Family Risk Exposure Profiles During Early Childhood: Developmental Processes and Adolescent Well-Being

Although prior work indicates that exposure to multiple family risk factors negatively impacts adjustment in childhood and adolescence, few studies have examined whether children in high-risk families transition in and out of adversity during early childhood and whether patterns of change matter for adjustment in adolescence. Using data from a sample of 216 caregiver-child dyads participating in a study of prenatal cocaine exposure (116 exposed and 100 non-exposed; 50.9% girls), we used latent transition analysis to identify distinct profiles of early exposure to caregiver substance use (SU) and SU-related familial risk (caregiver psychological distress, exposure to violence, harshness, and low sensitivity) and the association between these profiles and adolescent well-being (i.e., hope, happiness, and life satisfaction). Assessments occurred when children were 13, 24, 36, and 48 months and during kindergarten (Mmonths = 66.16, SD = 4.47) and early adolescence (Myears = 13.26, SD = 0.88). Caregivers self-identified as 72.09% Black, 15.81% White, 10.23% Hispanic/Latinx, 1.40% other, and 0.47% American Indian. Four profiles of varying levels of exposure to caregiver SU and SU-related risks were identified from infancy to kindergarten: SU/family risks, no SU/low family risks, SU/negative parenting, and SU/low family risks. Most children stayed in the same profile (64.2%), while the rest transitioned between profiles. Children exposed to caregiver SU and family adversity had lower positive outcomes in adolescence. Stable membership in the SU/family risks profile had significant maladaptive consequences on adolescent well-being. Implications for research and the design of tailored interventions to promote well-being among at-risk youth are discussed.

Within- and between-family transactions of maternal depression and child engagement in the first 2 years of life: Role of prenatal maternal risk and tobacco use

BACKGROUND

This study examined transactional associations among maternal depression, maternal sensitivity, and child engagement in the context of a low-income, diverse sample with maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) as a moderator of these transactions.

METHODS

A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to investigate within- and between-family variability from infancy to toddlerhood. The sample included 247 mother-child dyads (47% girls; 51% African-American; 178 MSDP, 69 non-MSDP). Assessments were conducted once during each trimester of pregnancy and at 2, 9, 16, and 24 months of child ages.

RESULTS

Between-family associations revealed that children exposed to higher levels of sensitive parenting across time had higher behavioral engagement from infancy to toddlerhood. At the within-family level, increased sensitive parenting at 9 months was predictive of increased child engagement at 16 months which in turn predicted increases in sensitive parenting at 24 months. Increased maternal depression was concurrently associated with lower maternal sensitivity at 2 months and lower child engagement at 16 months. Contrary to hypotheses, changes in maternal depression were not associated to changes in parenting or child engagement. These associations did not vary between prenatally smoking and nonsmoking mothers. However, there was significantly higher stability in maternal depression across time among nonsmoking mothers compared to those in the MSDP group. Additionally, increased maternal depression was related to lower-than-expected child engagement at 9 months only for the nonsmoking group.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight transactional processes at the within-family level and the importance of timing for parent and child effects on transactional processes.

The interplay of maternal sensitivity and gentle control when predicting children's subsequent academic functioning: Evidence of mediation by effortful control

The goal of this work was to examine the complex interrelation of mothers' early gentle control and sensitivity in predicting children's effortful control (EC) and academic functioning. Maternal gentle control, maternal sensitivity, and children's EC were measured when children were 18, 30, and 42 months of age (T1, T2, and T3, respectively), and measures of children's academic functioning were combined across 72 and 84 months (T5/T6; Ns = 255, 222, 200, 162, and 143). Using structural equation modeling, results demonstrated that T1 maternal sensitivity moderated the relation between T1 maternal gentle control and T2 EC, and T3 EC predicted children's later academic functioning. There was evidence for moderated mediation, such that when maternal sensitivity was high, children's EC mediated the relation between T1 maternal gentle control and children's academic functioning, even after controlling for stability of the constructs. The relation between maternal gentle control and children's EC was not significant under conditions of low maternal sensitivity. Implications for parenting programs are offered and future research directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Intergenerational Transmission of Maladaptive Parenting Strategies in Families of Adolescent Mothers: Effects from Grandmothers to Young Children

The current longitudinal study examined the effect of the transmission of maladaptive parenting strategies from grandmothers to adolescent mothers on children's subsequent development. Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (N = 204) participated in home interviews when the adolescent's child (89 boys, 60 girls) was 2, 3, 4, and 5 years old. Grandmothers' psychological control toward the adolescent mother was positively related to adolescents' potential for abuse 1 year later, which was subsequently positively related to adolescents' punitive discipline toward their young child. In addition, adolescent mothers' punitive discipline subsequently predicted greater externalizing problems and less committed compliance among their children. Adolescent mothers' potential for abuse and punitive discipline mediated the effects of grandmothers' psychological control on children's externalizing problems. Finally, adolescent mothers' potential for abuse mediated the effect of grandmothers' psychological control on adolescent mothers' punitive discipline. Results highlight the salience of long-term intergenerational effects of maladaptive parenting on children's behavior.