Self-reported reflective functioning and father-child interactions in a sample of fathers who have used intimate partner violence.

Reflective functioning (RF) has been found to be associated with mother-child interactions, but less is known about the association of fathers' self and child-focused RF and father-child relationships.  Fathers who have histories of intimate partner violence (IPV) are known to have poor RF, which may impact their father-child interactions.  The current study was designed to examine how types of RF are associated with father-child relationships.  Pretreatment assessments and recorded, coded father-child play interactions were used to examine associations among fathers' history of adverse childhood experiences (ACES), RF and coded father-child play interactions in a sample of 47 fathers with a history of IPV use in the last 6 months with their coparent.  Fathers' ACES and their child's mental states (CM) were associated with father-child dyadic play interactions.  Fathers with greater ACES and higher scores on CM had the most dyadic tension and constriction during play interactions.  Those with high ACES but low CM had scores similar to those with low ACES and low CM.  These results indicate that fathers who have used IPV and have a history of significant adversity may benefit from interventions to increase their child-focused RF and further improve their interactions with their children.

Se ha determinado que el Funcionamiento con Reflexión (RF) está asociado con las interacciones madre-niño, pero menos se conoce acerca de la asociación del propio RF de los papás y enfocado en el niño con las relaciones papá-niño. A los papás que cuentan con un historial de violencia con la pareja íntima (IPV) se les conoce por tener un débil RF, lo cual puede impactar sus interacciones papá-niño. El presente estudio se diseñó para examinar cómo los tipos de RF se asocian con las relaciones papá-niño. Las evaluaciones anteriores al tratamiento y el juego papá niño grabado y codificado se usaron para examinar las asociaciones entre el historial de los papás sobre experiencias adversas de niñez (ACES), RF y las codificadas interacciones papá-niño en un grupo muestra de 47 papás con un historial de uso de IPV en los últimos 6 meses con sus co-progenitores. Las ACES de los papás y ciertamente de los estados mentales de sus niños (CM) se asociaron con las interacciones de juego diádicas papá-niño. Los papás con mayor cantidad de ACES y más altos puntajes en CM presentaron la tensión y constricción más diádica durante las interacciones de juego. Aquellos con alto número de ACES, pero un bajo CM presentaron puntajes similares a aquellos con bajo número de ACES y un bajo CM. Estos resultados indican que los papás que han usado IPV y que tienen un historial de adversidad significativo pudieran beneficiarse de intervenciones para incrementar su RF con enfoque en el niño a fin de mejorar sus interacciones con sus niños.

Il est établi que le fonctionnement de réflexion (en anglais Reflective functioning, ici abrégé selon le français FR) est lié aux interactions mère-enfant mais on sait peu de choses sur le lien entre le FR sur soi et l'enfant des pères et les relations père-enfant. On sait que les pères ayant un passé de violence entre partenaires intimes (ici VPI) ont un FR diminué qui peut impacter leurs interactions père-enfant. Cette étude a été conçue afin d'examiner la manière dont les types de FR sont liés aux relations père-enfant. Des évaluations pré-traitement et des jeux père-enfant enregistrés et codés ont été utilisés afin d'examiner les liens entre l'histoire d'expériences négatives durant l'enfance (ACE) des pères, le FR et les interactions de jeu père-enfant codées chez un échantillon de 47 pères ayant un passé de VPI dans les six derniers mois avec leur coparent. Les ACE des pères et certainement des états mentaux de leur enfant (CM en anglais) ont été liés aux interactions de jeu dyadique père-enfant. Les pères avec plus de ACE et des scores CM plus élevés avaient le plus de tension dyadique et de constriction durant les interactions de jeu. Ceux avec des ACE élevés mais des CM bas avaient des scores similaires à ceux avec des ACE faibles et des CM faibles. Ces résultats indiquent que les pères ayant fait preuve de VPI qui ont un passé d'adversité importante peuvent bénéficier d'interventions pour accroître leur FR focalisé sur l'enfant afin d'améliorer leurs interactions avec leurs enfants.

Agreement Between Mother and Father Reports of IPV in a Sample of Child Protection Referred Coparents.

Accurate assessment of intimate partner violence (IPV) using standardized measures can be a challenge as there is often discrepancy between partner reports, with previous research indicating very poor concordance between partners using the Conflict Tactics Scale. This study examines agreement between coparent reports of IPV using the Abusive Behavior Inventory (ABI) from 282 coparent dyads referred for Fathers for Change, an IPV intervention by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Differences in partner concordance using intraclass correlations were examined based on type of violence, marital status/cohabitation, race/ethnicity and substance misuse problems. Intraclass correlations were also calculated for eight power and control items unique to the ABI. Overall agreement between coparents was poor. However, there was greater concordance about mothers' who have used IPV toward fathers than fathers' use of IPV toward mothers. There was lower agreement between reports of physical than psychological IPV especially for white coparents. All types of coparent relationships showed low levels of agreement, but cohabiting coparents showed the highest levels of agreement when reporting fathers' IPV. In cases with one parent exhibiting substance misuse, concordance between reports of IPV increased. Results are consistent with prior findings that women report higher IPV than fathers even when assessments are done in the context of a DCF IPV treatment referral.

The prefrontal cortex in a pandemic: Restoring functions with system-, family-, and individual-focused interventions.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unanticipated and uncontrollable chronic stressor that is detrimental to the mental and behavioral health of children and families, particularly those from disadvantaged and marginalized backgrounds. Chronic stress impairs a myriad of prefrontal cortical functions, important for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, and has consequences on dyadic parent-child functioning. Informed by neuroscience and clinical evidence, sensitive parenting is a vital avenue of intervention that buffers against the toxic effects of COVID-19 on parent-child mental health. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we first discuss the neurobiological, psychological, and behavioral mechanisms behind exacerbated mental health risks in families. We then highlight the role of sensitive parenting as a buffer against stress-related mental health problems, and conclude with recommendations for systemic-, family-, and individual-interventions to most effectively address stress-related mental health problems and their impact on children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Correction: Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141881.].

Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth.

BACKGROUND: Mothers' stress in pregnancy is considered an environmental risk factor in child development. Multiple stressors may combine to increase risk, and maternal personal characteristics may offset the effects of stress. This study aimed to test the effect of 1) multifactorial prenatal stress, integrating objective "stressors" and subjective "distress" and 2) the moderating effects of maternal characteristics (perceived social support, self-esteem and specific personality traits) on infant birthweight. METHOD: Hierarchical regression modeling was used to examine cross-sectional data on 403 birth mothers and their newborns from an adoption study. RESULTS: Distress during pregnancy showed a statistically significant association with birthweight (R2 = 0.032, F(2, 398) = 6.782, p = .001). The hierarchical regression model revealed an almost two-fold increase in variance of birthweight predicted by stressors as compared with distress measures (R2Δ = 0.049, F(4, 394) = 5.339, p < .001). Further, maternal characteristics moderated this association (R2Δ = 0.031, F(4, 389) = 3.413, p = .009). Specifically, the expected benefit to birthweight as a function of higher SES was observed only for mothers with lower levels of harm-avoidance and higher levels of perceived social support. Importantly, the results were not better explained by prematurity, pregnancy complications, exposure to drugs, alcohol or environmental toxins. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support multidimensional theoretical models of prenatal stress. Although both objective stressors and subjectively measured distress predict birthweight, they should be considered distinct and cumulative components of stress. This study further highlights that jointly considering risk factors and protective factors in pregnancy improves the ability to predict birthweight.