Father contribution to human resilience

Environmental sensitivity moderates the longitudinal effect of fathers' positive parenting on mental disorders in Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

Exposure to fathers' positive parenting has been associated reducing mental disorder symptoms during adolescence, evidence on the mechanisms underlying this association is lacking. One potential mechanism linking fathers' positive parenting and mental disorders is environmental sensitivity (ES). Here we studied whether the increased positive behaviors of both parents (1) separately, (2) relatively, (3) and jointly predict reduced depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, suicidal ideation (SI), and increased well-being in Chinese adolescents. Additionally we investigated (4) whether ES moderates these relationships.

METHODS

This study involving 7010 Chinese adolescents (55.6 % girls) aged 15 to 18 from six junior high schools in Shaanxi, China was conducted at four timepoints. ES was assessed using the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale at ages 15 and 16, parental positive behaviors using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) at ages 16 and 17, and psychopathology symptoms using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation (PANSI) Inventory at ages 17 and 18.

RESULTS

(1) Multilevel analyses revealed that increased positive parenting predicted reduced psychiatric disorder symptoms and improved well-being; (2) trend interaction indicated that the compensatory effect of fathers' positive parenting was stronger in alleviating mental problems in adolescents than that of mothers'; (3) Simple slope analyses suggested that both high levels of fathers' and mothers' positive parenting predicted fewer subsequent psychiatric disorder symptoms, particularly for sensitive adolescents.

LIMITATIONS

This study was limited to its generalizability to the Western Chinese adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial differences in the effects of positive paternal and maternal parenting highlight the important role of fathers' positive parenting in mental development, especially for highly sensitive adolescents.

Parenting and mental health in protracted refugee situations: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Refugees' parenting behaviour is profoundly influenced by their mental health, which is, in turn, influenced by their situation of displacement. Our research presents the first systematic review on parenting and mental health in protracted refugee situations, where 78% of all refugees reside.

METHODS

We pre-registered our protocol and screened documents in 22 languages from 10 electronic databases, reports by 16 international humanitarian organisations and region-specific content from the top 100 websites for each of the 72 countries that 'host' protracted refugees. Our criteria were empirical papers reporting parenting and parental mental health data on refugees who are in a protracted refugee situation. Studies including only internally displaced or stateless persons were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 18,125 documents were screened and 30 studies were included. We identified a universal pathway linking macro-level stressors in protracted refugee situations, such as movement restrictions and documentation issues, to symptoms of depression and anxiety, which, in turn, led to negative parenting practices. Addtionally, culture-specific pathways were observed in the way parental mental health and parenting were expressed. Situational (e.g., overcrowding) and relational factors (e.g., spousal dynamics) modulated both of these pathways. Biases in the research included the over-representation of specific protracted refugee situations, overreliance on self-reported data, and a heavy focus on mothers while neglecting fathers and other caregivers. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify the directionality and causality between specific macro-level stressors in a given protracted refugee situation and parental mental health and practices. Refugees were rarely consulted or involved in the design of research about their parenting and parental mental health.

CONCLUSION

In recognising the existing links between protracted refugee situations, parental mental health, and parenting, our systematic review calls for a shift in thinking: from focusing solely on the micro aspects that affect 'refugee parenting' to understanding and tackling the broader macro-level stressors that drive them. We urge for larger and long-term research efforts that consider diverse protracted refugee situations, greater investment in science communication and diplomacy with governments, and stronger implementation of durable solutions by states to alleviate the roots of refugee parents' distress and negative parenting practices.

Intergenerational transmission of the structure of the auditory cortex and reading skills

High-level cognitive skill development relies on genetic and environmental factors, tied to brain structure and function. Inter-individual variability in language and music skills has been repeatedly associated with the structure of the auditory cortex: the shape, size and asymmetry of the transverse temporal gyrus (TTG) or gyri (TTGs). TTG is highly variable in shape and size, some individuals having one single gyrus (also referred to as Heschl's gyrus, HG) while others presenting duplications (with a common stem or fully separated) or higher-order multiplications of TTG. Both genetic and environmental influences on children's cognition, behavior, and brain can to some to degree be traced back to familial and parental factors. In the current study, using a unique MRI dataset of parents and children (135 individuals from 37 families), we ask whether the anatomy of the auditory cortex is related to reading skills, and whether there are intergenerational effects on TTG(s) anatomy. For this, we performed detailed, automatic segmentations of HG and of additional TTG(s), when present, extracting volume, surface area, thickness and shape of the gyri. We tested for relationships between these and reading skill, and assessed their degree of familial similarity and intergenerational transmission effects. We found that volume and area of all identified left TTG(s) combined was positively related to reading scores, both in children and adults. With respect to intergenerational similarities in the structure of the auditory cortex, we identified structural brain similarities for parent-child pairs of the 1st TTG (Heschl's gyrus, HG) (in terms of volume, area and thickness for the right HG, and shape for the left HG) and of the lateralization of all TTG(s) surface area for father-child pairs. Both the HG and TTG-lateralization findings were significantly more likely for parent-child dyads than for unrelated adult-child pairs. Furthermore, we established characteristics of parents' TTG that are related to better reading abilities in children: fathers' small left HG, and a small ratio of HG to planum temporale. Our results suggest intergenerational transmission of specific structural features of the auditory cortex; these may arise from genetics and/or from shared environment.

Coparenting, mental health, and the pursuit of dignity: A systems-level analysis of refugee father-mother narratives

Research on coparenting is virtually absent from the refugee literature, despite its importance for family systems, children's bio-behavioural and emotional development, and intergenerational responses to social change. In 2022, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with Syrian refugees in Jordan and used thematic analysis to examine how fathers and mothers (n = 15 dyads) enacted parenting together. We identified four approaches characterising how couples navigated coparenting interactions, family cohesion, and intergenerational change. These were negotiation, mirroring, anchoring, and transformation. Specifically, Syrian couples negotiated how to balance responsibilities, sought emotions and behaviours that reflected calm and respect, prioritised family togetherness over education or resettlement opportunities, and, strikingly, adopted gentler parenting approaches to transform intergenerational experiences. Underpinning these four themes were efforts to uphold family dignity. Syrians described themselves as ordinary parents, eschewing the label of refugee parents and building a normal life for their families after war and displacement. Our thematic analysis offers methodological and conceptual advances in exemplifying how to capture a dyadic understanding of coparenting and why refugees strive to parent in ways that sustain mental health and dignity. This systems-level analysis of coparenting in dignity is specifically relevant to strengthening the processes of family-level communication and to designing integrated programs that support caregiving, wellness, and family unity. Our findings lay the groundwork for developing a relational, agentic model of family caregiving systems in the context of precarity and forced displacement.

Skin-to-Skin Contact at Birth for Very Preterm Infants and Mother-Infant Interaction Quality at 4 Months: A Secondary Analysis of the IPISTOSS Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Good-quality parent-infant interactions have protective effects on infant socio-emotional and behavioral development. These interactions are especially critical for very preterm infants at risk of vulnerabilities related to immaturity. Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) has been found to improve mother-preterm infant interaction behaviors, but few studies exist regarding its benefits when initiated immediately after birth.

Objective

To determine the effect of immediate SSC at birth for very preterm infants on mother-infant interaction quality at 4 months of corrected age.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This secondary analysis used data from the Immediate Parent-Infant Skin-to-Skin Study (IPISTOSS), a randomized clinical trial conducted between April 1, 2018, and June 30, 2021, at 3 neonatal units in Sweden and Norway. Participants included very preterm infants (28-33 gestational weeks of age) and their parents. Four-month follow-up was concluded in December 2021. Data analyses were performed on March 16 and September 18, 2023.

Intervention

Infants were allocated to standard incubator care or SSC with either parent initiated at birth and continued throughout the first 6 hours after birth.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was mother-infant interaction quality as measured with the Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment (PCERA), based on video recordings of a 5-minute free-play situation with mother-infant dyads at 4 months of corrected age. A multilevel regression analysis was performed.

Results

This analysis included 71 infants (31 twins [44%]) and 56 mothers. Infants had a mean (SD) gestational age of 31 weeks 3 (1.3) days, and more than half were male (42 [59%]); mothers had a mean (SD) age of 32 (4.9) years. There were 37 infants allocated to standard care and 34 to SSC with either parent after birth. During the first 6 hours after birth, fathers provided more SSC than mothers, with a median (IQR) of 3.25 (2.25-4.5) and 0.75 (0-2.5) hours, respectively. A statistically significant difference in 1 of 5 PCERA subscales (subscale 3: infant positive affect, communicative and social skills) was observed, with higher-quality mother-infant interaction in the SSC group at 4 months (Cohen d = 0.67 [95% CI, 0.17 to 1.17]; P = .01). This effect remained significant when adjusting for primiparity, child sex, and observation setting.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study of the effect of immediate parent-infant SSC after very preterm birth, SSC was beneficial for the mother-infant relationship. These findings suggest that immediate SSC should be supported in the clinical setting.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03521310.

[A father's perspective for today's young families?]

Today, the distribution of parental roles is organised around an equity that is more than justified, but has the consequence of creating a territorial watershed where the negotiation of values, opinions, wishes and deep-seated needs is constantly activated. Where societal definitions used to provide a framework and contentment for transactions within the couple, the new generation finds itself obliged to cooperate and redefine the spaces and roles of each, with intergenerational issues multiplied tenfold and marital crisis often heightened.