Midlife Children's and Older Mothers' Depressive Symptoms: Empathic Mother–Child Relationships as a Key Moderator

Polenick, Courtney A.; Kim, Yijung; DePasquale, Nicole; Birditt, Kira S.; Zarit, Steven H.; Fingerman, Karen L.

doi:10.1111/fare.12466

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 69 publications

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“…In recent decades, studies of intergenerational relations have broadened from focusing on solidarity to exploring dimensions of parent-adult child ties that are more complex and often problematic (e.g., Polenick et al, 2020;Suitor et al, 2018). Furthermore, life-course scholars have increasingly called for a greater consideration of parent-child relationships as dynamic social ties that change with age (M. Gilligan et al, 2018;Reczek et al, 2017).…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prodigal Children: Why Older Mothers Favor Their Once-Deviant Adult Children

Kincaid

Rurka

Suitor

et al. 2021

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B

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Objectives Past research suggests that adult children who reform their deviant behaviors (i.e., problems with drugs/alcohol or the law) are more likely to become favored by their mothers, yet the reasons underlying this phenomenon are unclear. This study employs a longitudinal, qualitative approach to explore why adult children’s behavioral reforms shape changes in maternal favoritism. Method Analyses are based on qualitative interview data collected at 2 points 7 years apart from older mothers regarding their adult children in 20 families. Each of these families had a “prodigal child”—a child for whom desistance from deviant behaviors between the 2 waves was accompanied by newfound maternal favoritism. Results Findings revealed 2 conditions under which mothers came to favor reformed deviants over their siblings. First, this occurred when adult children’s behavioral reformations were accompanied by mothers’ perceptions of these children as having grown more family-oriented. Second, this occurred when mothers came to see reformed deviants as exhibiting a stronger need and appreciation for maternal support, relative to their siblings. Discussion Mothers’ perceptions of children’s behavioral reformations as being accompanied by greater dedication to family or reflecting a need for their mothers’ support offer 2 explanations for why previously deviant adult children may become mothers’ favored offspring. These findings contribute to a growing body of scholarship on the complexity of intergenerational relations by shedding new light on changing patterns of favoritism in families with a history of parental disappointment, conflict, and strain.

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Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prodigal Children: Why Older Mothers Favor Their Once-Deviant Adult Children

Kincaid

Rurka

Suitor

et al. 2021

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Parental Postnatal Depression in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of Its Effects on the Parent–Child Relationship and the Child’s Developmental Outcomes

Genova

Tambelli

Marzilli

2023

IJERPH

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The international literature has shown that maternal and paternal postnatal depression (PND) is one of the most common mental illnesses in the perinatal period, with significant consequences for parent–infant relationships and infant development. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the rates of prevalence of PND, exacerbating the mental health risk for new families. This systematic review aims to examine the effect of maternal and paternal PND on parent–infant relationships and children’s development in the first 36 months after childbirth during the COVID-19 outbreak. Eligible studies were identified using the following databases: Medline, CINAHL, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. Of the 1252 studies considered, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results showed that maternal PND significantly affected the quality of the early mother–infant relationship and the infant’s motor, self-regulation, and socio-emotional development. In addition, the detrimental impact of maternal PND on the quality of early mother–infant relationships seems to become stronger as COVID-19 concerns increase. No studies included fathers. These findings strengthened the importance of planning targeted prevention and treatment strategies to prevent PND and its short- and long-term consequences, especially in the case of stressful and traumatic events. They also suggested the urgent need for further exploration of fathers.

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Midlife Children's and Older Mothers' Depressive Symptoms: Empathic Mother–Child Relationships as a Key Moderator

Cited by 2 publications

References 69 publications

Prodigal Children: Why Older Mothers Favor Their Once-Deviant Adult Children

Prodigal Children: Why Older Mothers Favor Their Once-Deviant Adult Children

Parental Postnatal Depression in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of Its Effects on the Parent–Child Relationship and the Child’s Developmental Outcomes

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