Examination of Mother Characteristics Affecting The Maternal Gatekeeping

There are many factors that effect maternal gatekeeping, which is defined as the behaviors of mothers that encourage, control or discourage the father-child relationship. In this study, it is aimed to examine the mother characteristics that affect the gatekeeping behaviors of mothers who have children in early childhood. The sample of the study consists of 385 mothers with a mean age of 32.71 (S = 7.61). Participants completed the Maternal Gatekeeping Scale, Parental Self-Efficacy Scale, Gender Roles Attitude Scale, Semantic Differentation Scale-Myself as Mother, Perception Measurement for Father’s Role, Parenting Daily Hassles Scale and demographic information form. According to the results of the hierarchical regression analysis conducted separately for each gatekeeping behavior; mother's perception of paternal role, perception of father's competence and motherhood self-assessment predicted the encouragement dimension positively and discouragement dimension negatively. In addition, it was found that the traditional gender roles of the mother negatively predicted the encouragement, but positively predicted the control. Finally, it was found that daily difficulties experienced by the mother in raising a child positively predicted discouragement and control. It is thought that the results obtained from the study are important in terms of understanding the mother characteristics underlying maternal gatekeeping behaviors and being a guide for intervention programs. Keywords: Maternal gatekeeping, maternal self-assessment, traditional gender roles, paternity role perception, paternal competence

Gratitude Moderates the Relation between Daily Hassles and Satisfaction with Life in University Students

Satisfaction with life as a judgmental cognitive process can be negatively influenced by appraisals of daily events such as hassles. Trait-gratitude—a tendency to appraise, recognize and respond to life events through being grateful—is a determinant of mental health and well-being, and has been shown to be related to the positive appraisal of life. The aim of the current study was to investigate the moderating role of trait-gratitude in the relationship between daily hassles and satisfaction with life. In the process of carrying out this study, the French version of the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6) was validated. A total of 328 French undergraduates completed questionnaires measuring gratitude, satisfaction with life, and daily hassles to test the main hypothesis. They also completed optimism, coping strategies, depression, and anxiety questionnaires in order to assess the convergent validity of the French version of the GQ-6. First, the results showed satisfactory psychometric properties of the Gratitude Questionnaire. Second, the results indicated the moderating role of trait-gratitude in the relationship between daily hassles disturbance and satisfaction with life. This study further documents the role of gratitude as a determinant of well-being and provides French-speaking clinicians and researchers with a useful tool to measure grateful disposition.

Association between Second-Time Mother’s Prenatal Depression and Firstborn’s Behaviour Problems: The Mediation Role of Parenting Daily Hassles

Background: With the relaxation of birth control policy in China in recent years, second-time mothers’ mental health has raised concerns. However, the impact of firstborn children’s behaviour problems on second-time mothers’ prenatal depression in families transitioning to siblinghood has received little attention from family psychologists. Aims: This research aims to investigate whether firstborn children’s behaviour problems affect second-time mothers’ prenatal depression and the mediation role of daily parenting hassles, i.e., minor stressors associated with parenting, on this relationship. Methods: Data about second-time mothers’ prenatal depression, parenting daily hassles, and firstborn children’s behaviour problems were collected from 105 families transitioning to two children families using mother-reported questionnaires. Regressions were used to analyze the data. Results: About half of the mothers in the sample have depressive symptoms. Firstborns’ behaviour problems did not have a direct effect on the mother’s prenatal depression, but the problems did have an indirect effect via parenting daily hassles. The mothers’ age was significantly associated with prenatal depression. Conclusions: The mediation role of parenting daily hassles in the association with firstborn’s behaviour problems and mother’s prenatal depression suggests the need for support that reduce the levels of daily parenting hassles from firstborn children.

Is there a causal relationship between stress and migraine? Current evidence and implications for management

Background The purpose of this narrative review is to examine the literature investigating a causal relationship between stress and migraine and evaluate its implications for managing migraine. Methods PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched from 1988 to August 2021, identifying 2223 records evaluating the relationship between stress and migraine. Records were systematically screened. All potentially relevant records were thematically categorized into six mechanistic groups. Within each group the most recent reports providing new insights were cited. Results First, studies have demonstrated an association of uncertain causality between high stress loads from stressful life events, daily hassles or other sources, and the incidence of new-onset migraine. Second, major stressful life events seem to precede the transformation from episodic to chronic migraine. Third, there is some evidence for changes in levels of stress as a risk factor for migraine attacks. Research also suggests there may be a reversed causality or that stress-trigger patterns are too individually heterogeneous for any generalized causality. Fourth, migraine symptom burden seems to increase in a setting of stress, partially driven by psychiatric comorbidity. Fifth, stress may induce sensitization and altered cortical excitability, partially explaining attack triggering, development of chronic migraine, and increased symptom burden including interictal symptom burden such as allodynia, photophobia or anxiety. Finally, behavioral interventions and forecasting models including stress variables seem to be useful in managing migraine. Conclusion The exact causal relationships in which stress causes incidence, chronification, migraine attacks, or increased burden of migraine remains unclear. Several individuals benefit from stress-oriented therapies, and such therapies should be offered as an adjuvant to conventional treatment and to those with a preference. Further understanding the relationship between stress, migraine and effective therapeutic options is likely to be improved by characterizing individual patterns of stress and migraine, and may in turn improve therapeutics.

A Dyadic Latent Profile Analysis of Older Couples’ Psychological, Relational, and Physical Health

The present study explored the heterogeneity of older couples’ psychological, relational, and physical health using a sample of 535 couples above the age of 62. A dyadic latent profile analysis was conducted to identify and predict unique clusters of couples’ relative psychological (depressive symptoms and daily hassles), relational (problematic affective communication and marital satisfaction), and physical health (number of health problems and self-reported health satisfaction). Predictors of class membership included relationship length, age, income, and hours worked outside the home. Results revealed 4 distinct classes: Happy & Healthy Together (63.5%), Individually & Relationally Strained (14.7%), Relationally Happy with Strained Wives (12.3%), and Relationally Happy with Strained Husbands (9.3%). Typology descriptions and predictors of class membership will be discussed. These findings highlight that health promotion efforts should be tailored to the specific psychological, relational, and physical health concerns of both partners rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Women and Men’s Perspectives on the Factors Related to Women’s Dyadic Sexual Desire, and on the Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

Sexuality is a basic human need, which is expressed in the context of intimate personal relations. However, in studies of women’s sexuality, men’s attitudes are often overlooked. Health care providers can benefit from the examination of how both women and men perceive women’s sexual desire and what are the most acceptable avenues for treatment for women’s hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). This research aimed to explore differences between women and men on the factors affecting women’s sexual desire and the appropriate avenues for treatment. Data were collected using an online questionnaire from 233 heterosexual adults who had a dyadic, steady intimate relationship over most of the previous year. A theory-based questionnaire of 28 items was developed to explore the factors associated with women’s sexual desire. One quarter (7/28) of the items affecting women’s sexual desire were ranked significantly differently between women and men. Among women, interpersonal issues and physical attraction, and among men, physical attraction and daily hassles were the significant predictors of women’s sexual desire. Women more than men endorsed psychological help such as a sex therapist or psychologist as a more appropriate treatment for HSDD, while both men and women viewed the internet as a reasonable way to gain treatment information. Both women and men viewed gynecologists as a more acceptable source of treatment than a family doctor. Religious authorities were the least likely source of treatment advice for both women and men. The results support a multi-dimensional model of women’s sexual desire and suggest that psychological interventions to treat HSDD may be preferred by women more than men.

The Relationship Between Daily Hassles and Social Support on Depressive Symptoms among Mothers of Young Kids

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to determine the relationship between the common factors of mothers’ depressive symptoms based on the existing literature, including the current happenings within Malaysians. Methods: This study involved mothers from four community housing projects around Kuala Lumpur (n = 146), and with consent, they were asked to complete a questionnaire, which included the following three instruments: Parenting Daily Hassles Scales, Social Support Scales, and Beck Depressive symptoms Inventory to measure all stated variables in this study. Results and Discussion: The results of the study showed the significant relationship between the daily hassles (DH) and social support (SS) towards the depressive symptoms among the mothers, DH, r = .272, p = .001 and SS, r = -.230, p = .006. Further analysis was consummated to determine the factors that could influence the depressive symptoms among mothers and the contribution of variance towards that. From the analysis, DH and SS contributed 13.9% of the variance (Adjusted R2 = .139) and were found to influence the depressive symptoms among the mothers. Conclusion: The ANOVA test analysis supported the earlier study that the daily hassles and social support statistics significantly predict the depressive symptoms among mothers. In conclusion, this study should be broadedned to a bigger community, and future efforts as an early intervention on health promotion are essential to strengthen social support by reducing stressors effect that contributes to mental health problems in mothers of young kids.

The LIVES Daily Hassles Scale and Its Relation to Life Satisfaction

Although daily hassles have been of interest since the 1980s, only a few tools have been developed to assess them. Most of them are checklists or open-ended questions that are demanding for participants in panel surveys. Therefore, to facilitate daily hassles integration into large surveys, the aim of this study was to present a new tool assessing daily hassles, the LIVES–Daily Hassles Scale (LIVES-DHS), and to examine its relation to life satisfaction, in a sample of 1,170 French- and German-speaking adults living in Switzerland. In a first random subsample, we conducted a principal axis factor analysis, and the results suggested a five-factor solution. Furthermore, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis on a second random subsample, and it supported the hierarchical factor structure of the scale. The LIVES-DHS consists of 18 items represented by five factors that describe five sources of daily hassles: financial, physical, relational, environmental, and professional. The bivariate correlations showed that the LIVES-DHS could differentiate the concept of daily hassles from associated concepts. Finally, the hierarchical regression showed that daily hassles negatively predicted life satisfaction and added a significant incremental variance beyond that accounted for by age, gender, household income, education level, and personality traits.