Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 2574 - Predicting child psychopathology in early life: the role of mothers’ and fathers’ parenting. |
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| Contribution code | PS03-64 (P) |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Objectives: Early parent-child interactions have been identified as risk factors in the development of mental health disorders in children. It is therefore important to examine the associations between family interactions and child psychopathology. This study examines associations between child psychopathology and: (1) father-infant interaction, (2) mother-infant interaction and (3) coparenting. Methods: The sample included 109 families who were assessed in the family home when the child was aged 2 years. Coparenting was assessed through a free play interaction involving mothers, fathers and their child together. Other parenting interactions were assessed through free-play and book reading tasks. All interactions were video-taped and coded using standard interaction scales. Child psychopathology was assessed with the Child Behaviour Checklist (combined scores of mother and father). Correlation analyses were used to examine the associations between family interactions and child psychopathology. Results An association was found between positive aspects of mother’s parenting and decreased externalizing problems in the following areas: positive responsiveness (r=-.28; p<0.01) and engagement (r=-.45; p<0.01) during the free play task, and positive emotion (r=-.20; p<0.05) during the book reading task. Moreover, high scores on engagement were also associated with less total psychopathology on the CBCL (r=-.36; p<0.01). No association was found between mother parenting and internalizing problems. No associations were found between fathers’ parenting and child psychopathology. Regarding coparenting, mother’s scores for enjoyment were associated with fewer internalizing problems (r=-.28; p<0.01), so when mother is enjoying the joint parent interactions, child internalizing problems are less frequent. No other correlations between mother and father coparenting and child psychology were found. Conclusion Positive mother’s parenting is related to fewer child externalizing problems, whereas enjoyment in mother’s coparenting interactions is associated with fewer internalizing problems. Establishing the relationships between family constructs and their association with child psychopathology is useful for clinical practice, as it can potentially guide the focus of early interventions to prevent child psychopathology. |