Parental Dysphoria and Children’s Adjustment: Marital Conflict Styles, Children’s Emotional Security, and Parenting as Mediators of Risk

Abstract

Dimensions of martial conflict, children's emotional security regarding interparental conflict, and parenting style were examined as mediators between parental dysphoria and child adjustment. A community sample of 262 children, ages 8-16, participated with their parents. Behavioral observations were made of parents' interactions during marital conflict resolution tasks, which children later observed to assess their emotional security. Questionnaires assessed parents' dysphoria, parenting, and children's adjustment. Structural equation modeling indicated that parental dysphoria was linked with child adjustment through specific and distinct mediating family processes, including marital conflict and parenting. Children's emotional security in the context of particular marital conflict styles also mediated relations between parental dysphoria and child adjustment problems, with similar pathways found for mothers and fathers. These pathways remained significant even after significant parenting contributions were considered.

Parental Depressive Symptoms and Adolescent Adjustment: A Prospective Test of an Explanatory Model for the Role of Marital Conflict

“…Despite calls for testing specific theoretical models for child adjustment due to marital conflict in the context of parental depressive symptoms (e.g., Cummings, Davies, & Campbell, 2000), few longitudinal tests have been conducted. The scant tests of process models are based upon cross-sectional or short-term longitudinal studies (e.g., Du Rocher Schudlich & Cummings, 2007), limiting inferences about longer-term outcomes. In this context, emotional security theory (EST, Davies & Cummings, 1994) is emerging as a promising explanatory model that provides a theoretical basis for explaining the impact of marital conflict on child adjustment (Cummings & Davies, 2010).…”

Factors Influencing Female Caregivers' Appraisals of Their Preschoolers' Behaviors

“…In these families, conflict and parental disagreement displayed as openly expressed anger among family members, was associated only with maternal ratings not teacher ratings of a child"s behavior (Lucia & Breslau, 2006). Other large, ethnically diverse (African American, Caucasian, Asian, Native American, and Interracial families) studies found that family conflict was related to family functioning (and ultimately behavior problems in the child) and parenting stress (Benzies et al, 2004;Dawson et al, 2003;du Rocher Schudlich & Cummings, 2007;Hughes et al, 2008;Kendall et al, 2005;Shelton & Harold, 2008). Mothers who were experiencing more depressive symptoms reported more insecurity in their relationships and more marital dissatisfaction (Benzies et al, 2004;Dawson et al, 2003;du Rocher Schudlich & Cummings, 2007;Kendall et al, 2005;Hughes et al, 2008;Shelton & Harold, 2008).…”

“…In other recent studies, the vulnerability of the family has been the focus into behavioral problems of the young child. Poor family cohesion, openly expressed family conflict and anger, parental disagreement, and poor family functioning have all been found to be associated with behavioral problems in children (Benzies et al, 2004;Dawson et al, 2003;du Rocher Schudlich & Cummings, 2007;Hughes et al, 2008;Kendall et al, 2005;Lucia & Breslau, 2006;Oravecz, Koblinsky, & Randolph, 2008;Shelton & Harold, 2008) while supportive family factors (family resources, family problem-solving communication) are linked to the well being of all family members (Van Riper, 2000). Focusing on ways to identify and support these families may prove useful in decreasing the number of preschool children with behavioral problems.…”

La cultura tanática

“…Sin amor no hay educación, cultura, civismo ni desarrollo humano integral, bases fundamentales de la sociedad ética (9). La carencia de amor y orden familiar e individual conduce al humano a la vacuidad y a la anomia, en la cual prevalece el odio, germen de la violencia, la canibalización y de la autodestrucción y heterodestrucción humana como especie viviente (10)(11)(12).…”