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Effects of attentional/ hyperactive and oppositional/ aggressive problem behaviour at 14 months and 21 months on
Anne-Claire E Beernink1, Sophie H N Swinkels1,2, Rutger Jan Van der Gaag2
1Department of Cognitive Neurosciences (204), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Insights
Early oppositional/aggressive and attentional/hyperactive behaviors in children significantly impact parenting stress. Oppositional/aggressive behavior at 14 months strongly predicts stress, while attentional/hyperactive behavior
Area of Science:
- Child psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Parenting studies
Background:
- Childhood disruptive behaviors, specifically attentional/hyperactive (Att/Hi) and oppositional/aggressive (Opp/Agg) types, are assessed in relation to parenting stress.
- Investigates the longitudinal effects of these behaviors from 14 to 21 months of age on parental stress levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the impact of Att/Hi and Opp/Agg behaviors in children at 14 and 21 months on parenting stress at 21 months.
- To explore the differential effects of these disruptive behaviors on various aspects of parenting stress.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 107 children with varying levels of disruptive behaviors at 14 months was studied.
- Parental reports using a 55-item checklist, the Child Behaviour Checklist (1.5-5 years), and the Dutch version of the Parenting Stress Index (NOSI) at 21 months were utilized.
- A multivariate design analyzed the effects of behavior type, severity, and age on parental stress.
Main Results:
- Oppositional/aggressive behavior at 14 months significantly predicted parenting stress, but this effect diminished by 21 months.
- A significant interaction between parenting stress and attentional/hyperactive behavior emerged, indicating that increasing Att/Hi behaviors over time correlated with heightened parenting stress.
- Both Opp/Agg behavior and the interaction of Att/Hi behavior with parenting stress contributed to maternal role restriction and social isolation.
Conclusions:
- Early oppositional/aggressive and attentional/hyperactive behaviors have distinct influences on parenting stress at 21 months.
- The relationship between Opp/Agg behavior and parenting stress may involve parental competence, while Att/Hi behavior is linked to parent-child interaction and attachment demands.
- Findings suggest the need for targeted early intervention programs addressing specific disruptive behaviors and their impact on parenting.
Background:
To evaluate effects of attentional/ hyperactive (Att/Hi) and oppositional/ aggressive (Opp/Agg) behaviours of children at 14 and 21 months of age on parenting stress at 21 months.
Method:
107 children from the general population with low, intermediate, and high levels of disruptive behaviours at 14 months, as evaluated by parents on a 55-item checklist, participated. Parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist 1.5-5 and the Dutch version of Parenting Stress Index (NOSI) at 21 months. Effects of problem behaviours were examined in a 2 (Att/Hi and Opp/Agg) by 2 (not high versus high) by 2 (14 and 21 months) multivariate design with parental stress as dependent variable.
Results:
Oppositional/ aggressive behaviour at 14 months had a strong main effect on parenting stress, but not at 21 months. There was a significant interaction between parenting stress and Att/Hi behaviour at 14 and 21 months, indicating that increase in these behaviours over time was associated with parenting stress. Both Opp/Agg behaviour and an interaction between Att/Hi behaviour and parenting stress contributed to maternal role restriction and social isolation. Oppositional/ aggressive behaviour led to higher scores for parental competence and depression, whereas Att/Hi behaviour led to lower scores for attachment.
Conclusions:
Early Opp/Agg and Att/Hi behaviour had differential effects on parenting stress at 21 months. The increase in parenting stress associated with early Opp/Agg behaviour may be linked to overall feelings of parental competence, whereas the course of Att/Hi behaviour may be associated with increased demands on parent-child interactions and attachment. Our results have implications for development of early intervention programmes.
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