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Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) manifests in early childhood and significantly impairs social and communicative functions. Parents of children with ASD typically experience higher levels of stress compared to parents of children with other disabilities or health issues. This study investigates how a home-based early intervention known as the Portage program influences parenting stress and improves family awareness by using the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), and Family Awareness Scale. We enrolled 41 children diagnosed with ASD and their parents in this study. The median age of the children was 4 years, with a predominance of males (80%). We measured changes in parenting stress and family awareness as primary outcomes, with the children's behavior as a secondary outcome. Results: Post-intervention assessments showed statistically significant improvements in parenting stress and family awareness (P < 0.001). Additionally, notable improvements were observed in the children's social, language, self-help, cognitive, and motor skills, as well as general developmental age and ratio. Conclusions: A 3-month engagement with the Portage program markedly reduced stress among parents and increased family awareness regarding ASD. Significant advancements were also noted in multiple developmental domains of the children involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is considered a key parental competence. Since most research on PRF has focused on infancy or the first years of life, there is a gap in our understanding of PRF among parents of older children. Therefore, we investigated PRF in mothers and fathers with preschool‐aged children, examining associations between PRF, parent's romantic attachment, and observed parenting behavior. The sample comprised 50 mothers, 40 fathers, and their 5‐year‐old children. PRF was assessed using the parental reflective functioning questionnaire (PRFQ), parental romantic attachment was assessed using the experiences in close relationships scale‐revised (ECR‐R), and parenting behavior was assessed during a parent–child free‐play interaction with the coding interactive behavior (CIB) coding system. Results showed that mothers scored higher on the interest and curiosity scale than fathers, indicating that mothers show a more active interest and curiosity in their child's mental states. Further, higher levels of attachment anxiety in fathers were associated with higher levels of pre‐mentalizing modes. In mothers, higher levels of attachment avoidance were associated with lower levels of interest and curiosity. Finally, and unexpectedly, higher levels of interest and curiosity in mothers were associated with less sensitivity during free play. In summary, the study found meaningful associations between mothers' and fathers' romantic attachment and their PRF indicating a spill‐over of their attachment strategies into their relationship with their child. Further, the study results suggest that very high levels of interest and curiosity in mothers reflect hypermentalizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes whether the association between parental internalizing symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress) and child symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is mediated by positive and negative parenting behaviors. Cross-sectional data of 420 parents of children (age 6–12 years) with elevated levels of externalizing symptoms were collected in a randomized controlled trial. Measures included parent ratings of their internalizing symptoms and parenting behaviors and of their child's externalizing symptoms. Two mediation models were examined, one including ADHD symptoms and one including ODD symptoms as the dependent variable. Parental internalizing symptoms were modeled as the independent variable and positive and negative parenting behaviors were modeled as parallel mediators. Regression analyses support negative parenting behavior as a mediator of the association between parental internalizing symptoms and child ODD symptoms. For the ADHD model, no significant mediator could be found. Future studies should use prospective designs and consider reciprocal associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents research predicting the impact of parenting behavior on deviant school behavior in high school students. Convenience sampling method was applied on 566 high school students in Nghe An in 2022 and measured based on the Parenting Behavior Scale and Deviant Behavior Checklist. The results show that parenting behavior models have the ability to predict changes in children's school deviant behavior. High supportive behavior and low psychological control from parents, especially from mothers, predict a decrease in school-deviant behavior in students. Solutions to reduce school misbehavior need to take into account these variables.

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) manifests in early childhood and significantly impairs social and communicative functions. Parents of children with ASD typically experience higher levels of stress compared to parents of children with other disabilities or health issues. This study investigates how a home-based early intervention known as the Portage program influences parenting stress and improves family awareness by using the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), and Family Awareness Scale. We enrolled 41 children diagnosed with ASD and their parents in this study. The median age of the children was 4 years, with a predominance of males (80%). We measured changes in parenting stress and family awareness as primary outcomes, with the children’s behavior as a secondary outcome. Results Post-intervention assessments showed statistically significant improvements in parenting stress and family awareness (P

Parenting styles encompass negative and positive approaches, potentially affecting adolescents' brain reward and emotion regulation systems. However, the association between parenting style and brain networks remains unknown. This study investigates the link between parenting style and functional connectivity (FC) within the reward and emotion regulation brain networks, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). A total of forty-two middle-aged adolescents (26 males; 16 females) with no neurological or psychiatric symptoms participated in this study. We assessed parenting behaviors and extracted reward/emotion regulation FC from rs-fMRI. We examined the association between FC and parenting style, identified through principal component analysis. Correlation analysis investigated these links while controlling for sex. We delineated both positive (love-autonomy) and negative (hostility-control) parenting styles, accounting for 79 % of the explained variance in parenting behaviors. The negative parenting style displayed connections with FC within the reward system, particularly in the left nucleus accumbens (NAc), showcasing links to multiple frontal regions. Furthermore, it correlated with the social reward network, specifically the insula-NAc FC in bilateral hemispheres. Conversely, the positive parenting style exhibited an association with FC between the hippocampus and right lateral prefrontal cortex. Our findings support negative parenting's association with an immature reward system and suggest positive parenting's potential to enhance emotion regulation in brain function. These observations highlight two distinct parenting styles, including single-parenting behaviors. Thus, we advance understanding of each style's unique contributions to adolescent reward- and emotion regulation-related brain network development. • We identified positive (love-autonomy) and negative (hostility-control) parenting style components. • Negative style component was related to functional connectivity in the reward system during adolescence. • Positive style component was associated with brain network of emotion regulation. • Advanced insights into the differential roles of parenting style in brain functions during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract There are few studies on the parenting of fathers with autism traits. To investigate this issue, we examined the type of parenting performed by fathers with autism traits using data from a nationwide birth cohort study, the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. Paternal parenting was evaluated by mothers or caregivers when the child was 2 years old. Father’s autism traits were measured using the Japanese version of the self-administered Autism Spectrum Quotient. Logistic regression analysis was performed to statistically analyze the data. Fathers with autism traits were significantly less likely to prepare meals for their child and helping them eat (adjusted OR (aOR): 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.23), to helping the child change clothes (aOR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04–1.31). However, there were no associations between some parenting behaviors and autism traits (not changing diapers, not bathing with the child, and not playing with the child). Father’s communication skill difficulties by autism traits associated with a lower tendency to perform all types of parenting. Interestingly, there were association between difficulties with social skills or attention-switching and more performing change diapers. These results indicate it is important to respect the child-rearing that fathers with autistic tendencies are able to do, while supporting them in child-rearing that they are significantly less able to do than fathers without autistic tendencies.

Although parenting behavior patterns have attracted the interest of many researchers, there is a lack of a comprehensive description of Chinese maternal parenting behavior patterns. The current study included thirteen micro-dimensions of parenting behavior as indicators and used a person-centered approach to comprehensively describe the characteristics of parenting behavior patterns and further explore which parenting behavior patterns were conducive to weakening the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child externalized symptoms. A total of 2,417 Chinese mothers participated in the study, with children aged 20.17 months (SD = 4.16). Participants completed the Chinese versions of questionnaires regarding parenting behavior and child externalizing symptoms. The results identified four distinct parenting behavior patterns, which were associated with different levels of child externalizing symptoms. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction effect between parenting behavior patterns and the COVID-19 pandemic dynamic on child externalizing symptoms. Specifically, children with disengaged parenting behavior patterns were more vulnerable to externalizing symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic than before. These findings contribute to the design of effective interventions to improve the quality of parenting and promote positive child development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to examine associations between mothers' COVID‐19 stress, marital conflict, and parenting, focusing on mothers raising children ages 3–5. Specifically, we examined the potentially protective role of mothers' social capital for parenting behaviors. Background: Despite numerous studies reporting the negative impacts of mothers' stress on marital relationships and parenting behaviors, little is known about how mothers' stress due to COVID‐19 is associated with marital conflict and parenting behaviors. Method: We collected data from 306 mothers in South Korea in 2021 during the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Results: We found that marital conflict significantly mediated the relationship between mothers' COVID‐19 stress and positive parenting behaviors. The moderating effect of social capital was not significant in the negative relationship between COVID‐19 stress and positive parenting behaviors but was significant in the negative relationship between marital conflict and positive parenting behaviors. Further analysis showed a significant negative relationship between marital conflict and positive parenting only when the level of social capital was equal to the mean value or higher, and the relationship was stronger with higher levels of social capital. Conclusion: The findings show that mothers' stress due to COVID‐19 can be associated with increased marital conflict and decreased parental functioning. Implications: The significant moderating effect of social capital in the relationship between marital conflict and positive parenting behaviors highlights the need to examine social capital's role in the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to examine how mothers’ and fathers’ effortful control moderates the relationship between young children’s negative emotionality and mothers and fathers’ parenting behavior, and how parenting behavior moderates the relationship between young children’s negative emotionality and their problematic behavior. Methods: A survey was conducted among 143 fathers and 205 mothers of children aged 3-5 years through self-report assessments of their young children’s negative emotionality, problem behavior, and their own effortful control, and parenting behavior. Data were analyzed using correlation analysis, frequency analysis, and hierarchical regression analyses with SPSS 22.0. Results: Mothers’ effortful control significantly moderated the association between children’s negative emotionality and the mothers’ rejective parenting behaviors. Mothers’ reactive parenting behavior moderated the association between children’s negative emotionality and problematic behavior. Fathers’ rejective parenting behavior significantly moderated the effect of children’s negative emotionality on problematic behavior. Conclusion: This study is meaningful as it confirms a two-way relationship between children and their mothers or fathers according to “a process model of determinants of parenting”. Partially supported by “Differential susceptibility model”, the parenting behavior moderated the effect of children’s negative emotionality on their problematic behavior. In addition, mothers and fathers’ effortful control affected their positive parenting behavior; however only mothers’ internal factors moderated the effect of children’s negative emotionality on the parenting behavior. Finally, verifying whether mothers and fathers’ parenting behavior moderates the effect of children’s negative emotions on problem behavior differently is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on one of the objectives of a larger study aiming at the development of an adolescent risk-behavior management program for foster parents. The objective relevant to this article entailed the exploration of parenting behaviors and attitudes of parents fostering adolescents presenting with risk behavior. The respondents were recruited from the clientele of designated welfare organizations in the North West Province of South Africa. A quantitative survey using the multi-dimensional Parental Style Dimension Questionnaire (PSDQ) was administered to a purposive sample of 150 respondents. A response rate of 64.5% was achieved, with only foster mothers participating in the study. Data analysis was done by the Statistical Consultation Services of the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus) using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25, Release 25.0 SPSS. In addition, T-Tests and ANOVAs were used to test the hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance and Spearman's correlations examine correlations between sub-scale scores and biographical data. Sub-scales of the PSDQ were tested for internal consistency reliability and reasonable coefficients were rendered, except for the permissive parenting style scale that was excluded from analysis. The results showed a significant, positive correlation between authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles amongst the respondents. Parental attitudes and responses to risk behavior significantly affected their actual behavior towards fostered adolescents presenting with risk behavior. The researchers concluded that consideration of parenting styles in the foster care relationship context will greatly determine the nature of further interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supportive early relationships are critical to young children's development. Previous research has focused primarily on aspects of specific parenting practices that impact infants' and toddlers' development. However, additional research is needed for a more nuanced understanding of the relationships among family experiences, parenting behaviors, and infants' and toddlers' social-emotional outcomes. To further explore these relationships among families experiencing economic risk, we conducted a secondary data analysis using a low-income Early Head Start sample. Our sample (n = 153) consisted of mother–child dyads who were racially and ethnically diverse (46% Hispanic; 27% Black, non-Hispanic; 14% White; approximately 10% identified as another race/ethnicity). About half (51%) of the children in our sample were male and children were, on average, 21 months old. Our results suggest that certain family experiences, including parenting stress and income, were negatively associated with the social-emotional outcomes of infants and toddlers. Parent education was positively associated with parenting behaviors. Additionally, maternal sensitivity was positively associated with infants' and toddlers' social-emotional competence. However, parent engagement and parent sensitivity did not mediate the relationship between family experiences and infants' and toddlers' social-emotional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to difficulties experienced during data collection from parents, data collection can become a serious concern for psychology researchers. Therefore, researchers who are working with parents should take certain additional measures to ensure the good quality of their data. Recently, psychology researchers have been interested in using psychometrically sound short scales to minimize administration time, missing data, and response burden. In this study, we employed genetic algorithms (GAs) to abbreviate Parenting Behaviors (PBS) and Temperament in Children Scales (TCS). We also created short forms using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), which is one of the traditional abbreviation approaches, and compared the abbreviated forms produced by these two approaches. Our sample of parents was N = 516; N = 383 mothers and N = 133 fathers; Mage = 35.13 years; SDage = 18.53 years. The abbreviated forms retained acceptable and similar psychometric properties compared to the original scales. The validity metrics of the GA abbreviated scales show mostly similar but sometimes better results than the original scales. Although the reliability coefficients decreased with the abbreviated forms, the values remained at an acceptable level. These results demonstrate that the GA abbreviated forms for the PBS and TCS are a suitable alternative to their long forms. Furthermore, these abbreviated forms offer researchers the ability to quickly collect valid and reliable data from parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many studies have shown that personality—as a relatively stable characteristic—is a predictor of parenting behavior, personality changes occur during adulthood. Therefore, we do not know whether previous findings based on personality assessed (long) after the birth of the child indicate that personality as assessed before the child is born predicts behaviors parents eventually display. Possibly, personality changes are additionally predictive for parenting behavior. With this three-wave longitudinal study, we aimed to examine whether mothers' personality change from pregnancy to postpartum predicts maternal parenting behavior above and beyond personality traits as assessed during pregnancy. A sample of 239 pregnant women participated in the study (Mage = 29.95 years, SD = 4.08, range 20–43; 53% primiparous; 95% of Dutch descent). Women reported their big five personality traits during pregnancy (T1), at six- (T2), and 12 months postpartum (T3). At the postpartum assessments, mothers also reported on their affectionate and hostile parenting behavior. Latent Difference Score models indicated that personality at T1 predicted hostile but not affectionate parenting behavior at T2. Changes in personality from T1 to T2 were associated with maternal hostile and affectionate parenting at T2, whereas changes from T2 to T3 were unrelated to parenting. Personality as assessed during pregnancy may thus be helpful in identifying mothers at risk of early hostile parenting behavior. Identifying predictors of personality change may inform preventive efforts aimed at reducing this risk, as personality changes from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum were more predictive of maternal parenting than initial levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting programs have the ability to enhance parenting quality and healthy child development, but the overwhelming majority of evidence for their effects comes from a small minority of countries and research-intensive contexts. More evidence is needed from effectiveness studies (rather than highly controlled efficacy studies) and from countries less well-represented in the international literature. We examined changes in parental cognitions and parenting behavior in 62 families completing a 10-week online group program (Growing up Together Online) as part of social services in Croatia in 2020 and 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic and earthquake. Parents reported on their cognitions and behaviors before and after the intervention. Paired-sample t-tests show significant improvements in parent-reported general self-esteem, parenting self-efficacy, and parenting experience and morale. Parents also reported significant reductions in angry, harsh, and violent parenting. Parents did not report increased attempts to understand children's perspectives and positive interactions (e.g. joint play). Reliable change index analysis showed that reliable improvement was most common in parenting self-efficacy and least common in positive involvement and reinforcement. Findings provide preliminary evidence for the program's potential to optimize the parenting conditions of children growing up in an environment at risk for child abuse and neglect. Highlights: This study examined changes in parental cognitions and behavior in the context of a new online parenting program. Growing up Together Online was implemented as routine care in social services in Croatia. After the program, parents reported better self-esteem, parenting morale, and self-efficacy, and less anger and physical punishment. Already at pre-intervention, parents reported adequate levels of attempted understanding and positive involvement; these constructs did not change. Our study suggests that Growing up Together Online may improve parental cognitions and behavior, especially harsh parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family structure and characteristics are important factors that affect both economic development and CEOs' decision‐making. Corporate risk‐taking reflects the overall risk choices and preferences of decision‐makers in relation to various decisions. Using data for Chinese non‐state‐owned enterprises between the years 2000 and 2019, we examine the association between CEO offspring gender and corporate risk‐taking. We find that CEOs who have daughters are associated with a lower level of corporate risk‐taking than CEOs who have sons only. Raising daughters significantly stimulates cautious attitudes and behaviors in CEOs and reduces firm overinvestment, thereby lowering the level of corporate risk‐taking. Moreover, raising daughters has a more significant inhibitory effect on corporate risk‐taking for female CEOs and CEOs who were born in regions with a strong patriarchal culture. Our findings also show that CEOs with daughters can help companies effectively avoid financial crises. Focusing on both parenting behavior and corporate financial behavior, we suggest that the parent–child relationship extends far beyond the scope of the family, providing a broader perspective for understanding corporate decision‐making and financial behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The presence of a neurodevelopmental disability (ND) represents an adverse condition for child's development and parent-- child relationship, and it is reasonable to assume that the severity of delay may influence parenting behavior. Previous research, however, did not specifically address this issue. Methods: This cross-sectional study compared parental behaviors of mothers of toddlers with moderate/severe or mild/borderline developmental delay and mothers of toddlers with typical development, while considering maternal emotional states. A total of 88 dyads with children aged between 12 and 47 months participated in a 10-min video-recorded interaction then coded with the PICCOLO, a validated observation checklist that assesses four dimensions of parenting: affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and teaching. The mothers also fulfilled two standardized questionnaires assessing parental stress and presence of depressive symptoms. MANOVA and MANCOVA models were used to explore between-group differences in specific parenting dimensions, also considering parental stress. Results: Mothers of toddlers with ND were less responsive than the comparison group, while the presence of a moderate/severe developmental delay specifically affected teaching behaviors. No differences emerged for affection and encouragement behaviors. Importantly, although mothers of toddlers with moderate/severe ND reported higher child-related dysfunctional interaction stress, this did not directly affect parenting behaviors. Discussion: These findings highlight how the presence of a disability and the severity of developmental delay can affect specific dimensions of parenting (i.e., responsiveness, teaching) and might inform clinical practice and research on early parental interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Wertz et al. (2019), parents' polygenic scores of educational attainment (PGS‐EA) predicted parental sensitive responses to the child's needs for support, as observed in a dyadic task (i.e., observed sensitivity). We aimed to replicate and expand these findings by combining longitudinal data, child genotype data and several polygenic scores in the Generation R Study. Mother–child dyads participated in two developmental periods, toddlerhood (14 months old; n = 648) and early childhood (3–4 years old, n = 613). Higher maternal PGS‐EA scores predicted higher observed sensitivity in toddlerhood (b = 0.12, 95% CI 0.03, 0.20) and early childhood (b = 0.16, 95% CI 0.08, 0.24). Child PGS‐EA was significantly associated with maternal sensitivity in early childhood (b = 0.11, 95% CI 0.02, 0.21), and the effect of maternal PGS‐EA was no longer significant when correcting for child PGS‐EA. A latent factor of PGSs based on educational attainment, intelligence (IQ) and income showed similar results. These polygenic scores might be associated with maternal cognitive and behavioral skills that help shape parenting. Maternal PGSs predicted observed sensitivity over and above the maternal phenotypes, showing an additional role for PGSs in parenting research. In conclusion, we replicated the central finding of Wertz et al. (2019) that parental PGS‐EA partially explains parental sensitivity. Our findings may be consistent with evocative gene–environment correlation (rGE), emphasizing the dynamic nature of parenting behavior across time, although further research using family trios is needed to adequately test this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The current COVID‐19‐pandemic confronted a large number of young families with stressors. For mothers with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM), the distress during the current pandemic added to their already increased risk for a less sensitive, maltreating parenting behavior. Objective: This study aims to investigate whether maternal attachment representation mediates the relationship between maternal CM experiences and changes in parenting behavior during the pandemic. Method: As a part of a longitudinal study, mothers' experiences of CM and their attachment status were assessed. For the present study, 92 mothers (mean age: 38.14 years, SD = 4.08; attachment representation: 36% secure, 64% insecure and unresolved) completed an online SARS‐CoV‐2‐pandemic survey assessing their parenting behavior since the beginning of the pandemic. Results: The odds of an insecure maternal attachment representation in adulthood increased with higher levels of CM load. Mediation analyses revealed that maternal attachment representation fully explained the relationship between maternal CM load to changes in sensitive, endangering, and overall parenting quality. Conclusions: CM has lasting effects on maternal adult attachment representations. Mothers' attachment representations contribute to a further understanding of intergenerational transmission mechanisms of CM later in adulthood through a more endangered parenting approach in challenging times. Implications: The results of this study should be considered in the development of programs offered to families facing stressful circumstances. In particular, we recommend increased implementation of telephone‐ or web‐based programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study investigated the influence of maternal self-differentiation on preschoolers’ selfesteem, with a focus on how mothers’ parenting stress and behaviors mediate this relationship. Methods: A sample of 319 mothers of four- and five-year-olds (49.5% boys) completed questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to determine whether parenting stress and behavior mediate the relationship between mothers’ self-differentiation and preschoolers’ self-esteem. Results: Results showed that a direct effect of mothers’ self-differentiation on preschoolers’ self-esteem was not significant. Among three indirect effects, parenting behavior was not mediating the relationship between maternal self-differentiation and preschoolers’ self-esteem. However, parenting stress mediated the relation between maternal differentiation of self and preschoolers’ self-esteem. Finally, a significant serial mediation effect was observed from maternal self-differentiation to preschoolers’ self-esteem through the pathways of parenting stress and behavior. Mothers whose self-differenation is high tend to experience less parenting stress, which leads to the display of more positive parenting behaviors. These positive parenting behaviors are positively related to a higher level of self-esteem in preschool-aged children. Conclusion: The results of current study provide valuable perspectives on the mechanisms involved in shaping preschoolers’ self-esteem and the influence of maternal attributes in this developmental aspect. By highlighting the importance of maternal self-differentiation and its potential impact on preschoolers’ selfesteem, this study emphasizes the value of interventions and programs that target this specific area to improve child and family well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with developmental delays (DD) are at heightened risk for developing behavior problems, which contribute to parenting stress and caregiving burden. There is an established relation between parenting behaviors and child developmental outcomes with less known about parent–child interactions in young children with DD. The present study examined the associations between parenting behaviors and child behavior in a sample of 180 families with preschool-aged children with DD. Results indicated that caregivers' harsh and coercive behaviors were associated with observed challenging behavior in children. Child age, as well as the number of commands issued by caregivers were associated with noncompliance in children. The significance and limitations of these findings are discussed, as well as recommendations for interventions and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 25% of children under the age of five worldwide, yet the impact of perinatal IPV and its underlying mechanisms on infant development remains poorly understood. IPV indirectly affects infant development through the mother’s parenting behavior, but research on maternal neuro and cognitive processes, such as parental reflective functioning (PRF), is scarce, despite its potential as an unfolding mechanism. The objective of our study, Peri_IPV, is to examine the direct and indirect pathways linking perinatal IPV and infant development. We will analyze the direct impact of perinatal IPV on mothers’ neuro and cognitive parental reflective functioning (PRF) and parenting behavior during the postpartum period, the direct impact of perinatal IPV on infant development, and whether maternal PRF mediates the link between perinatal IPV and parenting behavior. We will also explore the mediation role of parenting behavior in the association between perinatal IPV and infant development and whether the impact of perinatal IPV on infant development occurs through the links between maternal PRF and parenting behavior. Finally, we will examine the moderation role of mother’s adult attachment in the impact of perinatal IPV on maternal neuro and cognitive PRF and parenting behavior during the postpartum period, as well as on infant development. Methods Our study will use a multi-method, prospective design to capture different levels of PRF, parenting behavior, and infant development. Three-hundred and forty pregnant women will participate in a 4-wave longitudinal study from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. In the 3rd trimester and 2 months postpartum, women will report on their sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. In all assessment waves, mothers will complete self-reported measures of IPV, cognitive PRF, and adult attachment. At 2 months postpartum, women’s neuro PRF will be monitored, and at 5 months postpartum, their parenting behavior will be assessed. The infant-mother attachment will be assessed at 12 months postpartum. Discussion Our study’s innovative focus on maternal neuro and cognitive processes and their impact on infant development will inform evidence-based early intervention and clinical practices for vulnerable infants exposed to IPV.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the linear relationship between parenting and children’s psychological development and to analyze the strength of the relationship between them by using linear regression models. A one-dimensional nonparametric regression model with matrices is employed to handle the linear relationship between parenting and children’s psychological development. Combining parameter estimation and great-likelihood estimation was used to determine the maximum parameter value for the sample relationship. To ensure that the parameters that affect parenting and children’s mental health development conform to the model, we used the expectation and variance of the parameter estimates. The results show that good and bad parenting behavior affects children’s mental health. Benign parenting has a contributing effect on children’s emotional influence; children’s perception of safety is 0.75, and more stable emotions and stability are 0.85. When children are well educated, children’s three perceptions are 0.65, and self-perception is 0.8.

IntroductionThe presence of a neurodevelopmental disability (ND) represents an adverse condition for child’s development and parent–child relationship, and it is reasonable to assume that the severity of delay may influence parenting behavior. Previous research, however, did not specifically address this issue.MethodsThis cross-sectional study compared parental behaviors of mothers of toddlers with moderate/severe or mild/borderline developmental delay and mothers of toddlers with typical development, while considering maternal emotional states. A total of 88 dyads with children aged between 12 and 47 months participated in a 10-min video-recorded interaction then coded with the PICCOLO, a validated observation checklist that assesses four dimensions of parenting: affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and teaching. The mothers also fulfilled two standardized questionnaires assessing parental stress and presence of depressive symptoms. MANOVA and MANCOVA models were used to explore between-group differences in specific parenting dimensions, also considering parental stress.ResultsMothers of toddlers with ND were less responsive than the comparison group, while the presence of a moderate/severe developmental delay specifically affected teaching behaviors. No differences emerged for affection and encouragement behaviors. Importantly, although mothers of toddlers with moderate/severe ND reported higher child-related dysfunctional interaction stress, this did not directly affect parenting behaviors.DiscussionThese findings highlight how the presence of a disability and the severity of developmental delay can affect specific dimensions of parenting (i.e., responsiveness, teaching) and might inform clinical practice and research on early parental interventions.

Individual differences in personality traits affect the quality of social relationships. The parent–child relationship is among the most impactful social relationships in an individual's life, and positive parenting behaviors are known to support positive child development. The present study aimed to identify personality predictors—measured prior to conception at age 16—on later positive parenting behaviors. Young women (n = 207; 83.5% Black or multiracial; 86.9% receiving public assistance) who were followed since childhood as part of a prospective longitudinal study were observed interacting with their infants 4 months postpartum. We tested prospective associations between personality factors relevant to the quality and maintenance of social relationships—empathy, callousness, and rejection sensitivity—and coded dimensions of parenting behavior: maternal warmth, responsiveness, and mental state talk. We additionally examined potential moderating effects of infant affect on the relations between personality and parenting behavior. Results indicated that preconception empathy predicted later maternal warmth and responsivity, whereas preconception callousness was inversely associated with maternal warmth. The association between rejection sensitivity and maternal mental state talk was moderated by infant affect, consistent with a "goodness-of-fit" framework. The present study is the first to our knowledge to report associations between preconception personality and later parenting behaviors. The findings suggest that a woman's personality traits in adolescence, potentially years before she becomes a mother, can predict her behavior during interactions with her infant. Clinically, findings suggest the potential for interventions in adolescence to influence later parenting behavior and ultimately impact children's developmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rearing practices that parents adopt determine different aspects of children's mental health and personality development. The present study investigated the main and interactive retrospective associations between parenting rearing behavior and psychological adjustment in young adulthood in Greece. The sample comprised 540 participants (185 males, 355 females) aged 18-30 years (M = 21.80, S.D. = 2.93). Parenting behavior was measured using short-form of the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (s-EMBU). To obtain information pertaining to young adults' psychological adjustment anxiety was evaluated using the trait subscale of Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Trait), depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), self-esteem with Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), and perceived social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results revealed mothers were retrospectively evaluated as overprotective and as emotionally warmer than fathers. Linear multiple dependent regression analyses showed that maternal rejection was associated with the offspring's increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as with decreased self-esteem and social support, whereas paternal rejection was linked to increased anxiety and decreased self-esteem. Maternal emotional warmth was associated with less depressive symptoms, whereas both parents' emotional warmth was affiliated with higher social support. A significant interactive effect of paternal and maternal overprotection on offspring's depressive symptoms, respectively, was also found. These findings suggest that the upbringing of young adults receive is associated with their psychological adjustment in later life, thus highlighting the importance of both parents' rearing practices in offspring's psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study investigated the individual and family characteristics that influence parenting behaviors. The concept of mothers’ proactive personality and its impact on parenting behaviors have been largely unexplored. Therefore, this study examined the direct effect of employed mothers’ proactive personality on parenting behaviors, as well as its indirect effect mediated by work-family conflict and marital satisfaction. Methods: Data from 202 full-time employed mothers with children in early childhood(aged 3-5 years) were analyzed using frequency analysis, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and path analysis. Results: First, employed mothers’ proactive personality had a positively significant direct effect on positive parenting behaviors; however, it did not affect on negative parenting behaviors. Second, the indirect effect of employed mothers’ proactive personality on both positive and negative parenting behaviors mediated by work-family conflict was insignificant. Third, the indirect effect of employed mothers’ proactive personality on positive parenting behaviors mediated by marital satisfaction was positively significant. Finally, the serial mediating effect of employed mothers’ proactive personality on both positive and negative parenting behaviors mediated by work-family conflict and marital satisfaction was insignificant. Conclusion: Employed mothers’ proactive personality can serve as a significant factor influencing marital relationships and positive parenting behaviors. It is crucial to prioritize the creation of a supportive environment that helps employed mothers navigate various challenges arising from family and work responsibilities. Additionally, the pivotal role of marital satisfaction in fostering positive parenting behaviors among employed mothers should be underscored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family influences on child quality of life (QoL) are increasingly understood. Parenting behavior and parent individual psychopathology are among the established predictors of offspring mental health. However, literature often addresses these factors as 'parental', lacking further gender-specific differentiation while predominantly studying maternal aspects. Social and biological fathers are still underrepresented in family research. The aim of this study was to analyze paternal contributions to child well-being. A total of 197 father/mother-dyads gave a standardized self-report on parenting behavior and their own psychopathology at child primary school age (t1; 6–10 y). Ratings were compared mutually and associated with child self-rated QoL at t1 and adolescence (t2; 12–14 y). Fathers and mothers differed in psychopathology and most parenting behavior dimensions (positive parenting, involvement, responsible parenting, poor monitoring, and corporal punishment). Father psychopathology made a relevant predictive contribution to girls' QoL at t2. Boys' t1 QoL was significantly influenced by maternal parenting factors (positivity and corporal punishment). Compared to mothers, fathers are faced with different individual stressors; paternal parenting behavior is different, while fathers' influences are significant, particularly for daughters. Father-addressed pre- and intervention programs in child psychotherapeutic treatment are of high relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Longitudinal relations between parenting stress and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors: testing within-person changes, bidirectionality and mediating mechanisms." The corrigendum addresses errors in the published article, including incorrect citations and references. The corrections provide accurate information regarding author names, initials, and references used in the original article. The corrigendum ensures the accuracy and integrity of the published research. The text also includes a note from the publisher stating that the claims expressed in the article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their affiliated organizations or the publisher. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 25% of children under the age of five worldwide, yet the impact of perinatal IPV and its underlying mechanisms on infant development remains poorly understood. IPV indirectly affects infant development through the mother's parenting behavior, but research on maternal neuro and cognitive processes, such as parental reflective functioning (PRF), is scarce, despite its potential as an unfolding mechanism. The objective of our study, Peri_IPV, is to examine the direct and indirect pathways linking perinatal IPV and infant development. We will analyze the direct impact of perinatal IPV on mothers' neuro and cognitive parental reflective functioning (PRF) and parenting behavior during the postpartum period, the direct impact of perinatal IPV on infant development, and whether maternal PRF mediates the link between perinatal IPV and parenting behavior. We will also explore the mediation role of parenting behavior in the association between perinatal IPV and infant development and whether the impact of perinatal IPV on infant development occurs through the links between maternal PRF and parenting behavior. Finally, we will examine the moderation role of mother's adult attachment in the impact of perinatal IPV on maternal neuro and cognitive PRF and parenting behavior during the postpartum period, as well as on infant development. Methods: Our study will use a multi-method, prospective design to capture different levels of PRF, parenting behavior, and infant development. Three-hundred and forty pregnant women will participate in a 4-wave longitudinal study from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. In the 3rd trimester and 2 months postpartum, women will report on their sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. In all assessment waves, mothers will complete self-reported measures of IPV, cognitive PRF, and adult attachment. At 2 months postpartum, women's neuro PRF will be monitored, and at 5 months postpartum, their parenting behavior will be assessed. The infant-mother attachment will be assessed at 12 months postpartum. Discussion: Our study's innovative focus on maternal neuro and cognitive processes and their impact on infant development will inform evidence-based early intervention and clinical practices for vulnerable infants exposed to IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the effect of family environment on self-esteem development from late childhood (age 10) through adolescence (age 16), using 4-wave longitudinal data from 674 Mexican-origin families living in the United States. To assess family environment, a multi-informant approach was used (i.e., mother, father, and child) to construct latent variables that minimize the influence of response biases. Using cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) and random intercepts cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs), we tested the prospective effects of parenting behaviors (warmth, hostility, monitoring, and involvement in child's education) and other characteristics of the family environment (quality of parental relationship, positive family values, maternal and paternal depression, economic conditions of the family, and presence of father). In the CLPMs, significant positive effects on children's self-esteem emerged for warmth, monitoring, low maternal depression, economic security (vs. hardship), and presence (vs. absence) of father. With regard to the reciprocal effects, children's self-esteem predicted positive family values (i.e., importance and centrality of the family) of mother and father. In the RI-CLPMs, the pattern of results was similar (in terms of point estimates of the effects); however, only the effects of maternal depression on child self-esteem, and the effect of child self-esteem on family values of father, were statistically significant. In all models, the effects did not differ significantly for boys and girls, or across ages 10 to 16. The findings suggest that multiple features of the family environment shape the development of self-esteem during late childhood and adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Children's experience of positive and negative affect is an understudied area that is associated with many negative consequences. Per the tripartite model of emotion, high levels of negative affect and low levels of positive affect are associated with depression. Parent behaviors have been associated with children's experience of positive and negative affect; however, few studies look at the combination of multiple domains of parenting behavior. In this study we explored the relationship between five categories of parenting behavior (positive parenting, involvement, supervision and monitoring, inconsistent discipline, corporal punishment) and elementary students' positive and negative affect. The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children were completed by 777 third to fifth grade students in public elementary schools. Bi-variate correlations and two separate multiple regressions were calculated to determine if parenting behaviors predicted positive and negative affect in children. We found significant positive associations of positive parenting with positive affect in children, poor supervision and monitoring to be significantly negatively associated with children's experience of positive affect, and corporal punishment to be significantly positively associated with negative affect in children. Finally, poor supervision and monitoring was significantly positively associated with children's negative affect, and this remained after controlling for the associations of all other types of parenting behavior. Results suggest that positive parenting, corporal punishment, and poor supervision/monitoring may be key in understanding the development of positive and negative affect in children. Highlights: Parent behaviors are related to children's affect, but studies examining multiple parenting behaviors together are limited. We studied the relation of five parenting behavior categories with positive and negative affect in 777 elementary students. Positive parenting is positively and poor supervision/monitoring negatively associated with children's positive affect. Corporal punishment and poor supervision/monitoring are positively associated with children's negative affect. Parenting interventions should focus on positive parenting behaviors, supervising/monitoring, and corporal punishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Cloninger's biosocial model of personality touching upon temperament and character, personality development is a lifelong adaptive process that begins in early childhood. Similarly, theories of parenting behavior and attachment predict that associations between personality and parenting behavior should be found in young children. The present study therefore had the goal to investigate, whether associations between parenting behavior and personality in terms of Cloninger's temperament and character dimensions previously found in adolescence and adults can already be observed in kindergarten children. This study assessed personality in a sample of 324 kindergarten children (169 girls/155 boys) aged 3-6 years (Mage = 4.59, SD = 0.90). Parents rated their children's temperament and character using the JTCI 3-6 R questionnaire, which has been specifically developed to measure personality dimensions in three to six-year-olds according to Cloninger's model. Character traits (especially Self-Transcendence), which reach mature levels in adults, may not be reliably assessed in three-year-old children. Parenting behavior was documented using the DEAPQ-EL-GS self-report questionnaire measuring the parenting behavior dimensions Responsiveness and Demandingness. Correlation analyses revealed that responsive parenting behavior was positively related to the personality dimensions Reward Dependence, Self-Directedness, and Self-Transcendence. Demanding parenting behavior was positively related to the personality dimension Novelty Seeking, but negatively related to the personality dimensions Persistence, Self-Directedness and Cooperativeness. Although the cross-sectional design of our study prevents unequivocal conclusions about the causal direction of these associations, our results highlight possible differential consequences of responsive vs. demanding parenting behavior for personality development in children in line with theories of parenting behavior and attachment. Our results thus advance earlier work in adolescents and adults, by showing that parenting behavior influences the development of the child's personality according to Cloninger's biosocial model already in three to six-year-olds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Social behaviors, including behaviors directed toward young offspring, exhibit striking sex differences. Understanding how these sexually dimorphic behaviors are regulated at the level of circuits and transcriptomes will provide insights into neural mechanisms of sex-specific behaviors. Here, we uncover a sexually dimorphic role of the medial amygdala (MeA) in governing parental and infanticidal behaviors. Contrary to traditional views, activation of GABAergic neurons in the MeA promotes parental behavior in females, while activation of this population in males differentially promotes parental versus infanticidal behavior in an activity-level-dependent manner. Through single-cell transcriptomic analysis, we found that molecular sex differences in the MeA are specifically represented in GABAergic neurons. Collectively, these results establish crucial roles for the MeA as a key node in the neural circuitry underlying pup-directed behaviors and provide important insight into the connection between sex differences across transcriptomes, cells, and circuits in regulating sexually dimorphic behavior.

According to Cloninger’s biosocial model of personality touching upon temperament and character, personality development is a lifelong adaptive process that begins in early childhood. Similarly, theories of parenting behavior and attachment predict that associations between personality and parenting behavior should be found in young children. The present study therefore had the goal to investigate, whether associations between parenting behavior and personality in terms of Cloninger’s temperament and character dimensions previously found in adolescence and adults can already be observed in kindergarten children. This study assessed personality in a sample of 324 kindergarten children (169 girls/155 boys) aged 3–6 years (Mage = 4.59, SD = 0.90). Parents rated their children’s temperament and character using the JTCI 3–6 R questionnaire, which has been specifically developed to measure personality dimensions in three to six-year-olds according to Cloninger’s model. Character traits (especially Self-Transcendence), which reach mature levels in adults, may not be reliably assessed in three-year-old children. Parenting behavior was documented using the DEAPQ-EL-GS self-report questionnaire measuring the parenting behavior dimensions Responsiveness and Demandingness. Correlation analyses revealed that responsive parenting behavior was positively related to the personality dimensions Reward Dependence, Self-Directedness, and Self-Transcendence. Demanding parenting behavior was positively related to the personality dimension Novelty Seeking, but negatively related to the personality dimensions Persistence, Self-Directedness and Cooperativeness. Although the cross-sectional design of our study prevents unequivocal conclusions about the causal direction of these associations, our results highlight possible differential consequences of responsive vs. demanding parenting behavior for personality development in children in line with theories of parenting behavior and attachment. Our results thus advance earlier work in adolescents and adults, by showing that parenting behavior influences the development of the child’s personality according to Cloninger’s biosocial model already in three to six-year-olds.

Introduction: Children of mothers with a history of adverse childhoods are at greater risk of behavior problems. However, the mechanisms through which a mother's early adverse experiences (ACEs) are transmitted to her children need further study. Our goal was to examine a conceptual mediational model linking mothers' ACEs, maternal psychopathology symptoms, and parenting behaviors with children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors sequentially. Methods: A sample of 153 Israeli mothers of children ages 3-12 (52% girls) participated in the study, and most of the mothers (94.7%) were cohabiting with a spouse. Mothers completed online questionnaires about their early adverse experiences, psychopathology symptoms, parenting behavior, and their children's internalizing and externalizing behavior. Results: Results showed that mothers with higher ACE scores reported more maternal psychopathology symptoms and more internalizing behavior in their children. The mother's psychopathology in and of itself mediated the link between her ACEs and her child's internalizing and externalizing behavior. Moreover, an indirect sequential path emerged linking ACEs with the mother's psychopathology symptoms, which, in return, were linked with hostile parenting. Hostile parenting, in turn, was linked with children's internalizing and externalizing behavior. Discussion: These findings highlight the complicated and intertwined ways in which adverse experiences early in the mother's life might put her child's wellbeing at risk. The findings suggest that ACEs are linked to maternal affect dysregulation, which interferes with parenting, increasing the risk of behavior problems in children. The findings underscore the need to assess mothers' adverse history, psychological distress, and parenting behavior, and provide treatments that can reduce the intergenerational transmission of early adverse experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Parenthood can be experienced as a pleasant but challenging period for parents, possibly accompanied by parenting stress. Early parenthood in particular is a vulnerable period as many parents experience biological and psychosocial changes related to new parenthood. Previous studies have shown that parenting stress is related to child behavior problems, but few studies have investigated the transactional relations across time between parenting stress and child internalizing and externalizing outcomes separately, examining within-person changes. The first aim of this study was to examine the transactional within-person associations of parenting stress and child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems across childhood from age 9 months to 9 years. As a second aim, we examined parenting as a possible underlying mechanism of the transactional associations by testing whether parental warmth and hostility mediate within-person associations of parenting stress and child behavior across time. Method: Data were analyzed from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal child cohort study including 7,208 caregiver-child dyads at wave 1 (child’s age 9 months), who were followed at child’s age three (wave 2), five (wave 3), and 9 years (wave 5). Primary caregiver’s and child’s age and gender, household income, occupational status, educational status, partner status, and cultural background were covariates assessed at all waves. Data were analyzed using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) in R-lavaan. Results: Bidirectional relations between parenting stress and child behavior were found for both internalizing and externalizing behavior from age 5 to 9, but not for earlier time points. Discussion: Our results did not indicate mediating effects of parental warmth or parental hostility in the associations between parenting stress and child behavior problems. Therefore, we conclude that parenting stress and child internalizing as well as parenting stress and child externalizing behaviors have transactional associations from child’s age 5 to 9 years. Future research examining transactional associations of parenting stress and child behaviors should investigate possible other mediations taking a within-person approach by utilizing the RI-CLPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study aimed to advance our understanding of parental negative attributions of children's misbehavior (parental interpretations of what causes children's misbehavior) and how they relate to other parental characteristics. Specifically, we examined: (1) How different measures of parental negative attributions relate to cognitive and affective parental characteristics (e.g., stress, temperament, parental self-efficacy); and (2) How reducing negative parental attributions affects parenting. In all steps, we differentiated between two types of negative parental attributions: parent-causal attributions (identifying one's parenting or parent characteristics as cause for the child's behavior) and child-responsible attributions (identifying the child as responsible for the behavior). Data were collected from 78 parents and their 3 to 5-year-old children (M = 51.67 months, SD = 8.56) in a lab experiment. Parents were randomly assigned to conditions aimed to reduce negative attributions (parent-causal, child-responsible) or a control condition. Results suggest that different parental characteristics tap into complementary aspects of negative parental attributions. Global parental negative attributions were associated with parent negative affect, laxness and positive discipline, and these associations were stronger for parent-causal than child-responsible attributions. Experimental manipulation of parental negative attributions seemed to reduce situation-specific attributions (both parent-causal and child-responsible), but not global attributions, parental self-efficacy or parenting behavior. Our findings suggest parental negative attributions of child's misbehavior may be a node in the complex parenting network of parental cognitions, affect, and behavior. Understanding the causal effects and malleability of negative parental attributions may advance parenting process theory and practice. Highlights: Parental negative attributions about children's misbehavior are associated with parenting behavior (self-reported and observed) and parental characteristics (stress, temperament, self-efficacy). Parent-causal and child-responsible parental negative attributions relate to parent characteristics in different ways. Parental negative attributions specific to a context, but not global parental negative attributions, may be modifiable. Stimulating positive parental attributions may be a target for interventions, potentially increasing positive parenting and reducing negative parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting families and children worldwide. Experiencing the pandemic leads to stress in families resulting from fear of infection and social isolation derived from social distancing. For families raising preschoolers, the prolonged closure of childcare centers puts additional childcare burden on family members, especially mothers. Due to the limited research exploring the impact of COVID-19 on preschool children's problem behaviors, this study examines the association between stress due to COVID-19 and preschool children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors related to mother's depression and parenting behavior. The study sample included data collected from 316 South Korean mothers raising preschool-aged children aged 3 to 5. The study findings suggest that mother's COVID-19 stress was indirectly associated with preschool children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors resulting from the mother's depression and parenting behaviors, although the direct effect of COVID-19 stress on preschool children's outcomes was not statistically significant. Increase in mother's COVID-19 stress was associated with increase in depression, and sequentially decreased positive parenting behaviors, which in turn resulted in preschool children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. The study findings highlight the need to focus on enhancing mental health of mothers and preschool children's adjustment by implementing supportive interventions to reduce the adverse impacts of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Parental mental disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder (BPD), impair parenting behavior. Consequently, the children exhibit an elevated risk for psychopathology across their lifespan. Social support for parents is thought to moderate the relationship between parental mental illness and parenting behavior. It may dampen negative effects and serve as starting point for preventive interventions. This paper provides a literature overview regarding the impact of social support on the sequelae of parental mental illness and BPD for parenting behavior. Recent Findings: Current literature highlights the increased burden of families with a mentally ill parent and associated changes in parenting behavior like increased hostility and affective dysregulation, especially in the context of parental BPD. Literature further demonstrates the powerful impact of social support in buffering such negative outcomes. The effect of social support seems to be moderated itself by further factors like socioeconomic status, gender, or characteristics of the social network. Summary: Social support facilitates positive parenting in mentally ill parents and may be particularly important in parents with BPD. However, social support is embedded within a framework of influencing factors, which need consideration when interpreting scientific results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is an increasing awareness of the importance of maternal parenting stress on children’s development. Therefore, this study examined the direct effect of maternal parenting stress on children’s emotion regulation and its indirect effect via marital conflict and parenting behavior. Methods: Data were collected from 201 early school-aged children’s (age 7~8) mothers. Data were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation coefficients and structural equation modeling using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 22.0. Results: First, maternal parenting stress did not significantly affect emotion regulation. Second, parenting stress did not significantly affect emotion regulation through marital conflict. Third, parenting stress significantly affected emotion regulation through parenting behavior. Lastly, parenting stress had an indirect effect on emotion regulation through marital conflict and parenting behavior. Conclusion: Specific pathways were identified through which maternal parenting stress can affect schoolaged children's emotion regulation via marital conflict and parenting behavior. This study highlights the importance of mothers’ warm and reasonable parenting behavior that mediates the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children’s emotion regulation. Although marital conflict’s direct association with emotion regulation was not significant, its role in developing children’s emotion regulation is highlighted, as marital conflict and parenting behavior are significant sequential mediators between parenting stress and emotion regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]