Emotional Availability as a Moderator of Stress for Young Children and Parents in Two Diverse Early Head Start Samples.

Positive parent-child relationship quality is critical for buffering children from the effects of stress on development. It is thus vital to develop interventions that target parent-child relationship quality for families experiencing stress. We examined the moderating role of parent-child relationship quality (as measured by parental emotional availability [EA]) in the intergenerational association between parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their young children's hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs)-a physiological marker of cumulative hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA)-axis activity. Using data from 127 parent-child dyads collected by two of six ACF-funded Buffering Toxic Stress consortium sites, we tested interaction effects of parental ACEs with parental EA on young children's (Mage = 18.38, SDage = 7.10) HCC. Results revealed curvilinear main effects such that higher parental ACEs were significantly associated with greater HCC and stronger associations occurred at higher levels of parental ACEs. However, this association was moderated by parental EA. Thus, among children with higher parental history of ACEs, children of parents with higher EA had lower HCC compared to children of parents with lower EA. These findings provide support for the risk-buffering and risk-exacerbating role of parent-child relationship quality (e.g., EA) for the transmission of parents' early life adversity on their children's HPA-axis activity, documented here in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of children and parents served by Early Head Start. Findings suggest that intervention and prevention efforts targeting stress response in children of mothers with childhood adversity should also support parents in building an emotionally available relationship with their children.

The "EA brief": A single session of parent feedback and coaching to improve emotional attachment and emotional availability (EA).

The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which a brief parenting intervention provided the context for helping families to support positive mother-child interactions as well as more optimal mother and child outcomes. Participants in this study were middle income mothers and their children were between 0-3 years of age (N = 25 dyads). Participants were filmed via Skype during a 20-minute mother-child free play and completed questionnaires (Time 1) before attending the brief intervention (involving: a single session of one-on-one parent feedback and coaching, and information via group meeting, texts, and reading) followed by a repeat of the 20-minute Skype interaction and the completion of the same questionnaires (Time 2). Paired samples t-tests were performed, revealing that mothers reported improvements in their personal well-being (using the Flourishing Scale), reports about the mother-child relationship (using the Emotional Availability Self Report), and observed interactions, particularly the child's side of the relationship (using the Emotional Availability System), from pretest to posttest. Results are discussed in terms of a single session of parent feedback and coaching (in conjunction with an informational group session and texts) potentially having a role in "planting a seed" for observed and self-reported parenting enhancement and child development.

La meta de este estudio fue determinar hasta qué punto una intervención de crianza breve ofrecía el contexto para ayudar a familias a apoyar las positivas interacciones madre-niño, así como también resultados más óptimos en la madre y el niño. Las participantes en este estudio fueron madres de ingresos medios y sus niños de edad de 0 a 3 años (N = 25 díadas). Las participantes fueron filmadas a través de Skype durante una sesión de juego libre de 20 minutos entre madre y niño y ellas completaron cuestionarios (Primer momento) antes de asistir a la breve intervención (la cual estaba compuesta de una sola sesión de entrenamiento uno a uno de la madre, y de información por medio de reuniones de grupo, textos y lecturas) seguida de una repetida interacción de 20 minutos a través de Skype y volver a completar el mismo cuestionario (Segundo momento). Se llevaron a cabo muestras emparejadas de exámenes t, revelando así que las madres reportaron mejoras en su bienestar personal (usando la Escala Flourishing), reportes acerca de la relación madre-niño (usando el Auto Reporte de Disponibilidad Emocional), y observadas interacciones, particularmente el lado del niño en la relación (usando las Escalas de Disponibilidad Emocional), desde el pre-examen hasta el post-examen. Se discuten los resultados en términos de una sola sesión de entrenamiento de la madre (en conjunto con una sesión informativa de grupo y textos) que potencialmente juega un papel en el proceso de "plantar la semilla" para las observadas y auto-reportadas mejorías en la crianza y el desarrollo del niño.

Le but de cette étude était de déterminer dans quelle mesure une brève intervention de parentage offrait un contexte pour aider des familles à soutenir des interactions mère-enfant positives ainsi que des résultats mère et enfant plus optimaux. Les participants à cette étude étaient des mères de classe moyenne et leurs enfants âgés de 0 à trois ans d'âge (N = 25 dyades). Les participants ont été filmés au moyen de Skype pendant une séance de jeu libre de 20 minutes et ont complété des questionnaires (Temps 1) avant de participer à une brève intervention (qui comprenait: une seule séance de coaching d'un à un avec le parent, et des renseignements avec une réunion de groupes, des textos, et des lectures) suivie d'une répétition de l'interaction de 20 minutes au moyen de Skype et du remplissage des mêmes questionnaires (Temps 2). Des tests t d'échantillons appariés ont été faits, révélant que les mères faisaient part d'amélioration dans leur bien-être personnel (en utilisant l'Echelle d'Epanouissement, soit en anglais Flourishing Scale), et ainsi que dans les rapports de la relation mère-enfant (en utilisant l'Auto Déclaration de Disponibilité Emotionnelle), et dans les interactions observées, en particulier le côté de l'enfant de la relation (en utilisant les Echelles de Disponibilité Emotionnelle), du prétest au posttest. Les résultats sont discutés en termes de séance unique de coaching du parent (en conjonction avec une séance d'information en groupe et de textos) ayant potentiellement un rôle et "plantant une graine" pour l'amélioration autodéclarée et observée du parentage et le développement de l'enfant. Mots clés: parent-enfant, disponibilité émotionnelle, intervention.

Parents' adverse childhood experiences and parent-child emotional availability in an American Indian community: Relations with young children's social-emotional development.

This study examined relations among parent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), parent mental distress, child social-emotional functioning, and parent emotional availability (EA) among parents and children served by an Early Head Start program in an American Indian community. The majority of parents and children in the study were American Indian/Alaska Native. American Indian/Alaska Native communities experience relatively high rates of trauma, socioeconomic disparities, and mental health challenges. In this context, young children may be especially vulnerable to early life stress. Further, a strong body of literature demonstrates the long-term effects of ACEs on individuals' mental health, as well as their child's social-emotional functioning. In this study we examined a model to test the relation of parent ACEs to children's social-emotional functioning, with an indirect effect via a latent "mental distress" variable consisting of parent depression, anxiety, and parenting-related distress. Results supported this model, suggesting that parent ACEs related to children's social-emotional problems by way of parent mental distress. However, when a categorical measure of parent EA was added as a moderator, the model only remained significant in the low EA parent group. These results provided evidence for a "buffering" effect of high parent EA on the relation between parent ACEs, parent mental distress, and children's social-emotional problems.