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The limited inclusion of racial/ethnic minorities in the development and validation of parenting measures limits our understanding of whether parenting constructs are valid in racial and ethnic minorities. Tests of measurement invariance/equivalence (MI/E) of parenting measures can help evaluate the validity of parenting constructs among racial/ethnic minorities. This systematic review summarized studies on MI/E of parenting constructs by race/ethnicity and evaluated the strength of the evidence. A literature search was conducted using various databases and references to retrieve studies from the United States. Indeed, 10 studies were identified that tested for MI/E of eight parenting scales by race/ethnicity. Only one scale showed moderate evidence of MI/E, five showed weak evidence of MI/E, and two showed no evidence of MI/E. Most studies (80%) used factor analytic methods to test for MI/E, but only two studies (20%) examined all levels of invariance. These findings show that differences exist in how racial/ethnic minorities perceive parenting constructs. Further research is needed to develop more inclusive parenting measures, to protect against the ways in which biased measures may pathologize or misrepresent parenting practices among racial/ethnic minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions persist in the parenting literature regarding how best to define positive and negative parenting behaviors. Are there optimal parenting behaviors shared by mothers and fathers, or among different racial and ethnic groups? This study draws from a nationally representative sample of US parents of school-age children, testing aspects of measurement invariance in the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) full and short forms. Our goal was to highlight psychometric approaches to enhancing cultural sensitivity and inclusivity in parenting research, by assessing whether self-reported parenting behaviors have similar conceptual structure across groups. Tests of measurement invariance revealed that the factor structure of the APQ was the same across parent gender, race, and ethnicity. While partial invariance was found in some instances, we did not find metric and scalar invariance in comparisons among these groups. We conclude with research- and practice-based implications, and provide recommendations for future measurement development and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has investigated factors that may moderate the intergenerational transmission of emotionally unsupportive parenting behaviors. The present study examined the role of two moderators, emotion dysregulation and maternal age at childbirth, on the relation between maternal childhood history of emotional maltreatment and current observations of emotionally unsupportive parenting behaviors in 64 mother–child dyads. Results indicated that mothers who were younger at childbirth seemed more likely to engage in emotionally unsupportive parenting behaviors in the context of high levels of sustained childhood emotional maltreatment, regardless of their level of emotion dysregulation. Mothers who were older at childbirth were at high risk for emotionally unsupportive parenting behaviors in the context of high levels of sustained emotional maltreatment histories and high emotion dysregulation, yet were not at such risk if emotion dysregulation was low. Implications for the buffering effects of emotion regulation on the risk for emotionally unsupportive behaviors were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the link between maternal emotion regulation (ER) and emotion parenting behaviors and child ER, particularly emphasizing the previously understudied potential associations between mothers’ ER and concurrent emotion parenting behaviors. Community-recruited participants included 64 mother–child (M = 9.5 years, 38 girls) dyads. Mothers completed measures on their own ER, their child’s ER, and their emotion parenting strategies. Children completed measures on their ER and mother–child dyads engaged in a conflict discussion task that was coded using an ER behavioral observation scale. Results indicated that observed maternal ER was negatively associated with unsupportive emotion parenting, whereas self-reported maternal emotion dysregulation was positively associated with unsupportive parenting and child emotion dysregulation and negatively associated with child adaptive ER. Partial support was provided for the mediating role of emotion parenting behaviors on the link between maternal and child ER. Implications regarding parenting programs and intervention efforts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family-based therapy (FBT) is the gold standard of treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and has shown to be more effective than other forms of treatment in several randomized controlled trials. However, FBT is a behaviorally based intervention that does not explicitly address emotional distress often exhibited by patients and their parents. This case study describes the treatment of a 14-year-old adolescent male with AN using FBT as the primary treatment modality. We also implemented an adjunctive treatment designed to address parents’ emotion communication skills (ECSs) to reduce emotion dysregulation and family conflict in the implementation of FBT and in the process of AN recovery. Over the course of 29 sessions, the adolescent has evidenced an increase in weight from 84 pounds to 110.25 pounds and significant decreases in weight and shape concerns. This case provides preliminary support for the feasibility and effectiveness of an adjunct parent emotion coaching intervention combined with FBT for an adolescent male with AN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the relationship between reports of childhood parentification, current romantic relationship constructive communication, and adult attachment-related cognitions in 57 college participants. Results from analyses indicated that childhood emotional parentification was negatively associated with constructive communication and positively correlated with young adult avoidant and anxious attachment-related cognitions. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that anxious attachment-related beliefs were shown to have a significant indirect effect on the relationship between emotional parentification and romantic dyadic constructive communication. Clinical implications of the current findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall aim of this multi-informant study was to examine pre–post treatment changes, and maintenance at 3-year follow-up, for multiple dimensions of the family context, for a modular intervention that has previously demonstrated significant clinical improvements in child behavior and maintenance of these effects. Family outcomes included parenting practices (i.e., positive parenting, harsh/inconsistent parenting, psychological/physical aggression), parent functioning (i.e., symptoms of psychopathology, self-efficacy), and family functioning (i.e., family adaptability/cohesion, social support, negative life events). The sample comprised 139 families with children ages 6 to11 who participated in a modular treatment protocol for early-onset oppositional-defiant disorder or conduct disorder that has already been associated with improved child behavior outcomes, delivered in a nonrandomized comparison of research clinic and community settings. Improvement from pre- to post-treatment included indicators of maternal psychological distress and negative parenting practices (e.g., corporal punishment, inconsistent discipline, psychological aggression). Psychological aggression significantly increased following treatment termination; corporal punishment continued to decrease during the 3-year follow-up period. Results are discussed in the context of treatment effects in the broader family context and potential needs for continued intervention research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This case study reports on the use of a developmentally sensitive behavioral treatment program for a 4-year-old Korean girl diagnosed with selective mutism. Multi-method assessment, consisting of parent and teacher reports, as well as school and home-video observation, confirmed the diagnosis. Behavioral therapy was administered with an emphasis on behavioral reinforcement strategies that were adapted for the child’s developmental level. After 17 sessions, the child evidenced a notable reduction in selective mutism symptoms, evidenced by clinician and school observation. Furthermore, she indicated a decrease in symptoms of withdrawal based on teacher report. This case study demonstrates how behavioral treatment strategies emphasizing behavioral reinforcement techniques can be applied in developmentally appropriate ways to treat young, bilingual children with selective mutism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]