Budd Karen S, Holdsworth Michelle J A, HoganBruen Kathy D
DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Child Abuse Negl. 2006 May;30(5):557-74. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2005.11.006. Epub 2006 May 18.
This study's aim was to examine variables associated with different short-term trajectories in multiply disadvantaged adolescent mothers by investigating antecedents and concomitants of parenting stress.
We followed 49 adolescent mothers (ages 14-18 at study outset) who were wards in Illinois foster care using a longitudinal correlational design. We examined whether parenting variables (childrearing beliefs, quality of parent-child interactions, and child abuse risk) and personal adjustment variables (emotional distress and social support) at initial assessment predicted parenting stress measured at follow-up (a mean of 22.5 months later). We also examined concurrent relationships between parenting stress and mothers' adaptive functioning in educational, social support, and childbirth areas at follow-up.
We found that parenting variables, but not personal adjustment variables, predicted later parenting stress. Results also showed that current adaptive functioning was significantly related to parenting stress. Specifically, educational status and social support predicted concurrent parenting stress, whereas number of childbirths did not.
These findings extend the small literature on the link between parenting difficulties and parenting stress to adolescent mothers in foster care. Parenting challenges, particularly as reflected in unrealistic childrearing expectations, appear to be markers for later parenting stress. Considering the longitudinal relationships observed, early and periodic assessment of adolescent mothers' parenting knowledge, skills, and interactions is recommended. Also, given that this study found concurrent social support and educational status to covary with current parental stress, these variables, and others for which they may serve as proxy, are implicated for careful monitoring.
本研究的目的是通过调查养育压力的 antecedents 和 concomitants，来检验与多重弱势青少年母亲不同短期轨迹相关的变量。
我们采用纵向相关设计，追踪了 49 名青少年母亲（研究开始时年龄在 14 - 18 岁），她们是伊利诺伊州寄养机构中的受监护人。我们检验了初始评估时的养育变量（育儿信念、亲子互动质量和虐待儿童风险）和个人适应变量（情绪困扰和社会支持）是否能预测随访时（平均在 22.5 个月后）测量的养育压力。我们还检验了随访时养育压力与母亲在教育、社会支持和分娩领域的适应性功能之间的并发关系。
我们发现养育变量而非个人适应变量能预测后期的养育压力。结果还表明，当前的适应性功能与养育压力显著相关。具体而言，教育状况和社会支持能预测并发的养育压力，而分娩次数则不能。
这些发现将关于养育困难与养育压力之间联系的少量文献扩展到了寄养机构中的青少年母亲。养育挑战，尤其是体现在不切实际的育儿期望中的那些挑战，似乎是后期养育压力的标志。考虑到所观察到的纵向关系，建议对青少年母亲的养育知识、技能和互动进行早期和定期评估。此外，鉴于本研究发现并发的社会支持和教育状况与当前的父母压力相关，这些变量以及它们可能作为代理的其他变量，都需要仔细监测。
