Examining the effects of coping on the relationship between family stress and mother -child interactions across time

This study investigated the relation between stress and mother-child interaction in low-income, Early Head Start eligible families. The sources of stress that were examined were twofold: global adversity, which included conditions that are chronic and less amenable to change, such as teenage parenthood and premature birth; and specific family stress, which was quantified by reports of family conflict and parenting stress. Adversity, parenting stress, and family conflict have been repeatedly found to negatively impact the interactions between parents and their young children. Family support seeking and cognitive reframing coping strategies were examined as possible moderators of the relationship between family stress and mother-child interaction.;Results from path analyses demonstrated that relationships among target variables differed across time with the single consistent predictor of mother-child interaction being parenting stress. This construct negatively impacted mother-child interaction at both 24 and 36 months. Family conflict did not directly impact dyadic interactions, but did influence mothers' reports of parenting stress; mothers who reported more conflict also experienced greater amounts of parenting stress. Family adversity did not predict parenting stress, family conflict or mother-child interactions as assessed at either age of the child.;Results also supported effects of coping on mother-child interaction. Cognitive reframing explained a greater percentage of variance in mother-child interaction at 24 months, while support seeking explained a greater percentage of variance in the same measure at 36 months. Support seeking coping reported at 24 and 36 months demonstrated direct effects on mother-child interaction at 36 months, unexpectedly in different directions. Cognitive reframing, on the other hand did not directly predict mother-child interaction. Parenting stress and cognitive reframing were related in that heightened stress related to lesser cognitive reframing. Parenting stress and cognitive reframing also interacted to significantly predict mother-child interactions assessed at 24 months.;There were no demonstrated impacts of the total number of EHS program hours devoted to the families on mother-child interaction. A more thorough examination of data concerning families' perceptions of need, family engagement in the program and staff turnover within family may prove to be potential predictors of differential outcomes for mothers and children.