Parents' work-family experiences and children's problem behaviors: The mediating role of the parent-child relationship

Work stressors, work-family conflict, parents' depressive symptoms and perceived parental concern for their children's mental health during COVID-19 in Canada: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

Work-related stressors and work-family conflict are important social determinants of mental health. While the impact of these stressors on parents' mental health is well documented, we know comparatively less about their impact on children's mental health. Furthermore, though the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered these stressors, particularly with the increase in teleworking, major knowledge gaps persist regarding the association between parents' stressors and perceived parental concern for their children's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the stress contagion perspective, this study tests (1) the mediating role of parents' depressive symptoms with parental concern for their children's mental health, and (2) whether these associations vary depending on whether parents had the opportunity to engage in telework.

METHODS

A path analysis was performed from a cross-sectional analytic sample of 780 employed parents in the province of Quebec (Canada). The same model was then stratified by teleworking opportunity. The model's indirect associations were obtained by the bootstrap bias-corrected method with 1,000 replications.

RESULTS

The results show that the stressors of work-to-family conflict, increased difficulties in work-family balance since the COVID-19 pandemic, irregular schedules, low esteem derived from work, and job insecurity were all indirectly associated with an increase in parental concern for their children's mental health through increased parents' depressive symptoms. However, some associations differ depending on teleworking status. The indirect associations involving increased difficulties in work-family balance since the COVID-19 pandemic as well as irregular work schedules were observed only in the teleworking group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study fills a gap in research on the association between the work-family interface and parental concern for their children's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the importance of concerted and cohesive action between child health policies and those regarding work and work-family balance to prevent work-related psychosocial risks, particularly considering the post pandemic expanded and persistent reliance on teleworking.

Promoting Women's Well-Being: A Systematic Review of Protective Factors for Work-Family Conflict

Work-family conflict is a prominent issue, especially in our society, where people are expected to fulfil many roles simultaneously. Work and family life demands significantly impact an individual's overall well-being, especially for women, since they typically balance caregiving for children and elderly relatives with careers. Therefore, highlighting which factors might protect women from experiencing work-family conflict is essential to enhance women's and their family's well-being. Thus, the main aim of the present study was to systematically review previous research on women's coping strategies and protective factors which can reduce the negative effects of work-family conflict. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a literature search of three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus). After the screening and the eligibility phases, we included a final set of 13 studies. Most of these studies adopted a cross-sectional design (N = 10), and a few adopted a longitudinal one (N = 3). Results highlighted the role of different personal (e.g., hardiness, self-esteem, locus of control) and relational factors (e.g., family and work support) that significantly reduce the negative effects of work-family conflict in women's lives. Findings, practical implications, and future research directions are discussed.

Factors influencing parent-child relationships in chinese nurses: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

With the development of the social economy, the effective coordination of the conflict between work and family has become an urgent problem for most parents. Such conflicts are especially acute in the families of nurses with children. Therefore, a timely understanding of the status quo of the parent-child relationship and associated risk factors among nurses will assist in improving their family harmony and the healthy growth of their children.

METHODS

A total of 350 nurses with children at a general tertiary hospital in Sichuan Province, China, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire between June 23 and July 9, 2022. The results were analyzed by multiple linear regression using the stepwise method.

RESULTS

The results showed that the parent-child relationship received a middle-level mean score of 77.74 (SD = 10.77). The factors that influenced the parent-child relationship among nurses included the parents' character type (β = 0.143, P = 0.002), feeling tired due to dealing with patients (β=-0.150, P = 0.002), the nurse-patient relationship (β = 0.137, P = 0.004), the age of older children (β=-0.153, P = 0.001), number of children (β=-0.093, P = 0.041), sleep quality (β = 0.116, P = 0.014), and family adaptability (β = 0.308, P = 0.000); these factors accounted for 31.3% of the variance in parent-child relationships among nurses.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study will help policy makers and nursing managers to better understand parent-child relationships in Chinese nurses. The results highlighted the importance of the creation of a family-oriented work environment while paying more attention to the parent-child relationships of nurses who are introverted and have more or older children. After busy workdays, nurses should also be encouraged to participate more in family decision-making and strategic parent-child interactions to avoid negative effects on children caused by work-related emotional exhaustion, physical and mental fatigue, and other reasons. The development of good parent-child relationships may help maintain both their and their children's mental health while enhancing their enthusiasm for work and their professional identity.

Work Gains and Strains on Father Involvement: The Mediating Role of Parenting Styles

The balance between work and family demands is one of the main challenges of contemporary parenting. However, most of the research has focused on mothers' perspectives, with fathers' perspectives about the links between work-family activities and father involvement, as well as the role of indirect effects, such as parenting styles, being less explored. This study aims to bridge these gaps by exploring whether work strains or gains are related to father involvement in childcare and the mediating role of parental styles, focusing on fathers' reports. Working, married fathers of preschoolers (n = 411) self-reported about work strains and gains, parental styles, and father involvement. Structural equation modeling, using maximum-likelihood estimation, provided good fit indices. Results of the bootstrap analysis revealed how fathers' gains indirectly increased involvement both in direct and indirect care through positive parental styles. Otherwise, fathers' strains at work had a negative indirect effect on direct care through negative parental styles. Findings contribute to work-family interface by showing how parental styles account for mediating environmental challenges on father involvement.

The psychological symptoms and behavioral problems of children with mothers working as medical staff in the crisis of Covid-19 outbreak in Hamadan, Iran

Background and objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological symptoms and behavioral problems of children with mothers working as medical staff in the crisis of Covid-19 disease in Hamadan.

Methods

This descriptive causal-comparative study was conducted on all mothers with children aged 6 to 12  years in Hamadan from September 2 to November 29, 2020. In this study, eligible individuals were selected using random sampling and were assigned to two groups of mothers working as the medical staff and the control group. The research instruments included the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach) and the Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4).

Results

The results showed that the mean scores of psychological and behavioral symptoms of children in terms of group membership (group of mothers working in the medical staff and control group) had a significant difference. There was a significant difference between the mean scores of depression and aggression in children of the staff group and the control group meaning that for depression and aggression scores of children of the staff group are higher than children of the control group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the mean anxiety scores and there was almost a significant difference between the attention scores of the staff group and the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Children whose mothers worked as medical staff during Covid-19 show more depression, attention, and aggression problems than children whose mothers do not work as medical staff.

Can work-to-family conflict lead to preschool children's social behavior problems?-The chain mediating roles of guilt about parenting and parent-child relationships

Parents' work-to-family conflict has been reported to be associated with preschool children's social behavior problems, but the underlying mechanisms of this association in the Chinese cultural context remain unclear. Based on ecosystem theory and the spillover-crossover model theory of emotion, this study aimed to examine the correlation between parents' work-to-family conflict and preschool children's social behavior problems in China, as well as the mediating role of guilt about parenting and parent-child relationships. Structural equation modeling was used to check the research hypotheses with a sample of 3,038 parents of Chinese preschool children. The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) Work-to-family conflict faced by parents was positively associated with guilt about parenting and preschool children's social behavior problems; (2) The effect of guilt about parenting on preschool children's social behavior problems was bidirectional; guilt about parenting was positively related to preschool children's social behavior problems, but when guilt about parenting prompted parents to adjust their parent-child relationships, it was negatively related to preschool children's social behavior problems. Taken together, these results further explain the interaction between parents' work-to-family conflict and preschool children's social behavior problems and discuss the influence of multiple factors on preschool children's social behavior problems. Theoretically, this study enriches the theoretical basis of the interaction with resources from the external environment of home education and family education. Practically, it implies that multiple levels, such as the government, early childhood education institutions, and work units, should give more support to preschool children's family education and thus work together to promote the healthy development of preschool children.

Work-family interface and children's mental health: a systematic review

The COVID-19 pandemic and the public health measures adopted to contain it have highlighted the centrality of the work-family interface in the etiology of mental health among the employed population. However, while the impact on the mental health of workers has been well documented, the relationship with the mental health of children of those workers remains to be clarified.A systematic review was conducted through the identification of peer-reviewed studies on the association between parental work-family interface (e.g. work-family conflict and/or work-family enrichment) and children's mental health. This method is based on the consultation of 7 databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, SocIndex, Embase, and Scopus), considering all studies published through June 2022 (PROSPERO: CRD42022336058). Methodology and findings are reported according to the PRISMA guidelines. 25 of the 4146 identified studies met our inclusion criteria. Quality appraisal was performed using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Most studies investigated only work-family conflict, ignoring work-family enrichment. Child mental health outcomes evaluated included internalizing behaviours (n = 11), externalizing behaviours (n = 10), overall mental health (n = 13), and problematic Internet usage (n = 1). Results of the review are summarized qualitatively. Our analysis shows equivocal evidence for the direct relationships between the work-family interface and children's mental health, as a large proportion of associations did not reach statistical significance. We can, however, posit that work-family conflict seems to be more associated with children's mental health problems while work-family enrichment was more related to children's positive mental health. A greater proportion of significant associations are observed for internalizing behaviors compared to externalizing behaviors. Almost all the studies that test for a mediating effect found that parental characteristics and parental mental health are significant mediators.Our research provides insight into the complex association between work-family interface and child mental health, showing both beneficial and detrimental consequences that may even occur simultaneously. This highlights the far-reaching effects of contexts affecting the work-family interface, including the COVID-19 pandemic. We conclude with the need for research adopting more standardized and nuanced measures of the work-family interface to further validate these conclusions.

Assessing Work-Family Conflict Experienced by Chinese Parents of Young Children: Validation of the Chinese Version of the Work and Family Conflict Scale

While there a number of measures to assess work-family conflict already exist, there are no well-validated measures exist for clinical use with Chinese parents. This study sought to validate a Chinese version of the work and family conflict scale (WAFCS), a brief 10-item scale developed for clinical and research use with parents. Relying on a sample of 447 Chinese parents in Hong Kong, this study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the WAFCS. Results showed that a two-factor model, similar to that of the original scale, fit the data well. The scale had concurrent and discriminant validity, while the scale's measurement invariance across gender and its internal consistency were also supported. Such robust psychometric properties suggest that the WAFCS is a promising tool that can be applied in a variety of research and clinical settings to examine work-family conflict experienced by Chinese parents.

Family-to-work enrichment associations between family meal atmosphere and job satisfaction in dual-earner parents

Research on factors related to job satisfaction in parents has mainly focused on work-related variables, paying less attention to family events that may provide parents with resources to invest in the work domain. To contribute to this body of knowledge, this study examined the associations between family meal atmosphere and job satisfaction in dual-earner parents with adolescent children, and tested the mediating role of family-to-work enrichment (FtoWE) between family meal atmosphere and job satisfaction. Questionnaires were administered to 473 different-gender dual-earner parents in Temuco, Chile. Participants answered the Project-EAT Atmosphere of family meals scale, three items that measure FWE from the Work-Home Interaction Survey, and the Overall Job Satisfaction Scale. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modelling. A positive association was found from family meal atmosphere to job satisfaction, directly and via FtoWE in fathers, and only via FtoWE in mothers. No associations were found for these variables between parents, as, one parent's perception of a pleasant family meal atmosphere is positively associated with their own FtoWE and job satisfaction, but not with those of the other parent. These findings suggest policymakers and organizations to account for workers' experiences in the family domain to improve satisfaction in the work domain.

Perceived academic stress and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents: A moderated mediation analysis of overweight status

BACKGROUND

Previous research has indicated the association of perceived stress with mental health problems. In China, Confucian collectivism and an exam-centered culture encourage parents to have high educational expectations that impose great pressure on their children's learning. However, limited research has focused on adolescents' perceptions of the negative consequences of academic stress stemming from their parents' educational expectations. This study addressed this research gap by examining the direct effect of adolescents' perceptions of academic stress on their depressive symptoms and the indirect effects of both parent-child communication and interaction. We further explored the pathway differences between overweight and non-overweight adolescents.

METHODS

By using a sample (n = 6,566) from the first two waves of the China Education Panel Survey, moderated mediation analysis was performed to simultaneously analyze the mediating roles of parent-children communication and parent-children interaction and the moderating role of adolescent overweight status.

RESULTS

Adolescents' perceived academic stress (W1) was positively associated with their depressive symptoms (W2). This association was partially mediated by both parent-child communication (W1) and parent-child interaction (W1). Moreover, adolescent overweight status significantly moderated the paths between the adolescents' perceived academic stress and their depressive symptoms, between their perceived academic stress and parent-child interaction, and the indirect relationship via parent-child interaction.

LIMITATIONS

Some measurement biases including self-reported, unverified, and single-item measures, alongside not considering all variations in controlled variables should be noted.

CONCLUSION

The study's findings identify the significant roles of parent-child communication and parent-children interaction in contemporary China and indicate overweight adolescents' susceptibility to stress.

Relationships Between Work-to-Family Conflict and the Food Domain for Dual-Earner Parents With Adolescent Children

The impact of work-to-family conflict (WtoFC) can extend beyond family and work, and to other domains that contribute to well-being, such as the food domain. This study examined associations between WtoFC, perception of atmosphere of family meals (AFM), and satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL) in dual-earner parents with adolescent children, and tested the mediating role of AFM between WtoFC and SWFoL. Questionnaires were administered to 473 different-sex dual-earner parents and one of their adolescent children (mean age 12.5 years, 51.4% male) in Temuco, Chile. Parents responded to a measure of work-to-family conflict; the three family members answered the Project-EAT Atmosphere of family meals scale, and the Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modeling. Results showed a negative association from WtoFC to SWFoL in both parents, while a more positive perception of atmosphere of family meals was linked to higher SWFoL in the three family members. Moreover, WtoFC was negatively linked to SWFoL in parents, while only mothers' WtoFC had a negative association with their adolescent children's SWFoL. Policymakers and organizations can contribute to workers' and their families' food-related well-being by fostering policies and measures to reduce WtoFC.

Work-Family Conflict, Enrichment, and Adolescent Academic Adjustment in Dual-Earner Family

There is ample evidence that work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family enrichment (WFE), respectively, have detrimental and beneficial impacts on the functioning of couples, families, and children. In this study, cross-sectional data from 2,136 dual-earner families in China, including parents and their children (51.2% girls, ages: 11.6-19.3 years), were used together with Actor-Partner Interdependence Model-Structural Equation Modeling (APIM-SEM) to test the hypothesis that work-family spillover can impact academic adjustment in adolescents through parental educational expectations and perceived educational expectations. The results of this analysis suggested that academic adjustment among adolescents is primarily influenced by maternal work-family experiences, such that maternal but not paternal WFC can impact academic adjustment in adolescents through parental educational expectations and perceived educational expectations. Maternal WFE was found to be indirectly associated with the academic adjustment in adolescents as a result of actual and perceived educational expectations. Additionally, we observed a significant effect of maternal WFC on the educational expectations of fathers within couple-relationship dyads. These results underscore the importance of the work-family interface as a factor that shapes the overall family health and associated outcomes, especially the importance of maternal work-family experiences in this context. Interventions that aim to promote more positive maternal work environments are thus likely to yield greater benefits for their children and families. Overall, these data indicate that work-family spillover is a core determinant of adolescent development, which warrants further study.

Group-Treatment for Dealing with the Work-Family Conflict for Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare professionals' exposure to work-family conflict negatively affects the health and well-being of the whole family and organizational outcomes. Specified workplace interventions are lacking. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of a two-day group-treatment specifically designed for the needs of healthcare professionals with family responsibilities concerning participation, satisfaction with the intervention and family- and individual-related outcome variables. 24 mostly female (85.7%) participants of a community hospital in southern Germany attended the treatment. Data were collected at baseline (T0), directly after the treatment (T1) and two months later (T2). A two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measures showed a statistically significant time x group effect for self-efficacy (F = 5.29, p = 0.011). Contrasts displayed substantial pre-post (T1-T0, T2-T0) increases of self-efficacy in the intervention group as compared with the control group. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney-U tests are in line with these findings. The results indicate that the group-treatment adapted to the needs of healthcare professionals has the potential to boost self-efficacy among healthcare professionals and that participants were predominantly satisfied. Perspectives for future research and practical implications are discussed in the light of the manifest lack of healthcare professionals.

The Protective Effects of Maternal and Paternal Factors on Children's Social Development

The goal of this study is to examine associations among family and child protective factors, maternal and paternal levels of distress, and children's social competence in a sample of 156 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse first-time mothers, fathers, and their children, followed from 9 months to 30 months of age. Using multiple linear regression modeling, our results indicate that dyadic synchrony and children's positive temperament during infancy are significantly associated with fewer behavior problems and paternal optimism with high levels of social competence at 21 months (main effects). Father optimism and child positive temperament are only significantly related to higher levels of social competence and fewer behavioral problems, respectively, in the context of low levels of paternal distress (interaction effects). These results suggest that in our sample maternal dyadic synchrony operates in the same way across levels of maternal distress as it relates to children's behavior problems, with the exception of paternal optimism and children's positive temperament. Results also suggest that protective factors are different for mothers, fathers, and children.

Work-Family Conflict on Children's Internet Addiction: Role of Parenting Styles in Korean Working Mother

Based on spillover and crossover models in the family system, we hypothesized the mediating effect of parenting style in the association between maternal work–family conflict (WFC) and children’s problematic internet (PIU). This is a cross-sectional study using data from the 10th wave Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC) in 2017. The study subjects were 707 mothers and their children. The WFC was measured using the Marshall and Barnett scale, parenting style by the Parenting Styles and Dimension Questionnaire developed by Robinson, and the PIU of a child by the K-Scale for adolescent observers. As a result, maternal WFC had a positive association with the PIU of a child. Maternal WFC also had a link with parenting styles. Specifically, WFC had a negative association with an authoritative parenting style, and a positive association with authoritarian and permissive parenting styles. Regarding the relationship between maternal WFC and the PIU of a child, parenting styles showed a mediating effect for authoritative (z = 2.08, p = 0.037), authoritarian (z = 2.71, p = 0.007), and permissive (z = 3.14, p = 0.002). Based on the results, we assert that when planning an intervention to reduce children’s PIU for working mothers, a multifaceted approach is essential, including both WFC and parenting behavior.

Mind-mindedness in out-of-home Care for Children: Implications for caregivers and child

Most out-of-home placed children have experienced early adversities, including maltreatment and neglect. A challenge for caregivers is to adequately interpret their foster child’s internal mental states and behavior. We examined caregivers’ mind-mindedness in out-of-home care, and the association among caregivers’ mind-mindedness (and its positive, neutral, and negative valence), recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, and behavior problems. Participants (N = 138) were foster parents, family-home parents, and residential care workers. Caregivers’ mind-mindedness was assessed with the describe-your-child measure. Caregivers’ recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, their child’s emotional symptoms, conduct problems, prosocial behavior, and quality of the caregiver-child relationship were assessed using caregivers’ reports. Foster parents produced more mental-state descriptors than did residential care workers. General mind-mindedness, as well as neutral and positive mind-mindedness, related negatively to conduct problems. Besides, positive mind-mindedness was associated with prosocial behavior and neutral mind-mindedness with a better quality of the caregiver-child relationship and fewer child conduct problems. Negative mind-mindedness related positively to the caregiver’s recognition of the child’s trauma symptoms, and indirectly, to emotional symptoms. In conclusion, mind-mindedness seems to be an essential characteristic of out-of-home caregivers, connected to the understanding of their child’s behavior problems and trauma symptoms, as well as to the relationship with the child. The findings suggest a possible use of mind-mindedness in out-of-home care evaluation and intervention.

Relations between child self-control, maternal relational frustration, and teacher-child conflict: a longitudinal study with children from dual-earner families

This longitudinal study follows children from dual-earner families in 4 time-points, covering the early childhood period. We examined the influence of work-family conflict (WFC) on maternal relational frustration (RF) towards the child, and investigated the reciprocal relations among maternal RF, children's self-control (SC), and teacher-child (TC) conflict over time. Participants were 214 children (97 girls; M age = 4.00 years), their mothers, and teachers. Mothers reported their own WFC and RF, whereas teachers reported child SC and T-C conflict. Results from a cross-lagged panel model indicated the experience of WFC positively predicted maternal RF. Maternal RF and T-C conflict were negatively related to the child later SC abilities. Conversely, children who displayed SC difficulties were more likely to experience later maternal RF and T-C conflict. There was evidence supporting the bidirectional effects of child SC and T-C conflict across time. Moreover, maternal RF and T-C conflict were indirectly linked, via child SC. The findings are consistent with a transactional view of development, stressing the importance of contextual factors to the quality of caregiving relationships and highlighting the complex and reciprocal relations between child regulatory competence and the quality of relationships with distinct caregivers.

The Consequences of Work–Family Enrichment in Families on the Behaviour of Children

This study considers the spillover effect of work-family enrichment in parents on the behaviour of their children. Using a mediation model with parental well-being and parenting styles, the study unravels the associations between a positive perspective on work-life balance and the outcomes in a child’s live. Using 4012 parents from the data of the Australian LSAC (Growing up in Australia), the model shows that children’s behaviour is influenced by parents’ experience of work-family enrichment through parental well-being. Also, parenting performance functions as a mediator between work-family enrichment and the behaviour of the child. Parents show more stimulating parenting behaviour when they experience enrichment between work and their family.

Workaholism, Work Engagement and Child Well-Being: A Test of the Spillover-Crossover Model

This study examines how working parents' work attitudes (i.e., workaholism and work engagement) are associated with their child's psychological well-being. Based on the Spillover-Crossover model (SCM), we hypothesize that (a) work-to-family spillover (i.e., work-to-family conflict and facilitation) and (b) employee happiness will sequentially mediate the relationship between parents' work attitudes and their child's emotional and behavioral problems. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Japanese dual-earner couples with pre-school child(ren). On the basis of valid data from 208 families, the hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling. For both fathers and mothers simultaneously, workaholism was positively related to work-to-family conflict, which, in turn, was negatively related to happiness. In contrast, work engagement was positively related to work-to-family facilitation, which, in turn, was positively related to happiness. Fathers' and mothers' happiness, in turn, were negatively related to their child's emotional and behavioral problems. Results suggest that parents' workaholism and work engagement are related to their child's emotional and behavioral problems in opposite ways, whereby parents' spillover and happiness mediate this relationship. These findings support the SCM and suggest that decreasing workaholism and improving work engagement may not only improve employees' happiness, but also decrease their child's emotional and behavioral problems.

Relationships Among Emerging Adult Psychological Problems, Maltreatment, and Parental Psychopathology: Moderation by Parent-Child Relationship Quality

Current research supports clear relationships between parental psychopathology, parental maltreatment, and emerging adult child psychopathology. Less research has examined how the role of the parent-child relationship influences these existing associations. The current study tested two models that examined the moderating effect of parent-child relationship quality on parental psychopathology and emerging adult mental health as well as the effect on parental maltreatment and emerging adult mental health. It was expected that high parent-child relationship quality would buffer against the negative effects of parental psychopathology and maltreatment while enhancing the effects of functional parenting characteristics. Participants included 1,452 emerging adults, predominantly Caucasian (73.3%) college students who completed surveys on their mental health, recent experienced maltreatment, and their parents' mental health problems. Results suggested lowest rates of mental health problems for emerging adults were associated with higher parent-child relationship quality and lower parental psychological problems, whereas negative outcomes were associated with higher parental psychopathology, regardless of parent-child relationship quality. Additionally, physical maltreatment was associated with lower rates of mental health concerns in the context of higher mother-daughter relationship quality. Results emphasize the continuing impact of the parent-child relationship, particularly the mother-daughter relationship, on emerging adults' mental health. Moreover, the current study demonstrates the continuing influence of parents on their emerging adult children.

Advancing Research and Measurement on Fathering and Child Development

Fathers are more than social accidents. Research has demonstrated that fathers matter to children's development. Despite noted progress, challenges remain on how best to conceptualize and assess fathering and father-child relationships. The current monograph is the result of an SRCD-sponsored meeting of fatherhood scholars brought together to discuss these challenges and make recommendations for best practices for incorporating fathers in studies on parenting and children's development. The first aim of this monograph was to provide a brief update on the current state of research on fathering and to lay out a developmental ecological systems perspective as a conceptual framework for understanding the different spaces fathers inhabit in their children's lives. Because there is wide variability in fathers' roles, the ecological systems perspective situates fathers, mothers, children, and other caregivers within an evolving network of interrelated social relationships in which children and their parents change over time and space (e.g., residence). The second aim was to present examples of empirical studies conducted by members of the international working group that highlighted different methods, data collection, and statistical analyses used to capture the variability in father-child relationships. The monograph ends with a commentary that elaborates on the ecological systems framework with a discussion of the broader macrosystem and social-contextual influences that impinge on fathers and their children. The collection of articles contributes to research on father-child relationships by advancing theory and presenting varied methods and analysis strategies that assist in understanding the father-child relationship and its impact on child development.

Work-Family Conflict and Mindful Parenting: The Mediating Role of Parental Psychopathology Symptoms and Parenting Stress in a Sample of Portuguese Employed Parents

Aims: The aims of the current study are to examine whether parents' work-family conflict, emotional distress (anxiety/depressive symptoms and parenting stress) and mindful parenting vary according to the type of employment (full-time, part-time, and occasional), the type of work schedule (fixed, flexible, and shift), and the number of working hours per week and to explore whether parental emotional distress mediates the association between work-family conflict and mindful parenting dimensions. Methods: A sample of 335 employed parents (86.3% mothers) of children and adolescents between the ages of 1 and 19 years old completed a sociodemographic form and measures of work-family conflict, anxiety/depression symptoms, parenting stress, and mindful parenting. The differences in study variables among types of employment, work schedules and number of weekly working hours were analyzed. A path model was tested through structural equation modeling in AMOS to explore the indirect effect of work-family conflict on mindful parenting dimensions through anxiety, depression and parenting stress. The invariance of the path model across children's age groups (toddlers, preschool and grade school children, and adolescents) and parents' gender was also examined. Results: Parents with a shift work schedule, working full-time and 40 h or more per week, presented significantly higher levels of work-family conflict than those with a fixed or flexible schedule, working part-time and less than 40 h per week, respectively. Parents with a flexible work schedule presented significantly higher levels of self-regulation in parenting and of non-judgmental acceptance of parental functioning than parents with a shift work schedule. Higher levels of work-family conflict were associated with lower levels of mindful parenting dimensions through higher levels of anxiety/depression symptoms and parenting stress. The model was invariant across children's age groups and parents' gender. Discussion: Work-family conflict is associated with poorer parental mental health and with less mindful parenting. Workplaces should implement family-friendly policies (e.g., flexible work arrangements) that help parents successfully balance the competing responsibilities and demands of their work and family roles. These policies could have a critical impact on the mental health of parents and, consequently, on their parental practices.

Longitudinal associations between work-family conflict and enrichment, inter-parental conflict, and child internalizing and externalizing problems

RATIONALE

Work-family conflict and enrichment refer to parents' challenges and benefits of combining work and family roles. Emerging evidence suggests detrimental effects of work-family conflict and facilitating effects of work-family enrichment on couple, family, and child functioning. This effect may be more pronounced in mothers, who must juggle different roles within the family and work context. To date, research has examined these relations as unidirectional, but reciprocal associations may be possible.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the shape and direction of associations between maternal work-family conflict and enrichment, child internalizing and externalizing problems, and inter-parental conflict.

METHOD

Growth curve modelling used six waves of biennial data spanning ten years of childhood (4-5 to 14-15 years) for 2946 children and their employed mothers from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.

RESULTS

Results indicated bidirectional associations between the work-family interface and child outcomes; mothers' initial work-family conflict was associated with a quadratic increase in child internalizing (but not externalizing) problems over time. Child internalizing problems at 4-5 years predicted a linear decrease in mothers' work-family enrichment over time. However, work-family enrichment at 4-5 years was not associated with the change in either child internalizing or externalizing problems. Work-family conflict and inter-parental conflict at 4-5 years were not associated with change in one another. Initial work-family enrichment was associated with a quadratic decrease in inter-parental conflict, and initial inter-parental conflict was associated with a linear increase in externalizing problems; no evident reverse association was found.

CONCLUSION

Findings demonstrate the importance of the work-family interface in shaping family health outcomes. The primary direction of influence was from work-family factors to inter-parental conflict and child mental health problems. Thus, interventions aimed at promoting family-friendly work environments and policies would likely yield benefits for parents and their families.

Parental Time of Returning Home From Work and Child Mental Health Among First-Year Primary School Students in Japan: Result From A-CHILD Study

Introduction: Child mental health is known to be influenced by parental work hours. Although literature suggests that parent-child interaction mediates the association, few studies have directly measured the parental time of returning home from work. We analyzed data from a school-based survey to examine the association between parental time of returning home from work and child mental health. Methods: We used a sample of 2,987 first-year primary school students derived from the Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (A-CHILD) study that examined the impact of family environment and lifestyle on child health in Adachi City, Tokyo, Japan. We analyzed the associations between reported parental time of returning home and the continuous Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores using multivariable regression modeling. Results: Children whose parents both returned home late (later than 6 p.m. for the mother and later than 8 p.m. for the father), or at irregular times, had higher scores in total difficulties (β = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.55 to 1.85), the "conduct problems" subscale (β = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.60), and the hyperactivity/inattention subscale (β = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.82) compared with children whose parents both returned home earlier. Mediation analyses indicated that the percentage of the total association between parental time of returning home and the SDQ scores, which was mediated by parent-child interaction, was 20% (95% CI: 10 to 46) for total difficulties, 17% (95% CI: 7 to 49) for conduct problems, and 23% (95% CI: 11 to 52) for hyperactivity/inattention. Conclusions: Late or irregular returning home times for both parents had an adverse effect on child mental health, and the relationship was partly mediated by reduced frequency of parent-child interaction.