Search

Purpose: Maternal perinatal social support is theorised to promote offspring social-emotional development, yet few studies have prospectively examined this relationship. Findings may inform preventative intervention efforts, to support a healthy start to emotional life. Methods: This study examined whether maternal social support perinatally predicts infant social-emotional development at 12 months of age in two longitudinal cohort studies: The Australian Temperament Project (ATP) (n = 1,052 mother-infant dyads [653 mothers, Mage_at_birth = 32.03, 88% Australian-born; 1,052 infants, 52% girls]) and The Triple B Pregnancy Cohort Study (Triple B) (n = 1,537 dyads [1,498 mothers, Mage_at_birth = 32.53, 56% Australian-born; 1,537 infants, 49% girls]). Social support was assessed at pregnancy (third trimester) and eight-weeks post-birth. Infant social-emotional competencies (ATP: Brief Infant and Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), Competencies Scale; Triple B: Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Social Emotional Scale) and problems (ATP: BITSEA, Problems Scale; Triple B: Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional Scale), were assessed at 12-months of age. Results: In ATP, social support was associated with lower offspring problems (pregnancy: β = -0.15; post-birth: β = -0.12) and greater competencies (pregnancy: β = 0.12; post-birth: β = 0.16) at 12 months. In Triple B, social support also predicted lower offspring problems (pregnancy: β = -0.11; post-birth: β = -0.07) and greater competencies (pregnancy: β = 0.07) at 12 months. Findings did not indicate an association between support at eight-weeks post-birth and subsequent competencies (β = 0.06). Conclusions: Evidence suggests that perinatal social support promotes healthy infant social and emotional development. These results underscore the critical importance of social support for mothers transitioning into parenthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We examine precursors of child emotional distress during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a prospective intergenerational Australian cohort study. Methods: Parents (N = 549, 60% mothers) of 934 1–9‐year‐old children completed a COVID‐19 specific module in 2020 and/or 2021. Decades prior, a broad range of individual, relational and contextual factors were assessed during parents' own childhood, adolescence and young adulthood (7–8 to 27–28 years old; 1990–2010) and again when their children were 1 year old (2012–2019). Results: After controlling for pre‐pandemic socio‐emotional behaviour problems, COVID‐19 child emotional distress was associated with a range of pre‐pandemic parental life course factors including internalising difficulties, lower conscientiousness, social skills problems, poorer relational health and lower trust and tolerance. Additionally, in the postpartum period, pre‐pandemic parental internalising difficulties, lower parental warmth, lower cooperation and fewer behavioural competencies predicted child COVID‐19 emotional distress. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of taking a larger, intergenerational perspective to better equip young populations for future adversities. This involves not only investing in child, adolescent, and young adult emotional and relational health, but also in parents raising young families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Feelings of shame are linked to increased risk for depression. Little is known about protective factors that may buffer this effect, particularly in men. Using prospective data from a community sample of Australian men, we examine the extent to which shame is associated with depressive symptoms, and the protective role of psychological wellbeing, specifically environmental mastery and purpose in life. Methods: Participants (n = 448) were from the longitudinal Men and Parenting Pathways (MAPP) Study. Measures were the Event Related Shame and Guilt Scale for shame, the DASS-21 for depressive symptoms and Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being for environmental mastery and purpose in life. Linear regressions were used to test associations between shame and depressive symptoms concurrently and 1-year later, and the moderating effects of mastery and purpose in life. Results: Shame was strongly associated with concurrent depressive symptoms (βunadj =.76, p <.001; βadj =.63, p <.001). This effect was weaker in men with high compared to low environmental mastery (β+1 SD =.46, p <.001; β−1 SD =.55, p <.001) and purpose in life (β+1 SD =.48, p <.001; β−1 SD =.62, p <.001). Shame also predicted subsequent depressive symptoms after adjustment for prior depressive symptoms (βunadj =.59, p =.001; βadj =.34, p =.004), although environmental mastery or purpose in life did not moderate these associations. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that promoting a sense of psychological wellbeing in men may confer protective proximal effects in the context of shame, potentially attenuating depression severity. The current study aligns with calls for strength-based approaches to reducing mental health problems in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Here, we report new prevalence and temporal stability data for child attachment and parental caregiving behaviour, from infancy (1 year) to preschool (4 years). Methods: Attachment (SSP) and caregiving data (MBQS) were from observations of parents and their infants and preschoolers, who represent the third generation of participants within an Australian longitudinal cohort. Results: At 1 year (n = 314 dyads) and at 4 years (n = 368 dyads), proportions assessed secure were 59% and 71%, respectively. Proportions assessed avoidant were 15% and 11%; ambivalent 9% and 6%, and disorganised 17% and 12%, at 1 and 4 years. Continuity of attachment pattern was highest for the infant secure group. Of dyads initially classified disorganised in infancy, 36% remained so at the preschool assessment. Attachment and caregiving continuities across the infancy–preschool period were highest for the stable secure attachment group and lowest for the stable insecure attachment group. Loss of secure attachment to mother by age 4 years correlated with decreased maternal caregiving sensitivity, and acquisition of secure status by age 4 was associated with increased maternal sensitivity. We found no difference in caregiving sensitivity scores for mothers and fathers for female and male preschool children. Conclusions: The contemporary infant and preschool attachment proportions we report here closely mirror the patterns of those reported in prior decades, with an inclination towards secure base relationships. Our findings alert practitioners anew to the responsiveness of early attachment status to change in caregiving responsiveness and support ongoing investment in early identification of disorganised attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romantic and peer relationships both contribute to overall well-being; however, each demand time and emotional investment that may give rise to competition. Little is known about how men, in particular, balance these relationships. We explored the extent to which men's investments in peer relationships are associated with romantic relationship quality. We further examined differences between fathers and non-fathers. Data were from five annual waves of the Men and Parenting Pathways cohort study (N = 608). Participants were men in committed relationships (n = 526) aged 28-32 years at baseline (M = 29.91, SD = 1.3). In cross-sectional, linear regressions, estimated using Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE; to account for repeated waves), we investigated peer network investments, (1) time (hours) spent with peers, (2) close network size, and (3) extended network size, and their associations with romantic relationship quality, self-reported using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Inverted U-shaped associations were found for time spent with peers and close network size, whereby increases in investment were associated with improved relationship quality up to a "tipping point", following which declines in quality are observed. For extended social networks, the association was linear, such that larger networks were linked to higher romantic relationship quality; however, this association was only evident in fathers. Investing too little or too much in peer relationships may adversely impact the quality of men's relationships with romantic partners. Supporting men, and particularly fathers, to maintain appropriate investment in peer networks may have benefits for their romantic relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic insecurities that emerge from adverse experiences in early intimate partner relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood can have profound impacts on mental health and well‐being. Less clear is the extent to which these experiences for parents impact subsequent relationships within and across generations. We examine the extent to which secure, dismissing, pre‐occupied, and fearful intimate partner relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood, well before becoming a parent, are associated with next‐generation patterns of attachment between mothers and infant offspring. Data were drawn from a nested study of infant–mother attachment (n = 220) within the Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study (N = 1167, est. 1983). Intimate partner relationships in adolescence and young adulthood were assessed by self‐report at 23–24 years of age. Over a decade later, infant–mother attachment security was assessed at 12 months post‐partum. Young adult intimate partner relationships defined by high levels of fearful, pre‐occupied, and dismissing attachment styles were reported in 11%, 17%, and 38% of young mothers, respectively. Increases in fear of intimacy in relationships were associated with an increase in the odds, by around 50%, of infant–mother insecure attachments (vs secure; OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.07, 2.28) and disorganised attachments (vs organised; OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.00, 2.22). A mother's self‐reported history of fear of intimacy within young adult relationships predicts later insecure and disorganised mother–infant attachments. Guidance and greater support for young people navigating their earliest intimate relationships may not only prevent adverse relational experiences at the time but also on becoming a parent. Findings have relevance for family and infant mental health therapies. Translating these findings into supported conversations may help prevent infant–mother attachment difficulties, or later repair them, through validation of the lingering effects of early fear of intimacy and empowerment of parents to prevent next‐generation infant experiences of distrust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Alcohol is a major modifiable risk factor for female breast cancer, with breast cancer risk now associated with substantially lower consumption levels than those previously deemed safe. This study sought to measure risky drinking among women attending breast screening services in Australia according to new national alcohol guidelines and to compare daily, weekly and recent (past 12 months) consumption to Australian gender and age population norms. Design, Setting and Participants: This study was a retrospective analysis of cross‐sectional data from the Lifepool Project (collected October 2011–January 2016) in Victoria, Australia, comprising a convenience sample of women attending breast screening services aged 40+ years. Measurements: Typical and heavy alcohol consumption patterns over the previous 12 months (frequency, quantity), socio‐demographic (e.g. age, education) and health‐related (e.g. menopause status, breast cancer history) characteristics. Primary outcomes were the proportion of women drinking at a level exceeding new guidelines for weekly and daily alcohol consumption. Findings Of 49 240 women, mean age was 59.94 years (standard deviation = 7.14, range = 40–94 years). Most women had consumed alcohol during the past 12 months [41 628, 85.48%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 85.16, 85.79]. One in five women (8464, 18.34%, 95% CI = 17.99, 18.69) were drinking at a level exceeding new national guidelines for weekly consumption (i.e. greater than 10 standard drinks per week), and one in six (7446, 15.60%, 95% CI = 15.28, 15.93) were exceeding new guidelines for consumption on a single day (i.e. greater than four standard drinks on any 1 day, more than once per month). The proportion of women in this sample drinking daily (4.21–11.19%), weekly (34.73–50.71%) and in the past 12 months (74.96–90.81%) was significantly greater among nearly all age groups (by decade), compared with Australian gender and age norms [drinking daily (3.4–9.1%), weekly (27.1–37.6%) and in the past 12 months (64.4–81.9%)]. Conclusions: There appears to be a high prevalence of risky alcohol consumption among a large convenience sample of breast screening service clients in Australia using new national alcohol guidelines introduced in December 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study assessed the extent to which women's preconception binge drinking, tobacco use and cannabis use, reported prospectively in adolescence and young adulthood, predicted use of these substances during pregnancy and at 1 year postpartum. Methods: Data were pooled from two intergenerational cohort studies: the Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study (395 mothers, 691 pregnancies) and the Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (398 mothers, 609 pregnancies). Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use were assessed in adolescence (13–18 years), young adulthood (19–29 years) and at ages 29–35 years for those transitioning to parenthood. Exposures were weekly or more frequent preconception binge drinking (5 + drinks in one session), tobacco use and cannabis use. Outcomes were any alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use prior to awareness of the pregnancy, after awareness of pregnancy (up to and including the third trimester pregnancy) and at 1 year postpartum. Results: Frequent preconception binge drinking, tobacco use and cannabis use across both adolescence and young adulthood were strong predictors of continued use post-conception, before and after awareness of the pregnancy and at 1 year postpartum. Substance use limited to young adulthood also predicted continued use post-conception. Conclusions: Persistent alcohol, tobacco use and cannabis use that starts in adolescence has a strong continuity into parenthood. Reducing substance use in the perinatal period requires action well before pregnancy, commencing in adolescence and continuing into the years before conception and throughout the perinatal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To control a second-wave COVID-19 outbreak, the state of Victoria in Australia experienced one of the world's first long and strict lockdowns over July–October 2020, while the rest of Australia experienced 'COVID-normal' with minimal restrictions. We (1) investigate trajectories of parent/child mental health outcomes in Victoria vs non-Victoria and (2) identify baseline demographic, individual and COVID-19-related factors associated with mental health trajectories. Methods: Online community sample of 2004 Australian parents with rapid repeated assessment over 14 time-points over April 2020 to May 2021. Measures assessed parent mental health (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21), child depression symptoms (13-item Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) and child anxiety symptoms (four items from Brief Spence Children's Anxiety Scale). Results: Mental health trajectories shadowed COVID-19 infection rates. Victorians reported a peak in mental health symptoms at the time of the second-wave lockdown compared to other states. Key baseline predictors, including parent and child loneliness (standardized regression coefficient [β] = 0.09–0.46), parent/child diagnoses (β = 0.07–0.21), couple conflict (β = 0.07–0.18) and COVID-19 stressors, such as worry/concern about COVID-19, illness and loss of job (β = 0.12–0.15), predicted elevated trajectories. Effects of predictors on parent and child mental health trajectories are illustrated in an online interactive app for readers (https://lingtax.shinyapps.io/CPAS%5ftrend/). Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence of worse trajectories of parent and child mental health symptoms at a time coinciding with a second COVID-19 outbreak involving strict lockdown in Victoria, compared to non-locked states in Australia. We identified several baseline factors that may be useful in detecting high-risk families who are likely to require additional support early on in future lockdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We examine (1) the frequency of financial difficulties in Australian families with young children (0–8 years) in the early and later phases of the pandemic; (2) the extent to which parents' pre‐pandemic socio‐economic disadvantage (SED) predicted financial difficulties; and (3) whether grandparent intergenerational SED further amplified this risk. Method: Data: Australian Temperament Project (ATP; established 1983, N = 2443) and ATP Generation 3 study (ATPG3; established 2012; N = 702), of which 74% (N = 553) completed a COVID‐specific module in the early (May–September 2020) and/or later (October–December 2021) phases of the pandemic. Outcomes: Parent‐reported loss of employment/reduced income, difficulty paying for essentials, and financial strain. Exposures: Pre‐pandemic parent and grandparent education and occupation. Analysis: Logistic regressions, estimated via generalized estimating equations, were used to examine associations between the pre‐pandemic SED of parents and grandparents and their interaction with financial difficulties, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: At both pandemic time points, a third of parents reported adverse financial impacts (early: 34%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 30–38; later: 32%, 95% CI = 28–36). Each standard deviation increase in the parents' pre‐pandemic SED was associated with a 36% increase in the odds of reporting multiple financial difficulties (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.04–1.78). There was little evidence of an interaction between the SED of parents and grandparents. Conclusions: Financial impacts related to the COVID‐19 pandemic were common and, irrespective of grandparent SED, disproportionately borne by parents with higher pre‐pandemic SED. Given the well‐established relationship between disadvantage and child health and development, sustained and well‐targeted government supports will be critical to minimizing adverse impacts in years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nascent evidence indicates that the mental health of parents and children has markedly declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering disruptions to traditional face-to-face mental health services resultant from stay-at-home orders, the potential value of digital mental health interventions has become extremely apparent. Despite this, uptake of digital interventions remains poor, indicating that a better understanding is needed of factors that determine a willingness to use digital platforms. Method: The present multi-wave, longitudinal study of 2365 Australian parents explored between-person and within-person predictors of intentions to use digital interventions during the pandemic. Results: More than one-third of parents reported likely use of a self-guided and therapist-guided digital intervention, with the most endorsed reason for use being to support their child's mental health. Between-person baseline predictors of higher intention ratings were parent's prior mental illness, not living with a partner and recent environmental stressors. Within-person predictors of higher intention ratings were endorsement of mindful parenting strategies, child access to the Internet, better perceived management of child's education, lower social support and financial hardship. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate that willingness to engage in digital interventions fluctuates in response to changing circumstances. Identifying novel ways to increase acceptance and uptake of digital interventions based on modifiable predictors established here is needed to realize the full potential of these modes of care in times of need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Examining risk‐curves is important to understanding the degree to which indices of gambling consumption are associated with gambling‐related harm. Risk‐curves have largely been described as J‐shaped, suggesting that at low levels of consumption harm remain constant but then increase sharply at a certain threshold. Alternative methods in recent work, however, have described risk‐curves as linear and R‐shaped, indicating that risk of harm increases as consumption increases at all levels of consumption. The aim of the current study is to estimate the shape of gambling risk‐curves using competing methods. Design Systematic comparison of gambling risk‐curves using categorical (via plots) and continuous (via bootstrapped regression analyses) operationalizations of gambling consumption. Setting and participants Data were 2873 gamblers (1417 women) from the fourth Social and Economic Impact Study of Gambling in Tasmania. Measurements Gambling‐related harm was assessed using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and Short Gambling Harm Screen (SGHS). Gambling consumption was assessed as annual frequency, expenditure and expenditure as a proportion of income. Findings Categorical gambling consumption data plotted with equal magnitudes evidenced J‐shaped risk‐curves. When the magnitude of gambling categories was re‐scaled to the mid‐points, risk‐curves no longer appeared J‐shaped. Additionally, bootstrapped regression analyses using the continuous gambling consumption data did not provide evidence for J‐shaped risk‐curves. Conclusions: Gambling risk‐curves in Tasmania appear not to be J‐shaped, but rather suggest that risk of gambling‐related harm increases with even small increases in gambling consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rates of common mental health problems (depression/anxiety) rise sharply in adolescence and peak in young adulthood, often coinciding with the transition to parenthood. Little is known regarding the persistence of common mental health problems from adolescence to the perinatal period in both mothers and fathers. Methods: A total of 393 mothers (686 pregnancies) and 257 fathers (357 pregnancies) from the intergenerational Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study completed self-report assessments of depression and anxiety in adolescence (ages 13–14, 15–16, 17–18 years) and young adulthood (ages 19–20, 23–24, 27–28 years). The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms at 32 weeks pregnancy and 12 months postpartum in mothers, and at 12 months postpartum in fathers. Results: Most pregnancies (81%) in which mothers reported perinatal depression were preceded by a history of mental health problems in adolescence or young adulthood. Similarly, most pregnancies (83%) in which fathers reported postnatal depression were preceded by a preconception history of mental health problems. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds of self-reporting perinatal depression in both women and men were consistently higher in those with a history of persistent mental health problems across adolescence and young adulthood than those without (ORwomen 5.7, 95% CI 2.9–10.9; ORmen 5.5, 95% CI 1.03–29.70). Conclusions: Perinatal depression, for the majority of parents, is a continuation of mental health problems with onsets well before pregnancy. Strategies to promote good perinatal mental health should start before parenthood and include both men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed considerable pressure on families, testing the quality of relationships and the strength of social support within and beyond the family network. However, little is known about the pre-pandemic factors that predict family relational resilience and social functioning during times of natural disaster or global crisis. Here we use data from one of Australia's longest running studies of social and emotional development to examine the nature and timing of possible relational and social support intervention aimed at preparing families for future adversities. Methods: Data were from the Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 (ATPG3) Study, a population representative three generation cohort study of families established in 1983. A subset of Generation 2 parents completed a COVID-19 specific survey in May-September 2020 (502 parents of 871 children; 60% mothers; 37–38 years). These participants had completed the Quality of Relationships Inventory to assess social support during young adulthood, at 23–24 years (2006) and 27–28 years (2010), before next generation conception. Participants had also completed the Maternity Social Support Scale 1 year postpartum for each child born across the ATPG3 assessment period (2012–2019). In 2020, during the height of the Australian lockdowns, participants rated the quality of their relationships with their partners, children and broader family and friends, in addition to social support within and extended beyond their family. Results: Pre-pandemic partner support was associated with partner relationship quality during the pandemic (β = 0.22). Pre-pandemic support from friends was associated with relationship quality with other family and friends during the pandemic (β = 0.12 – 0.18). Pre-pandemic support (from partner, family and friends) was consistently associated with social support within families during the pandemic (β = 0.11 – 0.21). Pre-pandemic support from friends was also associated with family support extended to others within their local community during the pandemic (β = 0.12 – 0.13). Conclusions: Strengthening supportive relationships during major life transitions, prior to the start of family life and in early parenthood, may have long-term and intergenerational benefits years into the future for both families and communities. This may promote resilience during future crises and other more normative stressful life events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant risks to the mental health and wellbeing of Australian families. Employment and economic uncertainty, chronic stress, anxiety, and social isolation are likely to have negative impacts on parent mental health, couple and family relationships, as well as child health and development. Objective: This study aims to: (1) provide timely information on the mental health impacts of the emerging COVID-19 crisis in a close to representative sample of Australian parents and children (0–18 years), (2) identify adults and families most at risk of poor mental health outcomes, and (3) identify factors to target through clinical and public health intervention to reduce risk. Specifically, this study will investigate the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with increased risk for parents' mental health, lower well-being, loneliness, and alcohol use; parent-parent and parent-child relationships (both verbal and physical); and child and adolescent mental health problems. Methods: The study aims to recruit a close to representative sample of at least 2,000 adults aged 18 years and over living in Australia who are parents of a child 0–4 years (early childhood, N = 400), 5–12 years (primary school N = 800), and 13–18 years (secondary school, N = 800). The design will be a longitudinal cohort study using an online recruitment methodology. Participants will be invited to complete an online baseline self-report survey (20 min) followed by a series of shorter online surveys (10 min) scheduled every 2 weeks for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., estimated to be 14 surveys over 6 months). Results: The study will employ post stratification weights to address differences between the final sample and the national population in geographic communities across Australia. Associations will be analyzed using multilevel modeling with time-variant and time-invariant predictors of change in trajectory over the testing period. Conclusions: This study will provide timely information on the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on parents and children in Australia; identify communities, parents, families, and children most at risk of poor outcomes; and identify potential factors to address in clinical and public health interventions to reduce risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most but not all adults become parents, yet it remains unclear which characteristics indicate an orientation toward parenting. The aims of this study were to (a) distinguish profiles of individual and interpersonal resources in young adults that may orient them toward parenthood and (b) investigate whether profiles predicted timing of entering parenthood, postpartum parenting behavior, and parent–infant bonding. Participants were 1,429 young people (53% female) enrolled in an Australian 39-year longitudinal study. Predictor data for latent profile analysis were collected at 23–24 and 27–28 years. Parenthood timing was designated as "early" ≤25 years, "on-time" >25 years, and "not a parent" by age 37 years. Parenting outcomes were assessed at 12 months postpartum in 684 parents of 1,144 children. Four-profile classes were identified: "connected" (n = 463, 32.4%), "constricted empathy" (n = 461, 32.3%), "insecure" (n = 343, 24%), and "disconnected" (n = 162, 11.3%). Connected young adults were characterized by close ties to family of origin and peers and by identity clarity and empathy. Connected participants were more likely than those in insecure and disconnected classes to be parents by 37 years and more likely to enter parenthood "on-time" compared to "early" parenthood in the constricted empathy class. Among those who became parents, the connected class reported the strongest bonds and warmest parenting and was least anxious or hostile in parenting their infants. Findings provide insights into preconception patterns among variables that together predict reproductive timing, postpartum bonding, and quality of parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the cumulative effect of adolescent and young adult mental health difficulties and substance use problems on gambling behaviour in adulthood. We use data from one of Australia's longest running studies of social and emotional development to examine the extent to which: (1) mental health symptoms (depressive and anxiety symptoms) and substance use (weekly binge drinking, tobacco, and cannabis use) from adolescence (13–18 years) into young adulthood (19–28 years) predict gambling problems in adulthood (31–32 years); and (2) risk relationships differ by sex. Analyses were based on responses from 1365 adolescent and young adult participants, spanning seven waves of data collection (1998–2014). Persistent adolescent to young adult binge drinking, tobacco use and cannabis use predicted gambling at age 31–32 years (OR = 2.30–3.42). Binge drinking and tobacco use in young adulthood also predicted gambling at age 31–32 years (OR = 2.04–2.54). Prior mental health symptoms were not associated with gambling and no risk relationships differed by sex. Findings suggest that gambling problems in adulthood may be related to the earlier development of other addictive behaviours, and that interventions targeting substance use from adolescence to young adulthood may confer additional gains in preventing later gambling behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine (1) the subjective wellbeing of Australian parents raising children and adolescents (0-18 years) during April 2020 'stage three' COVID-19 restrictions, in comparison with parents assessed over 18-years prior to the pandemic; and (2) socio-demographic and COVID-19 predictors of subjective wellbeing during the pandemic.Methods: Cross-sectional data were from the COVID-19 Pandemic Adjustment Survey (CPAS, N = 2365 parents of a child 0-18 years, 8-28th April 2020); and a pre-pandemic national database containing 18 years of annual surveys collected in 2002-2019 (N = 17,529 parents).Results: Levels of subjective wellbeing during the pandemic were considerably lower than ratings prior to the pandemic (Personal Wellbeing Index, mean[SD] = 65.3 [17.0]; compared to [SD] = 75.8 [11.9], p < 0.001). During the pandemic, lower subjective wellbeing was associated with low education (adjusted regression coefficient, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = -5.19, -0.93), language other-than-English (95% CI = -7.22, -1.30), government benefit (95% CI = -6.99, -0.96), single parents (95% CI = -8.84, -4.59), child neurodevelopmental condition (95% CI = -3.44, -0.76), parent physical/mental health problems (95% CI = -3.23, -0.67), COVID-environmental stressors (95% CI = -3.48, -2.44), and fear/worry about COVID-19 (95% CI = -8.13, -5.96). Unexpectedly, parent engagement with news media about the pandemic was associated with higher subjective wellbeing (95% CI = 0.35, 1.61).Conclusion: Subjective wellbeing in parents raising children aged 0-18 years appears to be disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions in Australia. Specific at-risk groups, for which government intervention may be warranted, include parents in socially disadvantaged contexts, parents with pre-existing mental health difficulties, and parents facing significant COVID-19-related work changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, there is growing attention on links between social isolation and mental health problems. Here, we use unique Australian longitudinal data to investigate associations between adult men's (n = 507; age M = 29.90, SD = 1.31) social network investments and their concurrent and subsequent mental health problems. In linear regressions, using generalised estimating equations (GEEs), we examined associations between social network investment (time with friends, network size and various activities with friends) and mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety and stress) across five timepoints. Models were adjusted for waves of outcome and potential confounders. Cross-sectionally, each social network investment variable, except for drinking with friends, was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Men's extended friendship network size and sharing a meal with friends were negatively associated with concurrent anxiety and stress. Time spent and physical activity with friends was also negatively associated with concurrent stress. In longitudinal analyses, after adjusting for prior depressive symptoms, only the number of friends in close and extended networks remained protective against depressive symptoms 1 year later. Results did not differ by fatherhood or relationship status. Programs designed to strengthen men's investment in social networks are recommended to reduce men's depressive symptoms., (© 2023 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.)

Background: There has been widespread interest in the implications of COVID-19 containment measures on the mental health of parents. Most of this research has focused on risk. Much less is known about resilience; yet such studies are key to protecting populations during major crises. Here we map precursors of resilience using life course data spanning three decades., Methods: The Australian Temperament Project commenced in 1983 and now follows three generations. Parents (N = 574, 59 % mothers) raising young children completed a COVID-19 specific module in the early (May-September 2020) and/or later (October-December, 2021) phases of the pandemic. Decades prior, parents had been assessed across a broad range of individual, relational and contextual risk and promotive factors during childhood (7-8 years to 11-12 years), adolescence (13-14 years to 17-18 years) and young adulthood (19-20 years to 27-28 years). Regressions examined the extent to which these factors predicted mental health resilience, operationalised as lower than expected anxiety and depressive symptoms during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic symptoms., Results: Parent mental health resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic was consistently predicted by several factors assessed decades before the pandemic. These included lower ratings of internalizing difficulties, less difficult temperament/personality traits and stressful life events, and higher ratings of relational health., Limitations: The study included 37-39-year-old Australian parents with children age between 1 and 10 years., Discussion: Results identified psychosocial indicators across the early life course that, if replicated, could constitute targets for long-term investment to maximise mental health resilience during future pandemics and crises., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We examined the factor structure of parental sensitivity to infants as assessed by the Mini-Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (Mini-MBQS), a 25-item short-form of the original 90-item MBQS. We aimed to: (1) identify latent factors of the Mini-MBQS; and (2) validate each factor by testing associations with infant attachment classifications. Data on parent-infant dyads (n = 313; 222 mothers with 281 children, 29 fathers with 32 children) were drawn from a three-generation Australian cohort study. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling examined the structure of the Mini-MBQS. Two latent Mini-MBQS factors were identified, requiring 8 of 25 original items: (1) Attention and Responsiveness and (2) Contingency in Interactions. Infants with insecure attachment classifications had parents with lower sensitivity across both factors relative to infants classified secure. In particular, infants with resistant attachment classifications had parents with notably low Contingency in Interactions scores. Infants with disorganised attachment classifications had parents with the lowest relative sensitivity across both factors, and in these dyads Attention and Responsiveness scores were especially low. Results provide an empirically derived factor structure for the Mini-MBQS. Two subscales, each with significant infant attachment associations, may improve precision in clinical intervention and research translation., (© 2022 The Authors. Infancy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Congress of Infant Studies.)

Objective: Childhood physical illnesses have been associated with heightened risk for mental health problems in adolescence and young adulthood; however, little is known about the natural history of this relationship. Here, we examine the nature of mental health adjustment to illness from diagnosis in childhood into adolescence and young adult life., Methods: Data were drawn from a large population-based cohort. Parents reported whether their child had a physical illness at 5-6 and 7-8 years and whether they believed their child was so sick it was thought they might die. Depression and anxiety symptoms were reported by parents (for children 7-10 years) and self-reports (11-28 years)., Results: A total of 1,001 (56%) parents reported their child had a physical illness. Of these parents, 143 (8%) believed their child might die. Findings indicated there was some evidence of higher levels of depressive and anxious symptoms across late childhood and into early adolescence for those reporting a physical illness in childhood. A similar pattern was observed for those who were so sick it was thought they might die, although symptoms were elevated to a greater extent., Conclusion: Although physical illness in middle childhood is associated with higher levels of depressive and anxious symptoms, by early adolescence, these differences diminish, indicating a process of adaptation that persists into young adulthood. This suggests a potentially sensitive period of adjustment to illness for some, especially for children who it was feared might die. Additional psychosocial assessment and support may be warranted across the "acute" illness period., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study examined whether positive development (PD) in adolescence and young adulthood predicts offspring behavior in two Australasian intergenerational cohorts. The Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study assessed PD at age 19-28 (years 2002-2010) and behavior in 1165 infants (12-18 months; 608 girls) of 694 Australian-born parents (age 29-35; 2012-2019; 399 mothers). The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Parenting Study assessed PD at age 15-18 (years 1987-1991) and behavior in 695 preschoolers (3-5 years; 349 girls) and their New Zealand born parents (age 21-46; 1994-2018; 363 mothers; 89% European ethnicity). In both cohorts, PD before parenthood predicted more positive offspring behavior (β range  = .11-.16) and fewer behavior problems (β range  = -.09 to -.11). Promoting strengths may secure a healthy start to life., (© 2022 The Authors. Child Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Research in Child Development.)

Purpose: The Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study (ATPG3) was established to examine the extent to which offspring social and emotional development is shaped in the decades prior to conception, in parent and grandparent histories of psychosocial adjustment (eg, emotional regulation, relationship quality and prosociality) and maladjustment (eg, depressive symptoms, substance use and antisociality)., Participants: The Australian Temperament Project (ATP) commenced in 1983 as a population representative survey of the social and emotional health of 2443 young Australians (Generation 2: 4-8 months old) and their parents (Generation 1). Since then, families have been followed from infancy to young adulthood (16 waves). Between 2012 and 2018, the cohort was screened biannually for pregnancies (Generation 3), with assessments conducted in the third trimester of pregnancy, and at 8 weeks and 1 year postpartum., Findings to Date: A total of 1167 offspring (607 female) born to 703 Generation 2 parents (400 mothers) were recruited into the ATPG3 Study. Findings to date highlight: (1) strong continuities in depressive symptoms and substance use from adolescence through to becoming a parent; (2) a role for persistent preconception mental health problems in risk for parent-child bonding difficulties, as well as infant emotional reactivity and behaviour problems; (3) the importance of secure attachments in adolescence in reducing long-term risk for postpartum mental health problems; and (4) the protective nature of perceived social support, both preconception and postpartum, in strengthening relationship quality and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic., Future Plans: Assessments of ATPG3 families in preschool and middle childhood are currently funded and underway. We intend to maintain the offspring cohort through childhood, adolescence, young adulthood and into parenthood. Data will be used to map preconception determinants of emotional health, and enhance approaches to population monitoring and targeted intervention over the life course and across generations., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: There has been interest in the antecedents and mental health impacts of eating and body image disturbances in adolescence. Less is known about longer-term mental health impacts into young adulthood, as longitudinal studies with data spanning this developmental period are rare. We capitalize on mental health data collected across adolescence and young adulthood from a population-based cohort study that has been following >2000 Australian children and their families from infancy to young adulthood., Method: This sample comprised 1,568 participants who completed the Eating Disorder Inventory drive for thinness and bulimic behavior (the severity of binge-purge patterns) subscales, and a modified version of the body dissatisfaction subscale in mid-adolescence (15-16 years), or the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales in young adulthood (19-20, 23-24, and 27-28 years)., Results: After adjusting for baseline demographic and prior mental health factors (<13 years of age), all three indices of eating and body image disturbances in adolescence predicted each mental health outcome in young adulthood. Mental health risks associated with adolescent body dissatisfaction and bulimic behavior scores remained stable across young adulthood, with men having more pronounced problems associated with bulimic behavior scores than women. In contrast, mental health risks associated with adolescent drive for thinness scores diminished across this period similarly for men and women., Discussion: Findings suggest that adolescent eating and body image disturbances may have long-term mental health impacts that extend into young adulthood. This underscores the need for early preventative intervention, and longer-term monitoring and support for body image and eating disturbances., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: The Men and Parenting Pathways (MAPP) Study is a prospective investigation of men's mental health and well-being across the normative age for transitioning to fatherhood. This includes trajectories and outcomes for men who do and do not become fathers across five annual waves of the study., Participants: Australian resident, English-speaking men aged 28-32 years at baseline were eligible. Recruitment was over a 2-year period (2015-2017) via social and traditional media and through engagement with study partners. Eight hundred and eighteen eligible men consented to participate. Of these, 664 men completed the first online survey of whom 608 consented to ongoing participation. Of the ongoing sample, 83% have participated in at least two of the first three annual online surveys., Findings to Date: Three waves of data collection are complete. The first longitudinal analysis of MAPP data, published in 2020, identified five profiles that characterise men's patterns of depressive symptom severity and presentations of anger. Profiles indicating pronounced anger and depressive symptoms were associated with fathers' lack of perceived social support, and problems with coparenting and bonding with infants. In a second study, MAPP data were combined with three other Australian cohorts in a meta-analysis of associations between fathers' self-reported sleep problems up to 3 years postpartum and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Adjusted meta-analytic associations between paternal sleep and mental health risk ranged from 0.25 to 0.37., Future Plans: MAPP is an ongoing cohort study. Waves 4 and 5 data will be ready for analyses at the end of 2021. Future investigations will include crossed-lagged and trajectory analyses that assess inter-relatedness and changing social networks, mental health, work and family life. A nested study of COVID-19 pandemic-related mental health and coping will add two further waves of data collection in a subsample of MAPP participants., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Parental depression and anxiety have been consistently linked to offspring behavior problems across childhood. However, many of the risks for these common mental health problems are established well before pregnancy. This study takes advantage of rare, prospective data to examine relations between parental mental health histories (from adolescence onwards) and next generation offspring behavior problems., Methods: Data were drawn from a multi-generational cohort study that has followed Australians from infancy to adulthood since 1983, and 1171 of their offspring assessed prospectively from pregnancy. Generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate associations between parents' depression/anxiety symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood and offspring behavior problems at 1 year., Results: In analyses of 648 mother-infant and 423 father-infant dyads, after adjustment for confounders and concurrent mental health problems, mean behavior problem scores in infants of mothers with a history of mental health problems in both adolescence and young adulthood were over half a standard deviation higher than those of mothers without problems during these periods, B = 2.19, 95% CI 1.21 - 3.17, β = 0.52. No association was observed for fathers., Limitations: We only included infants born to participants aged 29-35 years and we assessed behavior problems via parent-report., Conclusions: A mother's history of persistent depression and anxiety from adolescence to young adulthood can predict higher levels of behavior problems in her infant. Findings support calls for greater policy and prevention focus on preconception and postnatal mental health, particularly a mother's early emotional health history, prior to parenthood., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Maternal mental health during pregnancy and postpartum predicts later emotional and behavioural problems in children. Even though most perinatal mental health problems begin before pregnancy, the consequences of preconception maternal mental health for children's early emotional development have not been prospectively studied., Methods: We used data from two prospective Australian intergenerational cohorts, with 756 women assessed repeatedly for mental health problems before pregnancy between age 13 and 29 years, and during pregnancy and at 1 year postpartum for 1231 subsequent pregnancies. Offspring infant emotional reactivity, an early indicator of differential sensitivity denoting increased risk of emotional problems under adversity, was assessed at 1 year postpartum., Results: Thirty-seven percent of infants born to mothers with persistent preconception mental health problems were categorised as high in emotional reactivity, compared to 23% born to mothers without preconception history (adjusted OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4-3.1). Ante- and postnatal maternal depressive symptoms were similarly associated with infant emotional reactivity, but these perinatal associations reduced somewhat after adjustment for prior exposure. Causal mediation analysis further showed that 88% of the preconception risk was a direct effect, not mediated by perinatal exposure., Conclusions: Maternal preconception mental health problems predict infant emotional reactivity, independently of maternal perinatal mental health; while associations between perinatal depressive symptoms and infant reactivity are partially explained by prior exposure. Findings suggest that processes shaping early vulnerability for later mental disorders arise well before conception. There is an emerging case for expanding developmental theories and trialling preventive interventions in the years before pregnancy.