Associations of Army Fathers’ <scp>PTSD</scp> Symptoms and Child Functioning: Within‐ and Between‐Family Effects

Parsons, Aleja; Knopp, Kayla; Rhoades, Galena K.; Allen, Elizabeth S.; Markman, Howard J.; Stanley, Scott M.

doi:10.1111/famp.12358

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…Parental PTSD is of particular clinical importance, both for clinicians working in adult and child mental health services, given the impact this has on both parties (Scheeringa & Zeanah, 2001 ). By nature of the diagnostic criteria, PTSD is a debilitating condition which impacts on an individuals’ general functioning, however, PTSD in parents is also associated with poorer functioning in their children, through higher incidence of child emotional and behavioural problems (Parsons et al, 2018 ). Detection of early identifiable factors associated with PTSD in parents could, if offered the appropriate treatment, reduce the likelihood of long-term adverse impacts for both parents and children.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Parents Following Their Child’s Single-Event Trauma: A Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Rates and Risk Factor Correlates

Wilcoxon

Meiser‐Stedman

Burgess

2021

Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev

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Evidence suggests parents of children who experience a trauma may develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can have significant consequences for their own and their child’s functioning. As such, identifying the rates and possible correlates for the development of PTSD in parents is of clinical and theoretical importance, and would enhance our understanding of how best to support families in the aftermath of trauma. This meta-analysis of 41 studies (n = 4370) estimated the rate of PTSD in parents following their child’s single-incident trauma to be 17.0% (95% CI 14.1–20.0%); when removing samples which were mixed, or not exclusively single-incident traumas the prevalence estimate dropped to 14.4% (95% CI 10.8–18.5%). Pooled effect sizes of 32 potential correlates for parents developing PTSD were also identified. Medium-to-large effects were found for factors relating to the parent’s post-traumatic cognition, psychological functioning and coping strategies alongside child PTSD. Small effects were found for pre-trauma factors, objective trauma-related variables and demographic factors for both parent and child. Results are consistent with cognitive models of PTSD, suggesting peri- and post-trauma factors are likely to play a substantial role in its development. These findings indicate the clinical need for screening parents most vulnerable to adverse post-traumatic reactions within the context of child trauma and tailoring interventions to include the family where necessary.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Parents Following Their Child’s Single-Event Trauma: A Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Rates and Risk Factor Correlates

Wilcoxon

Meiser‐Stedman

Burgess

2021

Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev

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“…Finally, studies indicate that the severity of PTSD symptoms in parents is associated with an increase in behavioral and emotional problems in their children ( 39 , 40 ). Therefore, one should be prepared to prevent such cascading effects of the pandemic by considering psychological support for children of parents who have developed PTSD due to the pandemic.…”

Section: What Steps Can Be Taken To Prepare For Pandemic-related Ptsd?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk of Developing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Severe COVID-19 Survivors, Their Families and Frontline Healthcare Workers: What Should Mental Health Specialists Prepare For?

et al. 2021

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Given the high mortality of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), having severe COVID-19 may be a life-threatening event, especially for individuals at high risk of complications. Therefore, in the article we try to answer two questions that are relevant to public mental health: Can we define groups who are at higher risk of developing pandemic-related PTSD? How can health specialists prepare for it? Given the results of previous research on PTSD in epidemic (e.g., SARS) survivors, we suggest that mental health professionals in countries touched by the pandemic should prepare for an increase in the PTSD prevalence, specifically in: individuals who have had severe COVID-19; family members of these patients and of patients who have died; and frontline healthcare workers witnessing COVID-19 patients' sudden deaths, or numerous life-threatening situations. We postulate that these groups at risk should be routinely screened for PTSD in primary medical and pediatric care. Mental health services should prepare for providing therapeutic interventions for individuals with PTSD in the vulnerable groups, and support to their families, especially children.

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“…However, research findings are mixed and often suggest depression is a stronger predictor of parenting outcomes compared to PTSD in populations with less sociodemographic risk (Muzik et al., 2017). There is a small literature describing the effects of PTSD on fathering in the contexts of birth trauma, child bereavement, and military service (e.g., Hughes et al., 2019; Parsons et al., 2018). As expected, fathers’ PTSD symptoms in these contexts demonstrate negative effects on children's outcomes, though much less is known about mechanisms that underlie these relationships.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paternal biopsychosocial resilience in triadic interactions among African American/Black families exposed to trauma and socioeconomic adversity

Bocknek

Lozada

Richardson

et al. 2021

Developmental Psychobiology

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Fathers have a distinct and unique effect on child development, but little is known about fathering beyond White or majority White families. The current study includes African American/Black biological fathers (N = 88) and their two‐year‐old children. Fathers reported low incomes and high rates of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Parenting behaviors were observed in high‐stress and low‐stress triadic contexts. In the high‐stress condition, we assessed paternal responses to children's bids after the family was reunited following a separation paradigm. In the low‐stress condition, we assessed parenting behaviors during a teaching task. Fathers’ social baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was obtained as an index of parasympathetic arousal. RSA moderated the association between PTSD and fathers’ responsiveness (F = 6.90, p = .00, R2 = .30), with no association between PTSD and responsiveness demonstrated among fathers with the highest levels of RSA relative to the sample (effect = .04, p = .00; CI [0.02, 0.06]). RSA did not moderate the association between paternal depression and parenting behaviors (p > .05). Furthermore, responsiveness was only significantly associated with low‐stress paternal teaching behaviors for fathers with lower RSA (F = 4.34, p = .01, R2 = .21; effect = –.19, p = .00; CI [0.06, 0.32]). Findings demonstrate significant relationships among RSA, PTSD, and parenting for African American/Black men in contexts of economic adversity.

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Associations of Army Fathers’ PTSD Symptoms and Child Functioning: Within‐ and Between‐Family Effects

Cited by 12 publications

References 23 publications

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Parents Following Their Child’s Single-Event Trauma: A Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Rates and Risk Factor Correlates

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Parents Following Their Child’s Single-Event Trauma: A Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Rates and Risk Factor Correlates

Risk of Developing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Severe COVID-19 Survivors, Their Families and Frontline Healthcare Workers: What Should Mental Health Specialists Prepare For?

Paternal biopsychosocial resilience in triadic interactions among African American/Black families exposed to trauma and socioeconomic adversity

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