O'Hara Karey L, Wolchik Sharlene A, Sandler Irwin N, West Stephen G, Reis Harry T, Collins Linda M, Lyon Aaron R, Cummings E Mark
Arizona State University.
University of Rochester.
Ment Health Prev. 2023 Dec;32. doi: 10.1016/j.mhp.2023.200301. Epub 2023 Sep 16.
Parental divorce is a childhood stressor that affects approximately 1.1 million children in the U.S. annually. The children at greatest risk for deleterious mental health consequences are those exposed to high interparental conflict (IPC) following the separation/divorce. Research shows that children's emotional security and coping efficacy mediate the impact of IPC on their mental health. Interventions targeting their adaptive coping in response to IPC events may bolster their emotional security and coping efficacy. However, existing coping interventions have not been tested with children exposed to high post-separation/divorce IPC, nor has any study assessed the effects of individual intervention components on children's coping with IPC and their mental health. This intensive longitudinal intervention study examines the mechanisms through which coping intervention components impact children's responses to interactions in interparental relationships. A 2 factorial experiment will assess whether, and to what extent, three candidate intervention components demonstrate main and interactive effects on children's coping and mental health. Children aged 9-12 (target N = 144) will be randomly assigned to one of eight combinations of three components with two levels each: (1) reappraisal (present vs. absent), (2) distraction (present vs. absent), (3) relaxation (present vs. absent). The primary outcomes are child-report emotional security and coping efficacy at one-month post-intervention. Secondary outcomes include internalizing and externalizing problems at the three-month follow-up. Based on data from this optimization phase RCT, intervention components will be selected to comprise a multi-component intervention and assessed for effectiveness in a subsequent evaluation phase RCT.
父母离异是一种童年压力源，在美国每年约有110万儿童受其影响。心理健康后果有害风险最大的儿童是那些在父母分居/离婚后暴露于高父母间冲突（IPC）的儿童。研究表明，儿童的情绪安全感和应对效能介导了IPC对其心理健康的影响。针对他们应对IPC事件的适应性应对的干预措施可能会增强他们的情绪安全感和应对效能。然而，现有的应对干预措施尚未在暴露于高分居/离婚后IPC的儿童中进行测试，也没有任何研究评估个体干预成分对儿童应对IPC及其心理健康的影响。这项密集的纵向干预研究考察了应对干预成分影响儿童对父母关系中互动反应的机制。一项2因素实验将评估三个候选干预成分是否以及在多大程度上对儿童的应对和心理健康产生主效应和交互效应。9至12岁的儿童（目标样本量N = 144）将被随机分配到三个成分的八种组合之一，每个成分有两个水平：（1）重新评价（存在与不存在），（2）分心（存在与不存在），（3）放松（存在与不存在）。主要结局是干预后一个月儿童报告的情绪安全感和应对效能。次要结局包括三个月随访时的内化和外化问题。基于此优化阶段随机对照试验的数据，将选择干预成分组成多成分干预，并在随后的评估阶段随机对照试验中评估其有效性。
