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Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Children's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 22344

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Prof. Dr. Mikaela Dufur

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Guest Editor

Department of Sociology, Brigham Youn University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Interests: child and adolescent social capital; social resources in families and schools; single mother and single father families; cross-national difference in family structures; race and gender in sport
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A robust and growing body of research demonstrates the importance of understanding adolescents’ mental health. Firstly, mental health is associated with other important developmental outcomes; secondly, mental health itself is an important part of young people’s lives. While the development of and challenges to youth mental health are multidimensional, exploring the environmental factors associated with mental health is a promising avenue for research because they may provide some of the best opportunities for manipulation and, therefore, improvements in mental health. This Special Issue seeks to understand more about the associations between adolescent mental health and a specific environmental factor—the family. Both family structures and family processes create environments in which adolescents’ mental health can be fostered or damaged, and most adolescents are deeply embedded in family environments, even as they begin to exert independence.

Submitted articles can employ data from any setting, though studies of populations outside the US and/or employing cross-national comparisons are particularly welcome. Articles could focus on questions such as (1) how interactions with siblings are associated with adolescent mental health, (2) how relationships with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other non-parental family members are associated with mental health, (3) how changes in relationship quality and time spent with family members as youth age are associated with changes in mental health, (4) how family systems manage poor adolescent mental health, (5) gender differences among parents or children in the promotion of adolescent mental health, (6) barriers to family discussion of mental health or access to mental health services, (7) available data sources for studying family process associations with youth mental health, or (8) youth perspectives on family members as sources of mental health support. Submissions from any discipline and methodological approach are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Mikaela Dufur
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

adolescent mental health
family processes
family structure
parents
mental health interventions
siblings
depression
anxiety

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 687 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Mothers’ Perceived Unsupportive Intergenerational Co-Parenting on Children’s Social Competence: Evidence from China

by Xinpei Xu, Lihong Song, Xiaoyun Li and Yan Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010427 - 27 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2127

Abstract

This study examined whether parenting styles mediated the relationship between unsupportive intergenerational co-parenting and children’s social competence, and whether the first stage of the mediating process, as well as the direct association between unsupportive intergenerational co-parenting and children’s social competence, was moderated by maternal psychological flexibility. The theoretical model was tested using data collected from 412 mothers of children aged 3–6 years at four kindergartens in Shanghai, China. The results showed that: (1) unsupportive intergenerational co-parenting was negatively associated with children’s social competence through decreased maternal authoritative parenting and increased authoritarian parenting and (2) the first stage of the mediation mechanism was moderated by maternal psychological flexibility. Specifically, unsupportive intergenerational co-parenting was significantly associated with authoritative and authoritarian parenting for mothers with low and high psychological flexibility, respectively, and the magnitude of the association was higher for mothers with low psychological flexibility. These findings extend the understanding of how and when unsupportive intergenerational co-parenting impacts children’s social competence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

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22 pages, 448 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stress and Health Outcomes in Midwestern Latinx Youth: The Moderating Role of Ethnic Pride

by Blake L. Jones, Matthew K. Grendell, Joshua M. Bezzant, Keeley A. Russell, Brooke W. Williams, Lainey Jensen, Carli Peterson, Joshua Christensen, Brynn Pyper, Jaren Muh and Zoe E. Taylor

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16966; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416966 - 17 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1510

Abstract

Background: Stress has been linked to numerous health outcomes, including internalizing and externalizing behaviors, self-esteem, and physical health. Culture has also been linked to stress and health. This study examined the links between stress and health, and the potential moderating role of Latinx ethnic pride (LEP). Methods: The sample consisted of 119 Latinx youth from the Midwestern U.S. Mothers and youth completed surveys. Variables included the Multicultural Events Scale for Adolescents (MESA), parent and home stressors/risks (PHSR), LEP, depressive symptoms, aggression, frustration, and self-esteem. Research assistants measured child heights and weights and calculated BMI percentiles. Results: LEP was negatively related to MESA, depressive symptoms, aggression, and frustration, and positively related to self-esteem. MESA and PHSR were associated with depressive symptoms, aggression, frustration, and self-esteem, but not with BMI percentile. In adjusted regression analyses, LEP moderated the effects MESA had on frustration and self-esteem, marginally moderated the link between MESA and depressive symptoms, and was not related to aggression or BMI percentile. LEP did not moderate the relationship between PHSR with any health outcomes. Conclusions: Stressors were generally related to child mental health. LEP may play an important role in protecting against some of the effects of stressful events on mental health outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

16 pages, 363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gendered Associations between Single Parenthood and Child Behavior Problems in the United Kingdom

by Samuel C. M. Faulconer, M. Rachél Hveem and Mikaela J. Dufur

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16726; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416726 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2366

Abstract

Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems are associated with a variety of negative child outcomes, but these conclusions have been drawn from research that usually compares children in families with two biological, married parents to all other family types. We compare behavior problems across two-parent, single-mother, and single-father families, which allows us to explore competing gender theories as possible explanations for why child behavior outcomes may be different across these three categories. Results from analyses of the UK Millennium Cohort Study suggest that while children in both single-mother and single-father families initially look like they experience more behavior problems than those in two-parent families, controlling for physical and, especially, social resources explains potential differences. Similarly, when single mothers and single fathers occupy similar family environments in terms of physical and social resources, their children report similar behavior. In contrast to findings from the US, children of single mothers who occupy similar family environments as children in two-parent families in terms of resources perform slightly better in terms of externalizing behavior problems than their two-parent counterparts. We conclude that constructivist theories more accurately explain gendered parenting behavior and its consequences for child behavior problems. Environmental factors such as income, parental closeness, and participation in extracurricular activities have a significant effect on child behavior problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

18 pages, 389 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparing Children’s Behavior Problems in Biological Married, Biological Cohabitating, and Stepmother Families in the UK

by M. Rachél Hveem, Samuel C. M. Faulconer and Mikaela J. Dufur

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16543; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416543 - 9 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1213

Abstract

A large body of research shows that children who live with two married biological parents have lower levels of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems compared to their peers in other family structure, including cohabitating biological families. Such patterns suggest that marriage provides a uniquely protective family environment, though we know less about children in the obvious counterfactual case: married stepfamilies. While research suggests children with stepfathers have more behavior problems than those living with married biological parents, we know little about how children with stepmothers fare, or how children with stepparents fare compared to those living with cohabiting biological parents. We use the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) sweep 6 to compare children living with married biological parents, married fathers and stepmothers, and cohabiting biological parents. We find that family structure has no significant relationship with children’s internalizing behavior problems, but that children living with a stepmother and biological cohabitating families exhibit more externalizing behavior problems than do those living with married biological parents. Covariates that indicate both physical and social family environments must be considered together to explain differences in married-parent families on externalizing behavior problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

26 pages, 2108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring Family Quality of Life: Scoping Review of the Available Scales and Future Directions

by Ghaleb H. Alnahdi, Arwa Alwadei, Flora Woltran and Susanne Schwab

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15473; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315473 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1948

Abstract

The lack of quality of life is a key issue for families with children with an intellectual disability. While the quality of life for people with disabilities has previously been researched as an individual variable, this has now shifted to include family members. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of the studies measuring the quality of life of families with an intellectually disabled member, in order to identify the most commonly used scales and their psychometric properties. Method: Data were collected from six databases (ERIC, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, MedLine, and Google Scholar), and this search yielded 3948 studies. One hundred and twenty studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. Results: Nine scales were used in the last years to measure the quality of life for families with individuals with an intellectual disability. The Beach Center scale was the most common scale, followed by the Family Quality of Life Survey and the World Health Organization’s quality of life assessment (WHOQoL-BREF). The results showed that the included studies in the review lack the consideration of a broader population representing the different types of cultures with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Key aspects used to assess the FQoL are environmental factors (proximal and distal factors), as well as economic factors. Conclusion: Although the operationalization of the FQoL often incudes several subthemes, a general agreement regarding which domains of the FQoL need to be included in the measurements, and these do not exist right now. Moreover, multidimensional scales are still rare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

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17 pages, 426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Mental Health Status Is Associated with Weight-Related Parenting Cognitions, Home Food Environment Characteristics, and Children’s Behaviors

by Melissa Keresztes, Colleen L. Delaney and Carol Byrd-Bredbenner

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 13855; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113855 - 25 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1626

Abstract

Women experience anxiety, depression, and stress at higher levels than men and have more parenting responsibilities, especially establishing health practices in the home. Given children’s vulnerability, this study aimed to increase understanding of how mothers’ mental health status relates to maternal weight-related cognitions, home food environments, and child health via a cross-sectional survey design. In a cluster analysis, using maternal anxiety, depression, and stress assessments, we placed the sample of 531 mothers of school-age children into four clusters: Cluster 1 had the best mental health status, Cluster 2 had high stress, Cluster 3 had anxiety and moderate stress, and Cluster 4 had anxiety, depression, and high stress. Our results indicate an overall downward trend in weight-related cognitions as mental health worsened. Similarly, as mental health declined, so did home food environment characteristics, such as the greater use of non-recommended child feeding practices, fewer family meals, and greater sugar-sweetened beverage supplies. As mothers’ mental health status became poorer, children’s general health and mental health quality of life declined, and sugar-sweetened beverage intake increased. Our findings suggest that maternal stress, anxiety, and depression are moderately to strongly linked with mothers’ cognitions, home food environments, and children’s health. Our results also suggest that mental health interventions for mothers should assess cognitions and home food environments and consider the extent to which these factors are affecting family health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

27 pages, 1388 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Affecting the Use of Social Networks and Its Effect on Anxiety and Depression among Parents and Their Children: Predictors Using ML, SEM and Extended TAM

by Evon M. Abu-Taieh, Issam AlHadid, Ra’ed Masa’deh, Rami S. Alkhawaldeh, Sufian Khwaldeh and Ala’aldin Alrowwad

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 13764; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113764 - 22 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3107

Abstract

Previous research has found support for depression and anxiety associated with social networks. However, little research has explored parents’ depression and anxiety constructs as mediators that may account for children’s depression and anxiety. The purpose of this paper is to test the influence of different factors on children’s depression and anxiety, extending from parents’ anxiety and depression in Jordan. The authors recruited 857 parents to complete relevant web survey measures with constructs and items and a model based on different research models TAM and extended with trust, analyzed using SEM, CFA with SPSS and AMOS, and ML methods, using the triangulation method to validate the results and help predict future applications. The authors found support for the structural model whereby behavioral intention to use social media influences the parent’s anxiety and depression which correlate to their offspring’s anxiety and depression. Behavioral intention to use social media can be enticed by enjoyment, trust, ease of use, usefulness, and social influences. This study is unique in exploring rumination in the context of the relationship between parent–child anxiety and depression due to the use of social networks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

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16 pages, 1002 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The ABC-X’s of Stress among U.S. Emerging Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationship Quality, Financial Distress, and Mental Health

by Ashley B. LeBaron-Black, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Melissa A. Curran, Matthew T. Saxey and Rachel M. Okamoto

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13125; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013125 - 12 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1707

Abstract

Many emerging adults have experienced increased financial distress and mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, and isolation may have amplified the importance of close relationships (especially as parents’ influence diminishes during this developmental stage). Using the ABC-X Model to frame our model, we tested whether financial distress (C) mediates the associations between COVID-19 impact (A) and anxiety and depressive symptoms (X), and whether or not romantic relationship quality (B) moderates these indirect associations. Our sample comprised of 1950 U.S. emerging adults in a romantic relationship. Mediation and first-stage moderated mediation were tested using structural equation modeling. Financial distress partially mediated the association between COVID-19 impact and anxiety symptoms and fully mediated the association between COVID-19 impact and depressive symptoms. Strong evidence of moderated mediation was found but in the opposite direction expected: the indirect associations of COVID-19 impact with anxiety and depressive symptoms (through financial distress) were stronger for those in high-quality romantic relationships. The findings may inform policy and practice aimed at optimizing the mental health of emerging adults, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: specifically, alleviating financial distress may improve the mental health of emerging adults, while focusing on the quality of their romantic relationships may not. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

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10 pages, 958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Infant Age Moderates Associations between Infant Temperament and Maternal Technology Use during Infant Feeding and Care

by Maya I. Davis, Camille M. Delfosse and Alison K. Ventura

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12858; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912858 - 7 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1232

Abstract

Previous research illustrated that infants’ temperamental traits shape parents’ behaviors, but parents’ behaviors can also elicit or intensify infants’ behaviors in ways that shape temperament. One understudied aspect of parenting that may exhibit bidirectional influences with temperament is parent technology use (e.g., use of mobile devices) within family contexts. To date, few studies have examined whether maternal technology use is associated with infant temperament and whether age-related differences in these associations exist. The present study was a secondary analysis of pooled data from three infant feeding studies. Mothers (n = 374) of young infants (age 16.2 ± 6.2 weeks) completed measures of maternal technology use during infant feeding and care interactions, infant temperament, and family demographics. Maternal technology use was positively associated with negative affectivity and negatively associated with orienting/regulatory capacity but was not associated with positive affectivity/surgency. The association between maternal technology use and negative affectivity was stronger for younger infants than older infants, while the association between maternal technology use and orienting/regulatory capacity was not significant for younger infants but was for older infants. Findings suggest maternal technology use is associated with infant negative affectivity and orienting/regulatory capacity, but the strength of these associations may change with infant age. Further longitudinal research is needed to verify this interpretation and understand mechanisms underlying these associations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

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19 pages, 412 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Family Structure, Unstructured Socializing, and Heavy Substance Use among Adolescents

by John P. Hoffmann

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8818; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148818 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2250

Abstract

Background: Psychoactive substance use is a transient behavior among many adolescents and diminishes as they mature, but some engage in heavy forms of substance use, which increases their risk of health and behavioral challenges. A consistent predictor of substance use among youth is family structure, with adolescents living in single-parent, stepparent, or no-parent families at higher risk than others of several forms of substance use. The objective of this research was to investigate whether unstructured socializing mediated the association between family structure and heavy alcohol or substance use. Methods: Data from 30 nations (n = 65,737) were used to test the hypothesis using a generalized structural equation model and tests of mediation. Results: The analysis furnished clear support for a mediation effect among adolescents living with a single parent but less support among those living with a stepparent or neither parent. Conclusion: The association between living in a single-parent household and heavy alcohol or other substance use was mediated largely by time spent outside the home with friends in unsupervised activities. Additional research that uses longitudinal data and more nuanced measures of family structure is needed to validate this finding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

12 pages, 324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Young Floating Population in City: How Outsiderness Influences Self-Esteem of Rural-to-Urban Migrant Children in China?

by Bo Zhou and Yumeng Zhong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1863; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031863 - 7 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2077

Abstract

While scholars note that rural-to-urban migrant children in China tend to have worse mental health than urban-born children, insufficient attention has been paid to understanding this mechanism beyond the Hukou system and the urban-rural dual structure. Using data from China’s Nine-City Survey of Migrant Children, this study reveals that perceptions of being a temporary visitor and an outsider in the city have strong negative effects on migrant children’s self-esteem. Regression analysis shows that migrant children sharing a kitchen with other families, studying in migrant-sponsored schools instead of regular schools for local children and perceiving discrimination from local peers tend to have lower self-esteem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Relationship and Children's Mental Health)

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