Project description:Decades of research supports a widely held view that providing parent care is stressful, and that these stresses are associated with adverse mental health outcomes. However, some recent studies suggest an additional possibility, namely that "noncaregiver stress"-a consequence of having a parent with major care needs, but not being an active caregiver-may be a serious problem as well. This finding emerges in data which permit separate controls for parental needs for care and offspring provision of parent care. We extend these results using Generations and Gender Programme data from five countries-Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Romania, and Russia-for which the necessary variables can be comparably measured. Our outcome variable is a depression score based on a 7-item scale. In country-specific regressions, we find two instances of statistically significant associations of depression with the regular provision of personal care to a parent with care needs, i.e., the usual "caregiver stress" result. However, we also find two instances of statistically significant differences in respondents' depressive symptoms that are associated with having a parent with care needs, i.e., instances of "noncaregiver stress." We find limited evidence of gender-specific responses to both forms of stress. Our evidence supports both the typical caregiver stress response and the less-studied noncaregiver stress response, which suggests the need for additional research.
Project description:Digital technology is increasingly important in people’s lives, particularly for new parents as it allows them to access information, stay connected to peers and offers them seductive solutions for improving infant sleep and parental well-being. Digital technology has been developed to support parents in the following four ways: (1) providing digital information on infant sleep, (2) offering targeted support for night-time care, (3) managing infant sleep and (4) monitoring infant sleep and safety. Evidence on the effectiveness of these strategies is varied and there are concerns regarding the reliability of information, use of personal data, commercial exploitation of parents, and the effects of replacing caregiver presence with digital technology.
Project description:Although many studies have examined contemporary increases in parent-adult child coresidence, questions about what this demographic shift means for the well-being of parents remain. This article draws on insights from the life course perspective to investigate the relationship between parent-adult child coresidence and parental mental health among U.S. adults ages 50+, distinguishing between parents stably living with and without adult children and those who transitioned into or out of coresidence with an adult child. Based on analyses of the 2008 to 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 11,277), parents with a newly coresidential adult child experienced an increase in depressive symptoms relative to their peers without coresidential adult children. Further analyses suggest that transitions to coresidence that occurred in the southern United States or involved out-of-work children were particularly depressing for parents. These findings highlight the significance of evolving intergenerational living arrangements for the well-being of older adults.
Project description:BackgroundDue to COVID-19 pandemic and behavior restrictions, deterioration of family relations and mental health in child-rearing households has been reported. This study examined whether frequent parent-child exercise (PCE) is associated with improved family relations and parental mental health under COVID-19.MethodsUsing data from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS), a nationwide survey conducted in August-September 2020, we extracted respondents with children aged 6 to 18 years (n = 2960). Logistic regression was performed to investigate the association between PCE frequency and changes in family relations and parental mental health.ResultsCompared with participants with 6-12-years old children, those with 13-18-years old children reported less PCE. Among participants with 6-12-years old children, compared to those without PCE, those conducted PCE more than once per week reported more improved relation with children and greater happiness (ORs ≥ 1.69), controlling covariates. Those conducted PCE 3 or more times a week also reported decreased loneliness (OR = 0.68). Whereas PCE conducted 1-2 times a month was not associated with any changes in participants with children of 6-12-years old, it was associated with more improved relations with children and spouses in participants with children of 13-18-years old (ORs ≥ 1.98).DiscussionThis study is the first to investigate the association of PCE with family relations and parental mental health under COVID-19. Our results suggest that PCE may enhance family relations and parental mental health and the effect may differ according to child's age.
Project description:Many states expanded their Medicaid programs to low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These expansions increased Medicaid coverage among low-income parents and their children. Whether these improvements in coverage and healthcare use lead to better health outcomes for parents and their children remains unanswered. We used longitudinal data on a large, nationally representative cohort of elementary-aged children from low-income households from 2010 to 2016. Using a difference-in-differences approach in state Medicaid policy decisions, we estimated the effect of the ACA Medicaid expansions on parent and child health. We found that parents' self-reported health status improved significantly post-expansion in states that expanded Medicaid through the ACA by 4 percentage points (p < 0.05), a 4.7% improvement. We found no significant changes in children's use of routine doctor visits or parents' assessment of their children's health status. We observed modest decreases in children's body mass index (BMI) of about 2% (p < 0.05), especially for girls.
Project description:Infant mental health is interconnected with and affected by maternal mental health. A mother or birthing person's mental health before and during pregnancy and the postpartum period is essential for a child's development. During the first year of life, infants require emotional attachment and bonding to strive. Perinatal mood disorders are likely to hinder attachment and are associated with an increased risk of adverse mental health effects for children later in life. The Black community is faced with a crisis as Black mothers experience a higher prevalence of perinatal mood disorders, including postpartum depression and anxiety, compared to the United States national estimates. The aim of the research is to identify social, structural, and economic disparities of Black perinatal women and birthing people's experience to understand the impact of perinatal mental health on infants' mental health. Black mothers and birthing people may often face social and structural barriers that limit their opportunity to seek and engage with interventions and treatment that address the root causes of their perinatal mood disorder. To enhance understanding of racial disparities caused by social and structural determinants of health on Black mothers and birthing people's mental health and health care experiences that influence infant mental health, the study team conducted semi-structured interviews among self-identified cisgender Black women health professionals nationwide, who provide care to pregnant or postpartum Black women and birthing people. Our study attempted to identify themes, pathways, interventions, and strategies to promote equitable and anti-racist maternal and infant mental health care. Using a Rigorous and Accelerated Data Reduction (Radar) technique and a deductive qualitative analytic approach it was found that limited access to resources, lack of universal screening and mental health education, and the disjointed healthcare system serves as barriers, contribute to mental health issues, and put Black mothers and birthing people at a disadvantage in autonomous decision making. Our study concluded that instituting education on healthy and culturally appropriate ways to support infant development in parent education programs may support Black parents in establishing healthy attachment and bonds. Prioritizing strategies to improve maternal mental health and centering Black parents in developing these educational parenting programs may optimize parenting experiences.
Project description:Using data from the British Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), an ongoing longitudinal study of a cohort of 18,827 children born in the UK in 2000-2001, we investigate important correlates of mental health issues during childhood. MCS respondents were sampled at birth, at age 9 months, and then when they were 3, 5, 7 and 11 years old. Each sweep contains detailed information on the family's SES, parenting activities, developmental indicators, parental relationship status, and indicators of parental mental health. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the related Rutter scale were used to identify behavioral and emotional problems in children. In this paper, childhood problems are separated into four domains: hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and peer problems. We focus on two aspects of this relationship at ages 5 and 11-the role of temporary and persistent poverty and the role of temporary and persistent mental health problems of mothers and fathers. At ages 11 and 5, without other controls in the model, persistent and transitory poverty have strong estimated associations with all four domains, with somewhat stronger estimated effects for persistent poverty. After a set of controls are added, we document that both persistent levels of poverty and transitions into poverty are strongly associated with levels of and transitions into childhood mental health problems. Similarly, sustained levels and transitions into mothers' mental health problems are strongly associated with levels and transitions into children's mental health problems. This is much less so for fathers.
Project description:BackgroundThere is growing evidence in the literature on the use of positive mental health (PMH) interventions among clinical samples. This qualitative study aims to explore the definitions of PMH from psychotherapists' perspectives, and to examine views and attitudes related to the construct.MethodsFocus group discussions were conducted with psychotherapists at a tertiary psychiatric institute. Focus group sessions were transcribed verbatim and transcripts were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach.ResultsFive themes related to psychotherapists' definition of PMH were identified: (1) acceptance; (2) normal functioning and thriving in life; (3) resilience; (4) positive overall evaluation of life; (5) absence of negative emotions and presence of positive emotion states. Themes related to views and attitudes towards PMH were: (1) novel and valuable for psychotherapy; (2) reservations with terminology; (3) factors influencing PMH.ConclusionPMH in psychotherapy is a multidimensional concept that means more than symptom management and distress reduction in clients. There is potential value for its application in psychotherapy practice, though some concerns need to be addressed before it can be well integrated.