Poster #137 - Examining Mediators in the Relationship Between Parenting Stress and Child Internalizing Behaviour Problems

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Introduction: Consistent with Abidin’s Parenting Stress Model (1992), higher levels of parenting stress have been associated with higher levels of internalizing behaviour problems in young children (Tharner et al., 2012; Mäntymaa et al., 2012). However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are not well-understood (Dennis, Neece, & Fenning, 2018). The parent-child dyadic relationship offers a potential medium through which parenting stress may be related to children’s internalizing behaviour problems (Dennis, Neece, & Fenning, 2018). Currently, limited research exists examining characteristics of the parent-child relationship as mediators, especially research including both mothers and fathers. The purpose of our study was to address these gaps in the literature by posing the following research question: Do factors in both the mother-child and father-child relationship mediate the connection between parenting stress and child internalizing behaviour problems?

Method: The present study included a community sample of 319 mothers, fathers and their preschool-aged children (Mage = 3.86, 145 girls). Both mothers and fathers independently completed a number of questionnaires as part of a larger longitudinal study. Questionnaires included the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Fourth Edition (PSI-SF; Abidin, 2012) as a measure of levels of parenting stress, the Behaviour Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-II; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004), as a measure of child internalizing behaviour problems, as well as the Parenting Relationship Questionnaire (PRQ; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2006), which provided measures of mother-child and father-child relationship factors. The PRQ measured five parent-child relationship factors; attachment, parental involvement, parenting confidence, discipline practices, and relational frustration.

Results: Preliminary regression analyses were conducted to verify that mothers’ and fathers’ parenting stress significantly predicted child internalizing behaviour problems. Both mothers’ (F(1, 317) = 35.26, p < .01, R2 = .097) and fathers’ (F(1, 317) = 40.33 , p < .0, R2 = .113) parenting stress were significant predictors of child internalizing behaviour problems.

Separate mediation analyses were conducted to determine whether factors in the parent-child relationship were significant mediators. Results indicated that for both mothers and fathers, respectively, the PRQ scales of: attachment (b = .08, BCa CI [.04, .12]; b = .05, BCa CI [.02, .09]), parenting confidence (b = .13, BCa CI [.08, .20]; b = .11, BCa CI [.06, .17]), and relational frustration (b = .19, BCa CI [.14, .26]; b = .10, BCa CI [.06, .16]) significantly mediated the relationship between parenting stress and child internalizing behaviour problems.

Furthermore, fathers’ involvement significantly mediated the relationship between fathers’ parenting stress and child internalizing behaviour problems (b = .03, BCa CI [.01, .07]). Conversely, mothers’ involvement did not significantly mediate the relationship between mothers’ reported parenting stress and child internalizing behaviour problems. For both mothers and fathers, discipline practices were not significant mediators.

Conclusion: These findings illustrate the importance of examining both mother-child and father-child relational factors as mediators in the relationship between parenting stress and child internalizing behaviour problems. These results are useful for informing family interventions for child internalizing behaviour problems and parenting stress, as they highlight the importance of targeting both mother-child and father-child relationships.

Authors

• Cassandra Pirraglia, University of Alberta
  Presenting Author

• Chelsea Durber, University of Alberta
  Non-Presenting Author

• Meghan Walker, University of Alberta
  Non-Presenting Author

• Vincenza A Martinovich, University of Alberta
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christina M. Rinaldi, University of Alberta
  Non-Presenting Author