Ethnicity and parenting stress change during early intervention

Maternal depression and parental distress among families in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project: Risk factors within the family setting

“…These support services could assist families by providing help with various challenges that they confront. As noted earlier, research has indicated that support from professional providers, friends, and family may help alleviate parental distress and that mothers of infants and toddlers who perceive an increase in family resources during early intervention show a decrease in parenting stress (McDowell et al, 1995). Furthermore, results from this study indicate that special attention needs to be paid to increase the caregiving support from fathers, especially for those families with fewer available household resources.…”

“…These studies also have indicated that when families encounter parenting-related stressors, such as not having the required social, financial, and healthcare resources to rear their young children, their risk for mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, substantially increase (Hall, Williams, & Greenburg, 1985;Klebanov, Brooks-Gunn, & Duncan, 1994;Mistry, Stevens, Sareen, DeVogli, & Halfon, 2007). Increases in parenting stress and dissatisfaction in the parenting role also have been identified among families experiencing economic hardships and worries, inadequate family resources, stressful life events and chronic daily hassles, marital discord, family conflict, and inadequate social support (McDowell, Saylor, & Taylor, 1995). Studies also have identified higher rates of depression and parenting stress among mothers of young children in families characterized by higher levels of marital discord and family conflict as well as among those with inadequate levels of social support (Burke, 2003;Cicchetti et al, 1998;Crockenberg & Leerkes, 2003;Dawson et al, 2003;Gelfand et al, 1992;Hall et al, 1985;Mathiesen et al, 1999;Pianta & Egeland, 1994).…”

Serving the needs of immigrant families of children with autism

“…These stressors can result in depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders and suicidal ideation. Unfortunately, many recent immigrants lack the social and medical support that can buffer or mediate these traumas (see, for example, McDowell et al, 1995). Below are a number of recommendations to help service providers overcome the challenges of working with recent immigrant families of children with ASD and to help these families prepare themselves to find appropriate intervention services.…”

Parenting stress among child welfare involved families: Differences by child placement

“…Examining four family configurations (mother and baby; mother, baby, and grandmother; mother, baby, and unmarried partner; and mother, baby, and married partner), they found that as total family income decreased, parental distress increased with no impact from family configuration on parenting stress. Similarly, a study comparing White and non-White families with medically fragile children found that for White families increased social support, and child developmental indicators were correlated with decreased parenting stress, but for families of color, parenting stress was negatively correlated only with income (McDowell, Saylor, Taylor, Boyce, & Stokes, 1995). These results support the hypothesis that for families of color income is a stronger correlate of parent stress than additional adult support or child disability.…”

“…Evidence has suggested that poverty, as measured by income, correlates with parenting stress (Cain & Combs-Orme, 2005; McDowell et al, 1995). However, income alone may insufficiently capture the impact lack of resources has on parenting.…”