TY - JOUR

T1 - Examining the bidirectional relationships between maternal intrusiveness and child internalizing symptoms in a community sample

T2 - A longitudinal study from infancy to middle childhood

AU - Hunter, Hannah

AU - Allen, Kristy Benoit

AU - Liu, Ran

AU - Jaekel, Julia

AU - Bell, Martha Ann

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC

PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - Background: Myriad parenting behaviors have been linked to the development of internalizing disorders in children. Intrusive parenting, characterized by autonomy-limiting behaviors that hold the parent's agenda above that of the child, may uniquely contribute to the development of child internalizing symptoms. The current study investigates bidirectional effects between maternal intrusiveness and internalizing symptomology from infancy to middle childhood. Methods: Participants were a community sample of 218 infant–mother dyads assessed at 7 time points (5 and 10 months; 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 years). Maternal intrusiveness was behaviorally coded at all timepoints; mothers completed the CBCL for their child at ages 3, 4, 6, and 9 years. The empirically derived Internalizing subscale was used to assess child internalizing symptoms. Results: About 1/3 to ½ of mothers displayed maternal intrusiveness across infancy and childhood, with the exception of ages 2–3 years, when an increase in the number of mothers displaying intrusiveness was observed. A cross-lagged panel model showed that intrusiveness and internalizing symptoms were concurrently related at 3 years, but this relationship disappeared when we controlled for maternal education. There was no evidence of prospective relationships between our constructs. Conclusions: Mothers in a community-based sample may increase intrusiveness in the toddler and early preschool years as children strive for more autonomy. Intrusiveness may play more of a maintenance role in child internalizing symptoms, and associations between maternal intrusiveness and child internalizing symptomatology may be weaker than hypothesized, varying by maternal education. Suggestions for assessing intrusive parenting in future studies are discussed.

AB - Background: Myriad parenting behaviors have been linked to the development of internalizing disorders in children. Intrusive parenting, characterized by autonomy-limiting behaviors that hold the parent's agenda above that of the child, may uniquely contribute to the development of child internalizing symptoms. The current study investigates bidirectional effects between maternal intrusiveness and internalizing symptomology from infancy to middle childhood. Methods: Participants were a community sample of 218 infant–mother dyads assessed at 7 time points (5 and 10 months; 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 years). Maternal intrusiveness was behaviorally coded at all timepoints; mothers completed the CBCL for their child at ages 3, 4, 6, and 9 years. The empirically derived Internalizing subscale was used to assess child internalizing symptoms. Results: About 1/3 to ½ of mothers displayed maternal intrusiveness across infancy and childhood, with the exception of ages 2–3 years, when an increase in the number of mothers displaying intrusiveness was observed. A cross-lagged panel model showed that intrusiveness and internalizing symptoms were concurrently related at 3 years, but this relationship disappeared when we controlled for maternal education. There was no evidence of prospective relationships between our constructs. Conclusions: Mothers in a community-based sample may increase intrusiveness in the toddler and early preschool years as children strive for more autonomy. Intrusiveness may play more of a maintenance role in child internalizing symptoms, and associations between maternal intrusiveness and child internalizing symptomatology may be weaker than hypothesized, varying by maternal education. Suggestions for assessing intrusive parenting in future studies are discussed.

KW - childhood

KW - internalizing disorders

KW - longitudinal studies

KW - parental intrusiveness

KW - parenting

KW - parent–child relationships

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111828729&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/da.23207

DO - 10.1002/da.23207

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34339555

AN - SCOPUS:85111828729

VL - 38

SP - 1245

EP - 1255

JO - Depression and Anxiety

JF - Depression and Anxiety

SN - 1091-4269

IS - 12

ER -