Childhood maltreatment history and trauma-specific predictors of parenting stress in new fathers

For new fathers, parenting stress is a risk factor for impaired early parenting and child maltreatment perpetration. Predictors of parenting stress, including fathers' own experiences of trauma, could be useful intervention targets to support new fathers. We aim to examine associations between new fathers' own histories of child maltreatment, and their perinatal mental health, relationships, and parenting stress. We recruited 298 first-time fathers for a survey that measured child maltreatment history, trauma sequelae including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), interpersonal reactivity, substance use, anger expression, coparenting quality, and parenting stress. On the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) (from 36 to 180), bivariate analysis demonstrated that new fathers who experienced child maltreatment (n = 94) had significantly higher parenting stress (x̅ = 85.3, σ = 18.7) than those who did not (n = 204; x̅ = 76.0, σ = 16.6; P < .000). Hierarchical linear regression modeling indicated that a child maltreatment history, PTSD, and MDD were significantly associated with parenting stress. The strongest predictors of parenting stress were coparenting quality and complex trauma sequelae-interpersonal reactivity and anger expression. Interventions to reduce fathers' parenting stress by targeting known mental health and relationship sequelae of maltreatment are promising avenues to breaking intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment and psychiatric vulnerability.

The role of mothers' self-compassion on mother-infant bonding during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study exploring the mediating role of mindful parenting and parenting stress in the postpartum period

The current COVID‐19 pandemic is a challenging time for postpartum mothers, and associated challenges may have a negative impact on their parenting and, consequently, on mother–infant bonding. This study aimed to longitudinally explore whether mothers’ self‐compassion was associated with mother–infant bonding and whether this relationship was mediated by mindful parenting and parenting stress. A total of 125 Portuguese mothers of infants aged between 0 and 12 months completed an online survey at two assessment points during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic (T1: April–May 2020; T2: June–July 2020). The survey included several questionnaires assessing sociodemographic, clinical, and COVID‐19 information; self‐compassion; mindful parenting; parenting stress; and mother–infant bonding. Mothers presented significantly higher levels of self‐compassion, less impaired mother–infant bonding, and lower levels of depressive symptoms at T2 than T1. Higher levels of self‐compassion at T1 predicted less impaired mother–infant bonding at T2, and this relationship was mediated by higher levels of mindful parenting and lower levels of parenting stress (both assessed at T1). These results highlight the relevance of mothers’ self‐compassion to establishing mother–infant bonding in the postpartum period, particularly during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and the important role of mindful parenting and parenting stress in determining this relationship.

Psychopathology and Parental Stress in 3-6-Year-Old Children with Incontinence

Objective: Incontinence and functional gastrointestinal disorders are common in young children and are associated with higher rates of psychological symptoms and mental disorders. This article focuses on the mutual association between incontinence and related toilet refusal syndrome, parental stress, and children's psychopathology especially in young children. Methods: Children's psychological symptoms, mental disorders, and parental stress levels were assessed in 38 parent-child dyads involving children with incontinence and 42 dyads of typically developing (TD) children. Results: Compared to TD children, patients had higher internalizing and externalizing CBCL scores and higher rates of clinically relevant externalizing problems. However, the rates of clinically relevant internalizing problems and mental disorders did not differ. The parents of children with incontinence reported significantly higher stress levels regarding child-related stress factors (PSI-CD) than did parents of TD children. However, there were no clinically relevant parental stress scores on a group level, which remained below the clinical range (T-value < 60). When simultaneously analyzed, children's (comorbid) mental disorders but not incontinence had a major impact on parental stress. Conclusions: Despite moderate stress levels, incontinence symptoms, urinary and fecal incontinence are highly prevalent in young children. However, stress among parents of young children was mainly elicited by any (comorbid) mental disorder.

A prospective study on the course of sleep disturbances in first-time fathers during the transition to parenthood

INTRODUCTION

This study examined sleep disturbances in first-time fathers from the third trimester of their partner's pregnancy to 2 months postpartum to determine prevalence, incidence, and persistence of sleep disturbances and identify associated determinants.

METHODS

Men expecting their first child were recruited from local prenatal classes and university-affiliated obstetric clinics. During their partner's third trimester of pregnancy and 2 months postpartum, 459 men completed standardized online self-report questionnaires measuring sociodemographics, lifestyle, and psychosocial variables and sleep quality.

RESULTS

Disturbed sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] global score >5) increased from 29.6% during the third trimester to 44.7% at 2 months postpartum. The incidence of poor sleep at 2 months postpartum was 33.7%. Among men with disturbed sleep at the antenatal assessment, 70.6% continued to have sleep disturbances at 2 months postpartum. An increase in depressive symptoms and higher parenting stress was independently associated with onset and persistence of disturbed sleep at 2 months postpartum.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep is compromised in expectant and new fathers. Strategies aimed at improving sleep, depressed mood, and managing the challenges of parenting may be important components to include in prenatal interventions aimed at enhancing the transition to parenthood and infant development.

Mind-mindedness and parenting stress in mothers of preterm and full-term infants: The moderating role of perceived social support

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of preterm birth and maternal childbirth-related posttraumatic stress and parenting stress on maternal mind-mindedness (MM). The study also investigated the effects of perceived social support on parenting stress and MM. Sixty-five preterm (N = 32) and full-term (N = 33) mother-infant dyads were observed at 6 months. Measures of maternal MM were obtained from observations of mother-infant interaction. Mothers also provided ratings of their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, parenting stress, and perceived social support via an online survey. Experiencing a preterm birth did not affect mothers' use of mental state descriptors during mother-infant interaction. Neither childbirth-related posttraumatic stress nor parenting stress directly affected maternal ability to comment on the child's mental states appropriately. However, at medium and high levels of perceived social support, a negative association between parenting stress and MM was observed. Maternal perception of being emotionally supported by significant others promoted MM in mothers showing low or mild levels of parenting stress, but not in mothers experiencing high stress in parenting their infants. Results suggest that a proclivity to MM might be affected by the interaction between parenting stress and social support, rather than by childbirth-related variables, such as prematurity.

Infant illness severity and family adjustment in the aftermath of NICU hospitalization

Up to 15% of parents have an infant who will spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). After discharge, parents may care for a medically fragile infant and worry about their development. The current study examined how infant illness severity is associated with family adjustment. Participants included parents with infants who had been discharged from the NICU 6 months to 3 years prior to study participation (N = 199). Via a Qualtrics online survey, parents reported their infants' medical history, parenting stress, family burden, couple functioning, and access to resources. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that more severe infant medical issues during hospitalization (e.g., longer length of stay and more medical devices) were associated with greater family burden, but not stress or couple functioning. Infant health issues following hospitalization (i.e., medical diagnosis and more medical specialists) were associated with greater stress, poorer couple functioning, and greater family burden. Less time for parents was associated with increased stress and poorer couple functioning. Surprisingly, parents of infants who were rehospitalized reported less stress and better couple functioning, but greater family burden. Family-focused interventions that incorporate psychoeducation about provider-patient communication, partner support, and self-care may be effective to prevent negative psychosocial sequelae among families.

USING SINGLE-CASE DESIGNS TO EVALUATE COMPONENTS OF TRIBAL HOME-VISITATION PROGRAMS

Single-case designs are typically used in classroom and clinical settings to assess the behavioral impacts of an intervention with an individual child. Using two illustrative case studies, this article describes the extension of this model to home-visitation programs serving tribal communities and examines the lessons learned throughout the process of adapting this approach. Our experience suggests that the benefits of using this design outweigh the associated challenges and allows researchers to expand the use of single-case designs to previously unexplored settings. Specifically, some of the benefits discussed include allowing for evaluative rigor in contexts with small samples, allowing everyone who qualifies to immediately participate, providing visual representations of the outcome-making the results more tangible and accessible to a broader audience, and allowing for a deep level of cultural sensitivity. The article also provides some general guidelines to address the practical challenges one may face when attempting to use single-case designs in novel ways within nonschool settings.