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Parenting stress and its correlates in an infant mental health unit: a cross-sectional study

Eva Tedgård1,2, Ulf Tedgård3,4, Maria Råstam1,5

  • 1Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
|September 26, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Parents in infant mental health treatment report high psychological distress and parenting stress, with depression being a key predictor for both mothers and fathers. Including both parents in treatment is crucial for positive outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Parental Mental Health
  • Infant Mental Health (IMH)

Background:

  • Parent-child relationship is vital for infant development.
  • Parenting stress, parental mental health issues, and parental substance abuse can negatively impact parenting quality and child outcomes.
  • Children may face behavioral, mental, and social problems due to adverse parenting environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess parental psychological health and parenting stress in an outpatient Infant Mental Health (IMH) unit.
  • To identify predictors of parenting stress among parents seeking IMH services.

Main Methods:

  • A sample of 197 parents (129 mothers, 68 fathers) attending an IMH unit for interplay treatment completed self-report questionnaires.
  • Data collected on parental mental health problems and parenting stress upon admission.

Main Results:

  • Mothers reported higher levels of psychiatric symptoms and parenting stress than fathers.
  • Fathers with histories of parental substance abuse, family of origin divorce, low education, or trauma showed specific risk factors.
  • Parental depression emerged as a significant predictor of parenting stress for both mothers and fathers.

Conclusions:

  • Parents in IMH services experience significant psychological strain and high parenting stress.
  • Maternal mental health and stress levels were more pronounced than paternal.
  • Assessing parental mental health is critical before initiating treatment, and involving both parents can improve treatment success for the child.

Keywords:
Infant mental healthgenderparenting stresspostnatal affective disorder

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