Mom, dad, put down your phone and talk to me: how parental phubbing influences problematic internet use among adolescents

BACKGROUND

The positive association of parental phubbing with internalising and externalising problems among adolescents has gained academic traction. To date, limited research has investigated the association of parental phubbing and adolescents' Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Furthermore, the mechanism underlying this association is largely unknown. These gaps limit our understanding of family-related issues affecting PIU among adolescents. The present study explores whether there is a relation between parental phubbing and PIU and investigates the mechanisms underlying this relation among adolescents.

METHODS

The participants were 495 junior high schoolers aged 11-15 years. Participants completed questionnaires on their experiences with PIU, parental phubbing, parent-child relationships, and basic psychological needs satisfaction.

RESULTS

The results showed a direct and indirect positive association between parental phubbing and PIU. Furthermore, parental phubbing indirectly influenced PIU and was mediated by the parent-child relationship and basic psychological needs satisfaction, respectively. Moreover, the parent-child relationship and basic psychological needs satisfaction were sequentially mediated.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the crucial role of parents in the development of adolescent PIU and provides theoretical and practical guidelines for PIU prevention and intervention.

Parental Expressed Emotion and Behavioural Outcomes in Autistic Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Growing interest in the links between parent-child relationships and child behavioural presentations in families of autistic children has led to an increased use of the Five Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) measure of parental expressed emotion (EE) in autism research. This review focuses on studies exploring the relationships between parental EE and behavioural outcomes in autistic children. Electronic searches of six databases and grey literature wielded eight studies that met eligibility criteria. Study designs were a mixture of cross-sectional and longitudinal and quality of studies was variable. Parental criticism was largely positively related to, and showed some predictive value for, child behaviour problems. Warmth was mostly negatively related to, and showed some predictive value for, child behaviour problems. Preliminary evidence from one study showed paternal warmth to be significantly related to child behaviours, whilst child behaviours were also significantly related to paternal warmth, suggesting a bidirectional relationship. Analysis of additional EE components produced variable results, however parental stress and depressive symptoms were consistently related to child behaviour, and preliminary evidence suggests a possible role of maternal education level and family cohesion. Outcomes were variable across FMSS coding systems and greater consistency in their application is needed in future research. The current findings suggest that parental EE has an important relationship with child behaviour and future intervention efforts may benefit from aiming to reduced EE in order to improve child outcomes.

Elucidating mechanisms linking mothers' and fathers' mind-mindedness in infancy with children's self-regulation at early preschool age

Extensive research has examined factors that contribute to individual differences in children's self-regulation (SR), a key social-emotional competence crucial to adjustment and mental health. Those differences become salient and measurable at late toddler age. In the CAPS (N = 200 community families), we examined mothers' and fathers' appropriate mind-mindedness (MM)-the ability to view the child as a psychological agent and correctly interpret his or her mental states-as a predictor of children's SR. MM was observed in parent-child interactions at 8 months, and SR was observed as the capacity for deliberate delay in standard tasks at 3 years. Reflecting a family system perspective, processes both within and across mother-child and father-child relationships were examined in one model. Parent-child mutual responsiveness, observed during interactions at 16 months, was modeled as a mediator of the paths from MM to SR. Fathers' MM had a significant, direct positive effect on SR; in addition, it enhanced mutual responsiveness in both father-child and mother-child dyads and promoted child SR through enhanced mother-child mutual responsiveness. The findings elucidate relatively poorly understood mechanisms linking parental MM in infancy with SR at early preschool age, highlight similarities and differences in the processes unfolding in mother-child and father-child relationships, and emphasize interparental dynamics in socialization.

Quality of the Parent-Child Relationship as a Moderator of Witnessing Violence and Youth Trauma Symptoms

Traumatic event exposure affects two in every three adolescents in the United States and there is the potential for numerous deleterious effects including higher levels of youth depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and emotional and behavioral problems. Witnessing violence is one of the more common experiences associated with trauma exposure. Despite the ample research on mental health outcomes associated with witnessing violence, less is known about the extent to which parent-child relationships play a role in youth mental health outcomes when youth are exposed to violence. With a clinically relevant, diverse sample of 806 youth ages 12 years old who experienced maltreatment or were at risk of being maltreated, we tested hypotheses that the parent-child relationship quality would moderate the associations between witnessing violence and youth mental health outcomes. Results supported hypotheses for youths' symptoms of anxiety, depression, dissociation, and posttraumatic stress. The study contributes to the trauma literature by determining that the quality of the parent-child relationship moderated the effects of witnessing violence on trauma outcomes.

Parent-child relationship, parenting behaviors, and adolescents' depressive symptoms after an earthquake: unraveling within-adolescent associations from between-adolescent differences

This study assessed temporal associations between parent-child relationship, parenting behaviors (i.e., warmth, rejection, and overprotection), and adolescents' depressive symptoms after trauma, using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models to distinguish between- and within-adolescent differences. We surveyed Chinese adolescents 12 (Aug 2018; T1), 21 (May 2019; T2), 27 (Nov 2019; T3) months after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake that occurred in August 2017. Of the 585 adolescents who participated in at least two waves of the study, mean age at T1 was 15.50 years old (SD = 1.58 years) and 57.8% were girls. Controlling adolescents' gender, age, ethnicity, trauma exposure at T1, and parents' marital status, between-adolescent results showed that parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors, parent-child relationship and depressive symptoms were correlated across models of parental warmth, rejection, and overprotection, whereas depressive symptoms were only correlated with parental rejection and overprotection. Within-adolescent results indicated that parent-child relationship and adolescents' depressive symptoms had bidirectional associations via the mediation of parental warmth from T1 to T3. Over the longer term following the earthquake, we found that parental rejection was bidirectionally associated with adolescents' depressive symptoms, whereas parental overprotection was unidirectionally influenced by adolescents' depressive symptoms from T2 to T3. In addition, more depressive symptoms in adolescents were associated with worsening parent-child relationship from T2 to T3. In conclusion, shortly after trauma, interventions should focus on improving parent-child relationship and relieving adolescents' depressive symptoms. Over the longer term after trauma, relieving adolescents' depressive symptoms should be prioritized to avoid its eroding effects on parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors, and to break the "vicious cycle".

COVID-19 Related Stressors, Parent-Child Relationship, and Alcohol Use and Mental Health Profiles Among White and Hispanic/Latinx First-Year College Students

Transitioning to college during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may increase risk for alcohol use and mental health problems. We examined how COVID-19 related stressors and parent-child relationships are independently and interactively associated with alcohol use and mental health profiles in a sample of first-year college students (N = 425, 34.8% Hispanic/Latinx; 74.9% female) who completed an online survey in October 2020. Latent profile analysis identified four profiles: well-adjusted (53.2%), mental health problems only (21.6%), alcohol use only (17.4%), and comorbid (7.8%). COVID-19 related stressful events increased risk of being in the alcohol use only and comorbid profiles, whereas COVID-19 related worries increased risk of being in the mental health problems only profile. Parent-child relationship quality lowered risk of being in the mental health problems only and the comorbid profiles. In addition, parent-child relationship quality moderated the role of COVID-19 related worries such that COVID-19 related worries were associated with lower odds of being in the comorbid profile when parent-child relationship quality was high but not when parent-child relationship quality was low. Strengthening parent-child relationship quality appears important for promoting college students' well-being.

Children and Adolescents with Severe Tyrannical Behaviour: Profile of Youth and Their Parents

This study focused on a subtype of child-to-parent violence, severe tyrannical behaviour (STB). The aim was to examine the clinical characteristics of children and adolescents who physically and/or verbally abuse their parents and the sociodemographic characteristics and generalities of those families. Clinical and sociodemographic data from 73 children and adolescents with STB and their parents have been collected from a randomized control trial. Results showed a specific profile of youth with tyrannical behaviour (aggressive behaviour only in-home settings, only-child, previously mental health care), as well as differential characteristics of these families (late parenthood, high socio-economic status and conjugal family). Children with tyrannical behaviour frequently had psychiatric conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, separation anxiety, sleeping disorders and severe irritability was frequently described. These clinical patterns of combined neurodevelopmental, externalized and internalized symptoms suggest that the combination of individual characteristics, parenting style and parent-child relationship play essential roles in children's STB development.

Maltreatment, harsh parenting, and parent-adolescent relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted multiple aspects of family life, including normative tendencies for adolescents to establish independence from the family. This disruption has had profound, but variable impacts on parent-adolescent relationships, strengthening them in some circumstances and increasing the risk for harsh parenting and maltreatment in others. Factors that moderated this influence include a family's financial situation and pandemic-related job loss, pre-existing characteristics of the parent-child relationship, and parent and adolescent mental health. Further research is needed to examine the mechanisms through which the pandemic continues to influence parent-adolescent relationships, with attention to policy-related impacts.

The effect of a parental preparation video (Take5) on child and parent anxiety during anaesthetic induction: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Children undergoing anaesthetic induction experience peri-operative anxiety associated with negative outcomes including emergence delirium, short- and long-term maladaptive behaviour and increased postoperative analgesic requirements. This stems from children's limited ability to communicate, cope, and regulate intense emotions, leading to high dependency on parental emotional regulation. Previous interventions including video modelling, education and distraction techniques before and during anaesthetic induction have demonstrated significant reduction of anxiety levels. No existing interventions combines evidenced-based psychoeducation video with distraction techniques to support parents to moderate peri-operative anxiety. This study aims to test the efficacy of the Take5 video (now referred to as 'Take5'), a short and cost-efficient intervention for child peri-operative anxiety.

METHODS

A randomised, controlled, superiority trial of Take5 compared to standard care. Take5 was developed by paediatric anaesthetists, child psychologists and a consumer panel of parents of children who had experienced surgery and anaesthesia. Children aged 3-10 years presenting for elective surgery at a quaternary paediatric facility will be randomly allocated to the intervention group or standard care. Intervention group parents will be shown Take5 prior to accompanying their child for anaesthesia induction. Primary outcomes include child and parent anxiety at induction, measured by the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale Short Form (mYPAS-SF), the Peri-operative Adult-Child Behavior Interaction Scale (PACBIS) and the Induction Compliance Checklist (ICC). Secondary outcomes include post-operative pain, emergence delirium, parental satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, parent and child psychological well-being at 3 months post procedure and video intervention acceptability.

DISCUSSION

Perioperative anxiety is associated with negative outcome in children including higher pharmacological intervention, delayed procedures, and poor post-recovery outcomes resulting in financial burden on health systems. Current strategies minimising paediatric procedural distress are resource-intensive and have been inconsistent in reducing anxiety and negative postoperative outcomes. The Take5 video is an evidence-driven resource that is designed to prepare and empower parents. The success of Take5 will be evaluated by measuring differences in patient (acute and 3-month), family (satisfaction, acceptability), clinician (feasibility) and health service (cost) outcomes, with each anticipated to benefit children.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12621001337864) and Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/21/QCHQ/73894).

Post-traumatic growth and cancer-related communication among adolescents having mothers with breast cancer

PURPOSE

This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of post-traumatic growth (PTG) among adolescents having mothers diagnosed with breast cancer and the relationship between PTG and cancer-related communication with breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using anonymous self-report questionnaires with breast cancer survivors and adolescent children. PTG in adolescents was measured using the Japanese version of the revised PTG Inventory for Children (PTGI-C-R-J). Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regression analysis was implemented. To evaluate the impact of cancer-related communication on each subscale, the total score of cancer-related communication was switched with other subscales individually within the constructed model.

RESULTS

A total of 97 breast cancer survivors and their adolescent children were included. The mean scores of the total PTGI-C-R-J and subscale scores for "personal strength," "new possibilities," "relating to others," "appreciation of life," and "spiritual change" were 9.0, 1.7, 1.8, 2.3, 2.4, and 0.9, respectively. The connection between PTG and cancer-related communication was partially clarified. The PTGI-C-R-J score was higher when adolescents shared more information regarding breast cancer with their mothers and lower when adolescents expressed more negative feelings toward their mothers. Communication regarding relationships with mothers was not correlated with PTG.

CONCLUSIONS

Of all PTG domains, "relating to others" and "appreciation of life" were comparatively higher in adolescents. Health professionals should support breast cancer survivors to ensure that they convey appropriate information regarding their treatment plans and side effects to their adolescent children. Health professionals should help adolescent children express their negative feelings calmly and clearly.

[Early childhood mental disorders: excessive crying, sleep and feeding disorders, and interventions using the "Munich model" as an example]

About 20% of all healthy infants and toddlers show problems in the area of mental health during their first years of life such as inconsolable crying (so-called cry-babies), sleeping problems, and feeding problems. The prevalence of enduring feeding problems and sleeping problems is distinctly higher in premature children and in children with neuropediatric disorders. These problems present a higher risk for the development of internalizing and externalizing disorders of mental health in later childhood. The parent-child relationship is often strained. Parents report experiencing severe exhaustion, extreme uncertainty, and helplessness.Pediatricians and midwives are the first points of contact for families. Outpatient clinics for cry-babies such as the "Munich Consultation for Cry-Babies," founded by Mechthild Papoušek in 1991 at the kbo-Children's Center Munich, provide a low-threshold service for the highly stressed families. They can contribute to the prevention of neglect, maltreatment, and psychological secondary disorders of the child. Intervention strategies are based on parent-infant and attachment research and integrate child- and parent-oriented approaches.During the COVID-19 pandemic, psychosocial stress factors in families increased. This development was also observable in the outpatient clinics for cry-babies.

Episodic Experiences of Child Physical Abuse, Early Relational Trauma and Post-Traumatic Play: Theoretical Considerations and Clinical Illustrations

Through symbolic and make-believe play, children can give meaning to their emotional experiences. For children who have experienced trauma, play provides the means to transform their past and tame the intrusive images and feelings associated with it. The quality of parent-child interactions plays a vital role in the development of mental representational capacity, which is essential for children's ability to engage in symbolic play. However, in child maltreatment situations, the unpredictability and insecurity of the parent-child relationship can have a profound impact on children's ability to play. This article aims to explore how the post-traumatic play of children who have suffered from episodic experiences of physical abuse differs from that of children who have experienced early relational traumas (ERT) resulting from chronic exposure to maltreatment and neglect. A theoretical and clinical analysis of the first play therapy session of a child who lived episodic experiences of physical abuse and that of a child who was exposed to ERT is presented. This analysis is informed by the Children's Play Therapy Instrument and the theories proposed by Chazan and Cohen in Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 36(2), 133-151 (2010), and Romano in Le Journal Des Psychologues, 279, 57-61 (2010). The nature of the relationship between children and their primary caregivers and the child-therapist relationship are also discussed. ERT appear to compromise the development of diverse abilities in children. Among them, access to the world of mental representations, which depends to a large extent on the presence of mindful and attentive parents, and their ability to capture and respond contingently to the playful proposals of children.

Patterns of Observed Dyadic Ethnic-Racial Socialization among Black and Latinx Families in Response to a Hypothetical Experience of Discrimination at School

Ethnic-racial socialization has primarily been examined as a unidirectional, caregiver-directed process. Instead, applying the Theory of Racial Socialization in Action (Smith-Bynum, 2023), the current study observed caregiver-youth conversations about a hypothetical discriminatory experience at school for patterns of dyadic ethnic-racial socialization. Participants were 353 Black (39.7%), Latinx (47.3%), and multiracial/ethnic (13%) pre-adolescents (Mage = 11.19, SD = 0.43; 45.3% female) and their caregivers (94% mothers) with low income from Dallas, Texas. Five subgroups of dyads were identified (High Dyadic Engagement, Parent-Led, Justice Salient Advocates, Child-Dominant and Low Dyadic Engagement) that differed by demographic characteristics of the dyads (e.g., race/ethnicity, caregiver education). Observing ethnic-racial socialization in action with dyads could improve the delivery of interventions to better meet the needs of families.

"Keep Talking to Me": College-Attending Women's Desires for Support from Mothers, Fathers, and Friends/Peers in Healthy Sexual Decision-Making

Emerging adulthood (ages 18-29) is a transitional life stage characterized by changes in identity and sexual development, including navigating new sexual experiences and cultures. During this transitional period, emerging adult women often continue to seek the support of their parent(s), while also increasing their reliance on friends/peers. However, little is known about what specifically college-attending emerging adult women desire from these support systems when it comes to making healthy sexual decisions. Using thematic analysis, we examined what emerging adult women (N = 192) identified as support they desire to receive from mothers, fathers, and friends/peers in making healthy sexual decisions while in college. Overall, the majority of participants reported desires to receive some form of sexual support from the majority of sources. There were four themes of desired support across sources: (1) Advice and Communication, (2) Nothing, (3) Emotional and Tangible Support, and (4) Attitude Shifts. Differences in types of desired support were also found across different sources with participants reporting desires for emotional support from their mothers, no desired support from their fathers, and direct interventions from their friends. Implications for informing sexuality educators and programs are discussed.

Children's excessive digital media use, mental health problems and the protective role of parenting during COVID-19

COVID-19's outbreak in March 2020 and the social distancing measures that followed it changed the lives of children worldwide. Studies assessing the pandemic's implications for children have reported an alarming increase in the use of digital media (DM) and warned of its adverse impacts on children's functioning and development. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between excessive and problematic DM use and emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning among Israeli adolescents during COVID-19 and to identify adolescents at elevated risk of developing problematic DM use. Three hundred forty-seven Israeli parent-child dyads (M age = 11.81, SD = 1.41) separately completed measures assessing children's DM use (time and addiction), functioning (academic, social, emotional, and behavioral), behavioral dysregulation, and the parents' parenting practices. The results showed that DM addiction, but not DM use, was related to children's emotional, behavioral, and academic difficulties. Moreover, the results indicated that negative parenting and behavioral dysregulation increased the risk of DM addiction, which in turn increased emotional, behavioral, and academic difficulties. The results underscored parents' role in preventing problematic DM use and highlighted the need to treat DM use and problematic DM use as distinct constructs.

The influence of individual, peer, and family factors on the educational aspirations of adolescents in rural China

Educational aspirations are an important predictor of academic outcomes. While there has been considerable research on educational aspirations in the West, there has been little research in East Asia, and the investigation of factors influencing adolescent aspirations has been neglected, particularly in rural areas. Drawing on ecological systems theory and social cognitive career theory, this study investigated the associations between educational aspirations and factors at the individual, peer, and family levels among rural Chinese adolescents. A total of 606 students (M age = 14.85 years; 50% boys) from a rural town in Central China completed questionnaires assessing their educational aspirations, individual factors (academic performance, academic self-perception, academic self-regulation, attitudes toward teachers, and goal valuation), and contextual factors (family socioeconomic status, parent and peer relationship quality, and parental and close friends' aspirations). Individual factors and aspirations of others had significant direct effects on adolescents' educational aspirations, while parent and peer attachments were significantly related to educational aspirations via individual factors. Family socioeconomic status was not significantly related to adolescents' educational aspirations. The findings highlight the importance of individual factors as mechanisms explaining the link between contextual factors and rural Chinese adolescents' educational aspirations. Our results suggest that interventions can be designed to increase and maintain the aspirations of rural Chinese youth by targeting multiple domains of influence.

An Updated Account on Parents' Use of and Attitudes Towards Time-Out

Time-out (TO) is a well-established technique for effectively managing childhood conduct problems, yet there is increasing controversy around its use. Using a mixed-methods approach, we investigated the impact of recent criticisms against TO on parents' use of and attitudes towards it. A community sample of parents (N = 297, M_age = 37.14) completed an online survey (Study 1) to investigate use of and acceptability of TO. Results showed that 57.91% of parents reported using TO, slightly lower than past estimates. Perceived effectiveness and trust in clinicians predicted TO acceptability. To thoroughly examine negative attitudes towards TO, parents who did not use TO (N = 17, M_age = 38.29) participated in individual interviews (Study 2). Amongst other findings, Study 2 found that parents view TO as punitive and contrary to their value of connection. We discuss implications for parenting interventions, dissemination of parenting information, and future research.

The relationship model among parent-child relationship, coping responses and behavioral problems in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) constitutes a prevalent behavioral problem. The present study examined the parent-child relationship model and investigated strategies to cope with behavioral problems in children with ADHD.

METHODS

This descriptive study selected 300 children with ADHD using convenience sampling. The data collected using the child behavior checklist, the parent-child relationship scale (PCRS), the Billings and Moos Coping Checklist, the socioeconomic status questionnaire, the general health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) and a demographic checklist were analyzed in SPSS-25 and LISREL 8.8.

RESULTS

According to the results of the path analysis on the relationship model among parent-child relationship domains, coping responses and children's behavioral problems, parent-child dependency domain (B = 0.22) in the direct path, disease duration (B = 0.085) in the indirect path, and conflicts in the domain of parent-child relationship (B = 0.366) in both direct and indirect paths had the most positive causal effect on behavioral problems. Furthermore, intimacy in the said domain (B = -0.42) had the most negative causal effect in both direct and indirect paths. The extent to which parents used coping responses via the direct path had a positive causal effect on behavioral problems (B = 0.12). Based on the path analysis test findings in the relationship model among positive parent-child relationship, coping responses and children's behavioral problems, the positive parent-child relationship score had the most negative causal effect via the direct path (B = -0.56). Conversely, the child's age had the highest positive causal effect via the indirect path (B = 0.1) on behavioral problems in children.

CONCLUSION

Based on findings, there is a causal and significant relationship between the parent-child relationship and the extent to which coping responses are used. It is recommended that training programs be developed to strengthen communication skills, coping responses and problem-solving techniques in parents.

Parent-child relationship and smartphone addiction among Chinese adolescents: A longitudinal moderated mediation model

Using a three-wave longitudinal design, we examined the relationship between early parent-child relationship and subsequent smartphone addiction (SA) and explored mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. A total of 527 Chinese adolescents (271 boys and 256 girls, mean age = 11.23 years) completed questionnaires regarding parent-child relationship, smartphone addiction, hope and life satisfaction. The results showed that: (1) parent-child relationship (T1) was positively associated with life satisfaction (T1) and hope (T2); parent-child relationship (T1), life satisfaction (T1), and hope (T2) were significantly negatively associated with SA (T3); (2) After controlling for age, gender, and SA (T1), hope (T2) completely mediated the relationship between parental-child relationship (T1) and adolescents' SA (T3); (3) life satisfaction (T1) moderated the association between parent-child relationship (T1) and hope (T2). Specifically, as life satisfaction (T1) increased, parent-child relationship (T1) was more likely to promote hope (T2). Moreover, the indirect negative links between parent-child relationship (T1) and SA (T3) via hope (T2) were stronger for adolescents with high level of life satisfaction (T1) than for adolescents with low level of life satisfaction (T1). The results reveal the mechanism of hope and life satisfaction in the effect of parent-child relationship on SA in adolescents, indicating that SA among adolescents can be weakened through the improvement of parent-child relationship, the rise in hope and the increase in life satisfaction.

Attachment- and Emotion-Focused Parenting Interventions for Child and Adolescent Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis

Attachment- and emotion-focused parenting interventions (AE) have grown in popularity as an alternative to behavioral parent training (BPT) for children and adolescents. AE go beneath behavior by helping parents understand and respond to their child’s underlying attachment and emotional needs. Past reviews have examined their effects on attachment security and caregiver sensitivity, though less is known regarding their effects on child mental health symptoms. Reported here is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of individual and group AE on externalizing behavior (EXT) and internalizing behavior (INT) for children aged 0–18 years. A search of four databases prior to July 2021 elicited 43 studies that met eligibility criteria. Meta-analysis revealed that AE were superior to waitlist controls for EXT (SMD = − 0.17) and INT (SMD = − 0.34). Effects were sustained at follow-up periods of 6 months and greater, and AE considered to target child mental health were significantly more effective than those that did not in reducing EXT and INT. Two studies retrieved directly compared AE to BPT, which showed no evidence of a difference for follow-up measures of EXT. No studies compared AE to BPT on INT. AE demonstrated no evidence of superiority compared to controls for parent mental health. Findings support the potential for AE to reduce EXT and INT in children and adolescents; however, future research should consider the relative effectiveness of AE.

Mediating role of the default mode network on parental acceptance/warmth and psychopathology in youth

Humans are reliant on their caregivers for an extended period of time, offering numerous opportunities for environmental factors, such as parental attitudes and behaviors, to impact brain development. The default mode network is a neural system encompassing the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and temporo-parietal junction, which is implicated in aspects of cognition and psychopathology. Delayed default mode network maturation in children and adolescents has been associated with greater general dimensional psychopathology, and positive parenting behaviors have been suggested to serve as protective mechanisms against atypical default mode network development. The current study aimed to extend the existing research by examining whether within- default mode network resting-state functional connectivity would mediate the relation between parental acceptance/warmth and youth psychopathology. Data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study, which included a community sample of 9,366 children ages 8.9-10.9 years, were analyzed to test this prediction. Results demonstrated a significant mediation, where greater parental acceptance/warmth predicted greater within- default mode network resting-state functional connectivity, which in turn predicted lower externalizing, but not internalizing symptoms, at baseline and 1-year later. Our study provides preliminary support for the notion that positive parenting behaviors may reduce the risk for psychopathology in youth through their influence on the default mode network.

Family socioeconomic status and the parent-child relationship in Chinese adolescents: the multiple serial mediating roles of visual art activities

BACKGROUND

In light of the recent policy reform in China, the present study aims to investigate the potential impact of family SES on the quality of the parent-child relationship (PCR) through the serial mediating role of participation in organized visual art activities in privately owned centers (VAA1) and parent-supervised visual art activities (VAA2) across genders.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was conducted in anonymous province located in the southwestern part of China. A total of 1624 primary school students aged 7 to 14 years were recruited through a random sampling technique. Subsequently, anonymous survey responses were taken from all students. Multiple serial mediation analysis was performed by using AMOS 21.0 software to attain the primary aim of the study.

RESULT

According to the total sample model result, SES has a significant direct effect on the parent-child relationship (β = 0.47, p < 0.001), children's participation in VAA1 (β = 0.197, p < 0.001) and VAA2 (β = 0.269, p < 0.001). Moreover, the mediation model result indicates that SES has a stronger indirect effect on the parent-child relationship through a mediating role of VAA1 (βgirl = 0.08, p < 0.01; βboys = 0.04, p < 0.01) for female than male samples. However, the mediating effect of VVA2 between SES and the parent-child relationship in the female (β = 0.08, p < 0.001) and male (β = 0.08, p < 0.01) models is equal, although female gender is highly significant. Ultimately, the serial mediation analysis result affirms that the serially mediating role of VAA1 and VAA2 between SES and the parent-child relationship was equal across genders (βboys = 0.001, p < 0.001; βgirls = 0.001, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Unlike previous studies, this study's multigroup model shows that both male and female children can equally restore their relationship with their parents by having substantial participation in both VAA1 and VAA2. Thus, parents ought to play the main role in facilitating and supporting children's visual art activities without parenting that shows a gender bias.

The Role of Neurobiological Bases of Dyadic Emotion Regulation in the Development of Psychopathology: Cross-Brain Associations Between Parents and Children

Daily interactions between parents and children play a large role in children's emotional development and mental health. Thus, it is important to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying this association within the context of these dyadic social interactions. We suggest that examining cross-brain associations, coordinated brain responses, among parents and children increases our understanding of patterns of social and emotion-related processes that occur during parent-child interactions, which may influence the development of child emotion regulation and psychopathology. Therefore, we extend the Parent-Child Emotion Regulation Dynamics Model (Morris et al., in: Cole and Hollenstein (eds) Dynamics of emotion regulation: A matter of time, Taylor & Francis, 2018) to include cross-brain associations involved in dyadic emotion regulation during parent-child social emotional interactions and discuss how this model can inform future research and its broader applications.

Social Relationships in Early Life and Episodic Memory in Mid- and Late Life

OBJECTIVES

This study examines the longitudinal relationships between retrospective reports of early-life social relationships (i.e., having good friends, parent-child relationship quality, and childhood neighborhood social cohesion) and episodic memory in China.

METHODS

We analyzed 2 waves of data (2011 and 2015) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The analytical sample included 9,285 respondents aged 45 and older at baseline. A lagged dependent variable approach was used to estimate the associations between measures of early-life social relationships and episodic memory change at the study's 4-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Retrospective reports of better early-life social relationships are significantly associated with higher levels of episodic memory performance in 2015 among middle-aged and older Chinese, controlling for episodic memory in 2011, childhood socioeconomic status, adulthood sociodemographic variables, and the history of stroke. Educational attainment accounts for a significant portion of the associations between early-life social relationships and episodic memory. In contrast, mental health and social engagement in adulthood account for a small part of these associations.

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that positive early-life social relationships are beneficial for episodic memory in mid- and late life, and more research is needed to examine the underlying mechanisms.

Mediating effect of the parent-child relationship on the association between parenting stress and children's eating behaviors

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence suggests that parenting stress plays a significant role in children's eating behavior. However, the nature of the relationship between parenting stress and children's health behaviors is still not well understood, possibly because there is limited understanding of the mediating factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of the parent-child relationship on the association between parenting stress and children's eating behaviors in families with young children.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional study design, we recruited mothers of families with children aged four to six years in the United States. We asked the mothers select one child if she has more than one eligible child. Mothers answered well-validated questionnaires regarding parenting stress, the parent-child relationship, and children's eating behaviors. We utilized a structural equation model to analyze the mediating factors.

RESULTS

A total of 172 mothers of children participated in this study. The children's mean age was 4.92 (SD 0.89) years; 50% of children were female and 71.2% were non-Hispanic Whites. Parenting stress was associated with subcategories of the parent-child relationship (satisfaction with parenting [b* = - 0.69, p < .01], communication [b* = 0.45, p < 0.01], and limit setting [b* = - 0.82, p < .01]). The subcategories of communication and limit setting were negatively associated with food responsiveness in children (b* = - 0.24, p < .01; b* = - 0.46, p < .01, respectively). Limit setting was negatively associated with emotional overeating in children (b* = - 0.49, p < .01). Communication mediated the association between parenting stress and food responsiveness in children (b* = - 0.11, p < .01). The mediating role of limit setting was established in the association between parenting stress and food responsiveness as well as in the association between parenting stress and emotional overeating (b* = 0.38, p < .01; b* = 0.40, p < .01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The parent-child relationship is an important component in improving children's eating behaviors in families that have parents with higher parenting stress levels.

Investigating Friendship Difficulties in the Pathway from ADHD to Depressive Symptoms. Can Parent-Child Relationships Compensate?

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with friendship difficulties. This may partly account for the increasingly recognised association between ADHD and subsequent depression. Little is known about the types of friendship difficulties that could contribute to the association between ADHD and depressive symptoms and whether other relationships, such as parent-child relationships, can mitigate against potential adverse effects of friendship difficulties. In a representative UK school sample (n = 1712), three main features of friendship (presence of friends, friendship quality and characteristics of the individual's classroom friendship group) were assessed in a longitudinal study with two assessment waves (W1, W2) during the first year of secondary school (children aged 11-12 years). These friendship features (W1) were investigated as potential mediators of the prospective association between teacher-rated ADHD symptoms (W1) and self-rated depressive symptoms (W2) seven months later. Parent-child relationship quality (W1) was tested as a moderator of any indirect effects of ADHD on depression via friendship. ADHD symptoms were inversely associated with friendship presence, friendship quality and positive characteristics of classroom friendship groups. Depressive symptoms were inversely associated with presence and quality of friendships. Friendship quality had indirect effects in the association between ADHD and subsequent depressive symptoms. There was some evidence of moderated mediation, whereby indirect effects via friendship quality attenuated slightly as children reported warmer parent-child relationships. This highlights the importance of considering the quality of friendships and parent-child relationships in children with ADHD symptoms. Fostering good quality relationships may help disrupt the link between ADHD symptomology and subsequent depression risk.

An Exploratory Study of Autism Traits and Parenting

The study examined the association between autism traits and parenting when raising a typically developing (TD) child, and differences in parenting needs between parents with high and low traits. Fifty-eight parents with a blood relative with Autism (who happened to be an offspring with ASD in all cases) and a TD child completed the Autism Quotient, demographic and psychological information, as well as reporting on Parenting Sense of Competence, the Parent-Child Relationship, and Parenting Needs. Autism traits did not uniquely contribute to parenting self-esteem, but were associated with parenting difficulties for their TD child, and some aspects of this parent-child relationship. Parents with high autism traits reported more parenting difficulties than parents with low traits. The study identified specific aspects of parenting needing support to assist parents with high autism traits prosper in their parenting role.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Disorganized Attachment: Links with Disruptive Behaviors in Toddlers

Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits and children with disorganized attachment patterns are at heightened risk of poor psychological outcomes but little is known about the overlap between these constructs and their unique contributions to conduct problems in early childhood. This study examined associations between CU traits, disorganized attachment, and conduct problem (CP) severity in a sample of clinic-referred toddlers with behavioral problems. Mother-child dyads (n = 56; mean child age 19.50 months) completed parent-report questionnaires, a dyadic play session, and the Strange Situation Procedure to assess child attachment pattern. Significant positive associations were found between CU traits and disorganized attachment, independent of CP severity. CU traits but not disorganized attachment predicted CP severity. Results indicate that among toddlers with clinic-referred disruptive behavior problems, there are clear links between CU traits and attachment disorganization. Of the two constructs, however, CU traits appear to be most salient in the expression of CPs.

Geographic Proximity to Parents, Intergenerational Support Exchange, and Migration Within Germany

Previous research on internal migration has emphasised the importance of local ties to family members outside the household, and to parents in particular. Family members who live close to an individual’s place of residence represent a form of local social capital that could make migrating costlier, and therefore less likely. This idea has been empirically supported. Yet, how family ties bind remains largely unexplained. We assume that intergenerational support is a manifestation of local social capital, and that spatial proximity is needed for support to be exchanged. Thus, we used mediation analysis that includes explicit measures of support exchanges between parents and their adult–children born in 1971–1973, 1981–1983, and 1991–1993 to explain the binding effect of living close to parents. Logistic regression models of migrating a distance of more than 40 km were conducted using eight waves of the German pairfam data. Living close to one’s parents was indeed found to be negatively associated with the likelihood of migration, and part of this association could be explained through intergenerational support: the more the instrumental support an adult child exchanged with her/his parent, the less likely she/he was to migrate. Receiving emotional support from the parents was associated with an increase in migration propensity. Neither giving emotional help nor receiving help with childcare functioned as mediators. It thus appears that adult children are particularly likely to value the proximity of their parents when they are exchanging instrumental support, but that the emotional bond between adult children and their parents can often be maintained over longer distances.

Parent-child relationship and smartphone use disorder among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of quality of life and the moderating role of educational level

The present study explored the effect of parent-child relationship on Smartphone Use Disorder (SUD) and the mediating role of quality of life (QOL). In addition, we explored the role of educational level from the developmental psychology perspective. Our results indicate that: (1) parent-child relationship could negatively predict SUD among adolescents; (2) QOL played a partial mediator role in the relationship between parent-child relationship and SUD; (3) As educational level increased from elementary school to middle school to high school, the effect of parent-child relationship on QOL weakened. This study showed that adolescents with good parent-child relationship had a higher QOL thus exhibiting a lower extent of SUD. Moreover, the link between parent-child relationship and SUD weakened as the educational level increased.

Initial Challenges of Caregiving During COVID-19: Caregiver Burden, Mental Health, and the Parent-Child Relationship

Research confirms that the mental health burdens following community-wide disasters are extensive, with pervasive impacts noted in individuals and families. It is clear that child disaster outcomes are worst among children of highly distressed caregivers, or those caregivers who experience their own negative mental health outcomes from the disaster. The current study used path analysis to examine concurrent patterns of parents' (n = 420) experience from a national sample during the early months of the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic. The results of a multi-group path analysis, organized by parent gender, indicate good fit to the data [X²(10) = 159.04, p < .01]. Results indicate significant linkages between parents' caregiver burden, mental health, and perceptions of children's stress; these in turn are significantly linked to child-parent closeness and conflict, indicating possible spillover effects for depressed parents and compensatory effects for anxious parents. The impact of millions of families sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic for an undefined period of time may lead to unprecedented impacts on individuals' mental health with unknown impacts on child-parent relationships. These impacts may be heightened for families whose caregivers experience increased mental health symptoms, as was the case for fathers in the current sample.

Impact of parent-child relationship and sex on trajectories of children internalizing symptoms

INTRODUCTION

Parenting and parental-child relationship may lead children to develop behavior disorders that can affect many aspects of their later life. This study aimed to examine the impact of parent-child relationship and sex on the development of internalizing symptoms in children.

METHODS

Childhood and Adolescent Behaviors in Long-term Evolution (CABLE) is a longitudinal healthy-lifestyle research for which 18 elementary schools were randomly selected respectively in Taipei and Hsinchu in Taiwan. Data on sex, parent-child relations, and internalizing symptoms from four waves of follow-up were analyzed: 2003 (9 year olds), 2006 (12 year olds), 2009 (15 year olds) and 2012 (18 year olds). A latent growth model was used to examine the impact of parental-child relationship and sex on the trajectory of children's internalizing symptoms.

RESULTS

Results show that internalizing symptoms is more severe (β = 0.21, p < 0.01) and their growth rate faster (β = 0.15, p < 0.01) in girls than in boys. Results from latent growth model show that parent-child relationship is negatively related to the internalizing symptoms intercept (β = -0.59, p < 0.01) and is positively related to the internalizing symptoms slope (β = 0.18, p < 0.01).

LIMITATIONS

Self-reported measures were used. Parent-child relationship was only provided at 2003.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that girls are more susceptible to internalizing symptoms in puberty, and better parent-child relationship can have a protective influence although the protective impact reduced through time. Health professionals should be sensitive to sex, family functioning and provide positive parenting programs for children at risk for internalizing symptoms.

Separation anxiety and gender variance in a community sample of children

In clinical child and retrospective adult samples, childhood gender variance (GV; i.e., cross-gender behaviour) has been associated with separation anxiety (SA; i.e., distress related to separation from attachment figures) in males. This study examined GV and SA in a nonclinical sample of 892 boys and 933 girls aged 6-12 years via parent-reports. Parental factors (i.e., parenting style, parent-child relationship, willingness to serve as an attachment figure, attitudes towards gender stereotypes in children) were examined as potential moderators. GV predicted SA in boys, even when statistically controlling for general psychopathology and demographic variables. Authoritative parenting, closeness in the parent-child relationship, willingness to serve as an attachment figure, and liberal attitudes towards gender stereotypes in children moderated the association between GV and SA in both boys and girls. Thus, SA may be a unique internalizing problem related to GV in boys in nonclinical samples and influenced by a variety of parental factors.

Parenting Interacts With Plasticity Genes in Predicting Behavioral Outcomes in Preschoolers

BACKGROUND

Public health and pediatric nurses typically focus on supporting parenting to reduce the likelihood of children's behavioral problems. Studies have identified interactions between early exposures to stress in caregiving and child genotype in predicting children's behavioral problems, such that certain genotypes connote greater differential susceptibility or plasticity to environmental stressors. We sought to uncover the interaction between observational measures of parent-child relationship quality and genotype in predicting early-onset behavioral problems in 24-month-olds, using prospective methods.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected on a subsample of 176 women and their infants enrolled during pregnancy in the ongoing Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort study. Inclusion criteria required mothers to be ≥18 years of age, English speaking and ≤22 weeks gestational age at enrollment. Genetic data were obtained from blood leukocytes and buccal epithelial cell samples, collected from infants at three months of age. For each child, the presence of plasticity alleles was determined for BDNF, CNR1, DRD2/ANKK1, DRD4, DAT1, 5-HTTLPR, and MAOA and an overall index was calculated to summarize the number of plasticity alleles present. Observational assessments of parent-child relationship quality (sensitivity, controlling, and unresponsiveness) were conducted at six months of age. Children's internalizing (e.g., emotionally reactive, anxious/depressed, somatic complaint, withdrawn) and externalizing (e.g., aggression, inattention) behaviors were assessed at 24 months of age. After extracting genetic data, a maximum likelihood method for regressions was employed with Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) for model selection.

RESULTS

When parents were less responsive and children possessed more plasticity alleles, children were more likely to be emotionally reactive, anxious/depressed, report somatic complaints, and withdrawn, while when parents were less responsive and children possessed fewer plasticity alleles, children were less likely to display these internalizing behaviors, in a differentially susceptible manner. Furthermore, when parents were more responsive, and children possessed more plasticity alleles, children were less likely to display internalizing behaviors (P = 0.034). Similarly, children who possessed either the CNR1-A plasticity allele (P = 0.010) or DAT1 9-repeat plasticity allele (P = 0.036) and experienced more/less parental control displayed more/fewer externalizing problems, respectively, in a differentially susceptible manner.

CONCLUSIONS

The plasticity index score interacted with parental unresponsiveness in predicting anxiety and depressive behavioral problems in children, while individual genetic variants interacted with parental controlling behavior in predicting aggression and inattention in children, suggestive of differential susceptibility to caregiving. Especially in the context of nursing interventions designed to support childrearing and children's development, nurses need to be aware of the interactions between child genotype and parenting in understanding how well interventions will work in promoting optimal child behavior.

Linking Parent-Child and Peer Relationship Quality to Empathy in Adolescence: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis

Empathy, which is the ability to feel concern for and to understand others’ feelings, is thought to develop in high quality relationships with parent and peers, but also to facilitate the quality of these relationships. While a wide literature has addressed this aspect, the heterogeneity of primary studies, in which different indicators of relationship quality (e.g., support, conflict) and empathy (i.e., affective and cognitive) have been examined, makes it difficult to draw conclusive answers. Therefore, it remained ambiguous how parent–child and peer relationship quality are associated with adolescents’ empathy. In order to increase the understanding of these associations, a multilevel meta-analysis was performed, which allowed for including multiple effect sizes from each study. By a systematic literate search, 70 eligible studies were found that provided 390 effect sizes from 75 independent samples. The results showed a small positive correlation between parent–child relationship quality and empathy, and a small-to-moderate positive correlation between peer relationship quality and empathy, which was significantly stronger than the correlation with parent–child relationship quality. Hence, the meta-analytic results indicate that adolescents with higher quality relationships, especially with peers, indeed tend to show more concern for and understanding of others’ emotions than adolescents with lower quality relationships. Moreover, the moderation analyses showed stronger correlations for the positive dimension of relationship quality than for the negative dimension, and stronger correlations for composite scores of affective and cognitive empathy than for separate scores of the empathy dimensions. However, no differences in correlations were found between the affective and cognitive empathy dimension, and no moderation effects were found for gender and age. Thus, this meta-analysis demonstrates robust positive associations between parent–child and peer relationship quality and empathy in adolescence, implying that good empathic abilities may be a protective factor for experiencing poor relationships.

The effects of parental opioid use on the parent-child relationship and children's developmental and behavioral outcomes: a systematic review of published reports

BACKGROUND

Between 2009 and 2014, nearly 3% of US children (age ≤ 17 years) lived in households with at least 1 parent with substance use disorder. The present systematic review aimed to evaluate effects of parental opioid use disorder on the parent-child relationship and child developmental and behavioral outcomes.

METHODS

Several databases were comprehensively searched for studies published from January 1980 through February 2018 that reviewed effects of parental opioid addiction on parent-child relationships and outcomes of children (age, 0-16 years).

RESULTS

Of 304 unique studies, 12 evaluated effects of parental opioid addiction on the parent-child relationship as the primary outcome and on children's outcomes, including behaviors and development. Observation of mother-child interaction showed that mothers with opioid use disorders are more irritable, ambivalent, and disinterested while showing greater difficulty interpreting children's cues compared with the control group. Children of parents with opioid use disorders showed greater disorganized attachment; they were less likely to seek contact and more avoidant than children in the control group. The children also had increased risk of emotional and behavioral issues, poor academic performance, and poor social skills. Younger children had increased risk of abuse or neglect, or both, that later in life may lead to such difficulties as unemployment, legal issues, and substance abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence shows association between parental opioid addiction and poorer mother-child attachment and suboptimal child developmental and behavioral outcomes. Further research and treatment targeting children and families with parental opioid use are needed to prevent difficulties later in life.

Parental and Child Psychopathology: Moderated Mediation by Gender and Parent-Child Relationship Quality

Previous literature has not examined the processes underlying the relations among parent-child relationship quality, parental psychopathology, and child psychopathology in the context of gender. Further, research examining these variables in emerging adulthood is lacking. The current study examined whether parent-child relationship quality would mediate the relation between parental and child psychopathology, and whether gender moderated these associations. Participants were emerging adults (N = 665) who reported on perceptions of their parents' and their own psychological problems as well as their parent-child relationship quality. Results indicated that the relation between parental internalizing problems and parent-child relationship quality was positive for males, and that mother-child relationship quality was related positively to psychological problems in males. This suggests that sons may grow closer to their parents (particularly their mother) who are exhibiting internalizing problems; in turn, this enmeshed relationship may facilitate transmission of psychopathology. Mediational paths were conditional upon gender, suggesting moderated mediation. Overall, the current study emphasizes that the complexities of parenting must be understood in the context of gender. Further, the mother-son dyad may particularly warrant further attention.

Does Maternal HIV Disclosure Self-Efficacy Enhance Parent-Child Relationships and Child Adjustment?

Nondisclosure of maternal HIV status to young children can negatively impact child functioning; however, many mothers do not disclose due to lack of self-efficacy for the disclosure process. This study examines demographic variations in disclosure self-efficacy, regardless of intention to disclose, and assesses the relationship between self-efficacy and child adjustment via the parent-child relationship among a sample of HIV+ mothers and their healthy children (N = 181 pairs). Mothers completed demographic and self-efficacy measures; children completed measures assessing the parent-child relationship and child adjustment (i.e., worry, self-concept, depression). Across demographics, few mothers reported confidence in disclosure. Results from covariance structural modeling showed mothers endorsing higher self-efficacy had children who reported better relationship quality, and, in turn, reported fewer adjustment difficulties; higher levels of disclosure self-efficacy also directly predicted fewer adjustment problems. Findings offer support for interventions aimed at providing mothers with skills to enhance confidence for disclosing their HIV status.

Aspects of the parent-child relationship and parent metabolic outcomes

Much is known about the effect of parent-child relationships on child health; less is known about how parent-child relationships influence parent health. To assess the association between aspects of the parent-child relationship and parent metabolic outcomes, and whether these associations are moderated by parent gender. Five metabolic outcomes (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, total cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin) were assessed among 261 parents (45.83 ± 5.50 years) of an adolescent child (14.57 ± 1.072 years). Parents completed questionnaires assessing their child's hassles and the quality of their days with their child. Parents' perceptions of their child's hassles were associated with parent heart rate (B = 2.954, SE = 1.267, p = 0.021) and cholesterol (B = 0.028, SE = 0.011, p = 0.010), such that greater perceived child hassles were associated with higher heart rate and cholesterol levels, on average. These associations were not moderated by parent gender (all ps > 0.30). Parent report of their day with their child was not associated with parent metabolic outcomes (all ps > 0.20). Parent gender moderated the association between parent report of their day with their child and parent systolic blood pressure (B = 13.861, SE = 6.200, p = 0.026), such that less positive reports were associated with higher blood pressure readings among fathers, but not mothers. This study suggests that parent metabolic health may in part be influenced by aspects of the parent-child relationship.

The Longitudinal Association of Relationship Quality and Reoffending Among First-Time Juvenile Offenders and Their Mothers

To understand how youth desist from crime after their first arrest, it is necessary to investigate their primary support system: their parents. As such, this study examined the reciprocal effects of justice system contact on the mother-child dyad. Interviews with 317 mothers and their sons from Orange County, CA, Jefferson Parish, LA, and Philadelphia, PA were conducted semiannually over two and a half years. At the beginning of the study, the sons were first-time offenders aged 13-17 and mostly non-White (i.e., 19.2 White, 56.5 Latino, 21.5 Black, and 2.8% another race/ethnicity). The results revealed that a high quality initial mother-son relationship reduces youths' re-offending over time. Furthermore, as mothers perceived that their sons were offending more, they reported less warmth in their relationships with their sons two and a half years later. Interestingly, youth's age emerged as a moderator. First, older youth were less likely to engage in reoffending if they had a warm maternal relationship. Second, decreases in relationship warmth associated with re-offending were steeper for younger youth. The findings have implications for juvenile justice policy in terms of improving probationary outcomes for youth offenders, and alleviating the financial and emotional burden on justice system-involved families.

Psychosocial Factors Related to Underuse of Medical Services

In this longitudinal study, we applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the historical, predisposing, enabling/barrier, and need factors as related to the underuse of medical services during early midlife. We gathered longitudinal data on a prospective cohort of community-dwelling men and women (N = 548) followed from adolescence to early midlife. The findings supported a mediational model: A mutually affectionate parent-child relationship in early adolescence was inversely related to underuse of medical services in early midlife via the mediational roles played by later predisposing factors (i.e., depressive mood and cigarette smoking), need factor (i.e., physical health problems), barriers (i.e., financial difficulty), and enabling factors (i.e., social support for health services in early midlife). In addition, satisfaction with medical services in the neighborhood had an association with less underuse of medical services in early midlife. Family therapy focused on an increase in the affectionate relationship between the adolescents and his/her parents and cognitive-behavioral treatment of depressive mood may lead to a decrease in the underuse of medical services.

Parental Acculturative Stressors and Adolescent Adjustment Through Interparental and Parent-Child Relationships in Chinese American Families

Perpetual foreigner stereotype and bicultural management difficulty are two understudied acculturative stressors frequently experienced by Asian Americans. This study expanded the family stress model to examine how parental experiences of these two acculturative stressors relate to measures of adolescent adjustment (depressive symptoms, delinquent behaviors, and academic performance) during high school and emerging adulthood through interparental and parent-child relationship processes. Participants were 350 Chinese American adolescents (M age  = 17.04, 58 % female) and their parents in Northern California. Path models showed that parental acculturative stressors positively related to parent-child conflict, either directly (for both mother-adolescent and father-adolescent dyads) or indirectly through interparental conflict (for mother-adolescent dyads only). Subsequently, both interparental and parent-child conflict positively related to a sense of alienation between parents and adolescents, which then related to more depressive symptoms, more delinquent behaviors, and lower academic performance in adolescents, for mother-adolescent and father-adolescent dyads. These effects persisted from high school to emerging adulthood. The results highlight the indirect effects of maternal and paternal acculturative stressors on adolescent adjustment through family processes involving interparental and parent-child relationships.

The association of lifetime suicidal ideation with perceived parental love and family structure in childhood in a nationally representative adult sample

While perceived support from caregivers in the early stages of life is an aspect of family environment that is increasingly recognized as important for understanding lifetime suicidal behaviors, it is not well understood whether the relationship between perceived support from caregivers during childhood and lifetime suicidal behaviors holds regardless of family structure. This study examined the association between perceived love from caregivers in childhood and lifetime suicidal ideation in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (N=5,692, 2001-2003). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between lifetime suicidal ideation and retrospectively ascertained data on perceived love from caregivers during childhood as well as clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of study participants. Regression analyses were stratified by family structure, namely, whether or not study participants lived with two biological parents during childhood. Regardless of whether or not they lived with two biological parents during childhood, individuals who perceived love from caregivers during childhood had significantly 42-43% lower odds of lifetime suicide ideation as compared with those who did not perceive love from caregivers. Results suggest that perceived support from caregivers during childhood is an important correlate of lifetime suicidal ideation, regardless of family structure.

Parenting and the parent-child relationship in families of children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities and externalizing behavior

This cross-sectional study examined the association between parenting behavior, the parent-child relationship, and externalizing child behavior in families of children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MBID). The families of a child with MBID and accompanying externalizing behavior problems (n=113) reported more positive discipline and physical punishment but less involvement, less positive parenting, less monitoring, a lower sense of parenting competence, less acceptance of the child, and less closeness to the child than the families of a child with MBID and no accompanying externalizing behavior problems (n=71). The parent-child relationship was most strongly associated with externalizing child behavior, over and above parenting behaviors. In addition, the parent-child relationship was found to be associated with parenting behavior, over and above the child's externalizing behavior. Our results highlight the importance of both the parent-child relationship and parenting behavior in connection with the occurrence of externalizing behavior problems on the part of children with MBID. Parenting behavior and the parent-child relationship may thus be promising targets for interventions with this group of children.

Effects of pubertal timing on alcohol and tobacco use in the early adulthood: A longitudinal cohort study in Taiwan

We aimed to examine the effects of pubertal timing on adolescents' alcohol and tobacco use from late adolescence to young adulthood. In addition, we separately explored associative factors of the use of these substances stratified by pubertal timings. A longitudinal cohort of 7th- and 9th-grade students was recruited in Taiwan. Pubertal timing was classified according to the Pubertal Developmental Scale. Effects of pubertal timing on self-reported drinking and smoking at age 20 were evaluated using generalized estimating equation analysis. Furthermore, we assessed the predictive roles of parental monitoring, parent-child relationships, peer influence, and school adhesion among participants, stratified by pubertal timing using multiple logistic regression analysis. A survey of 2290 participants was analyzed, with 51.2% being female. The smoking rate is 19.2% (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.00) and the alcohol drinking rate is 41.6% (adjusted OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.07-1.69) for early maturing adolescents as compared to 12.3% and 41.6% respectively for on-time peers. A satisfactory parent-child relationship is a protective factor and strict parental monitoring is a risk factor for future tobacco and alcohol use in logistic regression analyses. Early maturation confers risk for cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption in young adulthood. Health professionals and parents should be advised of the potential associative factors with future substance use among adolescents with different maturation tempo. Emphasis could be placed on promoting positive parenting strategies and intra-familial interactions.

The role of social relationships in bipolar disorder: a review

Social relationships and attachment are core developmental elements of human existence and survival that evolve over the lifetime of an individual. The internal and external factors that influence them include the presence of illness in the individual or in their immediate environment. The developmental aspects of attachment and social relationships have become increasingly of interest and relevance in light of early developmental epigenetic modification of gene expression patterns that may influence subsequent behavioral patterns and outcomes. This review examines extant literature on attachment and social relationships in bipolar cohorts. Despite many methodological challenges, the findings indicate that social relationships and capacity for attachment are significantly compromised in individuals with bipolar disorder compared to other mood disorders and normal controls. Though extant research is limited, research clearly points toward the importance of social relationships on the etiology, course, and consequences of bipolar disorder. We highlight a number of key considerations for future research.

Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers

Brain networks that govern parental response to infant signals have been studied with imaging techniques over the last 15 years. The complex interaction of thoughts and behaviors required for sensitive parenting enables the formation of each individual's first social bonds and critically shapes development. This review concentrates on magnetic resonance imaging experiments which directly examine the brain systems involved in parental responses to infant cues. First, we introduce themes in the literature on parental brain circuits studied to date. Next, we present a thorough chronological review of state-of-the-art fMRI studies that probe the parental brain with a range of baby audio and visual stimuli. We also highlight the putative role of oxytocin and effects of psychopathology, as well as the most recent work on the paternal brain. Taken together, a new model emerges in which we propose that cortico-limbic networks interact to support parental brain responses to infants. These include circuitry for arousal/salience/motivation/reward, reflexive/instrumental caring, emotion response/regulation and integrative/complex cognitive processing. Maternal sensitivity and the quality of caregiving behavior are likely determined by the responsiveness of these circuits during early parent-infant experiences. The function of these circuits is modifiable by current and early-life experiences, hormonal and other factors. Severe deviation from the range of normal function in these systems is particularly associated with (maternal) mental illnesses - commonly, depression and anxiety, but also schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Finally, we discuss the limits and extent to which brain imaging may broaden our understanding of the parental brain given our current model. Developments in the understanding of the parental brain may have profound implications for long-term outcomes in families across risk, resilience and possible interventions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.