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Transactional Relations between Child Functioning and Parenting Stress in the First Years of Life: A Longitudinal
Oliver Evers1,2, Anna Katharina Georg1, Charlotte Wegener1
1Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Insights
Child behavior problems and parenting stress influence each other throughout the first three years of life, particularly in high-burden families. Early child effects on stress are mainly seen in these families.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Previous research indicates a link between child functioning and parenting stress.
- Limited evidence exists for transactional models in infants under 12 months, especially in high-risk families.
- This study investigates a transactional model across the first three years of life in psychosocially burdened families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the fit of a transactional developmental model for child behavior and parenting stress.
- To examine differences in this model between low and high psychosocially burdened families.
- To understand the reciprocal influences between child behavior and parenting stress from infancy to early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 302 psychosocially burdened families over three years.
- Data collected at 4, 12, 24, and 36 months.
- Cross-lagged panel analysis used to assess transactional relations between child behavior problems and parenting stress.
Main Results:
- A transactional model demonstrated a significantly better fit than an autoregressive model.
- Reciprocal effects between child behavior and parenting stress were observed from 12 to 36 months.
- Parenting stress predicted child behavior from 4 to 12 months; child effects were primarily in high-burden families during the first year.
Conclusions:
- Transactional relationships between child and parent factors are present in the first three years.
- Child effects on parenting stress in the first year appear specific to highly burdened families.
- Prevention strategies should be tailored to psychosocial burden levels, considering differing transactional dynamics.
Introduction:
Previous research reported transactional relations between child functioning and parenting stress. There is limited evidence whether a transactional developmental model also fits children below the age of 12 months, especially in psychosocially burdened families. This study aims to test the fit of a transactional model during the first 3 years of life and examines whether the model differs between families with low and high psychosocial burden.
Methods:
A total of 302 psychosocially burdened families were observed over 3 years at age 4, 12, 24, and 36 months. Child behavioral problems and parenting stress were assessed via self-report while psychosocial burden was assessed via external rating at baseline. Cross-lagged panel analysis was used to investigate the fit of a transactional model.
Results:
A transactional model fitted the data significantly better (Δχ2 = 81.87, p < 0.001) than an autoregressive model reaching acceptable to good fit indices (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.09). The model indicated moderate stability within and reciprocal effects between child behavioral problems and parenting stress from age 12 to 36 months. From age 4 to 12 months, parenting stress predicted child behavioral problems but not vice-versa. Model fit indices and transactional relations did not substantially differ between families with low and high psychosocial burden, except for child effects on parenting stress during the first year of life, which were only evident in higher burdened families.
Conclusion:
Transactional relations among child and parent variables are evident in the first 3 years of life. Child effects in the first year of life may be restricted to highly psychosocially burdened families. Future research may focus on potential mediating variables such as parental sensitivity or contextual variables like significant life events. Targeted prevention strategies should be adapted to the level of psychosocial burden to account for the differing transactional relations.
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