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Reciprocal relationships between paternal psychological distress and child internalising and externalising difficulties from 3 to 14 years: a cross-lagged analysis.

ABSTRACT: Research shows that paternal psychological distress is associated with child emotional and behavioural difficulties. However, little is known about the direction of this association including whether it is bidirectional. The aim of this study was to explore the reciprocal relationships between paternal psychological distress and child emotional and behavioural problems longitudinally (at ages 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14 years) in a sample of 13,105 children (49% girls) who participated in the UK's Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a large-scale, nationally representative, longitudinal survey. Four domains of child problems (emotional symptoms, peer relations, conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention) were measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and paternal psychological distress was measured with the Kessler K-6 scale. Data were analysed using cross-lagged path models. At all ages, paternal psychological distress predicted both subsequent child emotional symptoms as well as peer problems. Paternal psychological distress at child's age 3 was related to more hyperactivity at age 5 and, at age 5, paternal psychological distress was associated with more conduct problems at age 7. At age 11, paternal distress was also related to age 14 conduct problems and hyperactivity. Child effects were fewer and were found mainly for behavioural problems. Notably, we found bidirectional links between paternal psychological distress and child peer difficulties, from 11 to 14 years. Paternal psychological distress appears to influence child behaviour more consistently than the converse. However, in early adolescence, there appears to be a reciprocal relationship between fathers' mental health problems and children's peer problems.

SUBMITTER: Sifaki M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8558163 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:AimsPrevious research has found links between cyberbullying victimisation and internalising and externalising problems among adolescents. However, little is known about the factors that might moderate these relationships. Thus, the present study examined the relationships between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress, suicidality, self-rated poor mental health and substance use among adolescents, and tested whether parent-child relationship and child's sex would moderate these relationships.MethodsSelf-report data on experiences of cyberbullying victimisation, self-rated poor mental health, psychological distress, suicidality and substance use were derived from the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a province-wide school-based survey of students in grades 7 through 12 aged 11-20 years (N = 5478). Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, subjective socioeconomic status and involvement in physical fighting, bullying victimisation and perpetration at school.ResultsCyberbullying victimisation was associated with self-rated poor mental health (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64-2.81), psychological distress (OR 2.41; 95% CI 1.90-3.06), suicidal ideation (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.83-3.08) and attempts (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.27-3.38), smoking tobacco cigarette (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.45-2.65), cannabis use (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.32-2.51), and binge drinking (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.03-2.02). The association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress was modified by parent-child relationship and child's sex (three-way interaction term p < 0.05). The association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress was much stronger among boys who have a negative relationship with their parents.ConclusionsFindings suggest that cyberbullying victimisation is strongly associated with psychological distress in most adolescents with the exception of males who get along well with their parents. Further research using a longitudinal design is necessary to disentangle the interrelationship among child's sex, parent-child relationship, cyberbullying victimisation and mental health outcomes among adolescents in order to improve ongoing mental health prevention efforts.

Project description:Background:The concurrence of sleep and socio-emotional development in children is well accepted. However, the predictive role of sleep problems in infancy and the development of emotional and behavioural problems later in childhood remain still unclear. Therefore, in this study we examined the associations between sleep problems in early childhood and internalising, externalising and dysregulation symptoms in toddlers. Methods:1679 families entered the study during pregnancy and 936 children participated at 24 months. Parent-reported sleep duration, sleep-onset latency, night wakings, proportion of daytime sleep and bedtime at 3, 8, 18 and 24 months were assessed with two sleep questionnaires. Externalising, internalising and dysregulation problems at 24 months were examined with the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. Results:Short sleep duration at 3 and 8 months, more night wakings at 3, 8, 18 and 24 months and greater proportion of daytime sleep at 24 months were associated with internalising symptoms. Shorter sleep duration at 8, 18 and 24 months and longer sleep-onset latency and more night wakings at all time points, in addition to earlier bedtime at 8?months and greater proportion of daytime sleep at 24 months, were related to dysregulation. Finally, more night wakings at 3 and 24 months, and longer sleep-onset latency at 24 months were associated with externalising problems. Conclusion:Shorter sleep and poorer sleep quality in infancy were prospectively related to emotional and behavioural symptoms in toddlers, and these associations were strongest for internalising and dysregulation symptoms. This study contributes to the recent research on the role of early sleep problems in socio-emotional development, suggesting that shorter sleep duration, longer sleep-onset latency and higher waking frequency are related to internalising, externalising and dysregulation symptoms in toddlers, and thus it might be beneficial to provide early interventions for those infants reporting these sleep problems.

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Reciprocal relationships between paternal psychological distress and child internalising and externalising difficulties from 3 to 14 years: a cross-lagged analysis.

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