scholarly journals Mind-Mindedness and Parenting Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Cohort of Mothers of 3-Month-Old Full-Term and Preterm Infants

Author(s):  
Chiara Suttora ◽  
Maria Spinelli ◽  
Tiziana Aureli ◽  
Mirco Fasolo ◽  
Francesca Lionetti ◽  
...  

The preterm birth of a child is a sudden event that can disturb the overall family system and its functioning. Many studies have been conducted with the aim of exploring how and the degree to which this event affects the early mother–infant dyadic relationship and maternal well-being, with often mixed findings. The present study investigates the combined effect of preterm birth and parenting stress on mind-mindedness, a parenting dimension that captures how parents represent and treat their children as separate individuals with their own mental states and activities. A hundred and ten mothers and their three-month-old infants (preterm = 54; full-term = 56) participated in the study. Mind-mindedness was assessed by coding mothers’ comments about infant’s mental states during dyadic face-to-face interaction. Parenting stress was evaluated with the Parenting Stress Index Short Form questionnaire. Mothers of preterm infants reported similar levels of appropriate and non-attuned mind-related comments to mothers of full-term infants. The reported parenting stress levels were also comparable. Interestingly, only mothers of preterm infants who reported higher stress in parenting showed more non-attuned comments during the interaction. The results underline the need to address preterm birth as a complex event, going beyond group differences and considering its interplay with other risk or protective factors in shaping children’s and parents’ adjustments and well-being.

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Re ◽  
Suzanne Dean ◽  
Jimmy Mullaert ◽  
Antoine Guedeney ◽  
Samuel Menahem

Background: Mothers and infants are exposed to multiple stresses when cardiac surgery is required for the infant. This study reviewed infant responsiveness using a standardized objective observational measure of social withdrawal and explored its association with measures of maternal distress. Methods: Mother–infant pairs involving infants surviving early cardiac surgery were assessed when the infant was aged two months. Infant social withdrawal was measured using the Alarm Distress Baby Scale. Maternal distress was assessed using self-report measures for maternal depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), anxiety (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale), and parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index–Short Form). Potential associations between infant social withdrawal and maternal distress were evaluated. Results: High levels of maternal distress and infant social withdrawal were identified relative to community norms with a positive association. Such an association was not found between infant social withdrawal and the cardiac abnormality and surgery performed. Conclusion: The vulnerability of infants requiring cardiac surgery may be better understood when factors beyond their medical condition are considered. The findings suggested an association between maternal distress and infant social withdrawal, which may be consistent with mothers’ distress placing infants subjected to cardiac surgery at substantially increased risk of social withdrawal. However, it is unclear to what extent infant withdrawal may trigger maternal distress and what the interactive effects are. Further research is warranted. Trialing a mother–infant support program may be helpful in alleviating distress and improving the well-being and outcomes for these families.


2018 ◽  
Vol 06 (02) ◽  
pp. 096-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Thomson ◽  
Philip Bergman ◽  
Margaret Hay

Abstract Context Caring for a child with a chronic illness requires additional responsibilities and burdens. Aims This research examined psychological well-being of carers of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). A comparison group of carers of children without a chronic condition was included to determine the specific influence T1DM has on carer well-being. Methods This cross-sectional correlational study included a sample of 93 carers of children with T1DM, and 84 comparison carers. Participants were administered the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS21), and the Parenting Stress Index Short Form 4th edition via an online questionnaire. Results Multivariate analysis revealed no significant differences between carer groups; additional univariate analyses, however, indicated that carers of children with T1DM scored significantly higher on depression and stress subscales on the DASS21, and recorded elevated anxiety scores. Conclusions Carers of children with T1DM appear to manage parenting stress; however, they may be at increased risk of depression, general stress, and anxiety.


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAREN A. THOMAS ◽  
MICHELLE T. RENAUD ◽  
DEBRA DePAUL

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohisa Ando ◽  
Rintaro Mori ◽  
Kenji Takehara ◽  
Mari Asukata ◽  
Shuichi Ito ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Electronic health (eHealth) for infants and mothers is a current focus of attention, but its effectiveness has rarely been examined in Japan. For infants, skin problems, including atopic dermatitis (AD), which is known to lead to other allergic diseases, is one of the most common conditions. For mothers, parenting stress, which adversely affects mothers’ and children’s well-being, is one of the biggest problems in the postpartum period; this requires a national solution in Japan. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of pediatric teleconsultation for preventing atopic dermatitis in infants and reducing parenting stress in mothers in Japan. METHODS The study was an open-label, randomized, parallel-armed controlled trial. In total, 318 pairs of infants and mothers in Yokohama City Sakae Ward in Japan were recruited when they submitted birth cards to the ward, received the explanation, and completed online informed consent on the website for this trial. Eligible pairs of infant and mother were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=140) or the control group (n=138). Participants in both the intervention and control groups received routine postnatal care from the local government services. In addition, participants in the intervention group had the option to use combined pediatric services with teleconsultation and email newsletters without any charge from the date of registration until the infant was 4 months of age. Primary outcomes were (i) the prevalence of AD in infants diagnosed based on the United Kingdom Working Party’s criteria; and (ii) parenting stress and mental status in mothers, assessed using the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) and General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Data were collected via the ward office staff and researcher at the 4-month checkup. RESULTS The prevalence of AD in infants was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group at the 4-month checkup (20% vs. 33%, P=.03; relative risk ratio, 0.614 [95% confidence interval, 0.406 to 0.927]). No significant differences were observed in the PSI-SF and GHQ-12 scores between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS This is the first randomized controlled trial demonstrating that a combined pediatric service with teleconsultation and email newsletters was effective in reducing the prevalence of AD in infants. Pediatric eHealth will become a new strategy for preventing AD. CLINICALTRIAL UMIN000029774; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000034022


Assessment ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 107319111984775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Luo ◽  
Meng-Cheng Wang ◽  
Yu Gao ◽  
Hong Zeng ◽  
Wendeng Yang ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e042996
Author(s):  
Liang-Jen Wang ◽  
Zi-Yu Tsai ◽  
Ling-Sai Chang ◽  
Ho-Chang Kuo

ObjectiveKawasaki disease (KD) is an acute form of febrile vasculitis that occurs in early childhood. The multisystemic vasculitis common in patients with KD may influence blood perfusion in the brain, and thus caregivers of children with KD may feel stress with regard to caring for them. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusion is the standard treatment for acute KD, and the most serious complication of KD is coronary artery aneurysms (coronary artery lesion (CAL)). This study aimed to investigate the relationships between KD heterogeneity and the risk of patients’ cognitive impairment or caregivers’ parenting stress.DesignA case–control study with consecutive sampling.SettingA medical centre (Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan).ParticipantsThis study consisted of 176 patients with KD (mean age: 5.5 years, 60.8% boys) and 85 healthy children (mean age: 6.4 years, 54.1% boys).Primary and secondary outcome measuresBased on the children’s age, each patient with KD and control subject was administered an assessment using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, and parenting function of their caregivers was assessed using the Parenting Stress Index (PSI)-Short Form.ResultsWe observed no significant differences in any developmental index, cognitive function or parenting stress between patients with KD and controls. Among the children with KD, IVIG administration nor CAL was associated with children’s cognitive scores. However, the caregivers of patients who had CAL suffered from greater PSI total scores than those of patients without CAL. Furthermore, the caregivers who had education levels of a master’s degree or above showed less parenting stress than those who had an education level of college or lower.ConclusionCaregivers’ education is associated to parenting stress, and caregivers of patients with KD who developed CAL may feel stress about the unpredictable sequela caused by CAL for their children. Such caregivers may require support to fulfil their parenting roles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaozi Gao ◽  
Kerry Lee

With increasing attention on the role of parenting stress on family functioning and children’s development, one area that has been neglected is how such relations differ across cultures. Although sometimes viewed as homogeneous, Asian countries often have markedly different belief systems. Cross-cultural studies require instruments that have been validated in different socio-cultural contexts. The widely used parenting stress index-short form (PSI-SF) has been used in several locations. However, results regarding its factorial structure have been mixed. Furthermore, there are only a few cross-cultural comparison studies. This study examined the factorial structure of an abridged version of the PSI-SF with data from Hong Kong (N = 258) and Thailand (N = 190). The results from confirmatory factor analyses indicated that, in both cultures, a three-factorial structure provides the best model fit. Furthermore, we found evidence for partial metric invariance, suggesting that the test scores can be compared directly. Tests for convergent and discriminant validity revealed that the three factors were correlated with parent general distress, authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting behaviors, in both cultures. These findings suggest that the abridged PSI-SF can provide a meaningful comparison of parenting stress between Hong Kong and Thailand.


2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 222-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaila Misri ◽  
Kristin Kendrick ◽  
Tim F Oberlander ◽  
Sandhaya Norris ◽  
Lianne Tomfohr ◽  
...  

Objective: Postpartum depression has been associated with parenting stress, impacting attachment and child development. However, the relation between antenatal depression or anxiety and postpartum parenting stress has not been investigated. We studied the effect of antenatal depression and anxiety and treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (antidepressants [ADs]) on postpartum parenting stress. Method: Ninety-four pregnant women (part of a larger study examining prenatal AD exposure on infants) were prospectively monitored for depression and anxiety during the third trimester and 3- and 6-months postpartum using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Parenting stress was assessed using the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form at 3- and 6-months postpartum. Results: Both antenatal third trimester depression and anxiety were significant predictors of 3- and 6-month postpartum parenting stress, after controlling for maternal age, number of children, and exposure to prenatal ADs (all Ps < 0.001). Third trimester depression accounted for 13% to 22% of the variance in postpartum stress at 3 and 6 months. Prenatal AD use was not a significant predictor in any of the models (all Ps > 0.2). Twenty of 41 mothers on ADs achieved remission (HDRS = 7) in pregnancy and had average parenting stress scores of about 1 standard deviation lower than those who did not at 3- and 6-months postpartum ( t = 3.32, df = 32, P = 0.002 and t = 2.52, df = 32, P = 0.02, respectively). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that antenatal depression and anxiety directly impact postpartum parenting stress, regardless of antenatal AD treatment. Ongoing maternal mental illness in pregnancy is an important predictor of postpartum parenting stress. Early recognition and treatment to remission is key.


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