BACKGROUND: Studies have revealed that Children\'s psychological, behavioral, and emotional problems are easily influenced by the family environment. In recent years, the family structure in China has undergone significant changes, with more families having two or three children.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between emotional behavior and parental job stress in only preschool and non-only preschool children.
METHODS: Children aged 3-6 in kindergartens in four main urban areas of Shijiazhuang were selected by stratified sampling for a questionnaire and divided into only and non-only child groups. Their emotional behaviors and parental pressure were compared. Only and non-only children were paired in a 1:1 ratio by class and age (difference less than or equal to 6 months), and the matched data were compared. The relationship between children\'s emotional behavior and parents\' job stress before and after matching was analyzed.
RESULTS: Before matching, the mother\'s occupation, children\'s personality characteristics, and children\'s rearing patterns differed between the groups (P < 0.05). After matching 550 pairs, differences in the children\'s parenting styles remained. There were significant differences in children\'s gender and parents\' attitudes toward children between the two groups. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores of children in the only child group and the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) scores of parents were significantly lower than those in the non-only child group (P < 0.05). Pearson\'s correlation analysis showed that after matching, there was a positive correlation between children\'s parenting style and parents\' attitudes toward their children (r = 0.096, P < 0.01), and the PSI-SF score was positively correlated with children\'s gender, parents\' attitudes toward their children, and SDQ scores (r = 0.077, 0.193, 0.172, 0.222).
CONCLUSIONS: Preschool children\'s emotional behavior and parental pressure were significantly higher in multi-child families. Parental pressure in differently structured families was associated with many factors, and preschool children\'s emotional behavior was positively correlated with parental pressure.

UNASSIGNED: The primary aims of our cross-sectional observational study were: (i) to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with epilepsy compared to controls and (ii) to explore the difference in depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy only and those with epilepsy and primary headache as a comorbidity. The secondary objective was to explore parental stress levels.
UNASSIGNED: 68 pediatric patients aged 6-18 years (44 with epilepsy only and 24 with epilepsy and headache) and 50 controls were recruited. Depressive profile and parental stress were assessed using Children\'s Depression Inventory, Second Edition (CDI-2) and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF).
UNASSIGNED: The group with epilepsy showed significantly high depressive symptoms and parental stress compared to controls. The patients with headache in comorbidity experienced more depressive symptoms than those with epilepsy only.
UNASSIGNED: Depressive symptoms are more prevalent in patients who have comorbid epilepsy and primary headache; therefore, the neurological/psychological mechanisms underlying this condition should be further investigated. The simultaneous presence of epilepsy, headache and depressive symptoms impacts the quality of life of patients and their parents, increasing parental stress and family management.

Parental involvement (PI) has particular relevance on children\'s academic adjustment and on children\'s general quality of life (QoL). QoL can be influenced by parental stress, specifically the stress suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the differences during the pandemic period (before, after and with no lockdown), comparing these constructs with parental educational level to provide predictors of their children\'s quality of life. Data collection was performed with a non-probability convenience sampling procedure. It was composed of 129 parents, mainly women (71.8%), with children aged between 6 and 12 years. The family\'s sociodemographic characteristics were assessed, as well as the PI, parental stress, and children\'s QoL. The comparison between the three times revealed an increase in the children\'s QoL, but no differences were found in PI. Based on the parental educational level, as defined by academic qualifications and split into superior and non-superior levels, it is possible conclude that engagement in school activities and parents\' meetings increased in the parents with superior education levels and decreased in the parents with lower education levels. This study concluded that despite this difficult and uncertain pandemic period, these parents were able to maintain important aspects of their children\'s lives.

UNASSIGNED: Identification of mental health disorders during childhood is crucial for healthy \'adult roles\' in the society, so this study aimed to estimate the magnitude of \'any mental health disorder\' and to find out its correlates among children attending the pediatric out-patient department (OPD) of a medical college in West Bengal and to estimate parental stress among their parents.
UNASSIGNED: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study done in the pediatric OPD of Burdwan Medical College, West Bengal, during July-December, 2021. The calculated size of 288 children aged between 4 and 12 years and attending with either of their parents was selected through systematic random sampling. One of their parents (preferably mother) was interviewed using a schedule, containing a pre-validated pediatric symptom checklist and parental stress scale. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Data were analyzed using SPSS-v23.
UNASSIGNED: The median age of the children was 7 years (5-8 y.). The majority of them were male (57.6%), lived in urban areas (59.0%), and lived in joint families (57.6%). One-fifth (20.5%) of the children were found to have any mental health disorder (AMHD). Living in an urban area (aOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.1-5.7), belonging to a nuclear family (aOR = 3.6, 95% CI: 1.7-8.1), and belonging to a family with social problems (aOR = 7.8, 95% CI: 2.3-27.2) were significant correlates of AMHD. Parental stress [median: 60 (55-63)] was found significantly higher (P < 0.001) among parents of children with AMHD as compared to the parents of others.
UNASSIGNED: The magnitude of AMHD was high in this study, indicating toward the necessity of implementing opportunistic screening and appropriate public health action.

Chronic diseases are a growing problem for global health due to the large number of people they involve, the repercussions they have on the mental and physical well-being of those affected, and the costs to society. Particularly, chronic illnesses of childhood have important psychological implications, not only for affected children but also for their parents. Among these pathologies, neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA-U) may affect mental and physical health, emotions, memory, learning, and socializing. This study evaluates the psychological and behavioral/emotional impact of NDDs and JIA-U on children and parents. Specifically, 30 children with active JIA-U and 30 children with NDDs and their parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Parent Stress Index-Short Form (PSI) questionnaires. Children with NDDs have statistically significant differences in all the emotional and behavioral variables compared to JIA-U children, and parents of children with NDDs experience an increased stress load compared to parents of children with JIA-U. This study emphasizes the wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges that parents face with NDDs. This study emphasizes that parents of children with NDDs not only experience higher levels of stress compared to parents of normally developing children but also experience higher levels of stress compared to parents of children with potentially debilitating chronic diseases such as JIA-U.

BACKGROUND: Parental psychological responses during their child\'s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission are often overlooked. This study aimed to identify pre-existing and peri-traumatic factors explaining parental stress and anxiety during their child\'s PICU admission and one-month follow-up.
METHODS: A prospective pilot study included 60 PICU parents. Parental Stressors Scale and State-trait Anxiety Inventory measured stress and anxiety during PICU admission, and the State-trait Anxiety Inventory and Perceived Stress Scale at a one-month follow-up.
RESULTS: During PICU admission, parental stress correlated with age, race, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), anxiety was linked to income. At one-month follow-up, anxiety related to child\'s health worries, perceived stress was linked to parental ACEs and education. Parental ACEs predicted perceived stress (b = 0.83, p = .028). Children\'s diagnoses explained anxiety, particularly respiratory and cardiac diagnoses (b = -13.44, p = .023; -10.03, p = .045).
CONCLUSIONS: Identifying factors helps teams understand parental vulnerability and provide appropriate support.

Objective: \"Wine-mom\" culture, which promotes the idea that women should use alcohol to cope with the stressors of parenting, is pervasive in modern society, yet remains an under-researched variable in the context of women\'s alcohol use. The present investigation was a descriptive study and cross-cultural exploration (United States vs. United Kingdom) of the association between wine-mom culture (perceptions of wine-mom culture and related behaviors) and various alcohol-related outcomes, parenting experiences, and drinking motives. Methods: This study included 233 American and 233 British mothers recruited through Prolific. Participants completed the study questions/questionnaires in Qualtrics; they completed nine items measuring their perceptions of and engagement with wine-mom culture, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Parental Stress Scale, and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised, along with questions about their alcohol use and parenting experiences. Results: Our results indicated that although American mothers were more familiar with wine-mom culture than British mothers, the correlations observed were similar for both groups. Some of the wine-mom culture variables were associated with problematic alcohol use and parenting stress. Additionally, wine-mom culture-related behaviors had moderate to strong positive correlations with drinking to cope motives. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that future research should examine the role of wine-mom culture in the perception that alcohol can-or should-be used as a form of self-medication. Other future directions and considerations for this area of study are discussed.

Both parental psychological well-being (e.g., depressive symptoms) and parental relationship functioning (e.g., negative communication) are common parental risk factors for dysfunctional parenting. The spillover process from these parental characteristics to dysfunctional parenting is assumed to be amplified by parental stress, which is particularly common among mothers and fathers of young children. However, few studies have examined dyadic spillover processes from parental risk factors and parental stress on parenting in early childhood. In the current study, we first examined direct actor and partner effects of parents\' depressive symptoms and negative communication at 10 months postpartum on dysfunctional parenting at 48 months postpartum in 168 primiparous mixed-gender couples. Second, we analyzed indirect effects via one\'s own and the partner\'s parental stress at 36 months postpartum using Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Models (APIMeM). We found direct actor effects for mothers\' depressive symptoms and negative communication on their dysfunctional parenting. Additionally, indirect actor effects were found for depressive symptoms and negative communication among mothers and fathers. Specifically, mediating effects of depressive symptoms and negative communication on one\'s dysfunctional parenting through one\'s parental stress were found. There were no indirect partner effects through parental stress. These findings highlight the important role of parental stress in early childhood as a mediator between both individual and relationship parental risk factors and dysfunctional parenting. These results further underscore the importance of longitudinal dyadic analyses in providing early and tailored interventions for both mothers and fathers of young children.

Parents are often appointed a passive role in the care for their hospitalised child. In the family-integrated care (FICare) model, parental involvement in neonatal care is emulated. Parental participation in medical rounds, or family-centred rounds (FCR), forms a key element. A paucity remains of randomised trials assessing the outcomes of FCR (embedded in FICare) in families and neonates, and outcomes on an organisational level are relatively unexplored. Likewise, biological mechanisms through which a potential effect may be exerted are lacking robust evidence. Ten level two Dutch neonatal wards are involved in this stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial FCR (embedded in FICare) by one common implementation strategy. Parents of infants hospitalised for at least 7 days are eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome is parental stress (PSS:NICU) at discharge. Secondary outcomes include parental, neonatal, healthcare professional and organisational outcomes. Biomarkers of stress will be analysed in parent-infant dyads. With a practical approach and broad outcome set, this study aims to obtain evidence on the possible (mechanistic) effect of FCR (as part of FICare) on parents, infants, healthcare professionals and organisations. The practical approach provides (experiences of) FICare material adjusted to the Dutch setting, available for other hospitals after the study.

Involvement in caregiving and tailored support services may reduce the risk of mental health symptoms for mothers after their preterm infant\'s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge. We aimed to compare Family-Centered Care (FCC) with mobile-enhanced Family-Integrated Care (mFICare) on post-discharge maternal mental health symptoms.
This quasi-experimental study enrolled preterm infant (≤ 33 weeks)/parent dyads from three NICUs into sequential cohorts: FCC or mFICare. We analyzed post-discharge symptoms of perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression using intention-to-treat and per protocol approaches.
178 mothers (89 FCC; 89 mFICare) completed measures. We found no main effect of group assignment. We found an interaction between group and stress, indicating fewer PTSD and depression symptoms among mothers who had higher NICU-related stress and received mFICare, compared with mothers who had high stress and received FCC (PTSD: interaction β=-1.18, 95% CI: -2.10, -0.26; depression: interaction β=-0.76, 95% CI: -1.53, 0.006). Per protocol analyses of mFICare components suggested fewer PTSD and depression symptoms among mothers who had higher NICU stress scores and participated in clinical team rounds and/or group classes, compared with mothers who had high stress and did not participate in rounds or classes.
Overall, post-discharge maternal mental health symptoms did not differ between the mFICare and FCC groups. However, for mothers with high levels of stress during the NICU stay, mFICare was associated with fewer post-discharge PTSD and depression symptoms.