Stability and Change in Longitudinal Associations between Child Behavior Problems and Maternal Stress in Families with Preterm Born Children, Follow-Up after a RCT-Study

Abstract

The Tromsø Intervention Study on Preterms (TISP) randomized 146 preterm-born children either to the Mother-Infant Transaction Program (MITP) or to a preterm control group. Previously, significant reductions of child behavior problems and maternal stress have been reported in the intervention group. This follow-up study examines whether the MITP may have affected the longitudinal adaptation between mothers and their children from two until nine years, expressed as associations between different behavioral problems and parenting stress reported by mothers. Associations between internalizing, attentional, and social problems and different dimensions of parenting stress were analyzed in separate models that included effects of time and group status. The MITP did not influence the development of longitudinal associations as no significant three-way interaction (stress*group*time) was found. Significant stress by group interactions was only found in reports on children’s attentional problems when analyzed with parent- or interaction-related stress. Mothers who had participated in the MITP reported weaker stress–behavior associations than control mothers. This effect was moderated by two independent variables, namely children’s birthweight and years of maternal education for the parent–child difficult interaction stress.

Effective stress intervention programs for parents of premature children: A systematic review

“…All the works set out a pre-and post-test to analyse the effect of the treatment on the target population. The longitudinal studies of Landsem et al (2014Landsem et al ( , 2019 carried out the longest follow-up, for 9 years, evaluating with the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) at 6 months, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 years and the PSI in its short version at 9 years. However, most of the projects performed the post-test shortly after the intervention was completed.…”

“…For example, Landsem et al. (2019) result only included mothers because of the low fathers' participation. Both the characteristics of preterm infants and participating mothers, fathers or parents were analysed.…”

“…These interventions include the two‐stage family support programme (Abdeyazdan et al., 2014), the emotional support training programme (Al‐Maghaireh et al., 2020), the educational programme (Beheshtipour et al., 2014), the three‐step early intervention programme (Borghini et al., 2014), the five‐step individualised intervention programme (Cano Giménez & Sánchez‐Luna, 2015), the Mother‐Infant Transaction Programme (MITP; Castel et al., 2016; Landsem et al., 2014, 2019; Ravn & Lindemann, 2012, Ravn & Smith, 2012), the Programme for Fathers of Hospitalised Preterm Infants on Paternal Support and Attachment (Chen et al., 2019), Japanese Infant Mental Health Programme (JIMHP; Cho et al., 2012), Community‐based follow‐up programme (Ji & Shim, 2020), Guided Participation (GP; Lee et al., 2019), the Infant Behavioural Assessment and Intervention Programme (IBAIP; Meijssen et al., 2011), the Structured Nursing Intervention programme (SIN; Ong et al., 2018), the prevention of post‐traumatic stress (Shaw et al., 2013, 2014), the Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment Programme (COPE; Borimnejad et al., 2013; Mianaei et al., 2014; Villamizar‐Carvajal et al., 2018) and the family‐centred care intervention (Zhang et al., 2018).…”

“…The interventions usually provided support to perform the parental role correctly or a space to share emotions and thoughts. These interventions include the two-stage family support programme (Abdeyazdan et al, 2014), the emotional support training programme(Al-Maghaireh et al, 2020), the educational programme(Beheshtipour et al, 2014), the three-step early intervention programme(Borghini et al, 2014), the five-step individualised intervention programme(Cano Giménez & Sánchez-Luna, 2015), the Mother-Infant Transaction Programme (MITP;Castel et al, 2016;Landsem et al, 2014Landsem et al, , 2019Ravn & Lindemann, 2012, the Programme for Fathers of Hospitalised Preterm Infants on Paternal Support and Attachment(Chen et al, 2019), Japanese Infant Mental Health Programme (JIMHP;Cho et al, 2012), Community-based follow-up programme(Ji & Shim, 2020), Guided Participation (GP; Lee et al, 2019), the Infant Behavioural Assessment and Intervention Programme (IBAIP; Meijssen et al, 2011), the Structured Nursing Intervention programme (SIN;…”

he First 1000 Days in the Nordic Countries: Psychosocial Interventions and Psychological Tests: A Review of the Evidence

“…The results are published in 12 empirical publications, and show significant differences between the groups. They favor the intervention group on several outcomes including: the level of sensitivity in parents at 12 and 24 months (ES ranging from 0.17-0.49) Olafsen et al, 2008Olafsen et al, , 2012; parental stress at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 years (Kaaresen et al, 2006;Landsem et al, 2019; child negative emotionality at 2, 3, 5, and 7 years (Landsem et al, 2020); child behavior problems and IQ scores at 5 years ; attention problems and school adaptation at 7 and 9 years (Landsem, Handegard, Ulvund, Tunby, et al, 2015); school performance at 9 years (Landsem, Handegard, Ulvund, Tunby, et al, 2015);…”