Fathers’ parenting stress, parenting styles and children’s problem behavior: the mediating role of parental burnout

Parenting styles and suicidal ideation among Chinese college students: The mediating role of perceived social support

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the relationship between parenting styles and suicidal ideation among college students, with a focus on the mediating role of perceived social support.

METHODS

A total of 608 college students completed the Self-Rating Idea of Suicide Scale, the short-form Egna Minnen av. Barndoms Uppfostran (EMBU) for Chinese, and the Perceived Social Support Scale. This study conducted correlation analysis using SPSS 29.0 and performed mediation effect analysis using structural equation modeling in AMOS 26.0.

RESULTS

(1) Significant correlations were found among suicidal ideation, parenting styles, and perceived social support; (2) Parental emotional warmth was significantly and negatively associated with suicidal ideation (r = -0.34, p < 0.001), while both parental rejection (r = 0.32, p < 0.001) and overprotection (r = 0.28, p < 0.001) were significantly and positively associated with suicidal ideation; (3) Perceived social support partially mediated the relationship between positive parenting styles and suicidal ideation (effect size = -0.23, 95 % CI = [-0.31, -0.17]) as well as the relationship between negative parenting styles and suicidal ideation (effect size = 0.05, 95 % CI = [0.01, 0.10]).

CONCLUSION

Positive parenting styles are associated with higher levels of perceived social support and lower likelihood of suicidal ideation among college students. These findings extend the applicability of parenting style theory and the internal working model of attachment theory to extreme behavioral ideation.

Parenting Style and Smartphone Addiction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Shyness and Loneliness

Mothers' and fathers' parenting styles may be important predictors of smartphone addiction. However, some uncertainty still exists about the relationship between these two variables, and few studies to date have investigated the mediating role of both shyness and loneliness in this relationship from the perspective of mothers' and fathers' parenting styles. To fill these gaps, a total of 1,628 adolescents completed self-report measures of parenting style, shyness, loneliness, and smartphone addiction. The results revealed that parental emotional warmth was negatively correlated with smartphone addiction, whereas parental rejection and over-protection were positively correlated with smartphone addiction. Furthermore, the association between over-protection and shyness was more pronounced for mothers than for fathers. Additionally, shyness and loneliness acted as chain mediators in the relationship between the two parenting styles-emotional warmth and over-protection-and smartphone addiction. These findings underscore the critical roles of shyness and loneliness in mediating the relationship between parenting styles and adolescent smartphone addiction. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms behind the relationship between parenting styles and adolescent smartphone addiction.

Uncovering the Links Between Problematic Smartphone Usage and Subjective Vitality: The Role of Mindful Parenting and Parenting Stress

In recent years, scientific research has increasingly focused on the relationship between parents' mobile phone usage and parenting. As smartphones have become pervasive among parents, concerns have arisen regarding how this usage might influence parenting practices and well-being. Therefore, studies that examine the relationship between parents' technology usage-particularly smartphone usage-and their well-being and parenting practices are of significant value. Such research can provide deeper insights into how technology shapes family dynamics and parental roles over time. Our research aimed to investigate the relationships among problematic smartphone usage, mindful parenting, parenting stress, and subjective vitality. The study involved a cross-lagged panel design with two waves of longitudinal research, and parents with at least one child between the ages of 1 and 14 participated. The results revealed that problematic smartphone use has a negative correlation with mindful parenting and subjective vitality, while it has a positive correlation with parenting stress. Serial mediation analysis showed that mindful parenting and parenting stress, both longitudinally and sequentially, mediate the relationship between problematic smartphone usage and subjective vitality. These findings suggest that problematic smartphone use adversely affects parents' well-being by increasing stress and reducing mindful engagement in parenting. Interventions focusing on reducing problematic smartphone use and enhancing mindful parenting practices may improve parental well-being and reduce stress.

How is parenting stress related to parental burnout among children's mothers in China: the mediating role of marital satisfaction and the moderating role of socioeconomic status

Introduction

Although parenting is a worthwhile and joyful process, it can also cause stress, potentially leading to parental burnout. With the implementation of the three-child policy in China, more parenting hours and higher economic costs may increase the risk of parental burnout.

Objectives

This study investigated how was maternal parenting stress related to mothers' parental burnout, as well as the potential mediating effect of their marital satisfaction and the moderating effect of their socioeconomic status on this relationship.

Methods

Data were collected from 314 mothers living in mainland China. The Chinese versions of the Parenting Burnout Assessment Scale, Parenting Stress Index, and Marriage Perception Scale were used to measure mothers' parental burnout, parenting stress, and marital satisfaction.

Results

Mothers' parenting stress was significantly and positively related to mothers' parenting burnout. Mothers' marital satisfaction mediated this relationship. Mothers' socioeconomic status moderated the first half of the mediation model, and parenting stress exhibited a greater effect on marital satisfaction when mothers had a higher socioeconomic status.

Discussion

These findings indicated that mothers' parenting stress could be alleviated by increasing marital satisfaction, which, in turn, reduced the risk of parental burnout. Furthermore, socioeconomic status may enhance the negative effects of parenting stress on marital satisfaction among mothers.

The role of parenting stress on parenting self-efficacy and parental burnout among Turkish parents: a moderated mediation model

OBJECTIVE

Parental burnout is a significant problem that negatively effects parent-child interaction, parenting skills, and child well-being. Research has identified parenting stress as one of the leading factors in parent burnout. Although crucial connections have been explained between parenting stress and parental burnout, not much is known about how parenting self-efficacy operates in these relationships. This study aims to investigate the roles of parenting self-efficacy and number of children in the relationship between parenting stress and parental burnout.

METHODS

The participants consist of a total of 456 parents (Mage = 35.64 ± 9.28, Range = 25-65 years). The data were collected using a personal information form, the Parenting Stress Scale, the Parental Burnout Scale and the Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale. Relationships among variables were examined using Pearson's correlation, while moderated mediation analysis was carried out using Hayes's bootstrapping.

RESULTS

The correlation analyses reveal a negative relationship between parenting self-efficacy and parenting stress, between parenting self-efficacy and parental burnout, and between parenting self-efficacy and number of children, while a positive significant relationship was found between parenting stress and parental burnout. The mediation analyses show parenting self-efficacy to mediate the correlation between parenting stress and parental burnout. The mediating effect of parenting self-efficacy is also moderated by number of children.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides empirical evidence for the effect of parenting stress and parenting self-efficacy on parental burnout, with fewer children in the household alleviating parental burnout.

Parenting Style of Elderly Parents and Its Impact on Adolescent Behavior: A Case Report

Adolescence is a critical transition period between childhood and adulthood. They experience biological, emotional, and social changes and require constant affection, support, and supervision during this period. Adolescents often face stressors from various sources, which can exacerbate behavioral issues. A 13-year-old boy, born 15 years after marriage by in vitro fertilization (IVF) to parents in their late 40s, was brought to the outpatient department. He had presented with complaints of getting angry, stealing money, lying, and threatening his parents for his demands for the past six months. His behavior intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic due to social isolation and prolonged home confinement. His parents said that lately, he has also gotten difficult to manage at home. He was diagnosed with conduct disorder. Despite initial management with behavioral therapy, the boy experienced frequent exacerbations of symptoms. Further assessment identified parental behavior as a contributing factor to the child's conduct disorder. Interventions incorporating family-focused therapy (FFT) and modifications in parenting techniques were implemented, resulting in an extended period of behavioral remission. Parenting style plays an instrumental role in defining the positive and negative outcomes a child will experience. Hence, the parents were counseled and psycho-educated about effective parenting. This case underscores the crucial role of parenting styles in influencing adolescent behavior and highlights the importance of family-centered interventions in managing behavioral problems during adolescence.

Parental stress and child stimulation practices: examining associations with child developmental outcomes over time in Kenya and Zambia

BACKGROUND

Parental stress often arises when parenting demands exceed the expected and actual resources available for parents to succeed in the parenting role. Parental stress is an important contributor to parent-child relationships. This, in turn, affects opportunities to engage their children in stimulating activities which could improve their development outcomes. However, limited evidence exists from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) on the association between parental stress, caregiving practices, and child developmental outcomes.

METHODS

The findings reported in this paper were derived from data collected through previous longitudinal work on nurturing care evaluation studies in Kisumu and Nairobi Counties in Kenya, and Chisamba District in Zambia. A total of 341 caregivers and their children who participated in the three rounds of data collection were included in this study. The children's mean age was 9.3 (SD = 8.2) months pre-intervention, 25.5 (SD = 8.6) months in mid-intervention, and 36 (SD = 10.0) months post-intervention. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Parental Stress Scale (PSS), and caregiving tools were used to assess children's developmental outcomes, parental stress, and stimulation practices, respectively. A Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel model (RI-CLPM) was used to determine the association between caregivers' parenting stress, child stimulation practices, and child developmental outcomes.

RESULTS

The findings showed that caregiver stimulation practices were positively associated with developmental outcomes. Findings on the associations between parental stress and caregivers' stimulation practices and children's developmental outcomes were not universally supported.

CONCLUSION

The findings show that improved caregiver stimulation practices are likely to improve children's developmental outcomes. The policy implications of the findings from this study focus on improving parenting practices by addressing the predictors of parental stress. This includes subsidising childcare services to reduce costs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Pan African Clinical Trials Registry ( https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/ ) database (ID number: PACTR20180774832663 Date: 26/July/2018.

The Effect of Paternal Co-Parenting on Preschool Children's Problem Behaviors: The Chain-Mediating Role of Maternal Parenting Burnout and Psychological Aggression

Objective

With the social changes, a growing number of women have joined the workforce, leading to a shift in the traditional roles of child-rearing. There has been a growing focus on the significance of fathers' roles in child development, particularly the influence of fathers on children's problematic behaviors, making it an increasingly prominent issue. However, there is limited understanding regarding the potential mechanisms through which fathers may exert influence on children's problem behaviors. To address this gap, this study sought to investigate the link between paternal co-parenting and preschool children's problem behaviors, and the mediating effects of maternal parenting burnout and psychological aggression.

Methods

This study used the Personal Information Form and four scales to administer questionnaires to 1164 mothers of preschool children (Mage = 4.26 ± 0.85) in Guangdong Province, China. The collected data underwent processing and analysis using SPSS 22.0.

Results

Paternal co-parenting demonstrated a significantly positive correlation with problem behaviors among preschool children. The impact of paternal co-parenting on children's problem behaviors was mediated by maternal parenting burnout, maternal psychological aggression, and the combined effect of maternal parenting burnout and psychological aggression.

Conclusion

Maternal parenting burnout and maternal psychological aggression play a sequential mediating role between paternal co-parenting and problem behaviors among preschool children. This study revealed the internal mechanism through which paternal co-parenting influenced problem behaviors exhibited by children. It provides some evidence to support the important role of fathers in child development, and provides a reference for policymakers and educators to develop interventions for children's problem behaviors.

Intergenerational Transmission of Psychological Flexibility: The Mediating Role of Parenting Style and the Moderating Role of Teacher Support

In this study, parents' psychological flexibility scale, children's psychological flexibility scale, parenting style scale and teacher support scale were used to explore the intergenerational transmission mechanism of psychological flexibility. The results showed that: (1) parents' psychological flexibility significantly predicted children's psychological flexibility; (2) authoritative parenting style and authoritarian parenting style partially mediated the relationship between parents' psychological flexibility and children's psychological flexibility; (3) Teacher support not only moderated the effect of authoritative and authoritarian parenting on children's psychological flexibility, but also moderated the mediating effect of authoritative and authoritarian parenting style between parents' psychological flexibility and children's psychological flexibility.

The Mechanisms of Parental Burnout Affecting Adolescents' Problem Behavior

Parental burnout refers to the feelings of extreme exhaustion that many parents experience due to parenting. Although parental burnout has received considerable interest from researchers, the effects and mechanisms of parental burnout on adolescents' physical and psychological development remain largely unknown. This study investigated the relationship between parental burnout and adolescents' problem behaviors in Chinese families. We explored the mediating roles of family function, parental psychological aggression, and adolescent self-control, as well as the moderating role of co-parenting. Questionnaires were distributed to 600 adolescents and their primary caregivers, and the data were collected on three different occasions. In total, 174 paired participants completed the survey (44.9% boys; Mean-age = 14.18 years). Bootstrapping results showed that parental burnout was positively associated with adolescents' problem behavior. In addition, family function, parental psychological aggression, and adolescent self-control mediated the relationship between parental burnout and adolescents' problem behavior. Co-parenting moderated the effects of parental burnout on family function and parental psychological aggression. The result of structural equation modeling (SEM) generally supported the above results. These findings reveal the negative effects and mechanisms of parental burnout on adolescent problem behavior, providing empirical evidence that can be applied to prevent the negative effects of parental burnout.