Concerted Cultivation and Adolescent Psychopathology over Time-Mediation of Parent-Child Conflict

Impact of "intensive parenting attitude" on children's social competence via maternal parenting behavior

"Intensive parenting" is a tendency to invest parents' time, money, and energy in their child. This also includes some gender bias concerning a mother being the best person to primarily raise her children. Some psychology scholars have pointed out that this attitude causes much stress, anxiety, depression, and a sense of guilt among mothers. However, its effects on children have yet to be revealed using an extensive survey, and this indicates the need to investigate any possible impact of an intensive parenting attitude on children. The aim of this study was to elucidate a link between a maternal intensive parenting attitude and their children's social competence through maternal parenting behavior. This was based on collecting data from 675 Japanese women who were mothers of preschoolers using the Japanese version of the Intensive Parenting Attitude Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Parenting Scale, and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results showed that the "Essentialism," "Fulfillment," and "Child-centered" components of intensive parenting attitude influenced the "involvement and monitoring" and "positive responsivity" of parenting behavior. Furthermore, these two parenting behaviors affected children's prosocial behavior and hyperactivity/inattention. These findings suggest that an intensive parenting attitude has some impact on children as well as mothers, both positively and negatively, pointing to a serious effect on society.

Effects of interparental conflict on children's depression in the context of COVID-19: Does parent-child conflict play a role?

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of depression among children has dramatically increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

Through focusing on verbal fights, the most common form of family conflict, this study examined the association between interparental conflict and children's depression and explored the mediating role of parent-child conflict.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A total of 1005 children (47.0 % females) aged between 9 and 12 years old constituted the analytical subjects, who had been drawn from the 2020 survey of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS).

METHODS

Descriptive statistics were obtained, and bivariate correlation analysis and mediation analysis were performed.

RESULTS

According to the Spearman correlation analysis, interparental conflict and children's depression were positively correlated (ρ = 0.214, p < 0.01); moreover, parent-child conflict was significantly positively associated with both interparental conflict (ρ = 0.450, p < 0.01) and children's depression (ρ = 0.224, p < 0.01). Additionally, mediation analysis demonstrated that, after controlling for sociodemographic factors, parent-child conflict operated as a mediator between interparental conflict and children's depression. More specifically, parent-child conflict accounted for 47.6 % of the total effect of interparental conflict on children's depression.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggested that frequent conflicts between parents predicted increased parent-child conflict, which, in turn, elevated the risk of depression for children. To reduce the risk of children's depression, it is necessary to create a good environment and build a harmonious relationship within the family. At the same time, specific supportive services, such as family therapy, filial therapy, and couple relationship education, should be provided.

Overparenting, Parent-Child Conflict and Anxiety among Chinese Adolescents: A Cross-Lagged Panel Study

BACKGROUND

Overparenting is an emerging parenting style in which parents over-protect their children from difficulties and challenges by intruding into their lives and providing extensive assistance to them. Unfortunately, longitudinal studies related to overparenting were severely lacking, particularly on its impacts on early adolescents. Moreover, studies examining the mediational pathways through which overparenting is associated with adolescent anxiety are scant. This study examined the mediating role of parent-child conflict (father-child and mother-child) in the relationship between overparenting (paternal and maternal) and adolescent anxiety over time.

METHOD

Based on a three-wave longitudinal data of 1074 Chinese early adolescents in Hong Kong, the relationships among paternal and maternal overparenting, father- and mother-child conflict, and adolescent anxiety were assessed.

RESULTS

Mother-child conflict mediated the relationship between maternal overparenting and adolescent anxiety over time. Besides, a reverse association of prior adolescent anxiety with subsequent maternal overparenting via mother-child conflict was also identified. In addition, adolescent gender and family intactness did not moderate the relationships among overparenting, parent-child conflict, and adolescent anxiety.

DISCUSSION

This present study identified that the bidirectional relationship between maternal overparenting and adolescent anxiety via mother-child conflict over time, which sheds new light on the study of overparenting on adolescent well-being in the Chinese communities.