Parental Emotional Support and Subsequent Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among Children

Abstract

This study examined the association between early emotional support provided by parents and child internalizing and externalizing problems, using a nationally representative, longitudinal sample of 1361 children. Parental emotional support was assessed using the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment, incorporating both parent report and interviewer observation. We found that, controlling for child externalizing problems at age 6 years, parental emotional support at age 6 years was negatively related to child externalizing problems at age 8 years. A developmental model that assessed the timing of the emergence of this relationship was then analyzed by including parental emotional support at ages 2, 4, and 6 years as predictors of child externalizing problems at age 8 years. The developmental model suggested that less parental emotional support as early as age 2 years is associated with later externalizing problems in children. This study discusses the importance of very early parental emotional support in promoting positive child development.