJECTIVE

Maternal anxiety is a well-known risk factor for early childhood behavior problems. In this study, we explore (1) whether parenting stress mediates this relation and also (2) whether child factors, namely self-regulation, modify the influence of maternal well-being on child externalizing and internalizing problems at 4 years of age.

METHOD

Mothers taking part in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes cohort completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory when their children were 24 months of age. At 42 months of age, children performed a self-regulation task (n = 391), and mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index. When children were 48 months old, both parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist.

RESULTS

As predicted, parenting stress mediated the relation between maternal trait anxiety and child externalizing and internalizing problems. This mediating effect was further moderated by child self-regulation. The indirect effect of maternal trait anxiety through parenting stress on child externalizing problems was stronger among children with low self-regulation.

CONCLUSION

Parenting stress is an additional pathway connecting maternal trait anxiety and children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. The risk for child externalizing problems conveyed by elevated maternal trait anxiety and parenting stress may be buffered by better self-regulation in 4-year-olds. These results suggest that interventions that include decreasing parenting stress and enhancing child self-regulation may be important to limiting the transgenerational impact of maternal trait anxiety.

Factors influencing promotive behaviours in mothers of Indonesian children with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify predictors of promotive behaviours in mothers of Indonesian children with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive survey was administered to 245 mothers who were caring for children with ARFID. Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire. For descriptive data analysis, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, and multiple linear regression were employed.

RESULTS

The factors related to promotive behaviours in these mothers were embodied in mutual parenting, especially in terms of childcare (p = 0.001 < 0.05) and interaction with children (p = 0.001 < 0.05. Additionally, multiple linear regression showed that mutual parenting remained at the communication domain, with children as the primary predictor (β 0.401, p 0.001), where the number of children (β -0.201, p = 0.008) influenced the promotive behaviours.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that the number of children and mutual parenting in interacting with children were key factors that influenced promotive behaviours in mothers of children with ARFID. We suggest that nursing interventions can potentially improve promotive behaviours in this population.

The Role of Compassion and Mindfulness in Building Parental Resilience When Caring for Children With Chronic Conditions: A Conceptual Model

Compassion- and mindfulness-based interventions (CMBIs) and therapies hold promise to support parent resilience by enabling adaptive stress appraisal and coping, mindful parenting, and perhaps crucially, self-compassion. These contemplative modalities have recently been expanded to parents of children with chronic illness, building on successful applications for adults facing stress, chronic pain, or mental illness, and for healthcare professionals in response to caregiver burnout resulting from their work. The design and adaptation of interventions and therapies require a conceptual model of parent resilience in the context of childhood chronic illness that integrates mindfulness and compassion. The objective of this paper is to propose and describe such a model. First, we review the need for parent support interventions for this population. Second, we introduce a Model of Compassion, Mindfulness, and Resilience in Parental Caregiving. We highlight the mindful parenting approaches, guiding theories for adaptive coping, and family resilience frameworks that informed our model. Third, we describe a case of a parent to illustrate a practical application model. Finally, we outline future directions for intervention development and research to examine the impact of CMBIs on parent resilience.

Changes in asthma severity in the first year of school and difficulty learning to read

Objective: Asthma is a risk factor for poor early reading in children, for reasons that are unclear. This analysis examines the relationship between changes in asthma severity during the first year of school and being in the lowest quartile of reading achievement after 1 year of school.Methods: We used previously unreported data from our cohort study. Parent interviews and teacher questionnaires enquired about asthma and covariates of achievement at school entry (T1) and 12 months later (T2). Asthma severity scores at T1 and T2 showed that in 27 of 51 children with asthma, symptoms improved over the year, whereas in 24, symptoms persisted or worsened. Word and story reading were assessed at T1 and T2. We compared reading achievement at both timepoints between children with asthma and children who had no reported respiratory symptoms between birth and T2 (controls, N = 74), and between those with persistent versus improved symptoms.Results: More children with asthma than controls were in the lowest quartiles for reading. Further, significantly more children in the persistent group compared to the improved group were in the lowest quartiles for word reading (58 versus 30%, respectively) and story reading (54 versus 26%, respectively). School absences, increased behavior problems, stressful life events or parental mental health were not associated with the differences in either comparison. Logistic regression modeling identified persistent asthma as the most important variable associated with being in the lowest quartile of reading after 1 year in school.Conclusions: Active asthma symptoms during early school may influence early reading achievement.

Multidisciplinary treatment in children with problematic severe asthma: A prospective evaluation

OBJECTIVE

For children with problematic severe asthma, achieving adequate control of asthma is difficult. The aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the effects of intensive multidisciplinary inpatient treatment on multiple outcome variables in children with problematic severe asthma.

METHODS

Participants were 89 children with problematic severe asthma (mean age 13.6 ± 2.5 years) treated in tertiary care clinics at high altitude (Switzerland) or sea level (Netherlands) and their parents (85 mothers, 55 fathers). The primary outcome variable was the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT). Other outcome variables were forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV₁ ), fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), quality of life [PAQLQ(S)], children's coping (UCL-A), parents' report of behavioral problems (CBCL), and parenting stress (PSI/NOSI). Evaluations were taken pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-6 months follow-up. Median [P25;P75] treatment duration 74 [56;80] days; Median follow-up interval 131 [103;177] days.

RESULTS

The percentages of children showing controlled asthma (C-ACT) were 18% (pre-treatment), 69% (post-treatment), and 44% (follow-up). The vast majority of the children (80%) showed an improvement on C-ACT with 4% showing a deterioration. On C-ACT, FeNO, quality of life, and behavioral problems, improvements at post-treatment were highly significant. Improvements generally remained at a functional level at follow-up. Children's coping and parenting stress in parents did not change.

CONCLUSIONS

The improvement in asthma control and other outcome variables suggests that multidisciplinary inpatient treatment is an effective approach for a heterogeneous group of children with asthma that remained uncontrolled in secondary care. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:588-597. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.