Perceived parental over-protection in non clinical young adults is associated with affective vulnerability: A cross-sectional study

Is parental overcontrol a specific form of child maltreatment? Insights from a resting state EEG connectivity study

INTRODUCTION

Recent studies suggest that parental overcontrol could be considered a specific form of childhood trauma (CT). Although previous research has shown that CT alters the functional and structural architecture of large-scale networks in the brain, the neural basis associated with parental overcontrol has not been sufficiently explored. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between parental overcontrol and electroencephalography (EEG) triple network (TN) functional connectivity during the resting state (RS) condition in a non-clinical sample (N = 71; 39 females, mean age 23.94 ± 5.89 SD).

METHODS

EEG was recorded during 5 min of RS with eyes closed. All participants were asked to self-report maternal and paternal overcontrol, CT and general psychopathology. All EEG analyses were performed using the exact low-resolution electromagnetic tomography software (eLORETA).

RESULTS

Our results showed a significant positive correlation between maternal overcontrol and theta connectivity between the salience network and the central executive network. This connectivity pattern was independently associated with maternal overcontrol even when controlling for relevant confounding variables, including the severity of CT and the general level of psychopathology. This neurophysiological pattern may reflect a predisposition to detect and respond to potentially threatening stimuli in the environment, which is typically associated with excessive overcontrol.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the hypothesis that parental overcontrol should be considered a form of CT in all respects independent of the forms traditionally studied in the literature (i.e., emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and physical and emotional neglect).

Childhood maltreatment, parenting style and anxiety in Chinese youths: A case-control study

BACKGROUND

Although evidence in supporting the associations between childhood maltreatment (CM), parenting style and anxiety in children and adolescents exists, few high-quality analytical epidemiological studies which focusing on clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders (AD) had been published.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to further corroborate the associations between CM, parenting style, and AD in a large representative sample of Chinese children and adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Study subjects were derived from the Mental Health Survey for Children and Adolescents in Yunnan (MHSCAY), a population-based cross-sectional program.

METHODS

Individually matched case-control study design was adopted. Univariate and multivariate conditional binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between CM, parenting style and AD. Dose-response trends were estimated using the Cochran-Armitage Chi-square test. A series of stratified analyses were conducted to explore effect modification on exposure-outcome association by some important features.

RESULTS

Totally we screened out 202 cases and 404 matched controls, with an age mean of 14.43 years. Conditional logistic regression models revealed that EA and a higher level of parental over-protection were significantly associated with increased risk of AD, with adjusted ORs of 3.39 (95 % CI: 2.07-5.56) and 1.93 (95 % CI: 1.28-2.90). Stratified analysis identified noticeable effect modification by sex, age, and whether the only child in the family.

CONCLUSIONS

Major findings of this study suggested that children and adolescents who had experienced EA or raised up by over-protective parents are at increased risk of AD. Targeted intervention measures should be developed and implemented for these high-risk youths.

Poorer subjective mental health among girls: Artefact or real? Examining whether interpretations of what shapes mental health vary by sex

BACKGROUND

Despite reporting poorer self-rated mental health (SRMH) than boys, girls exhibit greater resilience and academic achievement, and less risk taking or death by suicide. Might this apparent paradox be an artefact arising from girls' and boys' different interpretations of the meaning of SRMH? We examined whether the indicator, SRMH, had a different meaning for girls and boys.

METHODS

In 2021-2, we circulated social media invitations for youth age 13-18 to complete an online survey about their mental health, and which of 26 individual and social circumstances shaped that rating. All data were submitted anonymously with no link to IP addresses. After comparing weightings for each characteristic, factor analyses identified domains for the whole group and for girls and boys.

RESULTS

Poor SRMH was reported by 47% of 506 girls and 27.8% of 216 boys. In general, circumstances considered important to this rating were similar for all, although boys focussed more on sense of identity, self-confidence, physical well-being, exercise, foods eaten and screen time, while girls paid more attention to having a boyfriend or girlfriend, comparisons with peers, and school performance. With factor analysis and common to boys and girls, domains of resilience, behavior/community, family, relationships with peers and future vision emerged. Girls' poorer SRMH did not arise from a more expansive interpretation of mental health. Instead, it may reflect perceived or real disadvantages in individual or social circumstances. Alternatively, girls' known greater resilience may propel lower SRMH which they use intuitively to motivate future achievement and avoid the complacency of thinking that 'all is well'.

CONCLUSIONS

The relative similarity of attributes considered before rating one's mental health suggests validity of this subjective measure among girls and boys.

Parental overcontrol is associated with dysmorphic concern severity: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Dysmorphic concern (DC) is a symptom affecting both clinical and non-clinical populations, with a severe impact on individuals' physical and psychological well-being. While Childhood Trauma (CT) has been identified as a risk factor for DC, there is a lack of research on a specific form of CT, that is, parental overcontrol. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the association between DC and parental overcontrol in a community sample of adults, controlling for other forms of CT and potential confounding variables.

METHOD

714 adults (508 females; mean age: 30.29 ± 11.67 years; age range: 18-77) participated in an online survey including the Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI), the Overcontrol subscale of the Measure Of Parental Style, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form (CTQ-SF).

RESULTS

Parental overcontrol was independently associated with DC symptoms (β = 0.111; p = .005; CI = [0.119;0.666]), even after controlling for other forms of CT and sociodemographic and clinical confounding variables.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design of the study, the unbalanced sex ratio, the retrospective self-reported data about parental overcontrol and CT should be considered.

CONCLUSIONS

This finding suggests that parental overcontrol may play a role in the development and maintenance of DC symptoms, remarking the urge to take more into account parental overcontrol in the assessment of CT.

The influence of parental rearing style on the incidence of panic disorder, major depressive disorder and the comorbidity among Chinese college students

BACKGROUND

Panic disorder (PD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and the comorbidity (PD&MDD) in college students have caused a heavy disease burden for individuals and families. However, little was known for the comorbidity, especially the impact of parental rearing style on the incidence of the PD&MDD comorbidity.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted among 6652 Chinese college students. Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-3.0) was used for disease diagnosis. The parental rearing styles were measured by the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (EMBU) scale and factor analysis was used to reduce the dimension of the EMBU scale. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine the relationships between parenting styles and disease incidence. SPSS version 26.0 was used for all statistical analyses.

RESULTS

The 1-year incidence of PD, MDD, and PD&MDD comorbidity was 0.27 %, 2.04 %, and 0.21 %, respectively. Emotional warmth mode (OR = 0.753, 95%CI: 0.631-0.899, P < 0.01) were only negatively correlated with major depressive disorder. However, punishment denial mode (OR = 1.857, 95%CI: 1.316-2.620, P < 0.01) and over-participation mode (OR = 1.862, 95%CI: 1.176-2.949, P < 0.01) were positively correlated with the comorbidity of panic disorder and major depressive disorder.

LIMITATIONS

The limited follow-up period was only 1 year in this study which had impacted the collection of new onset cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Parental rearing style has a long-term influence on the psychiatric status of college students. Parenting style interventions working as the second level of mental disorder prevention will play an important role in MDD, PD and comorbidity prevention.

The mediation role of shame proneness in the association between perceived parenting and the severity of addictive behaviors: risk or protective factor?

Adverse early interactions with parents deeply affect the socio-emotional development of an individual, leading to feelings of inferiority and negatively influencing the development of self-conscious emotions, such as shame. Moreover, dysfunctional parenting was found in the histories of people suffering from substance and behavioral addictions. In this context, there is currently no agreement in the literature regarding the role of shame proneness on the severity of the addiction. The present study aimed to evaluate the mediating (risk or protective) role of the two shame dimensions (withdrawal action tendencies and negative self-evaluation) in the association between dysfunctional parenting and the severity of addiction, testing two structural equation models (SEMs; for substance and behavioral addiction respectively). An online survey recruiting 710 Italian young adults was administered using the Measure of Parental Styles, the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale, and the brief Screener for Substance and Behavioral Addiction. The SEMs confirmed the predictive role of dysfunctional parenting on the severity of the addiction. Moreover, two dimensions of shame mediated the association in opposite ways. The withdrawal action tendencies positively mediated the association between dysfunctional parenting and the severity of substance and behavioral addiction, potentially acting as a risk factor. Negative self-evaluation negatively mediated the association between dysfunctional parenting and the severity of substance addiction, playing a potential protective role. In a therapeutic context, the findings emphasized the importance of evaluating the different dimensions of shame experiences among addicted individuals and assessing the strategies used to withdraw from these experiences.

Assessment of Unresolved/Disorganized State of Mind in Relation to Attachment: A ROC Curve Study Using the Adult Attachment Interview and the Measure of Parental Style

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the present study was to use the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to identify cut-off points for a self-report measure assessing parental style, i.e., the Measure of Parental Style (MOPS), that are able to discriminate individuals with disorganized internal working models (IWMs) of attachment with adequate accuracy, in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Establishing cut-off points for the MOPS could provide clinicians and researchers with a valuable tool to investigate the role of disorganized IWMs as a link between parental styles and mental health.

METHOD

A sample of 90 university students (mean age = 21.21 ± 2.05, females = 66) was enrolled in the study. We used the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) to assess disorganized IWM and the MOPS to assess parental styles. Subsequently, we used ROC curve analysis to pursue the objective of the study.

RESULTS

The ROC curve analysis showed that the MOPS total score (i.e., the combination of maternal and paternal dimensions) was able to discriminate individuals with disorganized IWMs from individuals with organized IWMs (AUC= 0.77). Specifically, a score ≥ 25 (Youden index= 0.497) categorized individuals with a sensitivity of 0.69 (69% of participants with disorganized IWMs were correctly identified) and a specificity of 0.81 (19% of participants were incorrectly identified as having disorganized IWMs).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the AAI has demonstrated high psychometric properties for assessing attachment representations in adulthood, its use is difficult when studies with large samples are to be conducted. As an alternative to the AAI, the MOPS can be used in studies with large populations, but no cut-off has yet been proposed. Here, we have identified cut-off points for the MOPS that are capable of detecting disorganized IWMs of attachment with adequate accuracy, and we suggest that this self-report is a useful brief instrument for detecting disorganized IWMs when time constraints prevent the use of the AAI (e.g., in studies with large samples or epidemiological studies).

Overprotection and overcontrol in childhood: An evaluation on reliability and validity of 33-item expanded Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-33), Chinese version

Overprotection and overcontrol from parents or other family members, which are not rare in the Chinese culture, have been suggested to be traumatic experiences for some children. However, research on overprotection/overcontrol is much rarer in China compared with other childhood trauma subtypes. One of the possible reasons for this is the lack of easy and feasible screening tools. In this study, we therefore translated and validated a Chinese version of the 33-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-33), which was expanded from the widely-used 28-item CTQ with an additional overprotection/overcontrol subscale. A total of 248 young healthy participants were recruited and completed the Chinese version of CTQ-33, and 50 of them were retested after an interval of two weeks. At baseline, all participants also completed the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale to assess their depression and anxiety, respectively. Our main findings include that: (1) the Chinese version of CTQ-33 showed a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.733) and an excellent test-retest reliability over a two-week period (ICC = 0.861); (2) the previously reported significant associations between the overprotection/overcontrol and other subtypes of childhood trauma (abuse and neglect), as well as psychopathological conditions such as depression can all be replicated using the Chinese version of CTQ-33. These results suggest that the Chinese version of CTQ-33 would be a promising tool for assessing various subtypes of childhood adversities, especially the overprotection/overcontrol experiences in Chinese populations.