A Lot of Warmth and a Bit of Control? How Parenting Mediates the Relationship Between Parental Personality and Their Children’s Mental Health Problems

Journal of Child and Family Studies ◽

10.1007/s10826-021-02210-z ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Caroline Cohrdes ◽

Kristin Göbel

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Control ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Children’S Mental Health ◽

Children's Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Parental Personality ◽

Parenting Behaviour

AbstractResearch has identified parental personality and parenting behaviour as important contributors to healthy child development. However, indirect associations are largely unknown. The current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of parenting dimension relations between parental personality and adolescent mental health problems. The cross-sectional sample included 4258 German adolescents (48.7% male, 11–17 years) and one parent who participated in a national health survey (KiGGS Wave 2). The results underline and extend previous indications of direct associations between parental personality and their children’s mental health problems by highlighting the adverse role of neuroticism. Furthermore, new insights are added regarding the mediating roles of parenting dimensions (i.e., warmth, behavioural control, and psychological control). Future efforts and parent-focused prevention programmes should be extended by parental personality to identify maladaptive parenting behaviour and thus contribute to the development of their children’s mental health.

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Parenting and child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/ag2r7 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sarah Whittle ◽

Katherine Olivia Bray ◽

Sylvia Lin ◽

Orli Schwartz

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Externalizing Problems ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Family System ◽

Health Problems ◽

Children’S Mental Health ◽

Children's Mental Health ◽

Trauma Symptoms ◽

Parent Depression ◽

Cross Sectional

Background: Early work indicates the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents. Understanding which children may be more at risk for mental health problems, and which risk factors are amenable to change is crucial. The importance of studying children’s mental health within the context of the family system is recognized. Methods: The current study investigated associations between parent factors, and children’s mental health during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic across a number of Western countries (primarily Australia and the United Kingdom). Parents (N = 385) reported on their pandemic-related stress, mental health, and parenting behaviors, in addition to mental health changes in their 5-17 year old children (N = 481) during April/May 2020. Results: Analyses revealed significant associations between parent COVID-19 pandemic stress, parent depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, and increases in child internalizing and externalizing problems. Harsh parenting behavior was associated with trauma symptoms and increases in externalizing problems. Further, some associations were more pronounced for children with existing mental health problems, and for disadvantaged and single parent families. Limitations: The data was cross-sectional, the majority of participant parents were female, and all data were parent-report. Conclusions: Findings suggest the importance of parents in influencing children’s mental health during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further work is needed to investigate longer-term impacts.

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