Parent Accommodation Contemporaneously Mediates the Association Between Youth Irritability and Youth Anxiety Treatment Outcome

Research documents that child and adolescent (youth) irritability and anxiety have high co-occurrence, and anxious-irritable presentations are associated with greater impairment than anxious nonirritable presentations. This study examines the association between irritability and youth anxiety treatment outcome and tests a conceptual model of the associations among youth irritability, parent accommodation, and youth anxiety severity following cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT). Participants were N = 128 clinic-referred youths ages 6 to 17 years (M = 9.76 years; 57% female) who met criteria for primary anxiety disorder diagnoses and completed a 12- to 14-week CBT anxiety protocol. Parent- and youth-report on youth irritability, parent accommodation of their child’s anxiety, and youth anxiety severity were assessed pretreatment and posttreatment. Using parent-report, youth irritability at pretreatment was associated with high parent accommodation of youth anxiety and high youth anxiety severity at posttreatment. The association between irritability and youth anxiety outcome was mediated contemporaneously by parent accommodation at posttreatment. These findings show that parent accommodation of their anxious-irritable children’s anxiety may account for high youth anxiety severity following treatment. Developing strategies to target irritability in anxious youth and/or reduce parent accommodation in the presence of youth irritability represent important directions for future research.     

Parent-Child Interactions in Anxious Families

A considerable amount of research has examined factors associated with the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders in children. The familial nature of anxiety has been well-established, with genetic studies showing that approximately 30% of the variance is accounted for by genetic factors. Research into the family environment documents behavioral differences in interactions between non-anxious parent-child and anxious parent-child dyads, including less granting of autonomy, and parental withdrawal and disengagement. Recent theoretical work in the field of anxiety suggests that attachment models and coercive operant patterns could create a bi-directional coercive interaction pattern, similar to that seen in interactions of parents and aggressive children. The current study investigated parent and child behaviors coded from interaction tasks across four groups based on anxiety status: anxious parent/anxious child, non-anxious parent/anxious child, anxious parent/non-anxious child, and non-anxious parent/non-anxious child to empirically examine hypothesized interactive patterns. The study sample consisted of 158 parent-child (ages 3–12 years) dyads. Results support an interaction between parent and child anxiety on behavior within dyads. The current study provides an important step in identifying processes linked to familial anxiety.     

Parent and Child Anxiety Sensitivity: Relationship in a Nonclinical Sample

Little is known about the relationship between parent and child anxiety sensitivity (AS), particularly in nonclinical samples. The present study examined this association in 207 healthy parent-child pairs including 244 children (mean age = 12.3 years, 103 girls) and 226 parent figures (175 mothers). Sequential multiple linear regression revealed that parent AS was significantly associated with child AS in girls, but not in boys. Parent AS accounted for 9% of incremental variance in child AS, after controlling for child age, parent depression, and parent anxiety. Analyses of parent AS dimensions indicated that the social concerns dimension accounted for 14% of incremental variance in child AS in girls only. Parent anxiety and depression showed no association with child AS, once parent AS was taken into account. The findings indicate that parent AS, especially AS social concerns, demonstrates a significant relationship with child AS in this nonclinical sample of girls.     

The Efficacy of Child Parent Relationship Therapy for Adopted Children With Attachment Disruptions

This pilot study examined the effectiveness of child parent relationship therapy (CPRT; Landreth & Bratton, 2006 ) with 61 adoptive families. Statistically significant findings and large treatment effects on all measures indicated the effectiveness of CPRT over the wait‐list control condition on reducing child behavior problems and increasing parental empathy. The results provide preliminary support for CPRT as a responsive intervention for adoptive families with children presenting with attachment difficulties.     

The Role of Parent Education and Parenting Knowledge in Children's Language and Literacy Skills among White,Black, and Latino Families

This study investigated the role of parenting knowledge of infant development in children's subsequent language and pre‐literacy skills among White, Black and Latino families of varying socioeconomic status. Data come from 6,150 participants in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort. Mothers' knowledge of infant development was measured when children were 9 months old, and child language and pre‐literacy skills were measured during the fall of the preschool year prior to Kindergarten when children were approximately four years old. Mothers' knowledge of infant development was uniquely related to both maternal education and race/ethnicity. Reported sources of parenting information/advice also varied by education and race/ ethnicity and were related to parenting knowledge. Further, controlling for demographic factors, parenting knowledge partially mediated the relation between parent education and child language and pre‐literacy skills, and this relation differed by race/ethnicity. One way to eliminate socioeconomic status achievement gaps in children's early language and literacy skills may be to focus on parents' knowledge of child development, particularly in Latino families. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paternal Child-Rearing Style and Child Social Anxiety: Investigation of Child Perceptions and Actual Father Behavior

This study examined associations among perceived and actual father behavior and child social anxiety. Forty-eight children (22 high socially anxious, 26 low socially anxious) completed self-report measures of social anxiety, general anxiety, and depression. Children also completed a measure of perceived parental style and subsequently collaborated with their fathers on a challenging task (origami). After controlling for general anxiety and depression, fathers of high socially anxious children exhibited more controlling behavior during the origami task; high and low socially anxious children, however, did not differ behaviorally from one another. Perceptions of father child-rearing style did not differ as a function of child social anxiety, nor were significant relations found between perceived parenting and specific father behaviors. Findings underscore the importance of assessing various types of internalizing symptoms (i.e., controlling for shared construct variance), obtaining children's perceptions of parental style in conjunction with conducting behavioral observations, and including fathers in psychopathology research.     

Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale: Development and Initial Validation of a Parent Report Measure

This study examined the psychometric characteristics of the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES). The CAPES was designed as a brief outcome measure in the evaluation of both public health and individual or group parenting interventions. The scale consists of a 30‐item intensity scale with two subscales measuring children's behaviour problems and emotional maladjustment and a 20‐item self‐efficacy scale that measures parent's self‐efficacy in managing specific child problem behaviours. A sample of 347 parents of 2–12‐year‐old children participated in the study. Psychometric evaluation of the CAPES revealed that both the intensity and self‐efficacy scales had good internal consistency, as well as satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. Potential uses of the measure and implications for future validation studies are discussed.     

The Efficacy of Child Parent Relationship Therapy for Adoptive Families: A Replication Study

This randomized controlled replication study examined the effectiveness of child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) with 49 adoptive families. Statistically significant improvement and large treatment effects for child behavior problems, parent–child relationship stress, and parents' empathic interactions with their children indicated the effectiveness of CPRT over treatment as usual. Findings confirm Carnes‐Holt and Bratton's ( 2014 ) results and provide strong support for CPRT as a responsive intervention for adoptive families.     

母亲消极情绪表露与儿童焦虑的关系：有调节的中介模型

本研究以临沂市3所小学1173名一至六年级的学生及其母亲为被试,探讨了母亲消极情绪表露与儿童焦虑的关系,以及母子冲突和母子亲密在这一关系中的作用。采用家庭情绪表露问卷、亲子关系问卷、儿童焦虑性情绪障碍筛查表进行研究。结果表明：(1)母亲消极情绪表露与母子冲突、儿童焦虑两两显著正相关,母子亲密与母亲消极情绪表露、母子冲突、儿童焦虑的相关不显著;(2)母亲消极情绪表露显著正向预测儿童焦虑;(3)母子冲突在母亲消极情绪表露与儿童焦虑间起中介作用,且上述中介效应的后半段路径受到母子亲密的调节。     

Child Psychosocial Functioning and Parent Quality of Life Among Clinically Referred Children

We examined factors that account for quality of life among parents of clinically referred children. Families (N = 201) of children (ages 3-14) referred for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior participated. Parent and family contextual factors and child psychosocial functioning (symptoms and impairment) were predicted to influence parents' quality of life. As predicted, socioeconomic disadvantage, parent stress and psychopathology, poor interpersonal relations, and limited social support were related to lower levels of quality of life. Once these factors were controlled, child psychosocial functioning also contributed positively to quality of life. Further research on quality of life in the family can have important implications for understanding the context of both child and parent functioning.     

学前儿童问题行为对父母抚养压力的影响及夫妻亲密的调节作用

研究旨在探讨学前儿童问题行为对父亲、母亲抚养压力的影响及夫妻亲密在其中的作用机制。采用儿童问题行为问卷、抚养压力量表和夫妻亲密量表对3164名学前儿童的父母进行测查。研究发现：（1）母亲抚养压力在学前儿童问题行为与父亲抚养压力之间起部分中介作用;（2）夫妻亲密调节母亲抚养压力对父亲抚养压力的作用,夫妻亲密越高,母亲抚养压力对父亲抚养压力的预测作用越强,学前儿童问题行为通过母亲抚养压力对父亲抚养压力的间接作用也越大。     

大学生外语焦虑、自我效能感与外语成绩关系的研究

以315名大学生为研究对象,采用t检验、相关分析、方差分析和回归分析技术探讨了不同成绩水平、不同性别、不同专业学生的外语焦虑、自我效能感和外语成绩的差异及三者之间的关系。结果表明:(1)外语成绩及格组学生的外语焦虑水平显著低于不及格组学生,自我效能感显著高于不及格组学生;女大学生的外语成绩、自我效能感及能力因子和挫折因子上的自我效能感显著高于男大学生,男女大学生的外语焦虑水平无显著性差异;文科大学生的外语焦虑水平和外语成绩显著高于理科大学生,文、理科学生的自我效能感无显著性差异;(2)外语焦虑与外语成绩呈显著负相关,与自我效能感呈显著负相关,自我效能感与外语成绩呈显著正相关,性别、专业、外语焦虑、自我效能感、效能感的能力和挫折两个因子是外语成绩的显著预测变量。     

Parent Anxiety and Infant Pain During Pediatric Immunizations

Infants’ procedural pain and parents’ treatment room anxiety has been largely ignored in the research and clinical domains. To understand and manage infant procedural pain, it is essential to examine the correlates and potential predictors of this pain. Given that parent anxiety is a strong predictor of preschoolers’ procedural anxiety and pain, it is likely that parents play a role in infants’ distress during medical procedures. The purpose of this study was to thoroughly examine parent anxiety and its effects on infant procedural pain for 37 parent-infant dyads. Results demonstrated that only parent self-report measures were intercorrelated and several measures of parent distress correlated with measures of infant distress. Treatment implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.This article is based on the master's thesis of the first author under the direction of the second, at West Virginia University.     

焦虑在歧义容忍度与英语学习成绩之间的中介作用分析

本研究采用问卷法,选取石家庄市210名普通高校大学生为被试,探讨了焦虑在歧义容忍度和英语学习之间的中介作用。结果发现:(1)在英语学习成绩方面,高歧义容忍度的学生显著优于低歧义容忍度的学生,中歧义容忍度的学生显著优于低歧义容忍度的学生;(2)高、中、低不同歧义容忍度的学生,在焦虑水平上存在显著差异。(3)焦虑感中介作用分析发现,焦虑在歧义容忍度和英语学习成绩之间关系有完全中介作用。     

Parental Invalidation and the Development of Narcissism

Parenting behaviors and childhood experiences have played a central role in theoretical approaches to the etiology of narcissism. Research has suggested an association between parenting and narcissism; however, it has been limited in its examination of different narcissism subtypes and individual differences in parenting behaviors. This study investigates the influence of perceptions of parental invalidation, an important aspect of parenting behavior theoretically associated with narcissism. Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using a sample of 442 Australian participants to examine the relationship between invalidating behavior from mothers and fathers, and grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Results indicate that stronger recollections of invalidating behavior from either mothers or fathers are associated with higher levels of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism when controlling for age, gender, and the related parenting behaviors of rejection, coldness, and overprotection. The lowest levels of narcissism were found in individuals who reported low levels of invalidation in both parents. These findings support the idea that parental invalidation is associated with narcissism.     

Child Anxiety Sensitivity and Family Environment as Mediators of the Relationship between Parent Psychopathology, Parent Anxiety Sensitivity, and Child Anxiety

This study examined child anxiety sensitivity and family environment as mediators of the relationship between (1) parent psychopathology and anxiety sensitivity and (2) child anxiety in a community sample of 157 youths aged 7–18 years. Parents completed measures of anxiety sensitivity, psychopathology, and family environment. Youths completed measures of anxiety sensitivity and anxiety. One structural equation model was tested with child anxiety sensitivity as a mediator of (1) parent psychopathology and parent anxiety sensitivity and (2) child anxiety. Mediation was found with respect to parent psychopathology but not anxiety sensitivity. A second structural equation model was tested with family environment (conflict and control) as a mediator of (1) parent psychopathology and parent anxiety sensitivity and (2) child anxiety. Mediation was found with respect to parent psychopathology and anxiety sensitivity. Possible explanations for these pathways are discussed, including information transmission from parents to children, modeling anxiety-based reactions, temperament, and isolation of children from anxiety-provoking situations.     

Social anxiety disorder in children and youth: A research update on aetiological factors

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a heterogeneous and distressing problem for many children and youth. This review focuses on the etiology and maintenance of SAD, and examines research findings in several key areas of investigation: genetic or hereditary factors (twin and family studies), temperament characteristics (behavioural inhibition), and parent–child interactions (attachment, parenting styles). It is concluded that genetic influences, behavioural inhibition, and parent–child interactions play significant and interactive roles in the development and maintenance of SAD. Other influences such as peer relationships, social skills deficits, and traumatic experiences are also acknowledged. Ultimately, an understanding of such pathways should facilitate effective early screening and intervention of children at risk for severe social anxiety.