Positive Parenting as a Mediator of the Relations Between Parental Psychological Distress and Mental Health Problems of Parentally Bereaved Children

Abstract

This study investigated a positive parenting composite of multiple measures of warmth and consistent discipline as a mediator of the relations between surviving parents' psychological distress and parentally bereaved children's mental health problems using both cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal models. The study included 214 bereaved children ages 7 to 16 and their surviving parent or current caregiver. A multirater, multimethod measurement model of positive parenting was developed. Although the mediational model was supported by analysis of the cross-sectional data, it was not supported in the 3-wave longitudinal model. However, the longitudinal model did find a significant path from positive parenting at Wave 2 to child mental health problems 11 months later at Wave 3, controlling for stability in child mental health problems. Implications for understanding the development of mental health problems of parentally bereaved children are discussed.