Parent–adolescent discrepancies in adolescents’ competence and the balance of adolescent autonomy and adolescent and parent well-being in the context of Type 1 diabetes.

This study examined whether intrafamily discrepancies in perceptions of the adolescent’s competence and independence were associated with autonomy and well-being for adolescents and parents. The ways in which mothers and fathers consistently differed from their adolescent across measures of independence and competence regarding Type 1 diabetes, a stressful context for families, were examined with the latent discrepancy model. A sample of 185 adolescents (mean age = 12.5 years, SD = 1.3), their mothers, and participating fathers completed measures of the adolescent’s independence in completing diabetes tasks, problems with diabetes management, adherence to the medical regimen, measures of well-being, and metabolic control. The latent discrepancy model was conducted via structural equation modeling that generated latent discrepancies from the adolescent for mothers and fathers. Both mothers and fathers viewed the adolescent’s competence more negatively than did the adolescent. These discrepancies related to more parental encouragement of independence and adolescent autonomy but also to poorer metabolic control and poorer parental psychosocial well-being. The results are interpreted within a developmental perspective that views discrepancies as reflecting normative developmental processes of autonomy but as being associated with disruptions in well-being in the short term. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depleted parental psychological resources as mediators of the association of income with adherence and metabolic control.

For adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, lower family income may be associated with poorer diabetes management through depleted parental psychological resources (i.e., higher parental depressive symptoms, lower parental acceptance). Adolescents (N = 252; 46% male) aged 10–14 years with Type 1 diabetes assessed the acceptance of their mother and father (e.g., “gives me the feeling that she likes me as I am”; “she doesn't feel she has to make me over into someone else”). Mothers provided information on family income and demographics. Both mothers and fathers reported their depressive symptoms. HbA1c scores were indexed via medical records. Lower family income was associated with higher (i.e., worse) HbA1c, more mother and father depressive symptoms, and less acceptance from both parents. Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship of lower family income with metabolic control occurred indirectly through lower maternal and paternal acceptance and lower adherence. Lower family income may impair the quality of parent—adolescent relationships that are beneficial for good diabetes management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The mediating role of extreme peer orientation in the relationships between adolescent–parent relationship and diabetes management.

The study examined whether the quality of the adolescent–parent relationship was associated with better diabetes management in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes by decreasing adolescents' extreme peer orientation. Adolescents (n = 252; 46% male and 54% female) aged 10 to 14 years with Type 1 diabetes completed assessments of extreme peer orientation (i.e., tendency to ignore parental advice and diabetes care to fit in with friends), adolescent–parental relationship, and adherence; HbA1c scores indexed metabolic control. Adolescents with higher quality relationships with parents reported less peer orientation and better diabetes care. The mediational model revealed that adolescents' high quality relationships with their parents (mother and father) were associated with better treatment adherence and metabolic control through less peer orientation. It is likely that high quality adolescent–parent relationships may be beneficial to adolescent diabetes management through a healthy balance between peer and parental influence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mothers’ and fathers’ attributions for adolescent behavior: An examination in families of depressed, subdiagnostic, and nondepressed youth.

This study examined whether parents of adolescents experiencing depressive symptoms or disorder make more negative and fewer positive attributions for their adolescents’ behavior than do parents of nondepressed adolescents, and whether parental attributions for adolescents’ behavior contribute to parenting behavior, above and beyond the adolescents’ behavior. Parents and adolescents (76 girls and 48 boys) participated in videotaped problem-solving interactions (PSIs). Each parent subsequently watched the videotape and offered attributions for their adolescent’s behavior. In addition, parent and adolescent behavior during the PSIs was coded. Mothers and fathers in families of nondepressed adolescents made significantly fewer negative attributions for their children’s behavior than did parents in families of adolescents with diagnostic or subdiagnostic levels of depressive symptoms. Moreover, mothers’ and fathers’ negative attributions were related to greater levels of observed aggressive behavior and lower levels of observed facilitative behavior during the PSIs controlling for both demographic characteristics and the relative level of adolescent aggressive and facilitative behavior during the PSI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Discordant prolongation of the refractory period and repolarization time by a class III agent, E4031, in the healing phase of myocardial infarction

One hundred and ninety-eight adolescents and their mothers (N = 189) and fathers (N = 136) participated in a 4-year longitudinal study. Adolescent problem behaviour was assessed by the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). In addition, parental stress and marital adjustment were determined. Results showed that mothers and fathers showed high agreement, especially about their daughters, whereas parents and adolescents showed little agreement. Agreement was higher for internalising than for externalising behaviours. In general, adolescents reported more symptomatology than their parents did. However, mothers' ratings of their children's behaviours were significantly correlated with adolescents' self-ratings, but fathers' ratings were not. Statistical tests of correlations showed that mothers experiencing stress caused by marital problems perceived more problem behaviours in their children. Fathers' perceptions were relatively unaffected by personal adjustment. However, poor marital adjustment perceived by both parents showed a significant negative relation to adolescent externalising problem behaviour.     

Parenting and antisocial behavior: A model of the relationship between adolescent self-disclosure, parental closeness, parental control, and adolescent antisocial behavior.

This study used data collected from a sample of 840 Italian adolescents (418 boys; M age = 12.58) and their parents (657 mothers; M age = 43.78) to explore the relations between parenting, adolescent self-disclosure, and antisocial behavior. In the hypothesized model, parenting practices (e.g., parental monitoring and control) have direct effects on parental knowledge and antisocial behavior. Parenting style (e.g., parent–child closeness), on the other hand, is directly related to adolescent self-disclosure, which in turn is positively related to parental knowledge and negatively related to adolescents’ antisocial behavior. A structural equation model, which incorporated data from parents and adolescents, largely supported the hypothesized model. Gender-specific models also found some gender differences among adolescents and parents, as the hypothesized model adequately fit the subsample of mothers but not fathers. Mothers’ closeness to girls predicted their knowledge of their daughters’ behavior; mothers’ control predicted boys’ antisocial behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescents' and mothers' perceptions of the cognitive and relational functions of collaboration and adjustment in dealing with type 1 diabetes.

We examined how adolescents' and mothers' perceptions of cognitive and interpersonal functions of collaboration surrounding Type 1 diabetes differed and how they related to adolescent age, psychosocial, and diabetes adjustment. Adolescents (M = 14.16 years) and mothers completed questionnaires assessing the functions of collaboration for the adolescent, quality of the mother-adolescent relationship, emotional adjustment, and adherence to the diabetes regimen. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of perceptions of collaboration confirmed three dimensions: collaboration to compensate for cognitive function, interpersonal enjoyment, and frequency of collaboration. Although adolescents' and mothers' views of interpersonal enjoyment and frequency of collaboration converged, their perceptions of compensation were unrelated. Mothers' perceptions of adolescents' compensation were unrelated to perceptions of enjoyment and frequency. Both adolescents and mothers perceived less compensation and less enjoyment of collaboration with increasing adolescent age, but only adolescents reported collaborating less frequently with higher age. Better emotional adjustment and adherence occurred when mothers and adolescents perceived enjoying collaboration (controlling for mothers' acceptance) regardless of age. Enjoying collaboration at an interpersonal level may be an important avenue for successful diabetes management during adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parenting practices and adolescent depressive symptoms in Chinese American families.

This study examined parenting practices and adolescent depressive symptoms among Chinese Americans. First, confirmatory factor analyses revealed that self-reported parenting practices by mothers and fathers and adolescent perception of parenting practices loaded adequately on three subscales: Inductive Reasoning, Monitoring, and Harsh Discipline. Second, parents' depressive symptoms were related to disrupted parenting practices, which, in turn, were significantly related to the negative evaluation of these behaviors by the adolescents. Adolescents' perceptions of such parenting practices were significantly associated with their depressive symptoms. Third, the relationships were robust even after parental income, education, and generation status were statistically controlled. Overall, the relationships between parenting practices and adolescent depressive symptoms among Chinese Americans seemed to echo those found among European Americans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The fit between stress appraisal and dyadic coping in understanding perceived coping effectiveness for adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

This study examined whether perceived coping effectiveness (PCE) was associated with better diabetes management and was higher when adolescents’ dyadic coping was matched to shared stress appraisals. There were 252 adolescents with Type 1 diabetes who completed stress and coping interviews where they appraised mothers’ and fathers’ involvement in stress ownership (mine, indirectly shared, directly shared with parent), in coping (uninvolved, supportive, collaborative, or controlling), and rated their effectiveness in coping. Adolescents completed assessments of depressive symptoms (Children’s Depression Inventory), self-care behaviors (Self-Care Inventory), and efficacy of disease management (Diabetes Self-Efficacy). Glycosylated hemoglobin levels were obtained from medical records. Higher PCE was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, self-care behaviors, and efficacy across age and, more strongly for older adolescents’ metabolic control. Appraisals of support or collaboration from parents were more frequent when stressors were appraised as shared. PCE was enhanced when dyadic coping with mothers (but not fathers) was consistent with stress appraisals (e.g., shared stressors together with collaborative coping). Stress and coping is embedded within a relational context and this context is useful in understanding the coping effectiveness of adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The association between adolescents’ depressive symptoms, maternal negative affect, and family relationships in Hong Kong: Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings.

This study investigated the bidirectional relationships of adolescents’ and maternal mood, and the moderating effect by gender and perceived family relationships on these relationships. Data were obtained from 626 adolescent-mother dyads and follow-up data were collected one year later from a subset. Adolescents reported their depressive symptoms, and their mothers reported their negative affect. Adolescents described their perception of family relationships. Maternal negative affect and adolescents’ depressive symptoms were significantly correlated at baseline. This association was moderated by gender and family relationships. The association was stronger in mother-daughter compared to mother-son dyads. In families where relationships were reported to be poor, adolescent depressive symptoms were uniformly high, regardless of maternal negative affect. However, in families where relationships were good, maternal negative affect was associated with higher adolescents’ depressive symptoms. In longitudinal analyses, adolescents’ mood at baseline was found to relate to maternal negative affect at follow-up. Family relationships at baseline were also associated with adolescents’ depressive symptoms at follow-up. However, there was no prediction from maternal negative affect at baseline to adolescents’ depressive symptoms at follow-up. Gender and quality of family relationships did not moderate the longitudinal relationships between adolescents’ depressive symptoms and maternal negative affect in either direction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parent, family, and child characteristics: Associations with mother- and father-reported emotion socialization practices.

The present research examined parental beliefs about children’s negative emotions, parent-reported marital conflict/ambivalence, and child negative emotionality and gender as predictors of mothers’ and fathers’ reported reactions to their kindergarten children’s negative emotions and self-expressiveness in the family (N = 55, two-parent families). Models predicting parents’ nonsupportive reactions and negative expressiveness were significant. For both mothers and fathers, more accepting beliefs about children’s negative emotions were associated with fewer nonsupportive reactions, and greater marital conflict/ambivalence was associated with more negative expressiveness. Furthermore, interactions between child negative emotionality and parental resources (e.g., marital conflict/ambivalence; accepting beliefs) emerged for fathers’ nonsupportive reactions and mothers’ negative expressiveness. In some instances, child gender acted as a moderator such that associations between parental beliefs about emotions and the emotion socialization outcomes emerged when child and parent gender were concordant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental involvement in diabetes management tasks: relationships to blood glucose monitoring adherence and metabolic control in young adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to identify parental behaviors that relate to adherence and metabolic control in a population of young adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), and to understand the interrelationships among the variables of parental involvement, adherence to blood glucose monitoring, and glycemic control. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used to investigate parental involvement in diabetes regimen tasks in 89 youth, aged 10 to 15 years, with IDDM. Levels of parental involvement in blood glucose monitoring (BGM) and insulin administration were evaluated through interviews. Assessment of adherence was made by physicians or nurses, independent of patient or parent reports of adherence. Glycemic control was assessed with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (reference range, 4% to 6%). RESULTS: There were significant differences in the mean HbA1c values between the older (13 to 15 years of age) (HbA1c = 8.9% +/- 1.03%) and younger (10 to 12 years) patients (HbA1c = 8.4% +/- 1.06%) (p < 0.02). Parental involvement in BGM was significantly related to adherence to BGM (number of blood sugar concentrations checked daily) in both groups of adolescent patients. The younger patients monitored their blood glucose levels more frequently than did the older patients, 39% of the younger patients checked sugar concentrations four or more times daily compared with only 10% of the older group (p < 0.007). In a multivariate model controlling for age, gender, Tanner staging, and duration of diabetes, the frequency of BGM was a significant predictor of glycemic control (R2 = 0.19, p < 0.02). Increased frequency of BGM was associated with lower HbA1c levels. When the frequency of BGM was zero or once a day, the mean HbA1c level was 9.9% +/- 0.44 (SE); when the frequency of BGM was two or three times a day, the mean HbA1c level was 8.7% +/- 0.17; and when the frequency of BGM was four or more times daily, the mean HbA1c level was 8.3% +/- 0.22. CONCLUSIONS: Parental involvement in BGM supports more frequent BGM in 10- to 15-year-old patients with IDDM. This increased adherence to BGM is associated with better metabolic control (i.e., lower HbA1c levels). These findings suggest that encouraging parental involvement in BGM with 10- to 15-year-old patients with IDDM may help to prevent the well-documented deterioration in glycemic control and adherence to treatment that often occurs in later adolescence.     

Perceptions of fatherhood: Longitudinal reciprocal associations within the couple.

This longitudinal study examines reciprocal associations between maternal perceptions of paternal involvement and paternal perceptions of themselves as a father and of their relationship with the mother over the first 18 months after the birth of a first child, that is, during the transition to parenthood. Both members of intact heterosexual couples (n = 183) completed self-report questionnaires when their first child was two, five, and 18 months of age. Each assessment period included measures of fathers' perceptions of the importance of their parental identity, their parental self-efficacy, and their marital satisfaction, as well as mothers' perceptions of the quality and quantity of paternal involvement in child care. Results of cross-lag path analyses indicate that fathers' greater parental self-efficacy at two months predicts mothers' perceptions of greater paternal involvement at five months. Conversely, mothers' perceptions of greater paternal involvement at two months predict greater parental self-efficacy and marital satisfaction in fathers at five months. This study highlights the importance of the first few months after the birth of a child for perceptions of fatherhood within the couple. Results suggest that when couples become parents, new mothers and fathers mutually influence their respective perceptions relative to fatherhood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Benefit finding, affective reactions to diabetes stress, and diabetes management among early adolescents.

Objective: To examine whether benefit finding was associated with better adjustment among adolescents with diabetes by buffering negative affective reactions to diabetes stress and by promoting positive affective reactions. Design: Early adolescents aged 10–14 with Type 1 diabetes (n = 252) described recent diabetes stressors, affective reactions, and perceived coping effectiveness. They also completed measures of benefit finding, depressive symptoms, and adherence. Metabolic control (i.e., HbA1c) was obtained from medical records. Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measures were perceived coping effectiveness, depressive symptoms, adherence, and HbA1c. Results: Benefit finding was associated with lower depressive symptoms, higher perceived coping effectiveness and better adherence, and with higher positive as well as negative affective reactions to diabetes stress. Benefit finding interacted with negative affective reactions to predict depressive symptoms and HbA1c. Negative affective reactions to stress were associated with poorer adjustment among those with low benefit finding, but were unrelated or more weakly related to poor adjustment among those with high benefit finding. Positive affective reactions did not mediate associations between benefit finding and any outcome. Conclusions: Consistent with a stress-buffering process, benefit finding may be a resource that buffers the disruptive aspects of negative affective reactions to stress for adolescents' diabetes management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal emotional distress and diminished responsiveness: The mediating role of parenting efficacy and parental perspective taking.

The present study examined whether the inverse relation between maternal emotional distress and maternal responsiveness was mediated by mothers' parenting efficacy and parental perspective taking. Questionnaire and observational data were gathered from 94 nonclinical mother–adolescent dyads. Emotional distress was measured with multiple indicators of negative affectivity, and responsiveness was measured with self-report and observational indicators of maternal acceptance and psychological autonomy promotion. Analyses indicated that maternal emotional distress was associated with lower levels of mother- and adolescent-reported responsiveness. Moreover, the association was mediated by mothers' perceptions of their parenting efficacy. Processes by which emotional distress may affect parenting efficacy, parental perspective taking, and parenting were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental affective style risk and the family system: A social relations model analysis.

Social relations model analysis was used to clarify family dynamics associated with parental affective style, an index of parent-to-child behavior associated with severe psychopathology in the child. Results from 70 families who had sought clinical services for an adolescent family member (39 girls and 31 boys) suggest (1) that adolescents elicit the negative parental affective style that puts them at risk and (2) that elicitation of negative parental affect is strongly tied to adolescents' expression of negative affect toward their parents (i.e., a reciprocity effect). The findings support the views that children contribute to their own risk of psychopathology and that parent–child behavior ought to be interpreted in the broader context of the family system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent mothers' relationship with their children's biological fathers: Social support, social strain and relationship continuity.

Two-hundred and eighteen low-income, minority, adolescent mothers were interviewed during the perinatal period and 3 years later about their social networks, including their relationships with their children's fathers. Few adolescents were involved with fathers at both time points. Relationships with fathers were, in general, less supportive and less problematic over time. Moreover, although father support was not associated with adolescent mothers' psychological adjustment, father absence and father strain had negative associations with psychological adjustment. Maternal grandmother support buffered the negative effects of strain in the adolescents' relationships with biological fathers. Perceptions of less social support from maternal grandmothers and more social support from fathers during the perinatal period as well as less social support from a new male partner at 3 years postpartum predicted relationship continuity between adolescent mothers and fathers at 3 years postpartum. Implications for intervention and policy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reciprocal influences between parental knowledge and adolescent self-control: A cross-sequential nationwide study of Korean youth.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the bidirectional relation between parental knowledge and self-control among South Korean youth using a nationwide cross-sequential data. Data included early adolescents (N = 2,844, mean age at Wave 1 = 9.86 years) and middle adolescents (N = 3,449, mean age at Wave 1 = 13.79 years) over the 3 and 4 yearly assessments, respectively. Latent growth curve models revealed that the relation between parental knowledge and adolescent self-control was not a unidirectional phenomenon, but rather bidirectional dynamic set of interactive processes. Evidence of reciprocal influences indicated that higher initial levels of adolescents' perceptions of parental knowledge of their whereabouts and activities predicted slower rates of increase in their self-control and that higher initial levels of self-control predicted slower rates of increase in parental knowledge over time. The results point to the importance of a bidirectional, transactional view for understanding parent-adolescent interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parent–child acculturation, parenting, and adolescent depressive symptoms in Chinese immigrant families.

Using a sample of 388 father–adolescent and 399 mother–adolescent dyads in Chinese immigrant families, the current investigation tested Portes and Rumbaut’s (1996) assertion that generational dissonance may indicate a family context that places children at increased risk for adverse outcomes. Study findings suggest that a high discrepancy in father–adolescent acculturation levels relates significantly to more adolescent depressive symptoms. The study further demonstrates that the quality of the parenting relationship between fathers and adolescents operates as a mediator between father–adolescent acculturation discrepancy and adolescent depressive symptoms. Specifically, a high level of discrepancy in American orientation between fathers and adolescents is associated with unsupportive parenting practices, which, in turn, are linked to more adolescent depressive symptoms. These relationships are significant even after controlling for the influence of family socioeconomic status and parents’ and adolescents’ sense of discrimination within the larger society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family Processes Within Three-Generation Households and Adolescent Mothers' Satisfaction With Father Involvement.

This investigation used a family systems perspective to examine how family dynamics within 3-generation households were associated with mothers' satisfaction with father involvement. The participants were low-income African American adolescent mothers (n=148) and grandmothers recruited at delivery and followed over 6 months. The overall model explained 68% of the variance in satisfaction with father involvement. Fathers who were involved with caregiving activities had positive relationships with adolescent mothers and grandmothers. Grandmothers served as gatekeepers; when grandmothers reported positive relationships with the 2 young parents, adolescent mothers reported positive relationships with their male partners. Mothers who reported positive partner relationships also reported high parenting efficacy and satisfaction with father involvement. Efforts to increase paternal involvement should focus on role clarification for grandmothers and fathers and on parenting activities for mothers and fathers, regardless of their romantic relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)