Amber D. Rieder

Parents with histories of psychopathology, trauma, and systemic stressors are at elevated risk for emotion dysregulation, a modifiable driver of child maltreatment. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) offers transdiagnostic skills that may reduce this risk; however, the evidence for DBT-informed parenting interventions has not been synthesized. This Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses-guided systematic review examined how such interventions are designed, implemented, and evaluated. PubMed, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE were searched from inception to February 2026. Eligible studies were empirical evaluations of DBT-informed parenting programmes for caregivers of children, reporting parent, parenting, or child outcomes; case studies and non-empirical reports were excluded. Of 109 full texts screened, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were coded for intervention characteristics, DBT module coverage (including the use of behaviour chain analysis [BCA], risk of bias (ROBINS-I), and parent and parenting outcomes. Interventions were typically brief (6–14 weeks), group-based, and clinician-delivered; all included mindfulness, and most included emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Notably, only one study explicitly reported utilizing BCA. Caregivers showed reductions in emotion dysregulation, depression, anxiety, and parenting stress, alongside decreases in coercive or harsh parenting and gains in validation, effective discipline, and parent–child communication. Evidence was derived primarily from small, uncontrolled pilots; risk of bias was commonly rated as serious, and the overall certainty of evidence was low. Rigorous controlled trials with diverse caregivers are needed. DBT-informed parenting programmes show promise for reducing risk factors associated with maltreatment.

In this pilot study, we tested a virtual family strengthening and mental health promotion intervention, Coping Together (CT), during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored changes at the family and individual levels, as well as mechanisms of change. Participants included 18 families (24 caregivers, 24 youth) with children aged 7 to 18 years. Community health workers delivered the 8-session CT intervention using videoconferencing software. We used qualitative semi-structured interviews with 14 of the families to explore changes and mechanisms of change using a thematic content analysis approach. We also administered pre-post surveys with the 18 families to explore the direction of changes, using only descriptive statistics in this small sample. Qualitative findings supported positive changes across family and individual level outcomes including family functioning, relationship quality, and individual psychosocial well-being. Results also confirmed several hypothesized mechanisms of change with improved communication providing the foundation for increased hope and improved problem solving and coping. Pre-post survey results were mixed, showing positive, but very small, changes in family closeness, caregiver-child communication, and levels of hope; almost no change was observed on measures of caregiver and child mental health. Families reported few problems at baseline quantitatively despite qualitative descriptions of pre-intervention difficulties. Results provide preliminary support for benefits of CT with the most consistent improvements seen across family relationships. Findings were mixed related to individual-level mental health benefits. Results have implications for revising content on mental health coping strategies and suggest the need to revise the quantitative measurement strategy for this non-clinical sample.

Objectives Guided by the bioecological model, the purpose of this study was to examine the associations of (1) individual level factors (sociodemographic, health behaviour and mental health), (2) family (micro) level COVID-19 experiences (difficulty with household management, managing child mood and behaviour, and pandemic-related positive experiences) and (3) community (macro) level factors (residential instability, ethnic concentration, material deprivation and dependency, an indicator of age and labour force) with harsh parenting practices and inter-partner conflict during the early lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada. Design A cross-sectional analysis of data from the Ontario Parent Survey. Setting A convenience sample of 7451 caregivers living in Ontario, Canada, at the time of baseline data collection (May–June 2020). Participants Caregivers aged 18 years and older with children 17 years or younger. Outcome measures Parenting practices over the past 2 months was assessed using a published modification of the Parenting Scale. The frequency of inter-partner conflict over the past month was assessed using the Marital Conflict scale. Results Individual (sociodemographic factors, alcohol use, and higher depressive and anxiety symptoms) and family (difficulties with managing the household and child mood and behaviour) level factors were positively associated with inter-partner conflict and harsh parenting practices. Having fewer positive experiences (eg, performing activities with children), and economic adversity at the family level were positively associated with inter-partner conflict but inversely associated with harsh parenting. At the community level, residential instability was negatively associated with harsh parenting practices. Conclusions Individual and family level factors were associated with harsh parenting and inter-partner conflict. The associations of fewer positive experiences and economic hardship with harsh parenting practices may be more complex than initially thought. Efforts that raise awareness and address caregiver mental health concerns are needed as part of the pandemic response to promote positive inter-partner and parent-child interactions.

Children in conflict-affected settings are at increased risk for exposure to violence, placing particular importance on caregiving environments. This study first describes parenting in urban Liberia by evaluating parent-child interactions, the use and acceptance of harsh and nonharsh discipline, discipline preferences, and the co-occurrence of positive interactions and harsh discipline. The relationship between parenting stress and harsh discipline attitudes and behaviors is then tested. Participants included 813 parents with a child aged 3 or 4 years old. A quantitative survey battery assessed parent-child interactions; discipline practices, preferences, and attitudes; and parenting stress. Parents reported frequent use and high acceptance of nonharsh discipline, as well as frequent positive interactions with their child. Though parents reported less frequent use and low acceptance of harsh discipline, preference for harsh discipline-based on hypothetical situations rather than self-report-was common. There was co-occurrence of frequent positive interactions and frequent harsh discipline, with one third reporting high frequency of both. Regression analysis revealed greater parenting stress (β = .15, t = 4.49, p < .001) and stronger acceptance of harsh discipline (β = .47, t = 15.49, p < .001) were associated with more frequent harsh discipline. Acceptance of harsh discipline interacted with parenting stress to predict the use of harsh discipline (β = -.09, t = -3.09, p < .01). Among parents with lowest average acceptance of harsh practices, stress predicted more frequent harsh discipline, but acceptance did not moderate the association for those who are most accepting of harsh practices. Building on existing parenting strengths and addressing parenting stress could promote nurturing caregiving in conflict-affected settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Mothers in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC) suffer heightened vulnerability for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which is exacerbated by the multitude of risk factors associated with poverty and may lead to increased risk of psychiatric disorder. The constellation of complex, co‐occurring biological, environmental, social, economic and psychological risk factors are in turn transmitted to her child, conferring vulnerability for adverse development. This study examines the association between maternal intra‐ and extra‐familial ACEs, maternal education and the mental health of her child, mediated by maternal mental health. Mother‐child dyads (n = 121) in Machakos, Kenya were examined cross‐sectionally using self‐report measures of ACEs, maternal mental health and child internalizing and externalizing mental health problems. The four models proposed to examine the relationship between intra‐ and extra‐familial maternal ACEs and child internalizing and externalizing problems demonstrated indirect pathways through maternal mental health. These effects were found to be conditional on levels of maternal education, which served as a protective factor at lower levels of maternal ACEs. These models demonstrate how the impact of ACEs persists across the lifespan resulting in a negative impact on maternal mental health and conferring further risk to subsequent generations. Elucidating the association between ACEs and subsequent intergenerational sequelae, especially in LMIC where risk is heightened, may improve targeted caregiver mental health programs for prevention and intervention.