The Intergenerational Transmission of Maladaptive Parenting and its Impact on Child Mental Health: Examining Cross-Cultural Mediating Pathways and Moderating Protective Factors.

Journal: Child psychiatry and human development

Volume: 54

Issue: 3

Year of Publication: 2023

Affiliated Institutions:  Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy, Durham, USA. war@duke.edu. Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy, Durham, USA. Universidad de San Buenaventura, Medellín, Colombia. Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines. Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan. University of Naples "Federico II,", Naples, Italy. University of Macau, Macau, China. University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, USA. Università di Roma "La Sapienza,", Rome, Italy. University West, Trollhättan, Sweden. Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China. Maseno University, Kisumu, Kenya. Temple University, Philadelphia, USA. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, USA.

Abstract summary 

Using a sample of 1338 families from 12 cultural groups in 9 nations, we examined whether retrospectively remembered Generation 1 (G1) parent rejecting behaviors were passed to Generation 2 (G2 parents), whether such intergenerational transmission led to higher Generation 3 (G3 child) externalizing and internalizing behavior at age 13, and whether such intergenerational transmission could be interrupted by parent participation in parenting programs or family income increases of > 5%. Utilizing structural equation modeling, we found that the intergenerational transmission of parent rejection that is linked with higher child externalizing and internalizing problems occurs across cultural contexts. However, the magnitude of transmission is greater in cultures with higher normative levels of parent rejection. Parenting program participation broke this intergenerational cycle in fathers from cultures high in normative parent rejection. Income increases appear to break this intergenerational cycle in mothers from most cultures, regardless of normative levels of parent rejection. These results tentatively suggest that bolstering protective factors such as parenting program participation, income supplementation, and (in cultures high in normative parent rejection) legislative changes and other population-wide positive parenting information campaigns aimed at changing cultural parenting norms may be effective in breaking intergenerational cycles of maladaptive parenting and improving child mental health across multiple generations.

Authors & Co-authors:  Rothenberg Lansford Tirado Yotanyamaneewong Alampay Al-Hassan Bacchini Chang Deater-Deckard Di Giunta Dodge Gurdal Liu Long Oburu Pastorelli Skinner Sorbring Tapanya Steinberg Bornstein

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Kerr DCR, Capaldi DM (2019) Intergenerational transmission of parenting. In Bornstein MH (Ed) Handbook of parenting: Being and becoming a parent., Vol. 3, 3rd ed. (pp. 443–481). Routledge, New York
Authors :  21
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1007/s10578-021-01311-6
SSN : 1573-3327
Study Population
Fathers,Female,Mothers
Mesh Terms
Female
Other Terms
Culture;Externalizing;Income;Intergenerational transmission;Internalizing;Parenting
Study Design
Study Approach
Country of Study
Kenya
Publication Country
United States