Anxiety and depressive disorders are global public health concerns, and research suggests that these disorders are common in parents and can adversely influence family functioning. However, little is known about normative levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms in parents of school-age children. The present study reports on generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms in 1570 parents and guardians of a nationally representative sample of children ages five to twelve years using two widely used and validated questionnaires: the eight-item variant of the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-8) and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Moderate to severe levels of generalized anxiety symptoms were reported in 12.7% of the total sample and moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms were reported in 14.1% of the sample; 17.7% of the sample reported moderate to severe levels of either generalized anxiety or depressive symptoms. This percentage was higher for females, younger parents and guardians, and parents and guardians reporting lower household incomes. These data, collected online in early 2018, may be useful for researchers and clinicians studying and treating anxiety and depression in parents. Further, these data provide a baseline for researchers currently studying the impact of changes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (e.g., school closures) on the mental health of parents of school-age children. Highlights• Almost 18% of parents and guardians of school-age children in the United States report moderate to severe symptoms of generalized anxiety or depression.• Symptoms of generalized anxiety and depression are higher in younger parents and guardians and those reporting the lowest household incomes.• Normative levels of generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms are provided for researchers, clinicians, and other health professionals studying and treating parents of school-age children.
This study investigated how mothers' depressive symptoms were related to their children's depressive symptoms through children's perceived attachment security to their mother. Ninety‐six mothers reported on their depressive symptoms. Children reported on their depressive symptoms and their attachment security with their mothers. The results indicated that children's perception of security with their mothers indirectly linked mothers' depressive symptoms to their children's depressive symptoms. Furthermore, this indirect association was moderated by child's sex because only girls, whose mothers reported higher depressive symptoms, reported lower perceived attachment security. This study advances the literature on mechanisms explaining how mothers' depressive symptoms are related to their children's depressive symptoms, which have critical implications for the prevention and intervention of child and adolescent depression. Highlights Mothers' depressive symptoms were related to children's depressive symptoms through children's perceptions of mother–child attachment security One path in the indirect relation was moderated by child's sex such that maternal depression was associated with a less secure perceived attachment relationship for female youth but not male youth Child depression interventions may be improved by targeting attachment relationships, with particular attention for daughters of depressed mothers
Positive behavioral synchrony (PBS) between mothers and children involves the bidirectional exchange of verbal and nonverbal communication. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) synchrony reflects the concordance between mother-child physiological states. Both PBS and RSA synchrony can be undermined by psychopathology symptoms. Latinx and Black families may experience contextual stressors that contribute to heightened symptoms of psychopathology, yet minimal research has examined relations between psychopathology symptoms with PBS and RSA synchrony in these families. The present study assessed associations between maternal depressive and child internalizing symptoms, mother and child negative affect (NA), and PBS and RSA synchrony in a sample of 100 Latina and Black mothers (M age = 34.48 years, SD = 6.39 years) and their children (M age = 6.83 years, SD = 1.50 years). Dyads engaged in a video-recorded stress task where RSA was collected continuously. Videos were later coded for PBS and mother and child NA. Mothers reported on their depressive and child's internalizing symptoms. Maternal NA was associated with weak PBS and negative RSA synchrony. Neither depressive and internalizing symptoms nor child NA were associated with PBS or RSA synchrony. Results highlight the potency of maternal NA on behavioral and physiological synchrony in Latinx and Black families.
The present study employed two key dynamic indicators (i.e., inertia and instability) to the psychophysiological research of child emotion regulation (ER) and examined whether respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) dynamics were associated with child ER during a stress task. Eighty‐nine Chinese school‐age children (Mage = 8.77 years, SD = 1.80 years; 46.1% girls) and their primary caregivers participated in the study. After controlling for RSA static reactivity, multiple regression analyses indicated that lower RSA inertia was related to fewer in‐task negative emotions rated by children and their caregivers, and higher RSA instability was associated with better child trait ER. This study introduces physiological indicators of the dynamic aspects of parasympathetic activity to the study of child ER.
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