Psychological Evaluation of Parenting Capacity in Child Welfare Proceedings

In the child welfare context, courts, attorneys, and child protection agencies often turn to psychologists to evaluate parenting capacity. As evaluators in child protection cases, psychologists may be asked to evaluate different parties for different purposes, acting as agents of the court, the child protection agency, or directly retained by the parents or the lawyer guardian ad litem. In this article we focus specifically on psychological evaluations addressing issues pertaining to parenting capacity (in contrast to, for example, assessments that focus solely on child psychological well-being or developmental status). These types of assessments may help to inform dispositional decisions, including placement, visitation, reunification services to be provided, or termination of parental rights. We aim to (1) clarify the uses, and limitations, of such assessments in child protective proceedings, (2) provide an overview of professional guidelines regarding psychological evaluations in child protection matters, along with criteria for evaluating whether the assessment meets these guidelines, and (3) briefly identify broader systems issues surrounding psychological evaluations

Communicating feelings: Links between mothers\u27 representations of their infants, parenting, and infant emotional development

In the present chapter we explore how mothers\u27 internal working models of their seven-month-old infants organize emotions in the parenting context, and ultimately, influence infant emotion regulation. We propose that mothers\u27 internal working models of their infants function as emotion regulators, and influence a variety of components of the affective organization of parenting, including a) maternal emotion activation, b) qualities of maternal emotional engagement with their infants, and c) emotion regulation strategies mothers employ during emotionally challenging interactions. Results underscore the important role played by emotional processes in explaining the correspondence between maternal and infant emotion regulation strategies

Does Child Sex Moderate Vulnerability to Postpartum Risk among Infants of Mothers at Risk for Psychopathology?

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110024/1/infa12065.pd

Strong, Safe, And Secure: Negotiating Early Fathering And Military Service Across The Deployment Cycle

Military fathers of young children often endure repeated separations from their children, and these may disrupt the early parent–child relationship. Postdeployment reunification also poses challenges; disruptions that have occurred must often be repaired in the context of heightened emotions on the part of each family member at a time when fathers are themselves readjusting to the routines and responsibilities of family life. The current study employed qualitative research with the central aim of informing a richer understanding of these experiences. Interviews were conducted with 14 military fathers of young children who had experienced separation from their families during deployment. Narratives were coded using principles of grounded theory, and common parenting themes were extracted. Fathers shared their hopes that their young children would develop qualities of strength, confidence, and self‐sufficiency. They also discussed difficulty in supporting the development of these qualities in their young children due to problems dealing with the negative emotions and difficult behaviors that their children exhibited. Reliance on their parenting partner was commonly cited as an effective strategy as fathers transitioned back to family life. Implications for intervention programs include the provision of parenting and self‐care skills and inclusion of the father's parenting partner in the intervention. RESUMEN Padres militares de niños pequeños a menudo enfrentan repetidas separaciones de sus hijos, las cuales pueden alterar las tempranas relaciones padre‐hijo. La reunificación posterior a la asignación militar también presenta retos; las interrupciones que han ocurrido muy a menudo se arreglan en el contexto de fuertes emociones por parte de cada miembro de la familia en un momento en que los papás están ellos mismos reajustándose a rutinas y responsabilidades de la vida familiar. La investigación cualitativa puede resultar en una mejor comprensión de estas experiencias. Para el presente estudio, se entrevistó a 14 militares, padres de niños pequeños, quienes habían experimentado la separación familiar durante sus asignaciones militares. Se codificaron las narrativas usando principios de teoría básica, y se extrajeron temas de crianza comunes. Los papás compartieron sus esperanzas de que sus pequeños niños desarrollaran su fortaleza, confianza y autosuficiencia. También discutieron la dificultad de apoyar el desarrollo de estas características en sus pequeños niños después de la separación por servicio militar debido a problemas relacionados con emociones negativas y conductas difíciles que sus hijos mostraban. Se citó reiteradamente el depender de la pareja en la crianza como estrategia efectiva en la transición de vuelta a la vida familiar. Las implicaciones para programas de intervención incluyen la incorporación de la pareja de quien dependen los papás para la crianza como parte de la intervención, así como la provisión de habilidades de crianza y autocuidado. RÉSUMÉ Les pères de jeunes enfants qui servent dans l’armée endurent souvent des séparations répétées d’avec leurs enfants, séparations qui peuvent perturber la relation précoce père‐enfant. La réunification après le déploiement peut également poser certains défis: les perturbations qui se sont passées doivent aussi être réparées dans le contexte d’émotions intensifiées de la part de chaque membre de la famille à un moment où les pères eux‐mêmes se réadaptent aux routines et aux responsabilités de la vie de famille. Des recherches qualitatives peuvent mener à une compréhension plus riche de ces expériences. Cette étude a interviewé 14 pères engagés dans l’armée, pères de jeunes enfants qui avaient tous fait l’expérience de la séparation de leurs familles durant le déploiement. Les récits ont été codés en utilisant les principes de la théorie ancrée et les thèmes de parentage commun ont été extraits. Les pères ont partagé leurs espoirs que leurs jeunes enfants feraient preuve de qualités de force, de confiance et d’auto‐suffisance en grandissant. Ils ont aussi discuté la difficulté qui existe à soutenir le développement de ces qualités chez leurs jeunes enfants après le déploiement à cause de problèmes liés aux émotions et aux comportements difficiles dont faisaient preuve leurs enfants. La dépendance envers le partenaire de parentage s’est trouvé fréquemment citée comme étant une stratégie efficace alors qu’ils transitionnaient dans le retour à la vie familiale. Les implications pour des programmes d’intervention comprennent l’inclusion du partenaire de parentage du père dans l’intervention et dans l’accumulation des précautions de parentage et des capacités à prendre soin de soi. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Väter von Kleinkindern, die im Militär dienen, erfahren oft wiederholte Trennungen von ihren Kindern, welche die frühe Eltern‐Kind‐Beziehung stören können. Auch die Wiedervereinigung nach einem Einsatz beim Militär stellt eine Herausforderung dar: Brüche, die aufgetreten sind, müssen oft im Zusammenhang mit verstärkten Emotionen auf Seiten jedes Familienmitglieds wiedergutgemacht werden. Dies geschieht zu einer Zeit, in der sich die Väter wieder den Routinen und Aufgaben des Familienlebens anpassen. Qualitative Forschung kann zu einem umfangreicheren Verständnis dieser Erfahrungen beitragen. Die aktuelle Studie befragte 14 Väter von Kleinkindern, die beim Militär waren und Trennung von ihren Familien während eines Einsatzes erlebt hatten. Narrative wurden nach den Prinzipien der „Grounded Theory“ kodiert und allgemeine Themen zur Elternschaft wurden extrahiert. Die Väter teilten ihre Hoffnung mit, dass ihre Kinder Eigenschaften wie Stärke, Selbstvertrauen und Selbstständigkeit entwickeln. Sie diskutierten auch Schwierigkeiten bei der Unterstützung der Entwicklung dieser Eigenschaften bei ihren Kleinkindern nach einem Einsatz, aufgrund von Problemen im Umgang mit negativen Emotionen und schwierigen Verhaltensweisen, die ihre Kinder zeigten. Das Vertrauen in das andere Elternteil wurde allgemein als wirksame Strategie zitiert, wenn sie zurück ins Familienleben übergegangen sind. Implikationen für Interventionsprogramme umfassen die Einbeziehung des anderen Elternteils in die Intervention und die Bereitstellung von Erziehungs‐ und Selbstfürsorge‐Fähigkeiten. ABSTRACT 抄録：幼い子どものいる軍人の父親は、子どもとの別れを繰り返すことにしばしば耐えている。そして、これは、早期の親－子関係を中断するだろう。帰還後の家族の再統合もまた問題をはらんでいる。父親自身が家族生活のルーチンと責任に再適応している時に、家族メンバーそれぞれが高揚した感情というコンテクストの中で、生じていた中断がしばしば修復されなければならない。質的研究によりこれらの経験をより豊かに理解する情報をえることができる。この研究では、配備の間に家族との別れを体験した、14人の幼い子どものいる軍人の父親にインタビューした。談話はグランデット・セオリーの原則を用いてコード化され、共通の育児のテーマが抽出された。父親達は、幼い子どもが、強さ、自信、そして自給自足という素質を発達させるだろうという希望を共有していた。彼らはまた、子ども達が示す否定的な感情や難しい行動を扱う問題のために、帰還後に幼い子どものこれらの素質を発達させるように支援するのが難しいと議論した。養育パートナーへの信頼は、彼らが家族との生活に戻る移行における効果的な戦略として、共通して言及された。介入プログラムに対して持つ意味には、父親の養育パートナーを介入に含めること、そして養育スキルとセルフケアのスキルを提供することが、含まれるPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108646/1/imhj21465.pd

Potential Neural Mediators of Mom Power Parenting Intervention Effects on Maternal Intersubjectivity and Stress Resilience

Stress resilience in parenting depends on the parent\u27s capacity to understand subjective experiences in self and child, namely intersubjectivity, which is intimately related to mimicking other\u27s affective expressions (i. e., mirroring). Stress can worsen parenting by potentiating problems that can impair intersubjectivity, e.g., problems of “over-mentalizing” (misattribution of the child\u27s behaviors) and “under-coupling” (inadequate child-oriented mirroring). Previously we have developed Mom Power (MP) parenting intervention to promote maternal intersubjectivity and reduce parenting stress. This study aimed to elucidate neural mechanisms underlying the effects of MP with a novel Child Face Mirroring Task (CFMT) in functional magnetic-resonance-imaging settings. In CFMT, the participants responded to own and other\u27s child\u27s facial pictures in three task conditions: (1) empathic mirroring (Join), (2) non-mirroring observing (Observe), and (3) voluntary responding (React). In each condition, each child\u27s neutral, ambiguous, distressed, and joyful expressions were repeatedly displayed. We examined the CFMT-related neural responses in a sample of healthy mothers (n = 45) in Study 1, and MP effects on CFMT with a pre-intervention (T1) and post-intervention (T2) design in two groups, MP (n = 19) and Control (n = 17), in Study 2. We found that, from T1 to T2, MP (vs. Control) decreased parenting stress, decreased dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) during own-child-specific voluntary responding (React to Own vs. Other\u27s Child), and increased activity in the frontoparietal cortices, midbrain, nucleus accumbens, and amygdala during own-child-specific empathic mirroring (Join vs. Observe of Own vs. Other\u27s Child). We identified that MP effects on parenting stress were potentially mediated by T1-to-T2 changes in: (1) the left superior-temporal-gyrus differential responses in the contrast of Join vs. Observe of own (vs. other\u27s) child, (2) the dmPFC-PAG (periaqueductal gray) differential functional connectivity in the same contrast, and (3) the left amygdala differential responses in the contrast of Join vs. Observe of own (vs. other\u27s) child\u27s joyful vs. distressed expressions. We discussed these results in support of the notion that MP reduces parenting stress via changing neural activities related to the problems of “over-mentalizing” and “under-coupling.” Additionally, we discussed theoretical relationships between parenting stress and intersubjectivity in a novel dyadic active inference framework in a two-agent system to guide future research

“You’ve got to settle down!”: Mothers’ perceptions of physical activity in their young children

Abstract Background Mothers are important mediators of children’s physical activity (PA) level and risk of obesity, however previous studies of maternal perceptions of child PA have been limited. Furthermore, it is unknown if maternal perceptions of child PA are predicted by family, mother and child characteristics. Therefore objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate maternal perceptions of PA in their children and 2) test associations of family, mother and child characteristics with these perceptions. Methods 278 low-income mothers of children (mean age 70.9 months) participated in an audio-taped semi-structured interview. Transcripts were systematically analyzed using the constant comparative method and themes were generated. A coding scheme to classify the themes appearing in each transcript was developed and reliably applied. Anthropometrics were measured. Demographics and questionnaires (the Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale, The Parenting Scale, and the Child Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ)) were collected. Logistic regression models were used to test the associations of family, mother and child characteristics with each theme. Results In this sample of low-income United States mothers, two themes emerged: 1) Mothers perceive their children as already very active (87.8 %, n = 244), predicted by the child being younger, the child not being overweight, and higher child CBQ Activity Level; and 2) Mothers view their children’s high activity level as problematic (27.0 %, n = 75), predicted by lower Parenting Laxness, the child being male and lower child CBQ Inhibitory Control. Conclusions Low-income United States mothers have unique perceptions of PA in their children; these beliefs are associated with characteristics of the child and mother but not characteristics of the family. Further understanding of contributors to maternal perceptions of child PA may inform future childhood obesity interventions. The influence of these perceptions on physical activity outcomes in low-income children should be pursued in future research.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/114383/1/12887_2015_Article_466.pd

Ptsd Symptoms Across Pregnancy And Early Postpartum Among Women With Lifetime Ptsd Diagnosis

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/122410/1/da22465.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/122410/2/da22465_am.pd

Associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child feeding practices in a cross-sectional study of low-income mothers and their young children

Background: Maternal depression may influence feeding practices important in determining child eating behaviors and weight. However, the association between maternal depressive symptoms and feeding practices has been inconsistent, and most prior studies used self-report questionnaires alone to characterize feeding. The purpose of this study was to identify feeding practices associated with maternal depressive symptoms using multiple methodologies, and to test the hypothesis that maternal depressive symptoms are associated with less responsive feeding practices. Methods: In this cross-sectional, observational study, participants (n = 295) included low-income mothers and their 4- to 8-year-old children. Maternal feeding practices were assessed via interviewer-administered questionnaires, semi-structured narrative interviews, and videotaped observations in home and laboratory settings. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). Regression analyses examined associations between elevated depressive symptoms (CES-D score ≥16) and measures of maternal feeding practices, adjusting for: child sex, food fussiness, number of older siblings; and maternal age, body mass index (BMI), education, race/ethnicity, single parent status, perceived child weight, and concern about child weight. Results: Thirty-one percent of mothers reported depressive symptoms above the screening cutoff. Mothers with elevated depressive symptoms reported more pressuring of children to eat (β = 0.29; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.03, 0.54) and more overall demandingness (β = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.29), and expressed lower authority in child feeding during semi-structured narrative interview (Odds Ratio (OR) for low authority: 2.82; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.12). In homes of mothers with elevated depressive symptoms, the television was more likely audible during meals (OR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.05, 3.48) and mothers were less likely to eat with children (OR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.85). There were no associations between maternal depressive symptoms and encouragement or discouragement of food in laboratory eating interactions. Conclusions: Mothers with elevated depressive symptoms demonstrated less responsive feeding practices than mothers with lower levels of depressive symptoms. These results suggest that screening for maternal depressive symptoms may be useful when counseling on healthy child feeding practices. Given inconsistencies across methodologies, future research should include multiple methods of characterizing feeding practices and direct comparisons of different methodologies

Child cortisol moderates the association between family routines and emotion regulation in lowâ income children

Biological and social influences both shape emotion regulation. In 380 lowâ income children, we tested whether biological stress profile (cortisol) moderated the association among positive and negative home environment factors (routines; chaos) and emotion regulation (negative lability; positive regulation). Children (M ageâ =â 50.6, SDâ =â 6.4 months) provided saliva samples to assess diurnal cortisol parameters across 3 days. Parents reported on home environment and child emotion regulation. Structural equation modeling was used to test whether cortisol parameters moderated associations between home environment and child emotion regulation. Results showed that home chaos was negatively associated with emotion regulation outcomes; cortisol did not moderate the association. Child cortisol level moderated the routinesâ emotion regulation association such that lack of routine was most strongly associated with poor emotion regulation among children with lower cortisol output. Findings suggest that underlying child stress biology may shape response to environmental influences.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135499/1/dev21471_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135499/2/dev21471.pd