The influence of mood on memories of parental rearing practices

The impact of parenting practices and family economy on psychological wellbeing and learning patterns in higher education students

BACKGROUND

There is a large literature on the significant impact of rearing factors in the psychological development of different child's learning patterns and wellbeing in elementary and secondary schools, but there is a scarcity of studies on to what extent those influences remain stable up to higher education.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, parenting practices and family status were analyzed as predictors of the different learning styles, psychological difficulties, mental health factors, and academic performance, comprising the psychosocial diversity in learning (DinL) at the university classroom.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional design, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 2522 students at the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). It included a DinL scale measuring five psychological learning dimensions (coping with difficulties, effort, autonomy, Social/Physical Context, and understanding/career interest), plus several items on retrospective parenting practices, family, and sociodemographic variables. Multiple regressions and analyses of variance were conducted with the family factors as independent variables and the learning factors as dependent variables.

RESULTS

Results showed parenting variables, parents' education, and family economy as having a significant impact on psychological learning dimensions, academic performance, and especially on the students' wellbeing and mental health status, being an important contributors to explain the DinL in the university classroom.

CONCLUSION

The results bring interesting conclusions for developmental and health psychologists when working with parents aimed at fostering wellbeing and learning strategies related to academic inclusion and achievement.

Positive reappraisal coping mediates the relationship between parental abuse and lack of affection on adulthood generalized anxiety severity

Exposure to parental abuse and lack of parental affection during childhood are risk factors for adulthood psychopathology. Tendency to engage in positive reappraisal may be a plausible mechanism underlying this relationship. The current study examined if positive reappraisal coping mediated the relationship between maternal/paternal abuse/affection and adulthood generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. Participant data (N = 3294) from the Midlife Development in the United States study was collected in three waves, spaced nine years apart. Longitudinal structural equation mediation modeling examined whether positive reappraisal coping at Time 2 mediated the relationship between maternal/paternal abuse/affection at Time 1 and GAD symptoms at Time 3, controlling for GAD symptoms at Time 1. Positive reappraisal coping mediated maternal/paternal childhood abuse - GAD symptom severity and maternal/paternal childhood affection - GAD severity relations. Maternal and paternal abuse was associated with lower positive reappraisal tendencies, predicting increased GAD symptom severity. Conversely, higher maternal/paternal affection was associated with increased positive reappraisal, predicting lower GAD severity. Incremental prediction revealed that childhood abuse to GAD severity via positive reappraisal path was significant for maternal but not paternal abuse, whereas affection from both parents remained significant. Positive reappraisal coping may be a possible mechanism linking childhood experiences to adulthood GAD severity.

Depression Risk Is Associated With Weakened Synchrony Between the Amygdala and Experienced Emotion

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with aberrant limbic neural responses to emotional stimuli. We assessed how self-generated emotions modulate trial-by-trial limbic activity and whether this brain-emotion synchrony varies by familial MDD risk (regardless of personal MDD history) and neuroticism.

METHODS

Participants (n = 74, mean age = 34 years) were later-generation family members of depressed or nondepressed probands as part of a longitudinal cohort study. Using an emotion induction task, we examined participant-specific modulation of anatomically defined limbic neurobiology. Neuroticism, mental health, and familial parenting style were assessed, and MDD assessments were routinely collected throughout the previous longitudinal assessments of the study.

RESULTS

Participant-specific emotional arousal modulated amygdala and hippocampal activity. Lasso regression identified attenuated right amygdala arousal modulation as being relatively more associated with neuroticism (even though neuroticism was not associated with arousal ratings). Attenuated amygdala modulation and neuroticism were significantly more likely in offspring of parents with MDD. Parental MDD, but not personal history of MDD, predicted attenuated amygdala modulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Attenuated right amygdala modulation by emotional arousal was associated with neuroticism, indicating that the amygdala was less synchronous with emotional experiences in individuals higher in neuroticism. This neurophenotype was predicted by participants' parental MDD history but not by their own MDD history; that is, it was observed in unaffected and affected offspring of parents with MDD. These data suggest that weak amygdala-emotion synchrony may be a predisposing risk factor for MDD, rather than a result of the illness, and they suggest pathways by which this risk factor for depression is passed intergenerationally.

The German Feedback Socialization Inventory

Abstract. Feedback after success and failure can refer to stable attributes like ability and personality traits (person feedback) or to variable attributes like effort and strategies (process feedback). Past experimental research has shown that person feedback leads to helpless reactions after failure, whereas process feedback fosters mastery reactions. Feedback given in experimental settings may, however, have other effects than feedback given in natural settings for a long time. In order to investigate the latter we constructed the German Feedback Socialization Inventory (FSI), which assesses parental feedback retrospectively. The FSI consists of nine subscales assessing different facets of person and process feedback after success and failure from the recipients’ point of view. Construction followed rational principles. The pilot version was examined by exploratory factor analyses and item analyses ( N = 214). Results led to a shortened version, whose factorial structure was confirmed by structural equation modeling in three independent samples ( N = 1,113). The FSI showed good psychometric properties in each sample. Furthermore, validation was successful with regard to parental rearing behavior, variables concerning school performance, parental level of education, and participants’ coping styles.

Interactive effects of 5-HTTLPR genotype and rearing environment on affective attitude towards own infant in Japanese mothers

Maternal positive attitude towards one's own infant is the cornerstone of effective parenting. Previous research has revealed an influence of both genetic and environmental factors on maternal parenting behavior, but little is known of the potential gene-environment interaction in shaping a mother's affective attitude. To address this gap, we investigated the effect of a mother's childhood rearing environment and a serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) on affective attitude towards her infant. Our analyses found an interactive effect between rearing environment and 5-HTTLPR genotype on maternal attitude. Specifically, a poor rearing environment (characterized by low maternal care and high paternal overprotection) decreased positive attitude towards one's own infant in mothers with homozygous short allele genotype. In contrast, this detrimental effect was almost eliminated in long allele carriers. Altogether, our results indicate that the 5-HTTLPR gene moderates the influence of experienced rearing environment on maternal parental behavior in a manner consistent with the notion that the short 5-HTTLPR allele amplifies environmental influence.

Developmental risk factors in generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of clarity regarding specific risk factors discriminating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) from panic disorder (PD).

GOAL

This study investigated whether GAD and PD could be discriminated through differences in developmental etiological factors including childhood parental loss/separation, psychological disorders, and maternal and paternal attachment.

METHOD

Twenty people with adult generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), 20 with adult panic disorder (PD), 11 with adult comorbid GAD and PD, and 21 adult non-anxious controls completed diagnostic interviews to assess symptoms of mental disorders in adulthood and childhood. Participants also reported on parental attachment, loss and separation.

RESULTS

Childhood diagnoses of GAD and PD differentiated clinical groups from controls as well as from each other, suggesting greater likelihood for homotypic over heterotypic continuity. Compared to controls, specific phobia was associated with all three clinical groups, and childhood depression, social phobia, and PTSD were uniquely associated with adult GAD. Both maternal and paternal attachment also differentiated clinical groups from controls. However, higher levels of subscales reflecting maternal insecure avoidant attachment (e.g., no memory of early childhood experiences and balancing/forgiving current state of mind) emerged as more predictive of GAD relative to PD. There were no group differences in parental loss or separation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support differentiation of GAD and PD based on developmental risk factors. Recommendations for future research and implications of the findings for understanding the etiology and symptomatology of GAD and PD are discussed.

Childhood maltreatment and comorbid anxiety in people with bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Comorbid anxiety disorders and a history of childhood maltreatment are important determinants of outcome in bipolar disorder, but the relationship between these two factors is unclear.

METHODS

In 174 outpatients with bipolar disorder, we assessed history of childhood maltreatment with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and lifetime diagnosis of anxiety disorders with the M.I.N.I. International Neuropsychiatric Interview. We used ordinary logistic regressions to test associations between childhood maltreatment and the number of comorbid anxiety disorders, controlling for age, sex and the type of bipolar disorder.

RESULTS

Ninety (51.7%) participants had no anxiety disorder, 50 (28.7%) had one anxiety disorder and 34 (19.5%) had two or more anxiety disorders. Childhood maltreatment, indexed by a higher CTQ total score, was associated with more lifetime anxiety disorders (OR=1.5; 95% CI=1.01 to 2.14; p=0.04). Of the CTQ subscales, emotional abuse (OR=1.68; 95% CI=1.13 to 2.49; p=0.01) and physical abuse (OR=1.43; 95% CI=1.02 to 2.01; p=0.04) were associated with anxiety disorders. Of the anxiety disorders, panic disorder was most strongly associated with childhood maltreatment (OR=2.27; 95% CI=1.28 to 4.02; p=0.01).

LIMITATIONS

The study is limited by a moderate sample size and the retrospective assessment of childhood maltreatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to maltreatment in childhood is associated with comorbid anxiety disorders among individuals living with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder with comorbid anxiety may constitute a separate aetiological type with a greater contribution of early environment.

Emotion recognition specialization and context-dependent risk of anxiety and depression in adolescents

BACKGROUND

Some adolescents function poorly in apparently benign environments, while others thrive despite hassles and difficulties. The aim of this study was to examine if adolescents with specialized skills in the recognition of either positive or negative emotions have a context-dependent risk of developing an anxiety or depressive disorder during adolescence, depending on exposure to positive or harsh parenting.

METHODS

Data came from a large prospective Dutch population study (N = 1539). At age 11, perceived parental rejection and emotional warmth were measured by questionnaire, and emotion recognition skills by means of a reaction-time task. Lifetime diagnoses of anxiety and depressive disorders were assessed at about age 19, using a standardized diagnostic interview.

RESULTS

Adolescents who were specialized in the recognition of positive emotions had a relatively high probability to develop an anxiety disorder when exposed to parental rejection (Bspecialization*rejection = 0.23, P < 0.01) and a relatively low probability in response to parental emotional warmth (Bspecialization*warmth = -0.24, P = 0.01), while the opposite pattern was found for specialists in negative emotions. The effect of parental emotional warmth on depression onset was likewise modified by emotion recognition specialization (B = -0.13, P = 0.03), but the effect of parental rejection was not (B = 0.02, P = 0.72). In general, the relative advantage of specialists in negative emotions was restricted to fairly uncommon negative conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that there is no unequivocal relation between parenting behaviors and the probability to develop an anxiety or depressive disorder in adolescence, and that emotion recognition specialization may be a promising way to distinguish between various types of context-dependent reaction patterns.

The Relation of Childhood Maltreatment to Psychotic Symptoms in Adolescents and Young Adults With Depression

This study examined the relation between a history of maltreatment and the presence of psychotic symptoms in a community sample of adolescents and young adults with major depressive disorder. One hundred and twenty-nine depressed adolescents and young adults (M = 16.02 years, 77% female, 92% White) were recruited through community advertisement and clinician referral. Clinical diagnoses and psychotic symptoms (i.e., hallucinations and delusions) were assessed using a structured diagnostic interview. Childhood maltreatment was assessed using a contextual interview and standardized rating system. Logistic regression analyses examined the relation between childhood maltreatment and psychotic symptoms. As hypothesized, individuals with psychotic symptoms were significantly more likely to report a history of severe sexual maltreatment than those without psychotic symptoms (Wald = 5.44, odds ratio = 3.86, p = .020), 95% confidence interval [1.24, 12.01]. Further, those with psychotic symptoms were more likely to report being the victims of more than one type of maltreatment than those without, χ2(2) = 6.66, p = .036 (ϕ = .23; 40% vs. 16%). Results held upon adjusting for overall level of depression symptoms. A history of severe sexual maltreatment is related to a severe presentation of major depressive disorder even in the initial onset of the syndrome in adolescence and young adulthood. These findings underscore the importance of early assessment of both depression and maltreatment history to implement interventions that have the potential to prevent the emergence of psychotic psychopathology in young people at risk.

The relationship of parental rearing behavior and resilience as well as psychological symptoms in a representative sample

Background

Recalled parental rearing behavior is one of the factors influencing the strength of resilience. However, it is unclear whether resilience is a relatively stable personality trait or has a relational character whose protective strength changes over the course of life. Therefore, the association between recalled parental rearing and resilience as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression was investigated in respect to age and gender.

Methods

N = 4,782 healthy subjects aged 14-92 (M = 48.1 years) were selected by the random-route sampling method. In this sample, an ultra-short form of the Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior Questionnaire, the German short version of the resilience scale, and two screening instruments for depression and anxiety (PHQ-2, GAD-2) were filled out. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data estimated with the maximum likelihood method approach.

Results

The data revealed that rejection and punishment were clearly associated with lower resilience. Moreover, resilience had a strong connection to the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Resilience had the same quality of association in both men and women with respect to anxiety and depression. Furthermore, the effect of resilience did not vary across several age groups even though challenges may differ over a lifetime.

Conclusion

Recalled parental rearing behavior such as rejection and punishment as well as control and overprotection exert a significant association on the strength of resilience. Resilience has an effect independent of gender and does not affect people of different age groups differently.

Recalled peer relationship experiences and current levels of self-criticism and self-reassurance

OBJECTIVES

Numerous studies have shown that personality factors may increase or decrease individuals' vulnerability to depression, but little research has examined the role of peer relationships in the development of these factors. Accordingly, this study examined the role of recalled parenting and peer experiences in the development of self-criticism and self-reassurance. It was hypothesized that, controlling for recalled parenting behaviours, specific recalled experiences of peer relationships would be related to current levels of specific forms of self-criticism and self-reassurance.

DESIGN

Hypotheses were tested using a retrospective design in which participants were asked to recall experiences of parenting and peer relationships during early adolescence. This age was chosen as early adolescence has been shown to be a critical time for the development of vulnerability to depression.

METHODS

A total of 103 female and 97 male young adults completed measures of recalled parenting, overt and relational victimization and prosocial behaviour by peers, and current levels of self-criticism and self-reassurance.

RESULTS

Hierarchical regression analyses showed that parents and peers independently contributed to the development of self-criticism and self-reassurance. Specifically, controlling for parental care and control, overt victimization predicted self-hating self-criticism, relational victimization predicted inadequacy self-criticism, and prosocial behaviour predicted self-reassurance. As well, prosocial behaviour buffered the effect of overt victimization on self-reassurance.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the importance of peers in the development of personality risk and resiliency factors for depression, and suggest avenues for interventions to prevent the development of depressive vulnerabilities in youth.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

The nature of a patient's personality vulnerability to depression may be better understood through a consideration of the patient's relationships with their peers as well as with parents during adolescence. An understanding of adult patients' past peer relationships may further the therapist's understanding of the client's core schemas and dysfunctional attitudes, as well as potential transference reactions during therapy. Identifying and helping youth to better cope with peer victimization may help prevent the development of a vulnerable personality style in adulthood. Fostering positive peer relationships in adolescence may buffer the effects of other more negative relationships with peers.

The postpartum depressive state in relation to perceived rearing: a prospective cohort study

Background

The relationship between perceived rearing and the postpartum depressive state remains unclear. We aimed to examine whether perceived rearing is a risk factor for postpartum depression as measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and whether the score of perceived rearing is affected by depressive mood (the state dependency of perceived rearing).

Methods

Pregnant women (n = 448, mean age 31.8±4.2 years) completed the EPDS as a measure of depressive state in early pregnancy (T1), late pregnancy (around 36 weeks), and at 1 month postpartum (T2), and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) at T1 as a measure of perceived rearing. Changes in the EPDS and the PBI scores from T1 to T2 were compared between the non depressive (ND) group and the postpartum depressive (PD) group.

Results

There were no significant differences in any PBI category for perceived rearing between the ND and PD groups at T1. EPDS scores did not change significantly from T1 to T2 in the ND group but increased significantly in the PD group. The PBI maternal care score increased significantly in the ND group (p<0.01), while decreasing in the PD group (p<0.05). Additionally, in both the ND and PD groups, significant negative correlation was observed regarding change in the EPDS and PBI maternal care scores from T1 to T2 (r = −0.28, p = 0.013).

Conclusions

The present study suggests that perceived rearing is not a strong risk factor for postpartum depression as measured by the EPDS. Furthermore, the results indicated the state dependency of the PBI maternal care score.

An ultra-short screening version of the Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior questionnaire (FEE-US) and its factor structure in a representative German sample

BACKGROUND

The Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior questionnaire (FEE, [1,2]) assesses perceived parental rearing behavior separately for each parent. An ultra-short screening version (FEE-US) with the same three scales each for the mother and the father is reported and factor-analytically validated.

METHODS

N = 4,640 subjects aged 14 to 92 (M = 48.4 years) were selected by the random-route sampling method. The ultra-short questionnaire version was derived from the long version through item and factor analyses. In a confirmatory factor analysis framework, the hypothesized three-factorial structure was fitted to the empirical data and tested for measurement invariance, differential item functioning, item discriminability, and convergent and discriminant factorial validity. Effects of gender or age were assessed using MANOVAs.

RESULTS

The a-priori hypothesized model resulted in mostly adequate overall fit. Neither gender nor age group yielded considerable effects on the factor structure, but had small effects on means of raw score sums. Factorial validities could be confirmed. Scale sums are well-suited to rank respondents along the respective latent dimension.

CONCLUSION

The structure of the long version with the factors Rejection & Punishment, Emotional Warmth, and Control & Overprotection could be replicated for both father and mother items in the ultra-short screening version using confirmatory factor analyses. These results indicate that the ultra-short screening version is a time-saving and promising screening instrument for research settings and in individual counseling. However, the shortened scales do not necessarily represent the full spectrum covered by the full-scale dimensions.

Characterizing the association between parenting and adolescent social phobia

OBJECTIVES

For characterizing the association between parenting and offspring social phobia (SP), contrasting maternal vs. paternal contributions, putative predictors of unfavorable parenting behaviors and its specificity for SP are warranted to delineate targeted prevention and intervention strategies.

METHODS

A population-based sample of 1053 adolescents was followed-up using the M-CIDI. Parenting was assessed via questionnaire in offspring passing the high risk period for SP-onset. Natal complications and childhood serious health problems as assessed by maternal reports were hypothesized to relate to unfavorable parenting.

RESULTS

The pattern of maternal overprotection, paternal rejection and lower emotional warmth was associated with SP, but not with other offspring anxiety disorders. Natal complications were related to overprotection and lower emotional warmth; trend-level associations emerged for serious health problems and unfavorable parenting.

CONCLUSIONS

Paternal behavior appears particularly relevant for SP. The pattern of maternal overprotection, paternal rejection and lower emotional warmth was observed in SP only, suggesting that its detailed assessment provides a promising opportunity for targeted prevention and intervention in SP.

Course of compulsive hoarding and its relationship to life events

BACKGROUND

Compulsive hoarding is a common and debilitating, yet poorly understood, condition characterized by excessive acquisition of and failure to discard a large number of objects, resulting in cluttered and often hazardous living conditions. The aim of this study was to examine the onset and course of compulsive hoarding, and the relationships between stressful or traumatic life events and course of illness.

METHODS

Seven hundred fifty-one adults with self-reported hoarding symptoms completed an online survey regarding the severity of hoarding behavior over the lifespan and the incidence of stressful or traumatic life events.

RESULTS

Median age of onset was between 11 and 15 years, with most respondents reporting symptom onset before age 20. Late-onset (e.g., after age 40) hoarding was rare. Most respondents described a chronic course of illness, with a significant minority describing an increasing or relapsing/remitting course. Stressful and traumatic events were common in this sample; changes in relationships and interpersonal violence were disproportionately associated temporally with periods of symptom onset or exacerbation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the chronic nature of compulsive hoarding, its associated public health burden, and the potential impact of life stressors on symptom development. Directions for further research are discussed.

The stability of parental bonding reports: a 20-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Addressing the long-term reliability of retrospectively assessed parenting is underscored by the well-documented association between parenting behaviors, and mood disorders in offspring. The rarity of longitudinal research with follow-up periods exceeding 10 years creates a need for additional studies.

METHODS

134 offspring of depressed and non-depressed parents were assessed on Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) scores, lifetime major depression (MDD), and current depressive symptoms at four waves across 20 years. PBI rank order and mean level stability, individual trajectories, and the impact of baseline age, gender, and lifetime MDD on stability, were obtained using multiple regression and linear mixed model analyses.

RESULTS

Besides paternal overprotection which showed a 1.6-point average decrease, the PBI domains remained non-significant for mean level change over 20 years. However, there was a significant individual variation for all PBI domains. Lifetime MDD and age did not significantly impact retest correlations; older age at baseline was associated with higher average paternal overprotection. Sons had lower retest correlations than daughters, but did not differ from daughters on mean level stability. Current depressive symptoms were associated with PBI scores, but did not impact the effect of lifetime MDD, gender or age on mean level stability and individual trajectories.

LIMITATIONS

Small sample sizes and measuring lifetime MDD as present or absent may have restricted our ability to detect effects of MDD history on PBI stability.

CONCLUSION

The PBI is a robust measure of an important environmental risk for depressive disorders, and can be variably sensitive to sample characteristics, the passage of time and mood fluctuations. However, this sensitivity does not appear to significantly bias the long-term stability of this instrument.

The assessment of recalled parental rearing behavior and its relationship to life satisfaction and interpersonal problems: a general population study

Background

Parental rearing behavior is a significant etiological factor for the vulnerability of psychopathology and has been an issue of clinical research for a long time. For this scope instruments are important who asses economically recalled parental rearing behavior in a clinical practice. Therefore, a short German instrument for the assessment of the recalled parental rearing behavior Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten (FEE) was psychometrically evaluated [Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior].

Methods

This questionnaire was evaluated in a representative population sample (N = 2.948) in Germany which included 44.2% male and 55.8% female persons with a mean age of M = 47.35 (SD = 17.10, range = 18–92). For the content evaluation of the FEE the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (FLZ) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) was filled out by the participants.

Results

The FEE scales yielded a good to satisfactory internal consistency and split-half reliability. Its three factors (rejection/punishment, emotional warmth, control/overprotection) correlated positively with most of the areas of life satisfaction. Furthermore, positive associations between interpersonal problems and parental rejection and control could be identified.

Conclusion

The FEE is a short, reliable and valid instrument that can be applied in the clinical practice. In addition, the data proved an association between recalled parental rearing behavior, life satisfaction and interpersonal problems conform to the literature. Finally, specific problems with the retrospective assessment of parental rearing behavior were addressed as well.

Stability of affect associated with autobiographical memories

Childhood family atmosphere is a frequent topic in psychotherapy. Our aim was to assess the stability of affect associated with autobiographical memories. In a 7-year follow-up study of depression, 414 primary care patients and psychiatric outpatients both at baseline and at follow-up completed the self-inquiry Depression Scale (DEPS) and answered simple questions about the mental atmosphere in their childhood families. The prevalence and the distribution of changes in affect were calculated by cross-tabulation. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between depressiveness and changes in affect. Nearly 50% of the sample had at least one change in the responses. Young age and male gender were significant predictors for changes. Depressiveness was associated with changes in miserable affect of the childhood home. Affect associated with autobiographical memories seems to change over a longer period. The association between depressiveness and changes in recollections is convoluted. The large number of changes of affects concerning autobiographical memories should be taken into account both in psychotherapy and in studies of life-long experiences. Future long follow-up studies with more specific multi-item measures on family atmosphere are needed.

Temperament, parenting, and depressive symptoms in a population sample of preadolescents

BACKGROUND

Depressive symptoms can be triggered by negative social experiences and individuals' processing of these experiences. This study focuses on the interaction between temperament, perceived parenting, and gender in relation to depressive problems in a Dutch population sample of preadolescents.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 2230 ten-to-twelve-year-olds from the North of The Netherlands. Perceived parenting (overprotection, rejection, emotional warmth) was assessed by the EMBU (a Swedish acronym for My Memories of Upbringing) for Children, temperament (fearfulness and frustration) by the parent version of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised, and depressive problems by the Child Behavior Checklist (parent report) and the Youth Self-Report (child report).

RESULTS

All parenting and temperament factors were significantly associated with depressive problems. Frustration increased the depressogenic effect of parental overprotection and lack of emotional warmth. Fearfulness increased the effect of rejection in girls, but not in boys. Furthermore, the association between frustration and depression was stronger in boys.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the hypothesis that the effect of specific parenting behaviors depends on the temperament and gender of the child.

A genetically informed study of the association between harsh punishment and offspring behavioral problems

Conclusions about the effects of harsh parenting on children have been limited by research designs that cannot control for genetic or shared environmental confounds. The present study used a sample of children of twins and a hierarchical linear modeling statistical approach to analyze the consequences of varying levels of punishment while controlling for many confounding influences. The sample of 887 twin pairs and 2,554 children came from the Australian Twin Registry. Although corporal punishment per se did not have significant associations with negative childhood outcomes, harsher forms of physical punishment did appear to have specific and significant effects. The observed association between harsh physical punishment and negative outcomes in children survived a relatively rigorous test of its causal status, thereby increasing the authors' conviction that harsh physical punishment is a serious risk factor for children.

Impact of Social Developmental Experiences on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Generalized Social Phobia

The current study examined how the social developmental experiences of people with generalized social phobia (GSP) affect their therapeutic relationships and treatment response. GSP patients (N = 27) completed measures of social learning experiences, and then participated in a 12-session group cognitive-behavioral treatment program. Both patients and therapists completed the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) and rated their perceptions of each other at sessions 3 and 8. Self-reported childhood parental abuse was associated with a weaker working alliance and a more negative patient-therapist relationship. Childhood abuse also increased the risk of a poor treatment outcome, as reflected in less change in symptoms of social phobia and depression.

Parental overprotection and interpersonal behavior in generalized social phobia

Forty-one people with generalized social phobia (GSP) and 42 community controls completed a measure of social developmental experiences and then participated in a social interaction with an experimental assistant whose behavior was either friendly or ambiguous. Following the interaction, confederates rated participants' behavior and their desire to interact with their partner again. In people with social phobia, but not controls, perceptions of parental overprotection were associated with less responsiveness to partner behavior. Moreover, failure to reciprocate the friendly partner's behavior led to social rejection. The results support the value of incorporating social developmental concepts into cognitive-behavioral models of social phobia and highlight the contribution of social learning experiences to the development of maladaptive interpersonal behavior in these individuals.

Social interpretation bias and generalized social phobia: the influence of developmental experiences

Patients with generalized social phobia (N = 42) and non-phobic community controls (N = 42) engaged in a social interaction with an experimental assistant whose behavior was used to create either a positive or an ambiguous social environment. Participants then rated their own performance and their partner's behavior. As a group, social phobic patients displayed negatively biased self-judgments, but failed to display biased social interpretations. Among the social phobia group, a social developmental history marked by parental hostility was associated with negative interpretations of partner behavior and a history of parental overprotection was associated with less sensitivity to partner behavior. The results supported cognitive models of social phobia, which implicate negative learning experiences in the development of information processing biases.

Adapting to the challenge of psychosis: personal resilience and the use of sealing-over (avoidant) coping strategies

BACKGROUND

Avoidance coping (e.g. sealing over) is common in people recovering from psychosis, but it is not understood why some individuals 'seal over'.

AIMS

We examined the hypothesis that individuals who 'seal over' do not have the personal resilience to withstand this major life event.

METHOD

Fifty participants were interviewed during an acute episode of psychosis and reassessed at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. Measures included psychotic symptoms, recovery style, service engagement, parental and adult attachment and self-evaluative beliefs.

RESULTS

Sealing-over recovery styles are associated with negative early childhood experience, insecure adult attachment, negative self-evaluative beliefs and insecure identity. Insecure adult attachment was associated with less engagement with services.

CONCLUSIONS

Sealing over was associated with multiple signs of low personal resilience in adapting to psychosis.

Validity of adult retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences: review of the evidence

BACKGROUND

Influential studies have cast doubt on the validity of retrospective reports by adults of their own adverse experiences in childhood. Accordingly, many researchers view retrospective reports with scepticism.

METHOD

A computer-based search, supplemented by hand searches, was used to identify studies reported between 1980 and 2001 in which there was a quantified assessment of the validity of retrospective recall of sexual abuse, physical abuse, physical/emotional neglect or family discord, using samples of at least 40. Validity was assessed by means of comparisons with contemporaneous, prospectively obtained, court or clinic or research records; by agreement between retrospective reports of two siblings; and by the examination of possible bias with respect to differences between retrospective and prospective reports in their correlates and consequences. Medium- to long-term reliability of retrospective recall was determined from studies in which the test-retest period extended over at least 6 months.

RESULTS

Retrospective reports in adulthood of major adverse experiences in childhood, even when these are of a kind that allow reasonable operationalisation, involve a substantial rate of false negatives, and substantial measurement error. On the other hand, although less easily quantified, false positive reports are probably rare. Several studies have shown some bias in retrospective reports. However, such bias is not sufficiently great to invalidate retrospective case-control studies of major adversities of an easily defined kind. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that little weight can be placed on the retrospective reports of details of early experiences or on reports of experiences that rely heavily onjudgement or interpretation.

CONCLUSION

Retrospective studies have a worthwhile place in research, but further research is needed to examine possible biases in reporting.

Childhood adversities in patients with fibromyalgia and somatoform pain disorder

Primary fibromyalgia is regarded as disorder with a complex symptomatology, and no morphological alterations. Findings increasingly point to a dysfunction of the central nervous pain processing. The study aims to discuss vulnerability for fibromyalgia from a developmental psychopathological perspective. We investigated the presence of psychosocial adversities affecting the childhood of adult fibromyalgia patients (FM) and compared them to those of patients with somatoform pain disorders (SOM) and a control group (CG) with medically explained chronic pain. Using the structured biographical interview for pain patients (SBI-P), 38 FM patients, 71 SOM patients, and 44 CG patients were compared on the basis of 14 childhood adversities verified as relevant regarding longterm effects for adult health by prospective studies. The FM patients show the highest score of childhood adversities. In addition to sexual and physical maltreatment, the FM patients more frequently reported a poor emotional relationship with both parents, a lack of physical affection, experiences of the parents' physical quarrels, as well as alcohol or other problems of addiction in the mother, separation, and a poor financial situation before the age of 7. These experiences were found to a similar extent in the SOM patients, but distinctly less frequently in the CG. The results point to early psychosocial adversities as holding a similar etiological meaning in fibromyalgia as well as in somatoform pain disorders. The potential role of these factors as increasing the vulnerability for fibromyalgia is discussed.

[Long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences - Actual evidence and needs for research1/2]

There is evidence from some prospective and several retrospective studies that early biological and psychosocial stress in childhood is associated with long-term vulnerability to various mental and physical diseases. In the last few years research findings have accumulated on those emotional, behavioural and psychobiological factors which are responsible for the mediation of these lifelong consequences. They are the cause of an increased risk of somatization and other mental disorders. Particularly anxiety, depression and personality disorders often result in high-risk behaviour that itself is associated with physical disease (cardiovascular disorders, stroke, viral hepatitis, type 2 diabetes, chronic lung diseases) as well as with aggressive behaviour. A survey on the current knowledge of how these various factors interact is presented and a bio-psychopathological model of vulnerability is educed. Implications for future research are outlined and contrasted to actual political trends in Germany.

Zur Validität retrospektiver Datenerhebungen

Zusammenfassung: Anhand eines Vergleiches der Erinnerungen von jungen Erwachsenen an das elterliche Erziehungsverhalten mit den Erinnerungen ihrer Eltern an das eigene Erziehungsverhalten wird die Validität von retrospektiv erhobenen Daten untersucht. Darüber hinaus wird der Einfluss der aktuellen Stimmung auf die erziehungsbezogenen Erinnerungen überprüft. In die Studie einbezogen wurden N = 150 Studierende sowie deren Eltern. Sowohl das erinnerte kindperzipierte als auch das elternperzipierte Erziehungsverhalten sowie die aktuelle Stimmung der Studierenden wurden mittels Fragebögen erfasst. Im Ergebnis zeigte sich, dass die erziehungsbezogenen Erinnerungen der Studierenden und der Eltern signifikant positiv miteinander korreliert sind. Dies wird als Hinweis auf die Validität der erfassten subjektiven Repräsentationen des elterlichen Erziehungsverhaltens gewertet. Darüber hinaus ließen sich in der Studie Hinweise für eine Stimmungskongruenz des erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten finden. Sowohl bezüglich des erinnerten Erziehungsverhaltens als auch der Stimmungseffekte sind dabei jedoch differentielle Aspekte (hinsichtlich der betrachteten Erziehungsstildimensionen und der Elternteile) in Rechnung zu stellen.

The Parent Threat Inventory: development, reliability, and validity

OBJECTIVE

The goal was to develop a retrospective inventory of parental threatening behavior to facilitate a better understanding of such behavior's role in the etiology of psychological distress.

METHOD

Inventory items were developed based on theory and 135 students' responses to a question eliciting examples of threatening parental behavior. Following item development, two additional student samples (n = 200 and n = 603) completed batteries of self-report measures. Responses were used to eliminate unstable or redundant items from the inventory and to examine the inventory's psychometric properties.

RESULTS

Factor analysis of the inventory revealed three factors, accounting for 66.2% of variance; this factor structure is compatible with theory, and consistent across maternal behavior scores, paternal behavior scores, and combined maternal and paternal scores. Cronbach's coefficient alphas indicated acceptable internal consistency; Pearson correlation coefficients indicated acceptable 4-week test-retest reliability. Moderate intercorrelations with two retrospective measures of childhood experiences suggested construct validity. Regression analyses demonstrated the ability of the inventory to predict both anxious and depressive symptomatology and lifetime symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorder. Normative data on combined parent scores, maternal scores, and paternal scores are also presented.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial psychometric testing of the Parent Threat Inventory (PTI) suggests it is a reliable and valid tool for investigating the developmental antecedents of adult psychological distress. Further research should focus on addressing two limitations: (1) lack of normative and psychometric data on men and women suffering from clinical disorders, and (2) lack of validation by parental reporting.

The interaction of perceived maternal and paternal parenting styles and their relation with the psychological distress and offending characteristics of incarcerated young offenders

A shortened form of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) (Pederson, 1994) was used to examine the relationship between parenting styles and the psychological distress and offending patterns of a group of young male offenders held in custody in Scotland. High levels of psychological distress were linked with low parental care, but there was no association between psychological distress and parental control. Parental care was not a distinguishing factor in offending patterns, although high paternal control was linked with a younger age of first arrest. When interactions of paternal and maternal parenting styles were examined, young offenders who perceived poor parenting (i.e. neglectful parenting or affectionless control) from both parents had the highest levels of psychological distress overall.

Transhistorical variations in personality and their association with experiences of parental rearing

A population sample comprised of 765 subjects (367 males and 398 females), in the age range of 15-81 years, completed the EMBU, a reliable questionnaire aimed at assessing experiences of parental rearing, and the TCI, a self-report questionnaire aimed at assessing dimensions of temperament and character. The study had three main aims: 1) to verify, on a larger scale, previous findings suggesting the occurrence of significant associations between experiences of parental rearing and aspects of temperament and character, 2) to assess possible variations in temperament and character in cohorts of subjects who have grown up in different historical epochs, and 3) to investigate to what extent transgenerational differences in parental rearing are detectable in different associations with various dimensions of personality. Several, albeit small, significant and meaningful associations between experiences of parental rearing and both temperament and character dimensions have been found, adding support to the robustness of previously reported results obtained in an independent smaller series. Also, several significant differences among subjects in different age groups have been found, both concerning temperament variables and character dimensions. Finally, the results show that associations between experiences of parental rearing and dimensions of temperament and character are most pronounced in subjects belonging to the youngest cohort and almost nil in the cohort comprising the oldest subjects.

On the convergent validity of two Parental Rearing Behaviour Scales: EMBU and PBI

The EMBU and PBI are two of the most used Parental Rearing Behaviour questionnaires. The literature assumes a high correlation between homonymous and assimilable factors (PBI Care and EMBU Affectional Warmth, PBI Control and EMBU Overprotection). Using a sample of 796 subjects the authors carried out the joint application of both scales in order to determine their concurrent validity. The correlation obtained between the scales barely reaches significance on average levels of correlation. The same can be deduced for the applied Multidimensional Scaling. In conclusion, the most extreme precaution is recommended when considering the homonymous scales of both questionnaires, and their joint use in meta-analysis is not advised.

Rückblick auf die Eltern: Der Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten (FEE)

Zusammenfassung. Im Beitrag werden Ergebnisse der teststatistischen Überprüfung eines neuen Fragebogens zur rückblickenden Erfassung des perzipierten elterlichen Erziehungsverhaltens an einer bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Stichprobe (N = 2968) vorgestellt. Der Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten (FEE), der konzeptionell auf den international in der klinischen Angst- und Depressionsforschung häufig verwendeten EMBU-Fragebogen zurückgeht, erweist sich dabei als ein reliables und valides Forschungsinstrument. Der FEE gestattet es, Erinnerungen an das Erziehungsverhalten der Eltern (jeweils getrennt für Vater und Mutter) bezüglich der faktorenanalytisch ermittelten Dimensionen “Ablehnung und Strafe”, “Emotionale Wärme” sowie “Kontrolle und Überbehütung” zu erfassen. In unserer Studie ließen sich darüber hinaus signifikante Zusammenhänge zwischen dem erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten auf der einen Seite und der Lebenszufriedenheit sowie interpersonalen Problemen auf der anderen Seite aufzeigen. Personen, die rückblickend ein ungünstiges elterliches Erziehungsverhalten schildern, berichten aktuell über eine geringere Lebenszufriedenheit und über mehr Probleme im Umgang mit anderen Menschen.

Erinnerungen älterer Menschen an das Erziehungsverhalten ihrer Eltern und Indikatoren des aktuellen Wohlbefindens

Zusammenfassung: Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden Ergebnisse zum Zusammenhang zwischen dem erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten einerseits und subjektiven Körperbeschwerden, interpersonalen Problemen sowie der Lebenszufriedenheit andererseits vorgestellt, die an einer repräsentativen Stichprobe von n = 766 über 60jährigen Personen gewonnen wurden. Mit dem Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten (FEE) wurde dabei ein neu konstruiertes Selbstbeurteilungsverfahren eingesetzt, das es gestattet, Erinnerungen an das Erziehungsverhalten der Eltern (jeweils getrennt für Vater und Mutter) bezüglich der faktorenanalytisch ermittelten Dimensionen «Ablehnung und Strafe», «Emotionale Wärme» sowie «Kontrolle und Überbehütung» zu erfassen. In unserer Studie ließen sich zahlreiche signifikante Zusammenhänge zwischen dem erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten und den anderen Untersuchungsvariablen aufzeigen: Ältere Personen, die das Erziehungsverhalten ihrer Eltern als weniger emotional warm, stärker ablehnend und strafend sowie als stärker kontrollierend und überbehütend erinnern, äußern von der Tendenz her mehr körperliche Beschwerden, geben mehr Probleme im Umgang mit anderen Menschen an und zeigen sich aktuell weniger zufrieden mit ihrem Leben. Die Befunde werden mit Bezug auf Ergebnisse der autobiographischen Gedächtnisforschung sowie der gerontopsychologischen Reminiszenzforschung diskutiert.

Social anxiety and perception of early parenting among American, Chinese American, and social phobic samples

Emotionally distant and controlling child-rearing attitudes have been reported to characterize the parents of American or western European social phobics in previous research. However, the notion that these parental attitudes may be associated with social anxiety only in some cultures has not been investigated. The present study examined social anxiety among American social phobics and American and Chinese/Chinese American volunteer samples and how it may relate to their parents' child-rearing attitudes. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed overall group differences. Both volunteer samples reported lower levels of anxiety than social phobics. Parents of Chinese/Chinese Americans and social phobics were reported to be similar in their (1) isolation of children from social activities; (2) over-emphasis of others' opinions; and (3) use of shame tactics for discipline (more so than American volunteers' parents). However, parents of nonsocial phobics were more likely to attend family social activities than social phobics' parents. Overall, the association between a reported parenting style emphasizing others' opinions and shame tactics and social anxiety in their adult children was more evident in both American samples than among Chinese/Chinese Americans.