Parenting orientations in young adulthood: Predicting timing of parenthood and quality of postpartum caregiving.

Abstract

Most but not all adults become parents, yet it remains unclear which characteristics indicate an orientation toward parenting. The aims of this study were to (a) distinguish profiles of individual and interpersonal resources in young adults that may orient them toward parenthood and (b) investigate whether profiles predicted timing of entering parenthood, postpartum parenting behavior, and parent–infant bonding. Participants were 1,429 young people (53% female) enrolled in an Australian 39-year longitudinal study. Predictor data for latent profile analysis were collected at 23–24 and 27–28 years. Parenthood timing was designated as “early” ≤25 years, “on-time” >25 years, and “not a parent” by age 37 years. Parenting outcomes were assessed at 12 months postpartum in 684 parents of 1,144 children. Four-profile classes were identified: “connected” (n = 463, 32.4%), “constricted empathy” (n = 461, 32.3%), “insecure” (n = 343, 24%), and “disconnected” (n = 162, 11.3%). Connected young adults were characterized by close ties to family of origin and peers and by identity clarity and empathy. Connected participants were more likely than those in insecure and disconnected classes to be parents by 37 years and more likely to enter parenthood “on-time” compared to “early” parenthood in the constricted empathy class. Among those who became parents, the connected class reported the strongest bonds and warmest parenting and was least anxious or hostile in parenting their infants. Findings provide insights into preconception patterns among variables that together predict reproductive timing, postpartum bonding, and quality of parenting.

Social network investment of men: Cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations with mental health problems

“…Given the considerable success that initiatives such as Men's Shed have had with older Australian men (Kelly et al, 2021), there may also be profound benefits in developing social initiatives that specifically cater to men in 'established adulthood' who are typically time pressed at this developmental life stage (Mehta et al, 2020). Furthermore, this life stage is commonly characterised by a deepening of commitment to partners, children and/or career, and so, there are likely additional cascading benefits into these life domains from interventions that strengthen men's social connections (Macdonald et al, 2023). Our study also highlights the potential for sporting or social physical activity memberships to be useful for supporting concurrent mental health.…”

Profiles of parents’ emotion socialization within a multinational sample of parents

“…Fathers may have been disproportionally represented in the emotion coaching profile as a result of measurement bias. Research has suggested that self-report measures of empathy are influenced by gender expectations and biases, thus do not adequately capture empathy of fathers ( Baez et al, 2017 ; Macdonald et al, 2022 ).…”