Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Developmental Psychopathology Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy.
BMC Psychiatry. 2020 Jul 17;20(1):377. doi: 10.1186/s12888-020-02778-8.
Increasing evidence suggests a complex role of family influences, such as the exposure to parent psychopathology through parenting behavior, in parent-to-child psychopathology transmission. Parenting behaviour could represent a relevant target of psychoeducative intervention. Given these premises, we aimed to evaluate homotypic and heterotypic relationships between parent and child psychopathology, mediated by parenting behaviours, taking into account the constructs of parent and offspring internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.
Internalizing and externalizing symptoms in 272 clinically-referred subjects (mean age = 14.5 ± 2.3; F = 23.5%) and their parents (mothers n = 272, fathers n = 242) were assessed through the Child Behavior Checklist and the Adult Self Report; four areas of parenting behaviours were investigated through the Family Life Questionnaire. Multiple mediation models were built, considering mother and father psychopathology scales as independent variables, parenting measures and family functioning as mediators (Affirmation, Rules, Discipline and Special Allowances), child psychopathology scales as dependent variables and demographic variables as covariates.
Regression models showed a significant effect of maternal internalizing symptomatology on child externalizing behavioral problems; high levels of maternal pathology predicted high levels of children's psychopathology. A total mediating effect of parenting measures was found: high levels of internalizing symptoms in mothers predicted low levels of affirmation, which in turn predicted high levels of externalizing psychopathology in children.
Our study results confirmed the existence of interdependent links between mothers' psychiatric symptomatology, parenting behaviour and offspring outcomes, specifically in an Italian context. On a clinical and rehabilitation basis, this work offers suggestions about parenting practices, specifically maternal, involved in the maintenance of child psychopathology.
越来越多的证据表明，家庭影响（例如通过父母行为暴露于父母的精神病理学）在父母与子女精神病理学的传播中起着复杂的作用。育儿行为可能是心理教育干预的一个相关目标。基于这些前提，我们旨在评估父母和子女精神病理学之间的同型和异型关系，通过育儿行为来介导，同时考虑父母和子女内化和外化精神病理学的结构。
通过儿童行为检查表和成人自我报告，评估了 272 名临床转诊的受试者（平均年龄= 14.5 ± 2.3；F = 23.5%）及其父母（母亲 n = 272，父亲 n = 242）的内化和外化症状；通过家庭生活问卷调查了育儿行为的四个方面。考虑到母亲和父亲的精神病理学量表作为自变量，育儿措施和家庭功能（肯定、规则、纪律和特殊津贴）作为中介，儿童精神病理学量表作为因变量，以及人口统计学变量作为协变量，建立了多个中介模型。
回归模型显示，母亲的内化症状对儿童的外化行为问题有显著影响；母亲的高病理学水平预测了儿童的高病理学水平。发现了育儿措施的完全中介作用：母亲的内化症状水平较高预测了肯定水平较低，而肯定水平较低又预测了儿童的外化精神病理学水平较高。
我们的研究结果证实了母亲的精神病理学、育儿行为和后代结果之间存在相互依存的联系，特别是在意大利背景下。从临床和康复的角度来看，这项工作提供了关于育儿实践的建议，特别是涉及到维持儿童精神病理学的母亲育儿实践。
