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Lünnemann MKM, Van der Horst FCP, Van de Bongardt D, Steketee M. Road Blocks or Building Blocks? A Qualitative Study on Challenges and Resilience in Romantic Relationships of Youth Exposed to Family Violence. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2024; 17:245-259. [PMID: 38938934 PMCID: PMC11199443 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-023-00592-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Romantic relationships are an important part of many people's lives and at least partly shaped by experiences during childhood. Youth exposed to family violence during childhood are more likely to experience difficulties in their later romantic relationships. However, a more holistic perspective on the romantic relationships of youth with a history of family violence is lacking. Using both theoretical and inductive thematic analysis, this qualitative study explored challenges as well as positive experiences within romantic relationships of youth exposed to family violence during childhood. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 18 youth aged between 16 and 20 years, who were reported to child protection services. The narratives reflected that youth experienced challenges related to support, connection, trust, boundary setting, emotion regulation and conflict resolution. Furthermore, family violence during childhood seemed to be important in the emergence of these challenges, consistent with theoretical mechanisms described in observational learning theory and attachment theory. However, youth also described positive experiences in their romantic relationships and demonstrated an ability to learn from others (e.g., their current romantic partner) how to communicate effectively or solve problems. Therefore, with the right social or professional support, at-risk youth may be able to overcome these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. K. M. Lünnemann
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, Rotterdam, 3000 DR the Netherlands
- Verwey-Jonker Institute, Kromme Nieuwegracht 6, Utrecht, 3512 HG The Netherlands
| | | | - D. Van de Bongardt
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, Rotterdam, 3000 DR the Netherlands
| | - M. Steketee
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, Rotterdam, 3000 DR the Netherlands
- Verwey-Jonker Institute, Kromme Nieuwegracht 6, Utrecht, 3512 HG The Netherlands
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Li Z, Sturge-Apple ML, Swerbenski HG, Liu S, Davies PT. Family risk, parental cortisol contagion, and parenting: A process-oriented approach to spillover. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38440805 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942400052x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
This multi-method longitudinal study sought to investigate linkage in parental neuroendocrine functioning - indicated by cortisol - over two measurement occasions. In addition, we examined how parental cortisol linkage may operate as an intermediate factor in the cascade of contextual risks and parenting. Participants were 235 families with a young child (Mage = 33.56, 36.00 years for mothers and fathers respectively), who were followed for two annual measurement occasions. Parental cortisol linkage was measured around a laboratory conflict discussion task at both measurement occasions (i.e., pre-discussion, 20- and 40-minute post-discussion for each measurement occasion). Maternal and paternal parenting behavior was observed during a parent-child discipline discussion task. Findings indicated similar levels of cortisol linkage between parents over the two measurement occasions. Furthermore, cortisol linkage between parents operated as an intermediate factor between contextual risks and more compromised parenting behavior. That is, greater contextual risks, indicated by greater neighborhood risk and interparental conflict, were linked to greater cortisol linkage between parents over time, which was in turn linked to greater authoritarian parenting during parent-child interaction. Findings highlighted the importance of understanding physiological-linkage processes with respect to the impact of contextual risks on family functioning and may have crucial implications for clinical work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- University of Rochester & Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, USA
| | | | | | - Siwei Liu
- University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Patrick T Davies
- University of Rochester & Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, USA
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3
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Davies PT, Sturge-Apple ML. Beyond form: The value of systems conceptualizations of function in increasing precision and novelty in the study of developmental psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38389499 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Developmental psychopathology has successfully advanced an understanding of risk and protective factors in multivariate models. However, many areas have relied on top-down approaches that define psychological constructs based largely or solely on their physical form. In this paper, we first describe how top-down approaches have significantly hindered progress by generating generic risk and protective models that yield little more than the conclusion that axiomatically positive and negative factors respectively beget an interchangeable array of positive and negative child sequelae. To advance precision and novelty as central priorities, we describe behavioral systems frameworks rooted in evolutionary theory that infuse both form (i.e., what it looks like) and function (what it is designed to do) into psychological constructs. We further address how this paradigm has generated new growing points for developmental models of interparental relationships and parenting. In the final section, we provide recommendations for expanding this approach to other areas of developmental psychopathology. Throughout the paper, we document how the focus on functional patterns of behavior in well-defined developmental contexts advance precision and novelty in understanding children's response processes to threats, opportunities, and challenges in associations between their developmental histories and their psychological sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick T Davies
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
- Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Melissa L Sturge-Apple
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
- Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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Don BP, Simpson JA, Fredrickson BL, Algoe SB. Interparental Positivity Spillover Theory: How Parents' Positive Relational Interactions Influence Children. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024:17456916231220626. [PMID: 38252555 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231220626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Interparental interactions have an important influence on child well-being and development. Yet prior theory and research have primarily focused on interparental conflict as contributing to child maladjustment, which leaves out the critical question of how interparental positive interactions-such as expressed gratitude, capitalization, and shared laughter-may benefit child growth and development. In this article, we integrate theory and research in family, relationship, and affective science to propose a new framework for understanding how the heretofore underexamined positive interparental interactions influence children: interparental positivity spillover theory (IPST). IPST proposes that, distinct from the influence of conflict, interparental positive interactions spill over into children's experiences in the form of their (a) experience of positive emotions, (b) beneficially altered perceptions of their parents, and (c) emulation of their parents' positive interpersonal behaviors. This spillover is theorized to promote beneficial cognitive, behavioral, social, and physiological outcomes in children in the short term (i.e., immediately after a specific episode of interparental positivity, or on a given day) as well as cumulatively across time. As a framework, IPST generates a host of novel and testable predictions to guide future research, all of which have important implications for the mental health, well-being, and positive development of children and families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Don
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland
| | | | | | - Sara B Algoe
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Ogan MA, Monk JK, Thibodeau-Nielsen RB, Vennum A, Soloski K. The role of emotional dysregulation in the association between family-of-origin conflict and romantic relationship maintenance. JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 2024; 50:28-44. [PMID: 37752739 DOI: 10.1111/jmft.12667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Family-of-origin systems are consequential for the emotional well-being of offspring. These influences are likely to last into adulthood, affecting adult children's romantic relationships. The mechanisms by which family-of-origin environments influence adult romantic relationships are not fully understood. In a sample of 118 different-sex couples, we tested the effects of negative family-of-origin conflict on adult offspring's provision of relationship maintenance to their romantic partner using structural equation modeling. We evaluated emotional dysregulation as a mediator of this effect, using two measures of emotional dysregulation. Results from structural models demonstrated a negative effect of family-of-origin conflict on the provision of relationship maintenance via higher levels of emotional dysregulation. Our results highlight emotional self-regulation as a valuable intervention point for couple therapists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Ogan
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - J Kale Monk
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Amber Vennum
- Department of Applied Human Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Kristy Soloski
- Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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O’Hara KL, Wolchik SA, Sandler IN, West SG, Reis HT, Collins LM, Lyon AR, Cummings EM. Preventing Mental Health Problems in Children After High Conflict Parental Separation/Divorce Study: An Optimization Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol. MENTAL HEALTH & PREVENTION 2023; 32:200301. [PMID: 38496232 PMCID: PMC10938851 DOI: 10.1016/j.mhp.2023.200301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Parental divorce is a childhood stressor that affects approximately 1.1 million children in the U.S. annually. The children at greatest risk for deleterious mental health consequences are those exposed to high interparental conflict (IPC) following the separation/divorce. Research shows that children's emotional security and coping efficacy mediate the impact of IPC on their mental health. Interventions targeting their adaptive coping in response to IPC events may bolster their emotional security and coping efficacy. However, existing coping interventions have not been tested with children exposed to high post-separation/divorce IPC, nor has any study assessed the effects of individual intervention components on children's coping with IPC and their mental health. This intensive longitudinal intervention study examines the mechanisms through which coping intervention components impact children's responses to interactions in interparental relationships. A 23 factorial experiment will assess whether, and to what extent, three candidate intervention components demonstrate main and interactive effects on children's coping and mental health. Children aged 9-12 (target N = 144) will be randomly assigned to one of eight combinations of three components with two levels each: (1) reappraisal (present vs. absent), (2) distraction (present vs. absent), (3) relaxation (present vs. absent). The primary outcomes are child-report emotional security and coping efficacy at one-month post-intervention. Secondary outcomes include internalizing and externalizing problems at the three-month follow-up. Based on data from this optimization phase RCT, intervention components will be selected to comprise a multi-component intervention and assessed for effectiveness in a subsequent evaluation phase RCT.
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Song Q, Su W, Li N, Wang H, Guo X, Liang Q, Qu G, Ding X, Liang M, Qin Q, Chen M, Sun L, Sun Y. Family function and emotional behavior problems in Chinese children and adolescents: A moderated mediation model. J Affect Disord 2023; 341:296-303. [PMID: 37661061 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that family function is associated with emotional behavior problems. However, the underlying relationship mechanisms between family function and emotional behavior problems in children and adolescents is not fully understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the mediating effect of resilience and the moderating effect of sleep quality using a moderated mediation model. METHODS 6363 children and adolescents in grades four to nine were surveyed in some areas of Anhui Province, China. Family function, resilience, sleep quality, and emotional behavior problems were measured through a self-administered questionnaire. All data analysis was by performed by SPSS 23.0. RESULTS The results showed that family function was negatively associated with emotional behavior problems (r = -0.307, p < 0.01). Resilience partially mediated the relationship between family function and emotional behavior problems (indirect effect = -0.108, accounted for 38.4 %). Sleep quality moderated the relationship between family function and resilience (β = -0.039, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Resilience and sleep quality respectively played a mediating and moderating effect in the relationship between family function and emotional behavior problems. These findings suggest that we should pay attention to the family function of children and adolescents in time, improve their resilience and sleep quality, so as to effectively reduce the occurrence of emotional behavior problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuxia Song
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Taizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No.318 Yongtai Road, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wanying Su
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Department of Hospital Infection Control, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hosptial, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xianwei Guo
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qiwei Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Children's Medical Center, Anhui Medical University No.39 Wangjiang Road East, Hefei 230051, Anhui, China
| | - Guangbo Qu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xiuxiu Ding
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Center for Scientific Research and Experiment, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 678 Furong Road, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Mingming Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qirong Qin
- Ma'anshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No.849, Jiangdong Avenue, Ma'anshan 243011, Anhui, China
| | - Mingchun Chen
- Changfeng County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei 231199, Anhui, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Fuyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No.19, Zhongnan Avenue, Fuyang 236069, Anhui, China
| | - Yehuan Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Chaohu Hospital, Anhui Medical University, No. 64 Chaohubei Road, Hefei 238006, Anhui, China; Center for Evidence-Based Practice, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
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8
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Li Z, Sturge-Apple ML, Davies PT. Family instability, parenting, and child externalizing problems: Moderation by maternal sympathetic stress reactivity. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1929-1941. [PMID: 35844100 PMCID: PMC9845429 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942200058x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
This multi-method longitudinal study evaluated how changes in maternal sensitive parenting may operate as an indirect factor linking family instability and the development of child externalizing problems over time. This study also investigated how mothers' stress reactivity within the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) may moderate the association between family instability and the development of maternal sensitivity. Participants were 235 families with a young child (Mage = 2.97 years at the first measurement occasion) and these families were followed for two annual measurement occasions. Maternal sensitivity was observed during two discipline tasks (i.e., forbidden toy, discipline discussion tasks), and maternal SNS stress reactivity was indicated by their salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) reactivity to an interpersonal stressor. Findings revealed significant direct effects of family instability and family instability-x-sAA reactivity interaction in association with the change in maternal sensitivity over time. For both tasks, mothers with greater sAA reactivity exhibited stronger associations between family instability and the growth of their sensitivity. Tests of indirect effects indicated that change in maternal sensitivity operated as an indirect factor between family instability-x-sAA reactivity interaction and the change in child externalizing problems. The present findings have important implications for understanding parental and child sequelae associated with unstable family contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Melissa L Sturge-Apple
- Department of Psychology, Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Patrick T Davies
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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9
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Parent couple conflict and emotional and behavioral problems in youth with autism: Longitudinal investigation of bidirectional effects. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:62-72. [PMID: 34581260 PMCID: PMC8958176 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Families of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are vulnerable to maladaptive psychosocial experiences, including elevated youth emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) and poor parent couple relationship outcomes. Yet, the extent to which these family psychosocial experiences are intertwined has been given little research attention. The present study longitudinally investigated the bidirectional associations between parent couple conflict (PCC) and youth EBPs in 188 families of children and adolescents with ASD (initially aged 5 to 12 years) across four time points (T1, T2, T3, T4), each spaced 12 months apart. Mother- and father-report of youth EBPs and PCC were entered into a cross-lagged panel model. After adjusting for youth age and intellectual disability status and parent education and couple relationship length, the results indicated that father-report of PCC predicted increased youth EBPs 12 months later (T1→T2 and T2→T3). In addition, father-report of youth EBPs predicted increased PCC 12 months later (T3→T4). Mother-report did not demonstrate cross-lagged effects. The findings suggest that fathers' perceptions of PCC and youth emotional and behavioral functioning are transactionally related, highlighting the need for family-wide interventions.
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Davies PT, Pearson JK, Cao VT, Sturge-Apple ML. Family-level antecedents of children's patterns of reactivity to interparental conflict: Testing the reformulation of emotional security theory. Dev Psychol 2023; 59:99-111. [PMID: 36395044 PMCID: PMC9822861 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Guided by emotional security theory, this study examined the family-level antecedents of children's reaction patterns to interparental conflict in a sample of 243 preschool children (M age = 4.60 years; 48% Black; 16% Latinx; 56% girls) and their parents in the Northeastern United States. Behavioral observations of children's responses to interparental conflict over two annual measurement occasions assessed their tendencies to exhibit four patterns of defending against threat: secure (i.e., efficiently address direct threats), mobilizing (i.e., high reactivity to potential threat and social opportunities), dominant (i.e., directly defeat threat), and demobilizing (i.e., reduce salience as a target of hostility). Latent profile analyses of interparental, coparental, and parent characteristics derived from multiple methods at the first wave yielded four profiles corresponding with harmonious, enmeshed, compensatory, and detouring patterns of family-level functioning. Additional analyses revealed that children in harmonious and compensatory family profiles exhibited more secure patterns of reactivity over a 1-year period than children in the enmeshed family profile. In contrast, subsequent mobilizing reactivity was most pronounced for children in the enmeshed family profile. Finally, children in the detouring profile exhibited substantially higher levels of demobilizing reactivity to interparental conflict. Results are discussed in the context of how they inform and refine emotional security theory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Dhruve DM, Oliveros AD. Can Emerging Adults' Dating Psychological Aggression be Explained by Family-of-Origin Psychological Aggression, Emotion Dysregulation, and Drinking? JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP20928-NP20952. [PMID: 34965762 DOI: 10.1177/08862605211055149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts the lives of millions of individuals; nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men report experiencing IPV during their lifetime. Previous studies frequently cite family-of-origin aggression as a risk factor for later experiences with IPV. Research with adults who engage in IPV finds an association with childhood exposure to family violence, but the strength of that association may vary. Psychological aggression often pre-dates more severe IPV and college students are a particular risk group for IPV. Additionally, previous literature has revealed gender differences in response to childhood experiences of family violence. As such, the current study sought to identify factors that explain and moderate risk for dating psychological aggression (DPA) in college adults, and sex differences in those associations. Participants (464 women, 142 men), who were in a current romantic relationship lasting at least 3 months, completed measures of past psychological aggression in the family-of-origin (PAF), current emotion dysregulation, risky drinking, and DPA perpetrated in current dating relationships. Emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between PAF and current DPA; however, differences among specific types of PAF and sex were noted. Results support an intergenerational transmission of PAF and suggest that parent-child sex dyads influence this process. The findings also provide evidence that higher levels of drinking are associated with increased emotion dysregulation. These results contrast with the alcohol expectancy for stress relief and support public messaging that alcohol use does not relieve stress. Clinical and research implications for prevention of the intergenerational transmission of aggression are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepali M Dhruve
- Department of Psychology, 5547Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | - Arazais D Oliveros
- Department of Psychology, 5547Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
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Loeb EL, Gonzalez MZ, Hunt G, Uchino BN, de Grey RGK, Allen JP. Socioeconomic status in early adolescence predicts blunted stress responses in adulthood. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22294. [PMID: 35748628 PMCID: PMC9328275 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Individuals who grow up in families with lower socioeconomic status (SES) tend to experience disproportionate rates of chronic stress. The “freeze” response, characterized by blunted cardiovascular reactivity and reduced engagement with the environment, is associated with chronic stress and may be utilized when an individual is unable to escape or overcome environmental stressors. Using a diverse community sample of 184 adolescents followed from the age of 13 to 29 years, along with their friends and romantic partners, this study examined links between family SES and stress responses in adulthood. Low family SES at the age of 13 years directly predicted blunted heart rate responding and fewer attempts to answer math problems during a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Task at the age of 29 years. Indirect effects were found from low family SES to blunted respiratory sinus arrhythmia responding and the number of words spoken during a speech task. SES at the age of 29 years mediated many of these relations. Findings held after accounting for a number of potential confounds, including adolescent academic and attachment functioning and body mass index. We interpret these findings as evidence that low familial SES may predict freezing‐type responses in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Loeb
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Gabrielle Hunt
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | | | | | - Joseph P Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Delineating the developmental sequelae of children's risky involvement in interparental conflict. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:922-935. [PMID: 33436113 PMCID: PMC8275663 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The present study examined the developmental value of parsing different forms of children's risky involvement in interparental conflict as predictors of children's subsequent psychological adjustment. Participants included a diverse sample of 243 preschool children (Mage = 4.6 years) and their mothers across two measurement occasions spaced 2 years apart. Three forms of risky involvement (i.e., cautious, caregiving, and coercive) were identified using maternal narratives describing children's emotional and behavioral reactivity during and immediately following interparental conflict. Utilizing a multimethod, multi-informant design, findings revealed that each form of involvement prospectively predicted unique configurations of children's developmental outcomes. Greater coercive involvement was associated with higher levels of externalizing problems, callous and unemotional traits, and extraversion. Higher levels of caregiving involvement were linked with greater separation anxiety. Finally, cautious involvement predicted more separation anxiety and social withdrawal.
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14
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Ma J, Mahat P, Brøndbo PH, Handegård BH, Kvernmo S, Javo AC. Family correlates of emotional and behavioral problems in Nepali school children. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262690. [PMID: 35041701 PMCID: PMC8765638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is a substantial gap in our knowledge about family correlates of child emotional and behavioral problems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The present study contributes to filling this gap by examining such correlates in a larger population study in Nepal. Methods Our study is a cross-sectional, observational study among 3840 Nepali children aged 6–18 years from 64 schools and 16 districts in the three main geographical regions in the country. We used the Nepali version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/6-18 to assess children’s internalizing and externalizing problems and an additional background information questionnaire to assess possible family correlates which included parental education, family structure, migrant worker parents, parental mental and physical illness, family conflicts, and child-rearing. The associations between family variables and child internalizing and externalizing problems were analyzed using bivariate correlations and multiple regression. Results Using bivariate analysis, we found that mental and physical illness in parents, conflict in the family, parental disagreement in child-rearing, and physical punishment of child correlated positively with both Internalizing Problems and Externalizing Problems. The same associations were found by using multiple regression analysis. In addition, parental education, family structure, and migrant worker mothers were associated with Externalizing Problems. However, the effect sizes were small. Conclusion The results suggest that in Nepal, child mental problems were associated with several family risk factors. Further, the study points to the need of strengthening prevention- and intervention measures to minimize family risk factors of child mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Ma
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare -North, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Per Håkan Brøndbo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Bjørn H. Handegård
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare -North, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Siv Kvernmo
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anne Cecilie Javo
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare -North, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Sami National Competence Center for Mental Health, Sami Klinihkka, Finnmark Hospital Trust, Karasjok, Norway
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Wang E, Zhang J, Peng S, Zeng B. The Association Between Family Function and Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms in China: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:744976. [PMID: 34975563 PMCID: PMC8718401 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.744976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex interrelationships between family function and adolescents' depressive symptoms are not yet fully clarified, especially in China. Based on the family systems theory, this study explored the relationships between family function and Chinese adolescents' depressive symptoms by a 3-year longitudinal study design. Three waves of data were collected from 1,301 Chinese middle school students in Grade 7 to Grade 9. All participants completed the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument (CFAI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) once a year during the junior middle school period. Our results showed that both family function and adolescent depressive symptoms were stable in Grade 7 and Grade 8, but in Grade 9, family function increased and depressive symptoms declined. Furthermore, we found that the family function in Grade 7 negatively influenced depressive symptoms of adolescents in Grade 8, while adolescent depressive symptoms in Grade 8 negatively impacted subsequent family function in Grade 9, namely there was a circular effect between family function and adolescent depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that the associations between family function and adolescents' depressive symptoms are dynamic and time-dependent. Our study contributes to the intervention aimed at the reduction of adolescent depressive symptoms from the family perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enna Wang
- School of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Junjie Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Siya Peng
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, International Data Group (IDG)/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Biao Zeng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Ellis BH, Cardeli E, Bloom M, Brahmbhatt Z, Weine S. Understanding the needs of children returning from formerly ISIS-controlled territories through an emotional security theory lens: Implications for practice. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2020; 109:104754. [PMID: 33035735 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children who spent time in territories formerly controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and who are now being reintegrated into their countries of origin have experienced significant trauma and may present with adjustment or mental health problems. OBJECTIVE In this paper we describe how Emotional Security Theory (EST; Davies & Cummings, 1994) and its more recent formulation, EST-reformulated (EST-R; Davies & Martin, 2013, 2014), provide a theoretical lens to aid in understanding the ways in which traumatic experiences under ISIS may have an enduring impact on a child's development and well-being. METHODS & RESULTS The core assumption of EST is that maintaining safety and security is a central goal for a child growing up in the context of conflict. Children living in conflict zones under ISIS rule may have developed emotional insecurity, which in turn is theorized to lead to developmental cascades across multiple domains of functioning and at times result in clinically significant distress. This theoretical understanding can guide intervention, as it suggests that the foci of intervention must (1) minimize social signals indicative of threat while also (2) reducing behavioral response patterns that limit opportunities for exploration and prosocial affiliation. Trauma Systems Therapy is a multidisciplinary child trauma treatment model that addresses both stressors in the social environment and related emotional dysregulation. CONCLUSIONS Challenges and considerations related to implementing such a comprehensive treatment approach in low- and middle-income countries are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Heidi Ellis
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave, Mail Stop 3199, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Emma Cardeli
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave, Mail Stop 3199, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mia Bloom
- Departments of Communication and Middle East Studies, Georgia State University, 25 Park Place NE, Ste 1110, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Zachary Brahmbhatt
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 Taylor St, SPHPI MC 912, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Stevan Weine
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 Taylor St, SPHPI MC 912, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
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Panlilio CC, Harring JR, Harden BJ, Morrison CI, Duncan AD. Heterogeneity in the dynamic arousal and modulation of fear in young foster children. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 2020; 116:105199. [PMID: 32831446 PMCID: PMC7430554 DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Guided by emotional security theory, we explored how child and context-related factors were associated with heterogeneity in young foster children's organized patterns of fear response to distress. Results from group-based trajectory modeling used to analyze observational data from a fear-eliciting task showed that children from our sample (mean age = 62 months, SD = 9) were classified into 3 specific fear regulation patterns differentiated by the emotional response parameters of onset intensity, peak intensity, and rise time. A descriptive examination of child's emotion knowledge, aggressive behaviors, and attention problems, as well as length of time in current foster home, placement transitions, and caregiver responsiveness and modeling showed class-specific differences in means. Moreover, the likelihood of class membership was significantly predicted by children's emotion knowledge, aggressive behaviors, and foster mothers' responsiveness and modeling of appropriate boundaries. Results show promising support for the implementation of individualized, child-directed interventions targeting specific patterns of response parameters of emotion regulation for young foster children. Further, parenting intervention services need to promote the emotion socialization skills of foster parents that are tailored toward each specific trajectory pattern of emotion arousal and modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlomagno C. Panlilio
- Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Harring
- Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
| | - Brenda Jones Harden
- Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
| | - Colleen I. Morrison
- Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
| | - Aimee Drouin Duncan
- Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
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18
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Niu G, He J, Lin S, Sun X, Longobardi C. Cyberbullying Victimization and Adolescent Depression: The Mediating Role of Psychological Security and the Moderating Role of Growth Mindset. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E4368. [PMID: 32570765 PMCID: PMC7345096 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the mechanisms (the mediating role of psychological security and the moderating role of growth mindset) underlying the association between cyberbullying victimization and depression among adolescents. A sample of 755 adolescents (Mage = 13.35 ± 1.02; 373 boys) was recruited from two junior high schools, and the participants were asked to voluntarily complete a set of measures, including the cyberbullying victimization subscale in the Chinese version of the Cyberbullying Inventory, the Chinese version of the Security Questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Growth Mindset Inventory. The results indicated that: (1) cyberbullying victimization was positively associated with depression through the mediating effect of psychological security and (2) both the direct association between cyberbullying victimization and depression and the indirect association through the mediating effect of psychological security were moderated by growth mindset. Specifically, growth mindset could significantly alleviate the adverse effects of cyberbullying victimization on psychological security and on depression. These findings not only shed light on the mechanisms linking cyberbullying victimization to depression among adolescents, but also provide an empirical basis for formulating prevention and/or intervention programs aimed at reducing depression levels and the negative influences of cyberbullying victimization among adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengfeng Niu
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; (G.N.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China
- Center for Research on Internet Literacy and Behavior, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jing He
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; (G.N.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Shanyan Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy;
| | - Xiaojun Sun
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; (G.N.); (J.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China
- Center for Research on Internet Literacy and Behavior, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
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Li Z, Sturge-Apple ML, Liu S, Davies PT. Parent-adolescent physiological synchrony: Moderating effects of adolescent emotional insecurity. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13596. [PMID: 32394446 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated physiological synchrony in the parasympathetic nervous system among fathers, mothers, and adolescents during a real-time family interaction, and child characteristics that may moderate the level of physiological synchrony. Our sample consisted of 191 families with adolescents (Mage = 12.4 years) and both of their parents, who participated in a triadic family conflict discussion. During the discussion, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured for all three family members. Multilevel analysis indicated a significant positive concurrent synchrony between adolescents and their mothers, as well as between fathers and mothers on a minute-to-minute basis. No RSA synchrony was found between adolescents and their fathers. Furthermore, adolescent emotional insecurity significantly moderated mother-adolescent RSA synchrony. Whereas adolescents with low emotional insecurity exhibited positive synchrony with their mothers, no synchrony was observed when adolescent emotional insecurity was high. In conclusion, findings of the present study illuminate the patterns of RSA synchrony among parents and adolescents and highlight a link between adolescent emotional insecurity and attenuated mother-adolescent physiological synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- Department of Psychology & Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Melissa L Sturge-Apple
- Department of Psychology & Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Siwei Liu
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Patrick T Davies
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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20
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Thompson MJ, Davies PT, Hentges RF, Sturge-Apple ML, Parry LQ. Understanding how and why effortful control moderates children's vulnerability to interparental conflict. Dev Psychol 2020; 56:937-950. [PMID: 32162937 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the moderating role of effortful control in the association between interparental conflict and externalizing problems in a diverse sample of preschool children (N = 243; M age = 4.60 years). Using a multimethod, multi-informant, prospective design, findings indicated that the relation between interparental conflict and externalizing problems was only significant among children with poor effortful control. Children with high effortful control appeared to be protected against the negative effects of interparental conflict exhibiting low levels of externalizing problems despite increasing levels of interparental conflict. Toward identifying the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of effortful control, mediated moderation analyses indicated that children's effortful control protects children against interparental conflict by reducing their angry reactivity to interparental conflict. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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21
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Davies PT, Thompson MJ, Coe JL, Sturge-Apple ML, Martin MJ. Child response processes as mediators of the association between caregiver intimate relationship instability and children's externalizing symptoms. Dev Psychol 2019; 55:1244-1258. [PMID: 30896227 PMCID: PMC6533122 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Guided primarily by life history theory, this study was designed to identify how and why early exposure to caregiver intimate relationship instability uniquely predicts children's externalizing symptoms in the context of other dimensions of unpredictability characterized by residential and parental job transitions. Participants included 243 preschool children (Mage = 4.60 years) and their mothers who participated in 3 annual measurement occasions (i.e., preschool, kindergarten, first grade). Supporting the first link in the hypothesized mediational chain, the results of structural equation modeling analyses indicated that caregiver intimate relationship instability uniquely predicted a pattern of response processes over a 1-year period characterized by negative family representations, dominant interpersonal strategies for regulating resources, and diminished task persistence. Latent difference score analyses of each of these response processes over the 1-year period, in turn, uniquely predicted a multiinformant (i.e., mother, teacher, experimenter) assessment of children's externalizing symptoms over a 2-year period. Mediational findings were robust after accounting for the negligible roles of residential and occupational changes as simultaneous predictors. Results are interpreted in the context of how they inform and support life history theory as well as other conceptual (e.g., attachment and emotional security theory) models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jesse L Coe
- Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology
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Machado MR, Mosmann CP. Dimensões Negativas da Coparentalidade e Sintomas Internalizantes: A Regulação Emocional como Mediadora. PSICOLOGIA: TEORIA E PESQUISA 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/0102.3772e35nspe12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi testar um modelo estrutural no qual a regulação emocional é mediadora entre dimensões negativas da coparentalidade e sintomas internalizantes em adolescentes. A amostra foi composta de 229 adolescentes entre 11 a 18 anos. Modelagem de equações estruturais foi utilizada para testar a validade empírica do modelo teórico proposto. Os resultados indicaram que regulação emocional é mediadora da associação entre dimensões negativas de coparentalidade e sintomas internalizantes em adolescentes. Em contraste, associação direta entre coparentalidade e sintomas internalizantes não se manteve significativa no modelo com mediação. Conclui-se que a regulação emocional possui papel determinante para o desenvolvimento de sintomas internalizantes no contexto de dificuldades coparentais.
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23
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Ching BHH, Wu X. Parental conflicts and materialism in adolescents: Emotional insecurity as a mediator. J Adolesc 2018; 69:189-202. [PMID: 30390599 DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This longitudinal study investigated whether and how parental conflicts contributed to adolescents' endorsement of materialistic values. METHOD Two hundred and fourteen Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong (102 boys; mean age = 16.52 years) completed a set of questionnaires including materialism, emotional insecurity, parental conflict behaviour, and perceptions of parents (warmth, autonomy, and involvement). RESULTS Consistent with the psychological insecurity hypothesis and the emotional security theory, emotional insecurity mediated the connection between parental conflict behaviour and adolescents' materialism. Adolescents who had their parents dealing with their conflicts in destructive ways reported higher levels of emotional insecurity, which was in turn associated with higher levels of materialism. By contrast, adolescents who had their parents dealing with their conflicts constructively reported lower levels of emotional insecurity, which was linked to lower levels of materialism. CONCLUSION Parental conflict behaviour contributes to adolescents' materialism through its influence on emotional insecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boby Ho-Hong Ching
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau.
| | - Xiaohan Wu
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
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24
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Neumann AP, Wagner A, Remor E. Couple relationship education program "Living as Partners": evaluation of effects on marital quality and conflict. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 31:26. [PMID: 32026100 PMCID: PMC6967058 DOI: 10.1186/s41155-018-0106-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Relationship education programs are strategies that can favor better marital quality and conflict management between spouses. The relationship education program “Living as Partners: Turning Challenges into Opportunities” seeks to promote the couples’ learning of conflict resolution strategies and better quality levels in the relationship. This study evaluates the capacity of this program to produce results regarding marital quality and three dimensions of the couple’s conflict: frequency, intensity, and resolution strategies. Data from 41 couples were analyzed before and after the program, and a follow-up after 5 months (n = 33 couples) were conducted as well (single group, pre-test, post-test, and follow-up quasi-experimental design). Results show that the program produced immediate effects in all the outcome variables, which remained significant after 5 months, except for marital quality and for the strategy of compliance. These outcomes showed effect sizes ranging from low to high levels. The study presents evidence about the ability of the “Living as Partners” program to produce improvements in couple’s conflict indicators, addressing an unexplored field of research and intervention focused on Brazilian cultural specificities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Paula Neumann
- Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões, 1621 Sete de Setembro Avenue, Erechim, RS, 99709-250, Brazil.
| | - Adriana Wagner
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2600 Ramiro Barcelos Street, Office 126, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Remor
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2600 Ramiro Barcelos Street, Office 126, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
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25
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Cheng F, Wang Y, Zhao J, Wu X. Mothers' negative emotional expression and preschoolers' negative emotional regulation strategies in Beijing, China: The moderating effect of maternal educational attainment. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2018; 84:74-81. [PMID: 30064076 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between mothers' negative emotional expression and preschoolers' negative emotional regulation has been a topic of debate. Studies have confirmed the unique effect of maternal education on children's emotional regulation. Further understanding of the role of maternal educational attainment in the relationship between mothers' emotional expression and children's emotional regulation strategies will help us better explain the possible reasons for the differences in children's emotional regulation abilities. In this study, 503 Chinese mother-child dyads were recruited. The Chinese version of the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire (SEFQ) was used to measure the mothers' negative emotional expression, and the Emotional Regulatory Strategy Questionnaire (ERQ) was used to measure the children's negative emotional regulation strategies. The results indicated that mothers' negative emotional expression was positively related to children's negative emotional regulation strategies. Moreover, maternal educational attainment moderated this relationship. The findings of the current study demonstrate the importance of mothers' educational background, providing an important supplement to and extension of previous research on family emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Cheng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yifang Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jiayin Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xixian Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
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26
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Harold GT, Sellers R. Annual Research Review: Interparental conflict and youth psychopathology: an evidence review and practice focused update. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2018; 59:374-402. [PMID: 29574737 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The quality of the interparental relationship is recognized as an important influence on child and adolescent psychopathology. Historically, clinically oriented research on this topic has focused on the impacts of parental divorce and domestic violence as primary interparental relationship influences on child outcomes, to the relative neglect of dimensional or qualitative features of the couple/interparental relationship for youth (child and adolescent) psychopathology. Recent research has highlighted that children are affected by attributes of interparental conflict, specifically how parents express and manage conflicts in their relationship, across a continuum of expressed severity and negativity - ranging from silence to violence. Furthermore, new evidence highlights that children's emotional, behavioral, social, academic outcomes, and future interpersonal relationships are adversely affected by conflict between parents/carers whether adults are living together or not (i.e. married or separated), or where children are or are not genetically related to their rearing parents (e.g. adoption). We review evidence and present an integrated theoretical model, highlighting how children are affected by interparental conflict and what this evidence base means for effective intervention and prevention program development, as well as the development of possible cost-benefit models. Additionally, we review policy implications of this research and highlight some very recent examples of UK-based policy focusing on addressing the interparental relationship and its impact on youth psychopathology.
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27
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Zhou N, Cao H, Leerkes EM. Interparental conflict and infants' behavior problems: The mediating role of maternal sensitivity. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2017; 31:464-474. [PMID: 28114771 PMCID: PMC5449209 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Although the negative effect of interparental conflict on child behavior problems has been well established, few studies have examined this association during infancy. This study examined the associations between mother-reported interparental conflict and young children's behavior problems over the first 2 years of their lives in a sample of 212 mothers and infants. Two aspects of maternal sensitivity, sensitivity during distressing and nondistressing contexts, were examined as possible mediators between interparental conflict and infants' behavior problems. Results indicated that interparental conflict was associated directly with infants' externalizing problems over time but was associated indirectly with infants' internalizing problems over time via compromised maternal sensitivity within distressing contexts but not through maternal sensitivity within nondistressing contexts. No significant child gender differences were found. Such findings add to a limited body of research suggesting that the early interparental relationship context is relevant for infant adjustment. The salient mediating role of maternal sensitivity within distressing contexts provides important theoretical and practical insights for future studies. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhou
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University
| | - Hongjian Cao
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
| | - Esther M Leerkes
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
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28
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Zhou N, Cao H, Leerkes EM. Interparental conflict and infants' behavior problems: The mediating role of maternal sensitivity. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2017; 31:464-474. [PMID: 28114771 DOI: 10.1037/fam00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Although the negative effect of interparental conflict on child behavior problems has been well established, few studies have examined this association during infancy. This study examined the associations between mother-reported interparental conflict and young children's behavior problems over the first 2 years of their lives in a sample of 212 mothers and infants. Two aspects of maternal sensitivity, sensitivity during distressing and nondistressing contexts, were examined as possible mediators between interparental conflict and infants' behavior problems. Results indicated that interparental conflict was associated directly with infants' externalizing problems over time but was associated indirectly with infants' internalizing problems over time via compromised maternal sensitivity within distressing contexts but not through maternal sensitivity within nondistressing contexts. No significant child gender differences were found. Such findings add to a limited body of research suggesting that the early interparental relationship context is relevant for infant adjustment. The salient mediating role of maternal sensitivity within distressing contexts provides important theoretical and practical insights for future studies. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhou
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University
| | - Hongjian Cao
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
| | - Esther M Leerkes
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
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29
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Identifying the temperamental roots of children's patterns of security in the interparental relationship. Dev Psychopathol 2015; 28:355-70. [PMID: 26612113 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579415001078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Guided by emotional security theory, this study examined the temperamental precursors of distinctive profiles of children's responses to interparental conflict. Participants included 243 children (M = 4.6 years) and their parents across two annual measurement occasions. Temperamental constructs of frustration proneness, approach, positive affect, activity level, and effortful control were assessed through multiple methods, informants, and contexts. Behavioral observations of children's responses to interparental conflict at each wave yielded four profiles: secure (i.e., efficiently address direct threat), mobilizing (i.e., vigilance to potential threat and social opportunities), dominant (i.e., directly defeat threat), and demobilizing (i.e., reduce salience as a target of hostility). Results supported hypotheses on the distinct constellations of temperament in predicting subsequent change in the four security profiles.
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