Family Turbulence and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors: Moderation of Effects by Race

Parent-child separation and intergenerational transmission of substance use and disorder: Testing across three generations

There is evidence for intergenerational transmission of substance use and disorder. However, it is unclear whether separation from a parent with substance use disorder (SUD) moderates intergenerational transmission, and no studies have tested this question across three generations. In a three-generation study of families oversampled for familial SUD, we tested whether separation between father (G1; first generation) and child (G2; second generation) moderated the effect of G1 father SUDs on G2 child SUDs. We also tested whether separation between father (G2) and child (G3; third generation) moderated the effect of G2 SUDs on G3 drinking. Finally, we tested whether G1-G2 or G2-G3 separation moderated the mediated effect of G1 SUDs on G3 drinking through G2 SUDs. G1 father-G2 child separation moderated intergenerational transmission. In families with G1-G2 separation, there were no significant effects of father SUD on G2 SUD or G3 drinking. However, in nonseparated families, greater G1 father SUDs predicted heightened G2 SUDs and G3 grandchild drinking. In nonseparated families, G1 father SUDs significantly predicted G2 SUDs, which predicted G3 drinking. However, G2-G3 separation predicted heightened G3 drinking regardless of G2 and G1 SUDs. Parental separation may introduce risk for SUDs and drinking among youth with lower familial risk.

The power of family? Family social capital and the risk of externalising behaviours among youth with multiple childhood adversities

Externalising behaviour problems (EBP), or aggressive and delinquent behaviours, among youth pose a significant problem for their peers, parents, teachers and society. Many types of childhood adversities increase the risk of EBP, including maltreatment, physical punishment, domestic violence, family poverty and living in violent neighbourhoods. This study asks, to what extent do children who face multiple adversities during childhood suffer an increased risk of EBP and is family social capital (FSC) associated with a lower risk? Using seven waves of panel data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect, I examine the accumulation of adversities associated with greater risk of EBP among youth and investigate whether FSC-family network, support and cohesion-in early childhood is associated with a reduction in EBP risk. Experiencing early and multiple adversities resulted in the worst EBP trajectories throughout childhood. Although, among youth with the highest adversities, if early family support was also high, their EBP trajectories are more favourable than their disadvantaged peers with less support. FSC may protect against EBP when multiple childhood adversities are experienced. The need for early EBP interventions and bolstering FSC are discussed.

Parenting and Adjustment Problems among Preschoolers during COVID-19

A critical area of developmental science explores factors that confer risk or protection as young children and their families experience stressful circumstances related to sociohistorical events. This study contributes to this important area by assessing relations between family context and child adjustment as children transitioned from preschool to home learning during COVID-19, and whether children higher in stress levels, indexed by morning basal cortisol, were more strongly affected. Parents of 74 children (M _age  = 53.56 months, SD _age = 3.68 months) completed reports spanning the home learning transition; children's pre-COVID-19 transition salivary cortisol levels were assessed. Path analyses were used to test the preregistered study aims. Significant interactions were decomposed using simple slopes and Preacher's Regions of Significance (ROS) method. Across the COVID-19 transition to home-based school, children with higher morning basal cortisol experienced the sharpest increase in anger when exposed to harsh/inconsistent parenting contexts. Importantly, these effects held when controlling for household chaos, socioeconomic resources, and supportive parenting. Parallel models with supportive parenting were also tested and are discussed. This study is one of the first to test and provide support for biological sensitivity to context theory within the context of a natural experiment like COVID-19.

Internalizing Behavior Problems Among the Left-Behind Children of the Hui Nationality in Rural China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

The internalizing behavior problems (IBPs) of left-behind children (LBC) due to parental migration are a widespread public health concern in China. A previous study showed that the detection rate of behavioral problems in the Hui was far higher than in the LBC of the Han nationality. However, to date, limited research has focused on IBPs in Chinese LBC of the Hui nationality. The aims of this present study are to explore the prevalence of IBPs and the influencing factors among the Hui LBC in the rural areas of China.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among school students from the southern rural areas in Ningxia, China (2012–2013). The caregivers or parents assessed IBPs using Achenbach’s Child Behavior Checklist for parents. The children completed the Egma Minnen av Bardndosnauppforstran, Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Piers–Harris Children’s Self-concept Scale. Data on 383 Hui LBC aged 6–16 y were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between the independent variables and children’s internalizing behaviors.

Results

Among the Hui population, the prevalence of IBPs in LBC and non-left-behind children (non-LBC) was 21.67% (83 of 383) and 18.18% (104 of 572), respectively, with no significant difference between these two groups (χ² = 1.77 and P = 0.18). However, among males of the Hui population, the prevalence of IBPs in LBC was 22.16%, which is significantly higher than in non-LBC (14.07%; χ² = 5.07; and P = 0.02). By controlling for gender and age, the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a mother highly favoring the subject (odds ratio [OR] = 2.70), average levels of neuroticism (OR = 9.01), and high levels of neuroticism (OR = 8.44) were risk factors for IBPs in Hui LBC.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that IBPs among male LBC of the Hui nationality in rural China were positively related to parental migration. Positive measures should be taken to prevent IBPs of male LBC of the Hui nationality in rural China in terms of personality development and parental childrearing patterns.

Externalizing Behavior Problems Among Hui Ethnicity Left-Behind Children in Rural China: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of externalizing behavior problems (EBPs) and its influencing factors among Hui left-behind children (LBC) in rural China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among school students from the southern rural areas in Ningxia, China (2012-2013). The general self-made questionnaire, Egma Minnen av Bardndosna Uppforstran, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (for Children), Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, and Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (for parents) were used to investigate the related information. Binary logistic regressions were conducted.

RESULTS

The prevalence of EBPs in boys Hui LBC was significantly higher than that of non-LBC (12.37% vs. 6.84%, χ2=4.09, and p=0.04). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low self-awareness of behavior (odds ratio [OR]=29.78), introversion (OR=21.67) and intermediate personality (OR=15.83), poor academic performance (OR=11.65) and both parent migrating (OR=2.73) were the risk factors for the EBPs of Hui LBC, while middle and high father refusal and denial (OR=0.11, OR=0.09) were their protective factors.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that both parent migrating is a potential risk factor for EBPs among Hui LBC. Hui boys LBC should be paid more attention when formulating relevant policies.

Trajectories of early childhood family instability and the development of externalizing behaviors from middle childhood to adolescence: A prospective study of at-risk families

This study examined associations between trajectories of family instability across early childhood and trajectories of externalizing behaviors from middle childhood to adolescence. Growth mixture models were fit to annual caregiver reports of instability from child ages 2-5 (N = 731; 49% girls, 50% White). A curve of factors model was fit to externalizing behaviors from child ages 7.5-14. Chronic, elevated instability across early childhood predicted elevated externalizing behaviors from middle childhood to adolescence. Data collection spanned from 2002 to 2017. Increasing or declining levels of instability predicted elevated externalizing behaviors in middle to late childhood, but not in adolescence. Caregiver depressive symptoms mediated the association between instability and the externalizing behavior intercept. Intervening on chronic instability may reduce child externalizing problems.

Genetic Moderation of the Association Between Early Family Instability and Trajectories of Aggressive Behaviors from Middle Childhood to Adolescence

The present study tested models of polygenic by environment interaction between early childhood family instability and polygenic risk for aggression predicting developmental trajectories of aggression from middle childhood to adolescence. With a longitudinal sample of 515 racially and ethnically diverse children from low-income families, primary caregivers reported on multiple components of family instability annually from child ages 2-5 years. A conservative polygenic risk score (p = 0.05) was generated based on a prior meta-genome wide association study. Trajectories of aggression were identified using a curve of factors model based on a composite of primary caregiver, alternate caregiver, and teacher reports at five ages from 7.5 to 14 years. The family instability by polygenic interaction predicted growth in children's aggression such that children with lower levels of family instability and lower polygenic risk exhibited a steeper decline in aggression from 7.5 to 14. Findings support the need to model gene-environment interplay to elucidate the role of genetics in the development of aggressive behaviors.

Sad Dads and Troubled Tots: Protective Factors Related to the Stability of Paternal Depression and Early Childhood Internalizing Problems

The present study tested the moderating role of interparental relationship quality and child inhibitory control on the stability of paternal depression over time and associations between paternal depression and child internalizing problems in early childhood. Participants were a subsample (n = 166) of families from the Early Steps Multisite study, a longitudinal study of low-income parents and children. Interparental relationship quality (age 2) attenuated the association between paternal depressive symptoms at age 2 and paternal depressive symptoms at age 3. Both interparental relationship quality (age 3) and child inhibitory control (age 3) attenuated the association between paternal depressive symptoms (age 3) and age 4 child internalizing problems. Results suggest that high interparental relationship quality may be a protective factor in terms of lessening the stability of paternal depressive symptoms over time, as well as the association between paternal depression and later child internalizing problems. Similarly, high levels of inhibitory control may buffer children from the negative effects of paternal depression on the development of internalizing problems.

Understanding the nature of associations between family instability, unsupportive parenting, and children's externalizing symptoms

This study examined the mediating role of maternal unsupportive parenting in explaining associations between family instability and children's externalizing symptoms during the transition to formal schooling in early childhood. Participants included 243 preschool children (M age = 4.60 years) and their parents. Findings from cross-lagged autoregressive models conducted with multimethod (survey and observations), multi-informant (parent, teacher, and observer), longitudinal (three annual waves of data collection) data indicated that experiences with heightened family instability predicted decreases in supportive parenting, which in turn predicted increases in children's externalizing symptoms. Analyses also revealed a bidirectional association between parenting and family instability over time, such that higher levels of instability predicted decreases in supportive parenting, which in turn predicted increases in family instability.

Psychological Difficulties among Custodial Grandchildren

Although custodial grandchildren (CG) are likely to have more emotional and behavioral problems than children in general, only a handful of studies involving nationally representative data have investigated this important public health issue. The present study is unique in examining informant reports of psychological difficulties and prosocial behavior, obtained via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) parent version, regarding two samples (n = 509 and n = 323) of CG between ages 4-12 and three samples of age peers from the 2004 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) residing in homes with either no birth parent (n=184), one parent (n = 1,618), or both parents (n = 3,752). A MANCOVA encompassing the main effects of sample type, child gender, and informant's race across six SDQ subscales (with informant age and education, as well as child age controlled) showed all three main effects to be statistically significant (p < .001). Between subjects effects for sample type were significant for all six subscales (p <.001), with a general pattern found whereby the two CG samples had higher difficulty and lower prosocial scores than all three NHIS samples, with corresponding effect sizes falling in the moderate to very large range. Tests of between subjects effects for child gender showed, that regardless of sample type, males typically had higher difficulty scores and lower prosocial scores than those for females. Tests of between subjects effects by informant's race showed only sporadic differences that were independent of sample type. Comparisons of the SDQ banded scores suggested that CG have considerably different cutoff points than do children in other family structures to indicate a likely diagnosis of a serious psychological disorder. We conclude that primary school aged CG are at an especially high risk for both internalizing and externalizing difficulties regardless of children's gender or informant's race.