Anne L. Stewart

Inventoried and observed stress in parent-child interactions

It has been hypothesized that parental stress results in poor parent-child interactions. However, this has not been adequately researched due to the difficulty in measuring and quantifying parenting stress and parent-child interaction quality. Two measures were employed in the present study to evaluate the parent-child relationship. The Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) was used to provide a context in which to assess the quality of parent-child interactions, and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) was used as a measure of stress in the family system. The present study (1) developed a standardized behavioral rating system for the MIM, (2) tested 46 parent-child dyads with the MIM and PSI, and (3) assessed which subscales of the PSI were the best predictors of parent-child behavior observed during the MIM. Parents reporting more stress on the PSI were rated as displaying significantly lower quality (more negative) parentchild interactions. In addition, parents’ socioeconomic status accounted for 65 % of the variance, and parental stress accounted for an additional 9% of the variance, in MIM behavior ratings.

Relevance of Attachment Theory to Parenting Concerns Among Veterans With TBI

Opinion statementTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered the signature injury of the Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (heretofore referred to as OEF/OIF/OND) US military conflicts. TBI can result in a myriad of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social-relational symptoms that can negatively influence one’s ability to parent. Additional factors can negatively impact the well-being of military families facing TBI, further increasing child-parent relationship strain: (1) high base rates of comorbid psychiatric conditions; (2) unique demographic characteristics of OEF/OIF/OND veterans; and (3) deployment stress that negatively impacts the emotional functioning of the veteran and their family. There remains a paucity of scientific literature supporting clinical interventions for improving parental functioning among veterans with TBI. With its focus on adaptive interactions and building a healthy child-parent bond, attachment theory offers a conceptual framework to consider when child-parent relationship ruptures occur after a parent has sustained a TBI.

Evolution of PTSD Diagnosis in the DSM

This chapter summarizes the historical developments in the conceptualization of PTSD, discusses the significant current issues regarding the diagnosis of PTSD, and describes the changes that are in the DSM-5. The themes running through this narrative include war as a catalyst for understanding the impact of trauma, psychological and physiological conceptualizations of the syndrome, the pendulum of internal and external causality, application of PTSD to civilian traumas, and developmental perspectives in the diagnosis of PTSD.