scholarly journals A Longitudinal Assessment of Parenting Stress in Parents of Children with New-Onset Epilepsy

Author(s):  
Dana M Bakula ◽  
Sara E Wetter ◽  
James L Peugh ◽  
Avani C Modi

Abstract Objective Parents of children with newly diagnosed epilepsy may experience elevated parenting stress. The present study examined trajectories of parenting stress over time and identified modifiable predictors of these trajectories. Methods Parents of youth with epilepsy (N = 102; 2–12 years old) completed questionnaires 1, 4, 13, 19, and 25-months post-diagnosis, including measures of parenting stress, family functioning, child psychosocial functioning, sociodemographics, and perceived stigma. Latent growth curve models (LGCM) were used to examine domains of parenting stress over time. Results At baseline, 25–48% of parents reported elevated parenting stress. LGCMs revealed that the parent and child domains of parenting stress were generally stable across time. However, life stress was more variable across time, and parents with higher initial life stress had a greater reduction in life stress over time. Socioeconomic status was identified as a non-modifiable predictor of life stress. Family functioning was associated with greater parenting stress in the parent domain. Child psychosocial functioning was associated with greater parenting stress in the parent and child domains. Conclusions Parenting stress was elevated for a subset of families and appeared to be relatively stable over time, with the exception of life stress, which was more variable. With early screening, child factors and parent appraisals of epilepsy may be valuable targets for clinical intervention with families of children with epilepsy.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Nadya Golfenshtein ◽  
Alexandra L Hanlon ◽  
Janet A Deatrick ◽  
Barbara Medoff-Cooper

Abstract Objectives: Parents of infants with CHDs experience increased parenting stress compared to the general population, potentially interfering with parenting practices and bear adverse family outcomes. The changes in stress over the critical period of infancy have yet to be studied. The current study aimed to compare parenting stress changes over time between parents of infants with CHDs and parents of healthy infants during the first year of infants’ life. Methods: Data from a larger prospective cohort study were longitudinally analysed using mixed-effects multivariable regression modelling. Sample included mothers of 129 infants with complex cardiac defects and healthy infants, recruited from the cardiac ICU of a large cardiac centre and outpatient paediatric practices in Northeastern America. Outcome was measured over four visits via the Parenting Stress Index Long Form. Results: Stress in the cardiac group has significantly decreased over time on the Parent Domain (p = 0.025), and stress in the healthy group has significantly increased over time on the Child Domain (p = 0.033). Parenting stress trajectories demonstrated significant differences between groups on the Parent Domain (p = 0.026) and on the Total Stress (p = 0.039) subscales. Conclusions: Parenting stress in the paediatric cardiac population changes over time and differs from stress experienced by parents of healthy infants. Findings highlight stressful periods that may be potentially risky for parents of infants with CHDs and introduce additional illness-related and psychosocial/familial aspects to the parenting stress concept.


Author(s):  
Ricarda Steinmayr ◽  
Linda Wirthwein ◽  
Laura Modler ◽  
Margaret M. Barry

Despite the importance of subjective well-being (SWB) for students’ mental and physical health, there is a lack of longitudinal studies investigating the development of SWB in adolescents and what factors are associated with it over time. The present study seeks to shed further light on this question by investigating adolescents longitudinally. A sample of German academic tracks students (N = 476) from five schools were followed longitudinally over a time period of 30 months with four measurement points from Grade 11 to Grade 13. Alongside the longitudinal assessment of SWB (mood and life satisfaction), a range of other factors were also assessed at t1 including; demographic factors (sex, age, socio-economic status (HISEI)), intelligence, grades (report cards provided by the schools), personality (neuroticism, extraversion) and perceived parental expectations and support. Latent growth curve models were conducted to investigate the development of SWB and its correlates. On average, mood and life satisfaction improved at the end of mandatory schooling. However, students significantly differed in this pattern of change. Students’ life satisfaction developed more positively if students had good grades at t1. Furthermore, even though introverted students started with lower life satisfaction at t1, extraverts’ life showed greater increases over time. Changes in mood were associated with socio-economic background; the higher the HISEI the more positive the change. As social comparisons in school performance are almost inevitable, schools should intervene to buffer the influence of school grades on students’ SWB.


Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110016
Author(s):  
Emily J Hickey ◽  
Michelle Stransky ◽  
Jocelyn Kuhn ◽  
Jessica E Rosenberg ◽  
Howard J Cabral ◽  
...  

Significant disparities exist between Hispanic and non-Hispanic families in time-to-diagnosis among children identified as at risk of autism spectrum disorder; yet, little is known about parent experiences throughout the diagnostic process that may contribute to or help explain these disparities. The current study examined longitudinal trajectories of parenting stress, coping, and perceived family impact during the autism spectrum disorder diagnostic process among an ethnically and racially diverse low-income, urban sample, allowing for comparisons between Hispanic and non-Hispanic families. Hispanic families reported lower levels of parenting stress (χ2 = 5.35(1), p = 0.021), avoidant (χ2 = 9.66(1), p = 0.002) and approach (χ2 = 8.61(1), p = 0.003) coping, and negative family impact (χ2 = 5.39(1), p = 0.020) across time (main effects) compared with non-Hispanic families. Furthermore, there were differences in the change in use (Time Period × Ethnicity interaction effects) of both avoidant (χ2 = 10.80(3), p = 0.013) and approach (χ2 = 11.57(3), p = 0.009) coping, as well as negative family impact (χ2 = 9.81(3), p = 0.020), between Hispanic and non-Hispanic parents over time. These differences begin to shed light on the unique experiences of Hispanic parents. Because of the strengths that Hispanic families demonstrate, interventions that leverage those strengths and focus on education, empowerment, and resilience might be particularly beneficial for Hispanic families and may also better inform work to increase resilience in non-Hispanic families. Lay abstract Little is known about parent experiences throughout the diagnostic process for autism or how these parent experiences may help explain the disparities that exist between Hispanic and non-Hispanic families in time-to-diagnosis among children identified as at risk for autism. The current study examined trajectories of parenting stress, coping, and perceived family impact over time, throughout the autism diagnostic process among Hispanic and non-Hispanic families. Hispanic families reported lower levels of parenting stress, coping, and negative family impact across time. Further, there were differences in the change in use of coping and the amount of negative family impact reported between Hispanic and non-Hispanic parents over time. These differences shed light on the unique experiences and strengths of Hispanic families demonstrate. Interventions that leverage those strengths and focus on education, empowerment, and resilience might be particularly beneficial for Hispanic families and may also better inform work to increase resilience.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 514-515
Author(s):  
Erfei Zhao ◽  
Eileen Crimmins ◽  
Jennifer Ailshire ◽  
Jung Ki Kim ◽  
Qiao Wu

Abstract Deterioration in kidney functioning is associated with aging and is a major risk factor for mortality and other poor health outcomes. Medicare expenses for poor kidney functioning are about 100 billion dollars every year. High Cystatin-C is an indicator of poor kidney functioning. We do not know if cystatin-C increases gradually as an individual ages. We use the Health and Retirement Study 2006/2008 Biomarker sample with follow-up for 8 years to examine this. Demographic and socioeconomic differences in trajectories of Cystatin-C trajectories were examined for 22,984 participants aged 50 and older. Growth curve models reveal that, although Cystatin-C increases with age (beta=0.025, p<0.001), the annual increase varies by age (60-69 = 0.005, 70-79 = 0.013, 80+ = 0.017, p<0.001), controlling for other socioeconomic variables. Cystatin-C increases faster for males than females. Cystatin-C of non-Hispanic Whites is lower than non-Hispanic Blacks but higher than Hispanics; there is no racial/ethnic difference in change over time. People who spent fewer years in school have higher Cystatin-C, and college graduates have slower growth in Cystatin-C compared to people who did not graduate from high school. These novel findings highlight the disparities in the process of kidney aging among older Americans.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Zarinah Arshat ◽  
Farah Syuhada Pai ◽  
Zanariah Ismail ◽  
Rozumah Baharudin

<p>This study aims to determine relationship between parenting stress and family functioning as well as to explore the effects of gender on the aforementioned stress and functioning variables among commuter family. A total of 72 couples of commuter family were involved in this study. Result showed that higher parenting stress relate to less satisfactory family functioning. The study also revealed that there was no significance differences in perception on parenting stress and family functioning between husband and wife of commuter family. Government and non-government sectors can used the results of the study to provide programs that can help commuter families to deal and cope with the challenges. Finally, future research is needed to take in-depth look with other variable exists and replicated with different population.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 328-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle L. Wright ◽  
Yunfeng Huang ◽  
Qin Hui ◽  
Kevin Newhall ◽  
Cindy Crusto ◽  
...  

IntroductionGeneral life stress has been associated with altered DNA methylation in individuals of African Ancestry, although the relationship between parenting stress and DNA methylation has not been described. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal parenting stress and DNA methylation among African Ancestry mother-child dyads.MethodsWe evaluated epigenome-wide DNA methylation relative to parenting stress in 74 mother-child dyads using linear mixed models.ResultsSignificant variation in maternal DNA methylation at 95 CpG sites was associated with level of parenting stress. Notably, we identified a change in DNA methylation associated with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1, which plays a key role in stress signaling. We did not identify any significant variation in child DNA methylation related to maternal parenting stress.ConclusionsHowever, DNA methylation patterns observed in children mirrored patterns observed in their mothers. The results suggest that differential maternal DNA methylation is associated with higher levels of parenting stress.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi162-vi162
Author(s):  
Melissa Gardner ◽  
Giuliana Zarrella ◽  
Jorg Dietrich ◽  
Michael Parsons

Abstract INTRODUCTION Estimates of subjective cognitive function (SCF) generally show minimal correlation with objective measures of neurocognitive function (NCF). Our group recently validated a new metric of SCF in neuro-oncology patients, creating the Cognitive Index of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br-CI). This study examines whether brain tumor (BT) patients evaluated on more than one occasion show improved relationship between SCF and NCF. We hypothesized that change scores in SCF and NCF across evaluation would be more highly correlated than SCF and NCF at either timepoint. METHODS A retrospective study of BT patients who completed two neuropsychological evaluations (baseline, follow-up) was conducted. NCF was measured by the clinical trial battery composite (CTBC), a mean of 6 commonly used neuropsychological test scores. SCF was measured by the FACT-Br-CI. Mood/Anxiety were measured by the Beck scales (BAI/BDI-II). Change over time on each metric was evaluated with paired t-test. Correlational analyses evaluated relationships between NCF, SCF, and mood within and between time points. RESULTS Twenty-nine patients (16 female; mean age=54.6y; mean education=15.5y) completed all CTBC measures and FACT-Br-CI, 28 of whom completed and BDI and/or BAI. On group analyses, there were no significant differences between baseline and follow-up on CTBC (t=-.53;p=ns) or FACT-Br-CI (t=-.98;p=ns). Correlations between CTBC and FACT-Br-CI were nonsignificant at baseline (r=.24;p=ns), but significant at follow-up (r=.56;p=0.002). Change scores over time were unrelated (r=-.104;p=ns). Similar to previous studies, the FACT-BR-CI correlated with the BDI-II at baseline (r=-.38;p=0.04) and follow-up (r=-.59;p&lt; 0.001) and with the BAI at follow-up (r=-.44;p=0.02). CONCLUSION In this small group of brain tumor patients seen for repeated neuropsychological evaluations, we found that agreement between SCF and NCF was much higher on their second than initial evaluation. These findings suggest that patients may develop enhanced awareness of their cognitive function from an initial evaluation that persists over time.


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