A longitudinal study investigated maternal social support and its relationship to mother/child stress, the amount of stimulation provided the child, and the child's cognitive development. The data presented here represent the 18 to 24 month follow-up on a subset of families studied in 1981 and 1982 concerning current maternal social support and…

An attempt is made to integrate existing theories of family violence by introducing the concept of family role stress. Role stressors may be defined as factors inhibiting the enactment of family roles. Multiple regression analyses were performed on data from 190 families to test a hypothesis involving the prediction of negative discipline at…

Exploring the stresses and dangers substitute mothering may pose to a toddler's personality development, this paper points out behavioral hallmarks of toddlerhood, describes the main developmental tasks toddlers have to master, and discusses factors that facilitate healthy development during this phase. Special emphasis is given to the most…

A study was undertaken to examine the relationship among parenting stress, maternal and child health, and medical utilization. Participants were patients from a large group pediatric practice. Mothers (N=56) of patients completed the Parenting Stress Index. Twelve months after completion of the Parenting Stress Index, subjects were assessed using…

This study examined correlations between temperament and demanding behavior in toddlers. Subjects were eight mothers and their children from 18 to 27 months of age. Mothers were interviewed in their homes and completed the Toddler Temperament Scale and the Parenting Stress Index. Mother-child interactions were videotaped for the duration of the…

Within the framework of the social stress and behavioral theories of depression, this study investigated the hypothesis that postpartum depression is a function of disruption of parents' prepartum functioning by the subsequent demands of infant caretaking. Seventy-eight primiparous married couples (N=156, 78 men and 78 women) volunteered to…

Patterns of attachment in preschool-age children were investigated in a nonexperimental, naturally occurring stressful situation. The sample included 86 families with at least one child 18 to 54 months of age. In each family, the mother planned to deliver another child in a hospital birthing center. Separation from the mother during admission was…

The interpersonal linkages between adult children, their parents, and society are complex. In order to measure the levels of stress and satisfaction present in the relationship of young-adult daughters and their mothers, the Parent-Adult Child Relationships Inventory was administered to 163 mother-daughter pairs. The daughters were 18 to 25 years…

This study investigated the diverse family systems of Head Start children, specifically: (1) Do families of Caucasian and African American Head Start children experience parenting stress?; (2) Is perceived lack of parental competence associated with child-related stress in families of African American and Caucasian Head Start children?; and (3) Is…

The role of play in disabled and nondisabled toddlers was investigated and the impact of maternal stress on the dynamics of mother-child interactions was evaluated in a study involving 20 mother-toddler dyads (10 of which consisted of physically disabled toddlers and their mothers). Results of interviews revealed that mothers of disabled children…

A 3-year longitudinal study of children at risk for depression was completed, studying children (aged 8-16) of unipolar depressed, bipolar, chronically medically ill, and normal women. Nearly 100 children from 68 families were included, and the psychiatric status and functioning of the mothers and children were studied at 6-month intervals.…

An investigation was undertaken in an effort to further understand the role of young, traditional dual-parent families. A total of 249 parents were asked to complete the Iowa Parent Behavior Inventory. Responses were categorized into parent involvement, limit setting, responsivity, reasoned guidance, free expression (mothers only), and intimacy.…

This investigation explored relationships between parenting stress, dyadic adjustment, and social support in families with normal healthy infants of 18 months of age. It was expected that parenting stress would be high when social support was absent and that this would be related to poor marital relationships. Participants were 34 families…

This literature review compares the adjustment of mothers and fathers to the stress resulting from having a child with a disability. The ABCX model developed by Hill was selected for the analysis due to its emphasis on the response to stress in general of both the family as a whole and of individual family members. The model distinguishes between…

This study was undertaken to assess the impact of children's behaviors on employed parents' adjustment and to test a specific model of how spouse support may facilitate coping with the stress of a difficult child. It was hypothesized that child behavioral difficulty and spouse support would affect maternal depression through the mediation of…