TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal Anxiety, Parenting Stress, and Preschoolers' Behavior Problems
T2 - The Role of Child Self-Regulation
AU - Tsotsi, Stella
AU - Broekman, Birit F.P.
AU - Sim, Lit Wee
AU - Shek, Lynette P.
AU - Tan, Kok Hian
AU - Chong, Yap Seng
AU - Qiu, Anqi
AU - Chen, Helen Y.
AU - Meaney, Michael J.
AU - Rifkin-Graboi, Anne
PY - 2019/12/1
Y1 - 2019/12/1
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Maternal anxiety is a well-known risk factor for early childhood behavior problems. In this study, we explore (1) whether parenting stress mediates this relation and also (2) whether child factors, namely self-regulation, modify the influence of maternal well-being on child externalizing and internalizing problems at 4 years of age. METHOD: Mothers taking part in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes cohort completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory when their children were 24 months of age. At 42 months of age, children performed a self-regulation task (n = 391), and mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index. When children were 48 months old, both parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: As predicted, parenting stress mediated the relation between maternal trait anxiety and child externalizing and internalizing problems. This mediating effect was further moderated by child self-regulation. The indirect effect of maternal trait anxiety through parenting stress on child externalizing problems was stronger among children with low self-regulation. CONCLUSION: Parenting stress is an additional pathway connecting maternal trait anxiety and children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. The risk for child externalizing problems conveyed by elevated maternal trait anxiety and parenting stress may be buffered by better self-regulation in 4-year-olds. These results suggest that interventions that include decreasing parenting stress and enhancing child self-regulation may be important to limiting the transgenerational impact of maternal trait anxiety.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Maternal anxiety is a well-known risk factor for early childhood behavior problems. In this study, we explore (1) whether parenting stress mediates this relation and also (2) whether child factors, namely self-regulation, modify the influence of maternal well-being on child externalizing and internalizing problems at 4 years of age. METHOD: Mothers taking part in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes cohort completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory when their children were 24 months of age. At 42 months of age, children performed a self-regulation task (n = 391), and mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index. When children were 48 months old, both parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: As predicted, parenting stress mediated the relation between maternal trait anxiety and child externalizing and internalizing problems. This mediating effect was further moderated by child self-regulation. The indirect effect of maternal trait anxiety through parenting stress on child externalizing problems was stronger among children with low self-regulation. CONCLUSION: Parenting stress is an additional pathway connecting maternal trait anxiety and children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. The risk for child externalizing problems conveyed by elevated maternal trait anxiety and parenting stress may be buffered by better self-regulation in 4-year-olds. These results suggest that interventions that include decreasing parenting stress and enhancing child self-regulation may be important to limiting the transgenerational impact of maternal trait anxiety.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075813186&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000737
DO - 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000737
M3 - Article
C2 - 31567856
AN - SCOPUS:85075813186
VL - 40
SP - 696
EP - 705
JO - Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP
JF - Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP
SN - 1536-7312
IS - 9
ER -