Development of Ego-Resiliency: Relations to Observed Parenting and Polymorphisms in the Serotonin Transporter Gene During Early Childhood

Effects of an Orff Music Activity Intervention Program on the Ego-Resilience, Peer Relationships, Happiness, Interpersonal Care Awareness, Anxiety, and Stress of Children from Multicultural Families in Republic of Korea

This study developed an interpersonal care-based Orff music activity program for children from multicultural families in Republic of Korea. We measured its effects on ego-resilience, peer relationships, happiness, interpersonal care awareness, anxiety, and stress. The participants were 74 children from third to sixth grade attending 10 regional children's centers in Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do Province, Republic of Korea. They were randomly assigned to 36 experimental groups and 38 control groups. The experimental program was developed based on investigations of human care theory, expressions of care, and Orff music activities. The experiment was conducted twice a week for five weeks in 45 min sessions. Data were collected from June to September 2020. We used questionnaires on ego-resilience, peer relationships, happiness, and interpersonal care awareness to measure the effects, which were analyzed through frequency and descriptive statistics. Anxiety, physiological anxiety, acculturation stress, and physiological stress were measured using Behavior Detection VibraImage System Version 8.1 PRO (VIBRASYSTEM Ltd., Co., Seoul, Republic of Korea). The homogeneity of the variables across groups was examined using the χ² test, t-test, and Fisher's exact test. The effects were examined using repeated measures variance analysis and independent t-tests. The results showed that the program had significant effects on ego-resilience, peer relationships, happiness, interpersonal care awareness, physiological anxiety, and physiological stress. The findings suggest that interpersonal care nursing can be effective for children from multicultural families, and the program can be used for intervention to improve children's mental health.

The mediating effects of coping style and resilience on the relationship between parenting style and academic procrastination among Chinese undergraduate nursing students: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

How to kindle the learning enthusiasm of nursing students and reduce the incidence of academic procrastination is an important factor in reducing student attrition and improving the quality of nursing education.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the mediating role of coping style and resilience on the association between parenting styles and academic procrastination among nursing undergraduates.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 683 nursing undergraduates was conducted in China from March to May 2022. Parenting styles, coping style, resilience, and academic procrastination were measured using questionnaires. Descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis and Hayes' PROCESS Macro in SPSS 25.0 were used to test the model.

RESULTS

Positive parenting style had a significantly direct effect on academic procrastination and through three significantly indirect pathways: (1) through positive coping style (B =  - 0.048, 95% CI: - 0.074 to - 0.025), accounting for 14.71% of the total effect; (2) through negative coping style (B =  - 0.044, 95% CI: - 0.071 to - 0.021), accounting for 13.64% of the total effect; and (3) through resilience (B =  - 0.074, 95% CI: - 0.107 to - 0.044), accounting for 22.82% of the total effect. Moreover, negative parenting style had a significantly direct effect on academic procrastination and through two significantly indirect pathways: (1) through negative coping style (B = 0.056, 95% CI: 0.032 to 0.086), accounting for 21.73% of the total effect, and (2) through resilience (B = 0.028, 95% CI: 0.004 to 0.055), accounting for 10.93% of the total effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Intervention measures to reduce the academic procrastination of nursing undergraduates should include the evaluations of coping styles and resilience of nursing students and cultivation strategies to promote their positive coping styles and resilience.

Longitudinal Influences of DRD4 Polymorphism and Early Maternal Caregiving on Personality Development and Problem Behavior in Middle Childhood and Adolescence

Most studies examining gene-environment effects on self-regulation focus on outcomes early childhood or adulthood. However, only a few studies investigate longitudinal effects during middle childhood and adolescence and compare two domains of early caregiving. In a longitudinal follow-up with a sample of N = 87, we studied the effects of differences in the DRD4 tandem repeat polymorphisms and two domains of early maternal caregiving quality on children’s personality development using Block’s California Child Q-Set (CCQ) at age six and age 12 and on problem behavior at ages six and seven. Early maternal regulation quality predicted later ego-resiliency and aggressiveness. In addition, significant gene-environment interactions revealed that children with the 7+ DRD4 tandem repeat polymorphism and poor maternal regulation quality in infancy showed lower scores in ego-resiliency and higher scores in ego-undercontrol and CCQ aggressiveness. In contrast, children who had experienced effective maternal regulation in infancy showed a comparable level in personality traits and problem behavior as the DRD4 7- group independent of the levels of maternal regulatory behavior. Similarly, longitudinal caregiving × DRD4 interactions were found for behavior problems in middle childhood, especially for oppositional-aggression, inattentive-hyperactivity, and social competence. Early caregiving effects were only found for maternal regulation quality, but not for maternal responsiveness. Effective early maternal regulation in infancy can moderate the negative effect of DRD4 7+ on children’s self-regulation in middle childhood and adolescence. However, maternal responsiveness has no comparable effects. It seems relevant to consider several dimensions of early caregiving and to also measure the environment in more detail in gene-environment studies.

Differential Relations of Parental Behavior to Children's Early Executive Function as a Function of Child Genotype: A Systematic Review

Child genotype is an important biologically based indicator of sensitivity to the effects of parental behavior on children's executive function (EF) in early childhood, birth to age 5. While evidence for gene × parental behavior interactions on children's early EF is growing, researchers have called the quality of evidence provided by gene × environment interaction studies into question. For this reason, this review comprehensively examined the literature and evaluated the evidence for gene × parental behavior interactions on children's early EF abilities. Psychology and psychiatry databases were searched for published peer-reviewed studies. A total of 18 studies met inclusion criteria. Twenty-nine of 89 (33%) examined interactions were significant. However, a p-curve analysis did not find the significant interactions to be of evidential value. A high rate of false positives, due to the continued use of candidate gene and haplotype measures of child genotype and small sample sizes, likely contributed to the high rate of significant interactions and low evidential value. The use of contemporary molecular genetic measures and larger sample sizes are necessary to advance our understanding of child genotype as a moderator of parental effects on children's EF during early childhood and the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying children's EF development during this critical period. Without these changes, future research is likely to be stymied by the same limitations as current research.

Genetic Variants Associated With Resilience in Human and Animal Studies

Resilience is broadly defined as the ability to maintain or regain functioning in the face of adversity and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The identification of specific genetic factors and their biological pathways underpinning resilient functioning can help in the identification of common key factors, but heterogeneities in the operationalisation of resilience have hampered advances. We conducted a systematic review of genetic variants associated with resilience to enable the identification of general resilience mechanisms. We adopted broad inclusion criteria for the definition of resilience to capture both human and animal model studies, which use a wide range of resilience definitions and measure very different outcomes. Analyzing 158 studies, we found 71 candidate genes associated with resilience. OPRM1 (Opioid receptor mu 1), NPY (neuropeptide Y), CACNA1C (calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C), DCC (deleted in colorectal carcinoma), and FKBP5 (FKBP prolyl isomerase 5) had both animal and human variants associated with resilience, supporting the idea of shared biological pathways. Further, for OPRM1, OXTR (oxytocin receptor), CRHR1 (corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1), COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase), BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), APOE (apolipoprotein E), and SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member 4), the same allele was associated with resilience across divergent resilience definitions, which suggests these genes may therefore provide a starting point for further research examining commonality in resilience pathways.

Association between resilience and a functional polymorphism in the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) gene: A meta-analysis

Resilience is a mechanism used by humans to adapt to adverse situations. It is a protective factor against mental health problems. This process can be influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Several genes have been associated with interindividual differences in resilience levels, but the results are inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of a functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the SLC6A4 gene on resilience levels. A search in PubMed, HugeNavigator and Google Scholar databases was carried out and 16 studies about the association of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and resilience in humans were identified. The OpenMeta[Analyst] program was employed to perform statistical analysis using a random-effects model. The final analysis included 9 studies, for a total of 4,080 subjects. Significant results were found when the standardized mean differences (SMD) of LL and SL carriers were compared, (SMD: -0.087 (confidence interval: -0.166 to -0.008; I²: 0 %); P value: 0.031). A significant result was also found in an analysis comparing SS/SL versus LL genotypes (SMD: -0.231; confidence interval: -0.400 to -0.061, P value: 0.008; I²: 0 %). This is the first meta-analysis performed to identify the pooled association of a functional polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene and resilience. The current results suggest that the L/L genotype is associated with resilience. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the role of genetics on the resilience mechanisms.

Tell Me A Story: Promoting resiliency in military children with a bibliotherapy intervention

PURPOSE

Research demonstrates the complex effect of the military lifestyle on children of military members. Problem behaviors can manifest in military children as young as 6 years old (eg, physical violence). Some military children have better outcomes (ie, resiliency). These differences in outcomes are not fully understood; literature agrees that parent's interaction with their children predicts resiliency. Nurses can utilize resiliency interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of families. Tell Me A Story (TMAS), a bibliotherapy intervention, role models for parents reading with their children, using story as a platform to deal with issues in a safe way. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if child resiliency increased and problem behavior decreased with TMAS participation.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A community-based study examined the impact of TMAS intervention on parent's perceptions of their school-aged children's behavior. Participants were active-duty military parents, recruited on or near seven military installations in the continental United States.

RESULTS

Child problem behavior showed a change from baseline, with sex and parental deployment factoring for improved or worsening behavior among children. Total and internalizing problem behavior scores increased after intervention if a parent was deployed. Girls experienced increased resiliency scores after TMAS intervention while boys experienced decreased scores.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Overall, TMAS intervention is beneficial for behavior and resiliency for some children and provides research for future programming offered by nurses for military families.

Type and Timing of Negative Life Events Are Associated with Adolescent Depression

Previous studies have demonstrated an association between negative life events (NLEs) in childhood and resilience/posttraumatic growth (PTG) with regard to the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder. We hypothesized that the type and timing of NLEs interact to influence mental health in the general youth population. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effects of NLE timing and intensity on current depressive symptoms, and to determine the direct and indirect effects of NLEs/resilience on PTG and depression among non-clinical adolescents. Data were collected from 1,038 high-school students across seven high schools in Fukui, Japan, during their freshman and sophomore years (648 boys and 390 girls, mean age = 15.71, SD = 0.524). Respondents completed a set of questionnaires designed to evaluate the type and timing of NLEs, depressive and traumatic symptoms, and PTG. Cluster analysis was used to divide participants into three groups based on outcomes: "cluster 1" (n = 631), for whom depressive scores were significantly lower than other two subgroups (p < 0.05, for both); "cluster 2" (n = 52), for whom levels of current and past perceived stress associated with NLEs were significantly higher than those of the other two subgroups (p < 0.05, for both); "cluster 3" (n = 374), for whom perceived stress at the time of NLE was significantly higher than that of participants in the cluster 1 (p < 0.05) group, but not the cluster 2 group. Our findings indicated that exposure to NLEs at a younger age resulted in stronger negative outcomes and that NLE timing and intensity were associated with PTG and current symptoms of depression. Furthermore, path analysis demonstrated that associations between perceived stress at the time of NLEs were direct and indirect predictors of current depression via PTG and that posttraumatic stress symptom and PTG mediate the association between NLEs/trait-resiliency and current depression. In conclusion, our findings suggest that event intensity, NLE timing, and gender may play a role in emotional vulnerability during adolescence.

A Concept Analysis of Resilience Integrating Genetics

Although clinicians and researchers are interested in the phenomenon of resilience, there is no agreed-upon definition of resilience. Scientific evidence suggests that resilience is influenced by intrapersonal (e.g. personality traits) and environmental (e.g. social support) variables. A concept analysis was conducted to better understand the meaning of resilience. In this analysis, the antecedent of resilience was a potentially traumatic event; the defining attributes were ego-resiliency, emotion regulation, social support, and heredity; and the consequences were none to mild psychopathological symptoms and positive adaptation. This analysis can help nurses better understand resilience and its relationships to both intrapersonal and environmental variables.

Intergenerational transmission of self-regulation: A multidisciplinary review and integrative conceptual framework

This review examines mechanisms contributing to the intergenerational transmission of self-regulation. To provide an integrated account of how self-regulation is transmitted across generations, we draw from over 75 years of accumulated evidence, spanning case studies to experimental approaches, in literatures covering developmental, social, and clinical psychology, and criminology, physiology, genetics, and human and animal neuroscience (among others). First, we present a taxonomy of what self-regulation is and then examine how it develops--overviews that guide the main foci of the review. Next, studies supporting an association between parent and child self-regulation are reviewed. Subsequently, literature that considers potential social mechanisms of transmission, specifically parenting behavior, interparental (i.e., marital) relationship behaviors, and broader rearing influences (e.g., household chaos) is considered. Finally, evidence that prenatal programming may be the starting point of the intergenerational transmission of self-regulation is covered, along with key findings from the behavioral and molecular genetics literatures. To integrate these literatures, we introduce the self-regulation intergenerational transmission model, a framework that brings together prenatal, social/contextual, and neurobiological mechanisms (spanning endocrine, neural, and genetic levels, including gene-environment interplay and epigenetic processes) to explain the intergenerational transmission of self-regulation. This model also incorporates potential transactional processes between generations (e.g., children's self-regulation and parent-child interaction dynamics that may affect parents' self-regulation) that further influence intergenerational processes. In pointing the way forward, we note key future directions and ways to address limitations in existing work throughout the review and in closing. We also conclude by noting several implications for intervention work.

Ego-resiliency reloaded: a three-component model of general resiliency

Ego-resiliency (ER) is a capacity that enables individuals to adapt to constantly changing environmental demands. The goal of our research was to identify components of Ego-resiliency, and to test the reliability and the structural and convergent validity of the refined version of the ER11 Ego-resiliency scale. In Study 1 we used a factor analytical approach to assess structural validity and to identify factors of Ego-resiliency. Comparing alternative factor-structures, a hierarchical model was chosen including three factors: Active Engagement with the World (AEW), Repertoire of Problem Solving Strategies (RPSS), and Integrated Performance under Stress (IPS). In Study 2, the convergent and divergent validity of the ER11 scale and its factors and their relationship with resilience were tested. The results suggested that resiliency is a double-faced construct, with one function to keep the personality system stable and intact, and the other function to adjust the personality system in an adaptive way to the dynamically changing environment. The stability function is represented by the RPSS and IPS components of ER. Their relationship pattern is similar to other constructs of resilience, e.g. the Revised Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (R-CD-RISC). The flexibility function is represented by the unit of RPSS and AEW components. In Study 3 we tested ER11 on a Hungarian online representative sample and integrated the results in a model of general resiliency. This framework allows us to grasp both the stability-focused and the plasticity-focused nature of resiliency.

Interactions among catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype, parenting, and sex predict children's internalizing symptoms and inhibitory control: Evidence for differential susceptibility

We used sex, observed parenting quality at 18 months, and three variants of the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (Val158Met [rs4680], intron1 [rs737865], and 3'-untranslated region [rs165599]) to predict mothers' reports of inhibitory and attentional control (assessed at 42, 54, 72, and 84 months) and internalizing symptoms (assessed at 24, 30, 42, 48, and 54 months) in a sample of 146 children (79 male). Although the pattern for all three variants was very similar, Val158Met explained more variance in both outcomes than did intron1, the 3'-untranslated region, or a haplotype that combined all three catechol-O-methyltransferase variants. In separate models, there were significant three-way interactions among each of the variants, parenting, and sex, predicting the intercepts of inhibitory control and internalizing symptoms. Results suggested that Val158Met indexes plasticity, although this effect was moderated by sex. Parenting was positively associated with inhibitory control for methionine-methionine boys and for valine-valine/valine-methionine girls, and was negatively associated with internalizing symptoms for methionine-methionine boys. Using the "regions of significance" technique, genetic differences in inhibitory control were found for children exposed to high-quality parenting, whereas genetic differences in internalizing were found for children exposed to low-quality parenting. These findings provide evidence in support of testing for differential susceptibility across multiple outcomes.