1. FAD Affective Involvement FAD Affective Involvement
Family Affective Involvement Mediates the Relation between Uninvolved Parenting Style and Child Depression Ratings Ashley B. Kimble1, Laura Hubbs-Tait1, Glade Topham1, Robert E. Larzelere1, Melanie Page2, Amanda Harrist1 1Oklahoma State University- Human Development & Family Science, 2West Virginia University- Psychology
Abstract
Results- Regression
Method- Measures
Parenting Styles
Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire-Short (PSDQ; Robinson et al., 2001)
-EFA to obtain 4 continuous parenting styles factors; some items reverse coded (-)
- mean scores calculated for each factor
Authoritative: give comfort, tell reasons for rules, show sympathy, show affection
Authoritarian: scold when not meet expectations, spank when disobedient, yell or shout
Permissive: spoil child, encourage free expression, allow input, physical punishment (-)
Uninvolved: state punishments but don’t do; difficult to discipline child, give in to child, reasoning (-)
Family Practices
McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD; Epstein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983)
Continuous mean scores for each subscale; ↑ score = ↑ family functioning
Problem Solving (“We resolve most everyday problems around the house”)
Communication (“People come right out and say things instead of hinting at them”)
Affective Responsiveness (-“We do not show our love for each other”)
Affective involvement (-“You only get the interest of others when something is important to them”)
Previous research identified an association between child internalizing problems and maternal depression (Downey & Coyne, 1990), parenting style (Baumrind, 1989), and family functioning (Elgar et al., 2005). The present study examines whether parenting style predicts child anxiety and depression beyond maternal depression and to determine whether family practices mediate this relation.
Participants were 445 mothers (68% White, 19% minority, 13% did not identify) of first grade children who were participants in a larger intervention study in rural schools. Mothers completed the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ; Robinson et al., 2001). Four parenting styles factors were identified using EFA of the 32 PSDQ items: authoritative (α=.84), authoritarian (α=.78), permissive (α=.63), and uninvolved (α=.77), and continuous mean scores were calculated for each mother for all four factors. Mothers also completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) to measure maternal depressive symptoms (α=.90), the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD; Epstein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983) to report family problem solving (α=.75), communication (α=.66), affective responsiveness (α=.72), and affective involvement (α=.68), and two measures of children’s internalizing problems, depression (α=.85) and anxiety (α=.85), from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-II; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004).
Authoritative and permissive parenting styles were positively correlated with scales of family practices, and authoritative style was negatively related to child depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analyses indicate that, controlling for maternal depressive symptoms and education, uninvolved parenting style predicted child depressive symptoms (β=.15, p=.013) and authoritarian parenting style predicted child anxiety (β=.14). Family affective involvement was the only family variable that significantly predicted child depressive (β=-.20) and anxiety symptoms (β=-.14). Mediation analyses suggest that family affective involvement mediates the relation between uninvolved parenting and child depressive symptoms, but not the relation between authoritarian parenting and child anxiety.
This study extends previous work to explain how parenting styles and family practices relate to child internalizing problems. These findings suggest that addressing family affective involvement may play an important role in preventing child depressive symptoms but not anxiety.
RQ 1: Do parenting styles predict child depression and anxiety ratings?
Multiple regression analyses were used to determine which parenting styles predict maternal ratings of child anxiety and depression, controlling for maternal depressive symptoms and education.
Only uninvolved parenting style significantly predicted child depressive symptoms (β=.15, p=.013).
Only authoritarian parenting style predicted child anxiety (β=.14, p=.01).
RQ 2: Do family practices predict child depression and anxiety ratings?
Multiple regression analyses were used to determine which family practices predict anxiety and depression, controlling for maternal depressive symptoms and education.
Family affective involvement was the only family variable that significantly predicted child depressive (β=-.20, p=.001) and anxiety symptoms (β=-.14, p=.03).
Thus, we decided to explore family affective involvement as a mediator between uninvolved parenting style and child depression and as a mediator between authoritarian parenting style and child anxiety.
Rationale
Results- Mediation
Table 1. Means and Reliabilities
Mean + SD n α
Items
PSDQ Authoritative
444
.84 14
PSDQ Authoritarian
443
.78 8
PSDQ Permissive
.63
PSDQ Uninvolved
.77 12
FAD Problem Solving
.75 6
FAD Communication
.66 7
FAD Affective Responsiveness
442
.72
FAD Affective Involvement
.68
CES-D Maternal Depression
441
.90 20
BASC-II Depression
.85
BASC-II Anxiety
Background
Previous research demonstrates that maternal depression is strongly related to child internalizing problems (Downey & Coyne, 1990). However, evidence from some studies suggests that parenting styles (Baumrind, 1989) as well as family functioning (Elgar et al., 2005) also predict child anxiety and depression. The purpose of this study is to determine whether maternal parenting style and family practices directly predict child internalizing problems above and beyond the effects maternal depression, and whether parenting styles indirectly influence child internalizing through family practices.
Research Questions
Do scales of parenting styles predict ratings of child depression and anxiety?
Do family practices predict ratings of child depression and anxiety?
Do family practices mediate the relation between parenting style and child depression and anxiety ratings?
Maternal Depression
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977)
continuous mean score
Child Internalizing
Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Ed. (BASC-II; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004)
Depression subscale
Anxiety subscale
RQ 3: Do family practices mediate the relation between parenting style and child depression and anxiety?
Figure 3. Mediation Model- Depression
Figure 4. Mediation Model- Anxiety
Indirect effect = .04, 95% CI [.01,.07]
Indirect effect = .01, 95% CI [-01,.03]
.10 (.04)*
Uninvolved
BASC-II Depression
FAD Affective Involvement
-.35 (.05)***
-.12 (.04)**
.12 (.05)**
Authoritarian
BASC-II Anxiety
FAD Affective Involvement
-.21 (.05)***
-.04 (.05)
*p ≤ **p ≤ .01 *** p ≤ .001
Unstandardized coefficients (standard errors) are presented.
*p ≤ **p ≤ .01 *** p ≤ .001
Unstandardized coefficients (standard errors) are presented.
Method
Results- Correlations
Mediation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS SPSS Macro (Hayes, 2014). Maternal depression and education scores were included as covariates. Results indicate:
Significant direct effect of uninvolved parenting style on child depression ratings.
Significant indirect effect of uninvolved parenting style on depression through family affective involvement.
Significant direct effect of authoritarian parenting style on child anxiety ratings.
Indirect effect of authoritarian parenting on anxiety through family affective involvement was not significant
Figure 1. Mother Ethnicity
Participants
445 mothers and their first grade children (235 male; 53%)
Mage Child = 6.96 years SD= .40
Mage Mother= years SD= 6.08
51% of mothers were married
40% employed
Mother ethnicity: 68% White, 12% Native American, 3% other minority, 4% multiethnic, 13% not reported (see Fig. 1)
6% less than high school, 16% graduated high school, 34% some college, 32% college graduate, 12% missing (see Fig. 2)
Procedure
Recruited from rural schools as part of a larger randomized-controlled intervention study
Mothers completed questionnaire packets in fall of 1st grade year
Table 2. Correlation Matrix 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1. PSDQ Authoritative -
2. PSDQ Authoritarian
-.34**
3. PSDQ Permissive
.64**
-.46**
4. PSDQ Uninvolved
-.42**
.46**
-.15**
5. BASC-II Depression
-.13**
.22**
-0.02
.34**
6. BASC-II Anxiety
0.05
.21**
0.07
.16**
.54**
7. FAD Problem Solving
-.17**
.25**
-.29**
8. FAD Communication
.29**
-.12*
.15**
-.23**
-0.04
9. FAD Affective Responsiveness
.33**
-.18**
.18**
-.38**
-0.08
.45**
.57**
10. FAD Affective Involvement
.31**
.17**
-.40**
-.19**
.43**
.40**
.62**
11. CES-D Maternal Depression
-0.05
.19**
0.01
12. Parent Education
-0.00
0.08
-0.01
-.27**
0.00
0.09
.12*
0.06
-.21**
Discussion & Conclusions
This study extends previous work to explain how parenting styles and family practices relate to child internalizing problems. Specifically, tests of mediation reveal that uninvolved parenting style predicts lower family affective involvement, which, in turn, predicts higher child depression ratings above and beyond the effects of maternal depression and education. However, results for affective involvement as a mediator between authoritarian parenting style and anxiety were not significant. These findings suggest that while parenting styles directly predict internalizing problems, addressing family affective involvement may play an important role in preventing child depressive symptoms but not anxiety. Future work is needed to explore the mechanisms through which authoritarian parenting style may be related to child anxiety.
Figure 2. Mother Education
Funding:
United States Department of Agriculture Grant : Psychosocial factors in obese and at-risk overweight children’s lives: Family- and school-based interventions.(Amanda Harrist, PI).
USDA/NIFA-Multistate/Hatch OKLO2849 W1005 and W2005 (Laura Hubbs-Tait, PI)
*p ≤ **p ≤ .01