Do Less Mindful Mothers Show Better Parenting via Improvements in Trait Mindfulness Following a Military Parent Training Program?

Abstract

Parental deployment to war poses risks to children's healthy adjustment. The After Deployment Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT) program was developed for post-deployed military families to promote children's well-being through improving effective parenting. ADAPT combines behavior management with emotion socialization skills for parents, using brief mindfulness practices to strengthen emotion regulation. We used a three-wave longitudinal, experimental design to examine whether ADAPT improved parental trait mindfulness (PTM), and whether the effect was moderated by baseline PTM. We also investigated whether improved PTM was associated with behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects of parenting such as self-reported parental locus of control (PLOC), self-reported parental emotion socialization (PES), self-reported and observed behavioral parenting skills. We analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the ADAPT, with a focus on mothers ( n = 313) who were either deployed (17.9%) or non-deployed and partnered with a husband who had been recently deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan and returned (82.1%). Families identified a 4–13-year-old target child (Mean age = 8.34, SD = 2.48; 54.3% girls) and were randomized into ADAPT (a group-based 14-week program) or a control condition (services as usual). At baseline, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up, PTM, PLOC, PES, and parenting skills were self-reported, whereas home-based family interactions involving parents and the child were video-taped and assessed for observed behavioral parenting skills such as discipline and problem-solving using a theory-based coding system. Results showed that mothers with lower baseline PTM reported higher PTM at 1-year while mothers with higher baseline PTM reported lower PTM at 1-year. PTM at 1-year was associated with improved self-reported parenting skills and supportive PES at 2-year, as well as indirectly associated with improved PLOC and reduced nonsupportive PES at 2-year through PTM at 2-year. No associations between PTM and observed parenting skills were detected. We discuss the implications of these findings for incorporating mindfulness practices into behavioral parenting interventions and for personalized prevention considering parents' pre-existing levels of trait mindfulness as a predictor of intervention responsivity.

Intervenciones para mejorar la salud psicológica y los procesos cognitivos, emocionales y comportamentales en niños y adolescentes víctimas de conflicto armado. Una revisión sistemática.

“…Como se evidencia en la Tabla 2, se identificaron 4 intervenciones de tipo familiar en 5 estudios 2 . Las intervenciones identificadas son: Programa «Happy Families» (HF) (Annan et al, 2017), «Strong Families» (SF) (De Voe et al, 2017), herramientas adaptativas para padres (ADAPT) (Gewirtz et al, 2018;Zhang et al, 2019) y «Parents Make the Difference» (PMD) (Puffer et al, 2015).…”

“…Datos de resultado incompletos. Un total de 19 estudios fueron calificados con riesgo de sesgo de deserción bajo porque reportaron consistentemente las pérdidas de muestra durante el tratamiento 11 , 5 ensayos fueron calificados de alto riesgo debido a que la pérdida muestral supera el 20% (Gewirtz et al, 2018;Influs et al, 2019;Tol et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2019). Los demás estudios se calificaron con riesgo incierto de sesgo.…”

“…25 estudios presentan una descripción completa de las variables de resultado 12 y los 2 ensayos restantes se calificaron con riesgo incierto de sesgo debido a que presentan una descripción parcial de algunas variables (Murray et al, 2015;O'Callaghan et al, 2014). 5 De Voe et al, 2017;Gewirtz et al, 2018;Kalantari et al, 2012;Shechtman & Mor, 2010;Slone et al, 2013;Tol et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2019. 6 Dawson et al, 2018Murray et al, 2015;O'Callaghan et al, 2014;Ooi et al, 2016;Qouta et al, 2012;Richards et al, 2014;Robjant et al, 2019;Slone et al, 2013.…”

“…7 Annan et al, 2017Berger et al, 2012;Catani et al, 2009;De Voe et al, 2017;Gewirtz et al, 2018;Influs et al, 2019;Jordans et al, 2010;Kalantari et al, 2012;Puffer et al, 2015;Shechtman & Mor, 2010;Tol et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2019. 8 Barron et al, 2016;Barron et al, 2013;Berger et al, 2012;De Voe et al, 2017;Gewirtz et al, 2018;Influs et al, 2019;Jordans et al, 2010;Lange-Nielsen et al, 2012;O'Callaghan et al, 2014;Ooi et al, 2016;Richards et al, 2014;Shechtman & Mor, 2010;Tol et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2019. 9 Annan et al, 2017Catani et al, 2009;Dawson et al, 2018;Murray et al, 2015;Robjant et al, 2019;Slone et al, 2013.…”

“…9 Annan et al, 2017Catani et al, 2009;Dawson et al, 2018;Murray et al, 2015;Robjant et al, 2019;Slone et al, 2013. 10 Annan et al, 2017Barron et al, 2016;Barron et al, 2013;Berger et al, 2012;Gewirtz et al, 2018;Influs et al, 2019;Kalantari et al, 2012;Lange-Nielsen et al, 2012;Murray et al, 2015;Ooi et al, 2016;Qouta et al, 2012;Richards et al, 2014;Robjant et al, 2019;Shechtman & Mor, 2010;Slone et al, 2013;Tol et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2019. 11 Annan et al, 2017Barron et al, 2016;Barron et al, 2013;Berger et al, 2012;Catani et al, 2009;Dawson et al, 2018;De Voe et al, 2017;Jordans et al, 2010;Kalantari et al, 2012;Lange-Nielsen et al, 2012;Murray et al, 2015;O'Callaghan et al, 2014;Ooi et al, 2016;Puffer et al, 2015;Qouta et al, 2012;Richards et al, 2014;Robjant et al, 2019;Slone et al, 2013.…”