Longitudinal associations between parent-child relationships in middle childhood and child-perceived loneliness.

Abstract

Loneliness may affect children's psychological well-being and academic achievement. Parent-child relationships have been consistently associated with child adjustment. However, parental antecedents of child loneliness have been relatively understudied. Guided by attachment theory, we examined the trajectories of father-child and mother-child relationship closeness and conflict, and their associations with trajectories of child loneliness with National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) data to understand parents' roles in child loneliness in middle childhood. In Grades 1 ( = 6.57, = .29), 3, 4, and 5, both resident fathers and mothers reported on parent-child relationships. At Grades 1, 3, and 5, children reported on their loneliness. Loneliness declined from Grade 1 to Grade 5. After controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), the slope of father-child relationship closeness was negatively associated with the slope of loneliness for girls ( = 341), but not for boys ( = 354). The more slowly father-child closeness declined, the more quickly girls' loneliness declined. These findings highlight the role of father-child relationships in child loneliness for girls. Future research on child loneliness should take both maternal and paternal roles into consideration. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Relationship between Smartphone Addiction, Parent–Child Relationship, Loneliness and Self-Efficacy among Senior High School Students in Taiwan

“…This finding is consistent with Lewin's field theory, which suggested the fundamental elements of people's behaviors were the result of undisrupted interactions between individuals and their surroundings [96]. On top of that, it was confirmed that loneliness could affect the mental health and academic performances of individuals and was related to parent-child relationship [97]. In this connection, we can confirm that loneliness can mediate the link between parent-child relationship and smartphone addiction, and the finding also coincides with the previous empirical studies.…”

Longitudinal Associations Between Mother–Child and Father–Child Closeness and Conflict From Middle Childhood to Adolescence

“…Future studies should build upon the findings and the literature on parental relationships and child development by examining how the longitudinal associations between mother–child and father–child closeness and conflict are associated with adolescents' socioemotional and behavioral outcomes. Given that the impact of both the levels and rates of change of parent–child relationships on children's developmental outcomes is documented in prior research (Fosco et al, 2016; McElwain & Bub, 2018; Yan et al, 2018), it would be informative for future work to explore how the different patterns of parent–child relationships (e.g., lower levels of conflict at baseline with sharper increases in conflict over time versus higher initial levels of conflict with slower increases in conflict over time) are associated with children's psychosocial well‐being and behavioral outcomes.…”

“…Closeness is described as emotional and behavioral connections between parents and children, usually associated with warmth, support, trust, and communication (Laursen & Collins, 2009). Close parent–child relationships are positively associated with children's social competence and acceptance (McDowell & Parke, 2009), emotional well‐being (e.g., lower levels of loneliness; see Yan et al, 2018), and less engagement in risky behaviors (McElwain & Bub, 2018). Another central component of parent–child relationships is conflict , often defined as interpersonal interaction involving overt opposition and disputes (Smetana et al, 2006).…”

Effect of Baby Triple P or Positive Parenting Program on Mental Health and Mother-child Relationship in Mothers of Hearing-impaired Children

“…One of the most critical issues affecting mothers' mental health is the parent-child relationship [15,16]. A warm, intimate, and trusting relationship between parent and child is an essential factor in child development, and problems in this regard cause problems in the cognitive and emotional-behavioral development of the child [17][18][19][20]. Mothers of hearing-impaired children have difficulty building a positive mutual relationship between themselves and their children due to a lack of awareness of the new situation, the nature of the hearing loss, and the resulting psychological stress [21][22][23][24][25][26].…”