Child mental health after parental separation: The impact of resident/non-resident parenting, parent mental health, conflict and socioeconomics

Background Parent mental health and wellbeing may have implications for understanding attachment transmission. In this systematic review, we synthesise the published literature to determine the nature of the relationship between parent mental health and wellbeing and the intergenerational transmission of attachment and to provide recommendations for future research, clinical practice and intervention. Method Using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) approach, five electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed empirical studies, published in English. Articles were considered for inclusion if data was collected on adult attachment, child attachment, and a domain of parent mental health/wellbeing. No date parameters were applied to the search strategy. The review was registered with PROPSERO (registration number: CRD42020157247). Results Eleven studies examining the impact on parent mental health and wellbeing on the intergenerational transmission of attachment were identified for inclusion in this review. Our review found preliminary evidence that parent mental health and wellbeing play a role in the intergenerational transmission of attachment. Other key findings from the review were: evidence quality is mixed due to variable measurement of attachment and mental health; studies have mostly included correlational analysis or do not utilise contemporary methodological approaches to testing mediating or moderating relationships; and literature is largely focused on psychopathology and negative factors of mental health. Conclusions The limited scope of parent mental health and wellbeing constructs examined in the literature, the sparse use of robust statistical analyses, and the lack of literature in general makes it difficult to draw conclusions on how and why parent mental health impacts attachment transmission. Addressing these limitations will further progress attachment-related literature and may have particular implications for attachment-informed interventions with clinical populations.

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Predictors of Change in Children’s Internalising and Externalising Behaviour Before and During the Initial COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK and Turkey: A Cross-cultural Examination

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1184183/v2 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Evren Morgul ◽

Angeliki Kallitsoglou ◽

Cecilia A. Essau

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Child Mental Health ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Electronic Survey ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Cross Cultural Differences ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact ◽

Predictors Of Change

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Culture can influence emotional and behavioural responses to the pandemic and its consequences, but research is primarily focused on single culture experiences. The study examined the impact of caregiver emotional responses to the pandemic and the lockdown on child mental health and wellbeing in two culturally different countries that were severely affected by the pandemic: UK and Turkey Method: Participants were 1849 caregivers of children between 5- and 12-years old living in the UK (n= 995) and Turkey (n = 854), who completed a 20 -min electronic survey on child and family wellbeing distributed via social networks during the initial phase of the COVID-19 lockdown (July and August 2020). Findings: Worry of COVID-19 infection was higher amongst caregivers in the Turkish sample and it independently predicted change in children’s internalising behaviour in the Turkish sample only even after controlling for caregiver and child mental health, and caregiver perceived risk of COVID-19 infection. Caregivers in the UK sample reported more difficulty with family coexistence during the stay-at-home orders. However, difficulty with coexistence independently predicted change in children’s externalising and internalising symptoms before and during the lockdown in both samples. The study revealed cross-cultural differences in the predictors of change in children’s internalising and externalising behaviour before and during the initial national COVID-19 lockdown.

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