Optimism and pessimism in children: A study of parenting correlates

The present study investigated the relation between mothers’ generalised expectancies, mothers’ self-reported parenting practices, and their children’s optimism, pessimism, and depressive symptoms. A community sample of 81 children, 8–12 years old, and their mothers participated. Questionnaires were used to assess four parenting dimensions (control, structure, support, and autonomy granting), as well as mothers’ and children’s optimism, pessimism, and depressive symptoms. Results showed that maternal pessimism correlated with child pessimism, and that maternal depressive symptoms correlated negatively with child optimism. Multiple regressions indicated that mothers who were moderately controlling had children who showed the most optimism, whereas those who allowed their children little autonomy in problem solving had children with the highest level of depressive symptoms.

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Mothers’ Personal and Interpersonal Function as Potential Mediators Between Maternal Maltreatment History and Child Behavior Problems

Child Maltreatment ◽

10.1177/1077559517734937 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 147-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jessica Pereira ◽

Jaclyn A. Ludmer ◽

Andrea Gonzalez ◽

Leslie Atkinson

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Child Behavior ◽

Adult Attachment ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Community Sample ◽

Maternal Sensitivity ◽

Behavioral Observation ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Avoidant Attachment

This study examined maternal depressive symptoms, social support, parenting, and adult attachment as mediators explaining the relation between maternal childhood maltreatment and child behavior in offspring. We assessed a community sample of 96 mother–child dyads. At child age 16 months, mothers self-reported maltreatment history, adult attachment, depressive symptoms, and social support, and maternal sensitivity was assessed via 2 hr of direct behavioral observation. Maternal reports of child behavior were collected at 5 years. Single and parallel mediation models were constructed. Only maternal depressive symptoms mediated the relation between maternal maltreatment history and children’s internalizing problems. Maternal sensitivity emerged as a suppressor variable. With respect to the relation between maternal maltreatment history and children’s externalizing problems, when entered singly, maternal depressive symptoms, social support, and avoidant attachment emerged as mediators. When examined in parallel, only maternal depressive symptoms and avoidant attachment accounted for unique mediating variance. Findings have implications with respect to important maternal factors that might be targeted to reduce the probability of maladaptive child behavior.

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Maternal Depressive Symptoms at 2 to 4 Months Post Partum and Early Parenting Practices

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine ◽

10.1001/archpedi.160.3.279 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 160 (3) ◽

pp. 279 ◽

Cited By ~ 173

Author(s):

Kathryn Taaffe McLearn ◽

Cynthia S. Minkovitz ◽

Donna M. Strobino ◽

Elisabeth Marks ◽

William Hou

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Post Partum ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Early Parenting

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Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Parenting Practices 3-Months Postpartum

Maternal and Child Health Journal ◽

10.1007/s10995-014-1625-6 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (6) ◽

pp. 1212-1219 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Amy Balbierz ◽

Susan Bodnar-Deren ◽

Jason J. Wang ◽

Elizabeth A. Howell

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms

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Maternal Emotion Dysregulation and the Functional Organization of Preschoolers’ Emotional Expressions and Regulatory Behaviors

10.31234/osf.io/bpn8y ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Grace Elizabeth Binion ◽

Maureen Zalewski

Keyword(s):

Problem Solving ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Emotion Dysregulation ◽

Emotion Socialization ◽

Functional Organization ◽

Child Outcomes ◽

Community Sample ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Significant Risk Factor ◽

Functional Relations

While psychopathology in mothers is known to be a significant risk factor for child outcomes, less is known about how emotion dysregulation, a transdiagnostic feature that cuts across many diagnoses, shapes emotion-related parenting practices and the development of emotion regulation in offspring. Building upon previous research that examined the functional relations between emotions and regulatory actions in children, we sought to examine the association of maternal emotion dysregulation and emotion socialization with these functional links in an at risk community sample of mother-preschooler (children ages 36-60 months) dyads which over-sampled for mothers with elevated symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (n = 68). We found that maternal emotion dysregulation was associated with children displaying more sadness and engaging in less problem solving during the Locked Box Task, which is designed to elicit anger. Maternal emotion dysregulation was also associated with children being more distracted and talking less in the context of sadness. Maternal non-supportive emotion socialization responses were associated with children engaging in more defiant behaviors throughout the task and using less problem solving in the context of happiness, while maternal supportive emotion socialization responses were associated with more play throughout the task and less talking in the context of sadness, above and beyond the effect of maternal emotion dysregulation. These findings indicate that maternal emotion dysregulation and non-supportive emotion socialization practices are both meaningfully associated with the development of aberrant patterns of emotional and behavioral responding during the preschool years.

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Maternal Depression Is Associated with Adaptive Skill Deficits of Children with Sickle Cell Disease through Parenting Practices.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.1397.1397 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 1397-1397

Author(s):

Jennifer J Macdonald ◽

Jennifer Rees ◽

Gene H. Brody ◽

Man-Kit Lei ◽

Yi-fu Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Sickle Cell Disease ◽

Path Analysis ◽

Maternal Depression ◽

Sickle Cell ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Research Funding ◽

Adaptive Skills ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Cell Disease

Abstract Abstract 1397 Poster Board I-419 Background: Caregivers of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) have high levels of stress and depression. Students with SCD have a higher prevalence of behavioral and cognitive deficits compared to healthy students. Adaptive skills are particularly important for children with chronic disease because they are the skills needed to transition into independent adulthood. We hypothesize that (1) Maternal depressive symptoms are associated with decreased adaptive skills in children with SCD, and (2) This association will be mediated by the association between maternal depression and the provision of lower levels of competence promoting parenting. Methods: We completed a cross-sectional analysis of a single center prospective cohort study. Adaptive skills of children with SCD were assessed by parent report of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC). The BASC reflects the child's adaptive skills by 5 key adaptive scales: adaptability, activities of daily living, functional communication, social skills, and leadership. Maternal risk for depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We completed structured interviews of the mothers to assess parenting quality. Effective parenting was characterized by high levels of support, involvement, monitoring, and low levels of ongoing conflict. A path analysis using ordinary least squares was used for statistical analysis. Results: 48 children with SCD and their mothers were evaluated. 52% of the children were male; mean age was 12 yrs (Range 6-16). 25% of the children repeated a grade level in school. The mothers' mean age was 38 yrs (Range 27-59) and the average yearly household income per capita was $7,133 (Range 708- 22,800). 60% of the children received healthcare via Medicaid. 20% of the mothers were at risk for depression.12.5% of the children had clinically significant deficits in adaptive skills and18.8% of the children were considered “at risk.” There was a moderate correlation between maternal depression and child adaptive skills (r = .481, p=.01). A path analysis revealed that in the presence of parenting, the association between maternal depression and child adaptive skills is no longer significant. The effect of maternal depression is mediated by depression induced decrements in competence promoting parenting practices (Fig. 1). Medicaid was associated with higher maternal depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Our preliminary data provide direct evidence that maternal depression is associated with proximal parenting practices that are associated with child adaptive skills. Parenting practices can be modified through education and family support and serve as a potential intervention target for moderating the effects of maternal depression on child adaptive skills in this vulnerable population. Maternal depressive symptoms have a negative association with proximal parenting processes that are linked to adaptive skills in children with SCD. Stronger parenting indices are associated with better adaptive skills. In the presence of parenting, the direct association between maternal depression and adaptive skills is no longer significant. Disclosures: Brody: NIH: Research Funding. White: NIH: Research Funding. King: NIH-NHLBI: Research Funding; Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: Research Funding.

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The Timing of Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Mothers' Parenting Practices With Young Children: Implications for Pediatric Practice

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.2005-1551 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 118 (1) ◽

pp. e174-e182 ◽

Cited By ~ 118

Author(s):

K. T. McLearn ◽

C. S. Minkovitz ◽

D. M. Strobino ◽

E. Marks ◽

W. Hou

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Young Children ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Pediatric Practice

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Influence of paternal general parenting on Latino early adolescents’ energy balance-related behaviours and interactions with behaviour-specific parenting practices

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021002846 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Youjie Zhang ◽

Sayaka Nagao-Sato ◽

Aysegul Baltaci ◽

Ghaffar Ali Hurtado Choque ◽

Marla Reicks

Keyword(s):

Energy Balance ◽

Fast Food ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Early Adolescents ◽

Coercive Control ◽

Autonomy Granting ◽

Sugary Drink ◽

Paternal Parenting ◽

Parenting Dimensions ◽

General Parenting

Abstract Objective: To investigate the influence of general parenting dimensions on adolescents’ energy balance-related behaviours (EBRB) and its interactions with behaviour-specific parenting practices based on Darling and Steinberg’s contextual model of parenting style. Design: Multiple linear regression analyses and the Hayes PROCESS procedure to analyse self-reported cross-sectional survey data. Setting: In-person survey. Participants: Latino early adolescents and their fathers (n 225 dyads) recruited using convenience sampling from metropolitan areas of north-central USA. Results: Both paternal parenting dimensions of warmth and autonomy granting were positively associated with adolescents’ fruit intake, vegetable intake and physical activity. Coercive control was positively associated with adolescents’ sugary drink intake and sweets/salty snack intake. These associations were predominantly mediated by the parenting practices of setting expectations/allowances, role modelling, and managing availability and accessibility for corresponding EBRB. After adjusting for parenting practices, paternal warmth was inversely associated with adolescents’ screen time, paternal autonomy was positively associated with sugary drink intake, and both paternal warmth and autonomy granting were positively associated with adolescents’ fast food intake. In addition, positive associations between fathers’ parenting practices and adolescents’ sugary drink intake were significantly stronger among those who perceived high v. low levels of paternal warmth and autonomy granting. Conclusions: Paternal warmth and autonomy granting showed mixed effects on adolescents’ EBRB, and coercive control showed undesirable relationships with adolescents’ dietary intake via interactions with behaviour-specific parenting practices. Lifestyle intervention programmes for Latino adolescents need to consider incorporating paternal parenting education components.

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Maternal depressive symptoms and sensitivity are related to young children's facial expression recognition: The Generation R Study

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579413001028 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 333-345 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Eszter Székely ◽

Nicole Lucassen ◽

Henning Tiemeier ◽

Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg ◽

Marinus H. Van Ijzendoorn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Maternal Depression ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Community Sample ◽

Maternal Sensitivity ◽

Emotional Expressions ◽

Expression Recognition ◽

Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽

Children's Emotion ◽

Processing Abilities

AbstractA vast body of literature shows that maternal depression has long-term adverse consequences for children. However, only very few studies have documented the effect of maternal depression on children's ability to process emotional expressions and even fewer incorporated measures of observed maternal sensitivity to further tease apart whether it is the symptoms per se or the associated impact via maternal sensitivity that affects children's developing emotion-processing abilities. In a large community sample of Dutch preschoolers (N = 770), we examined independent and mediated effects of maternal depressive symptoms and sensitivity on children's ability to recognize emotional expressions using a nonverbal and a verbal task paradigm. Maternal depressive symptoms predicted less accurate emotion labeling in children, while maternal sensitivity was associated with more accurate emotion matching, especially for sadness and anger. Maternal sensitivity did not mediate the observed associations between mothers’ depressive symptoms and children's emotion recognition, and effects were similar for boys and girls. Given that maternal depressive symptoms and sensitivity affected nonoverlapping areas of young children's emotion recognition, prevention and intervention efforts should focus on both alleviating maternal depressive symptoms and improving maternal sensitivity at the same time in order to maximize benefit.

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