PS348: Typed comprehensive
notes for revision
Parental psychiatric difficulties and inter-parental
conflicts
Describe the outcomes for child psychological development of living with parents suffering from
psychiatric disorders
Explain what impact inter-parental conflict can have on child psychological adjustment
Understand proposed mechanisms by which such parental problems could affect children
Depression:
- This is the most studied disorder as it is prevalent in 10% of mothers (this is relatively high).
- Affective disorder mood dysregulation, vegetative disturbances, cognitive impairments,
prolonged sadness.
- Infants difficult temperaments, lower mental and motor development, issues with stress
- Toddlers/pre-school cognitive and emotional problems, deficit in social competence,
inappropriate peer behaviour (this may influence later relationships).
- Middle childhood peer problems, psychological adjustment problems (issues with stress and
anxiety), poorer school performance
- Adolescence cognitive, social and emotional problems. General functioning issues.
- Genetics some found genetic risk (higher concordance rates in MZ twins), adopted children
also at risk (suggests effect of the environment).
- Parenting capacity depressed mothers are low in warmth and availability and often adopt a
“still face”. This causes the infants to become distressed, as their mothers do not respond to
them. A lack of turn-taking leads to a disruption in mutual coordination (this influences
emotional understanding of relationships, influencing social competencies).
- Parenting disciplinary styles (Baumrind’s Framework) - proposed 4 styles of parenting (all ranging
in levels of warmth and responsiveness): permissive, neglectful, authoritarian and authoritative
(best – high in warmth and responsiveness). Authoritative parents control their child’s behaviour
through negotiation, rather than punishment and exertion of power. These children are more
likely to be self-controlled, responsible, cooperative and self-reliant.
e.g. Weissman et al. (2006) – 150 children with MDD parents were followed for 20 years. Results
found that they were 3x more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when compared with
controls.
e.g. Jameson et al. (1997) – investigated play interactions across mothers who were depressed and
mothers without depression, with their 1-2-year old children. Results found that non-depressed
mothers were quick to respond to infant’s attention switch, whereas depressed mothers were not
good at this. Depressed mothers were more inclined to withdraw due to a lack of maternal
sensitivity.
e.g. Murray (1992) – investigated mothers with postnatal depression and their infants. Results found
that the infant was more likely to be insecurely attached (internal working models of depression and
insecure attachment are similar).
, e.g. Papp et al. (2005) – parental distress is associated with higher parental rejection and lower
psychological autonomy. These associations are likely reciprocal. Depressed mothers submit or use
force to obtain compliance as this is low-effort. This is used by parents of aggressive children (linked
to inter-parental conflict).
e.g. Downey and Coyne (1990) – inter-parental conflict best predicts conduct disorder but parental
depression increases risk of child depression.
Anxiety disorders:
- E.g. panic disorders, phobias, OCD, GAD – high comorbidity with depression.
- Offspring are 7x more likely to have an anxiety disorder (this is increased when the parent
suffers from both anxiety and depression).
- Level of anxiety in children is thought to be associated with attachment type – attachment type
is dependent on mother’s level of anxiety.
e.g. Murray et al. (2012) – infants had to take part in either a socially stressful task, a generally
stressful task or a neutral task. Mothers with anxiety and control mothers were assessed for their
helping behaviours. Results found that mothers with social anxiety disorder -their children performed
worse in the socially stressful task, whereas the mothers with GAD – their children performed worse
in the generally stressful task.
e.g. Schneider et al. (2009) – infants and mothers had to take part in the etch-a-sketch tasks. Results
found that mothers with panic disorder were more controlling, critical and less sensitive towards
their child.
e.g. Del Carmen et al. (1993) – insecure attachments are more likely in children with anxious parents.
Prenatal anxiety is found to be the best predictor of attachment type.
Schizophrenia:
- This is less studied – is this due to lower prevalence? Less willing to participate? Harder to
diagnose? Children in care?
- There are similar patterns here as with parents with depression – therefore, it has been
questioned that effects on children are simply based on the presence of ANY psychiatric
disorder.
- There is some genetic component – MZ twins concordance rates are between 40 and 60%.
- Infants here frequently show psychiatric problems e.g. anxiety, hyperactivity, deficits in
interpersonal relationships, more antisocial behaviour, cognitive impairments.
- Symptoms of psychosis are potentially dangerous, and could prevent mothers from being able to
care for their children.
Borderline personality disorder:
- Intense unstable relationships, chronic fears of abandonment, unstable self-image, impulsivity,
chronic emptiness, recurrent self-harm and suicide ideation
- Parents here are more intrusive and insensitive – less warm, overprotective, role-reversal occurs
commonly (i.e. the child has to act as the parent), lax style of discipline.
e.g. Eyden et al. (2016) – study review. Found that infants with mothers with borderline personality
disorder are more likely to have a insecure-disorganised attachment. They are more likely to have
externalising and internalising problems. They also have a poorer mental state understanding.
notes for revision
Parental psychiatric difficulties and inter-parental
conflicts
Describe the outcomes for child psychological development of living with parents suffering from
psychiatric disorders
Explain what impact inter-parental conflict can have on child psychological adjustment
Understand proposed mechanisms by which such parental problems could affect children
Depression:
- This is the most studied disorder as it is prevalent in 10% of mothers (this is relatively high).
- Affective disorder mood dysregulation, vegetative disturbances, cognitive impairments,
prolonged sadness.
- Infants difficult temperaments, lower mental and motor development, issues with stress
- Toddlers/pre-school cognitive and emotional problems, deficit in social competence,
inappropriate peer behaviour (this may influence later relationships).
- Middle childhood peer problems, psychological adjustment problems (issues with stress and
anxiety), poorer school performance
- Adolescence cognitive, social and emotional problems. General functioning issues.
- Genetics some found genetic risk (higher concordance rates in MZ twins), adopted children
also at risk (suggests effect of the environment).
- Parenting capacity depressed mothers are low in warmth and availability and often adopt a
“still face”. This causes the infants to become distressed, as their mothers do not respond to
them. A lack of turn-taking leads to a disruption in mutual coordination (this influences
emotional understanding of relationships, influencing social competencies).
- Parenting disciplinary styles (Baumrind’s Framework) - proposed 4 styles of parenting (all ranging
in levels of warmth and responsiveness): permissive, neglectful, authoritarian and authoritative
(best – high in warmth and responsiveness). Authoritative parents control their child’s behaviour
through negotiation, rather than punishment and exertion of power. These children are more
likely to be self-controlled, responsible, cooperative and self-reliant.
e.g. Weissman et al. (2006) – 150 children with MDD parents were followed for 20 years. Results
found that they were 3x more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when compared with
controls.
e.g. Jameson et al. (1997) – investigated play interactions across mothers who were depressed and
mothers without depression, with their 1-2-year old children. Results found that non-depressed
mothers were quick to respond to infant’s attention switch, whereas depressed mothers were not
good at this. Depressed mothers were more inclined to withdraw due to a lack of maternal
sensitivity.
e.g. Murray (1992) – investigated mothers with postnatal depression and their infants. Results found
that the infant was more likely to be insecurely attached (internal working models of depression and
insecure attachment are similar).
, e.g. Papp et al. (2005) – parental distress is associated with higher parental rejection and lower
psychological autonomy. These associations are likely reciprocal. Depressed mothers submit or use
force to obtain compliance as this is low-effort. This is used by parents of aggressive children (linked
to inter-parental conflict).
e.g. Downey and Coyne (1990) – inter-parental conflict best predicts conduct disorder but parental
depression increases risk of child depression.
Anxiety disorders:
- E.g. panic disorders, phobias, OCD, GAD – high comorbidity with depression.
- Offspring are 7x more likely to have an anxiety disorder (this is increased when the parent
suffers from both anxiety and depression).
- Level of anxiety in children is thought to be associated with attachment type – attachment type
is dependent on mother’s level of anxiety.
e.g. Murray et al. (2012) – infants had to take part in either a socially stressful task, a generally
stressful task or a neutral task. Mothers with anxiety and control mothers were assessed for their
helping behaviours. Results found that mothers with social anxiety disorder -their children performed
worse in the socially stressful task, whereas the mothers with GAD – their children performed worse
in the generally stressful task.
e.g. Schneider et al. (2009) – infants and mothers had to take part in the etch-a-sketch tasks. Results
found that mothers with panic disorder were more controlling, critical and less sensitive towards
their child.
e.g. Del Carmen et al. (1993) – insecure attachments are more likely in children with anxious parents.
Prenatal anxiety is found to be the best predictor of attachment type.
Schizophrenia:
- This is less studied – is this due to lower prevalence? Less willing to participate? Harder to
diagnose? Children in care?
- There are similar patterns here as with parents with depression – therefore, it has been
questioned that effects on children are simply based on the presence of ANY psychiatric
disorder.
- There is some genetic component – MZ twins concordance rates are between 40 and 60%.
- Infants here frequently show psychiatric problems e.g. anxiety, hyperactivity, deficits in
interpersonal relationships, more antisocial behaviour, cognitive impairments.
- Symptoms of psychosis are potentially dangerous, and could prevent mothers from being able to
care for their children.
Borderline personality disorder:
- Intense unstable relationships, chronic fears of abandonment, unstable self-image, impulsivity,
chronic emptiness, recurrent self-harm and suicide ideation
- Parents here are more intrusive and insensitive – less warm, overprotective, role-reversal occurs
commonly (i.e. the child has to act as the parent), lax style of discipline.
e.g. Eyden et al. (2016) – study review. Found that infants with mothers with borderline personality
disorder are more likely to have a insecure-disorganised attachment. They are more likely to have
externalising and internalising problems. They also have a poorer mental state understanding.
