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Parents of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and severe emotional dysregulation (ED) often experience trauma symptoms related to their child's behaviour, including aggression, self-injury and suicide attempts. These traumatic experiences can lead to parental posttraumatic stress symptoms, which are linked to heightened parental stress, reduced capacity for mentalisation, and difficulties co-regulating their child. These challenges have the potential to intensify pre-existing emotional dysregulation, thereby undermining the effectiveness of treatment for the adolescent. Nevertheless, child-related PTSD is rarely addressed in mental health services. This study aims to address this gap in mental health by examining the effects of trauma-focused treatment for these parents. This single-case design study involved seven parents (five mothers and two fathers) of six adolescents (aged 16-21) diagnosed with ASD and emotional dysregulation (ED). Parents received EMDR-therapy and were assessed weekly during a randomised baseline (3-5 weeks), treatment phase (4-6 weeks), post-intervention (3 weeks), and follow-ups at 6 weeks and 3 months. All parents showed a reduction of PTSD-symptoms after EMDR-therapy, with none of the parents meeting PTSD criteria after treatment and follow-up. A significant reduction in parental stress was reported by all parents at post-treatment and follow-up. Furthermore, five out of seven parents reported reduced ED in their adolescents after treatment, an effect maintained in three cases at follow-up. This study demonstrates the value of trauma-focused treatment for parents coping with PTSD as a result of exposure to child-related traumatic events. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the possible nature of parental stress in parents of adolescents with severe ED, as well as how this can be effectively addressed. The results support the hypothesis that when parents feel emotionally regulated, they may exhibit increased engagement and support for their adolescents' treatment, potentially leading to improved treatment outcomes.

Studies among adults have shown that symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) are distinct from those of bereavement-related depression and post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD). This study was an attempt to replicate this finding in two distinct samples of bereaved children ( N  = 197; aged 8–12 years) and adolescents ( N  = 135; 13–18 years), confronted with the death of a parent, sibling or other close relative. Using confirmatory factor analyses, we compared the fit of a one-factor model with the fit of a three-factor model in which symptoms formed three distinct, correlated factors. In both samples, findings showed that the model in which symptoms of PGD, depression, and PTSD loaded on separate factors was superior to a one-factor model and displayed excellent model fit. Summed scores on the PGD, depression, and PTSD items were significantly associated with functional impairment, attesting to the concurrent validity of the PGD, depression, and PTSD factors. The current findings complement prior evidence from adult samples that PGD is a distinct syndrome and suggest that PGD symptoms should be addressed in the assessment and treatment of bereaved children and adolescent seeking help following their loss.

Millions of children have been maimed, displaced, orphaned and killed in modern warfare that targets civilian populations. Several reviews have documented the impact of political trauma on children’s mental health but none has focused specifically on young children (ages 0–6). Since developmental factors influence the young child’s perception and experience of traumatic events, this developmental period is characterized by a unique spectrum of responses to political trauma. This systematic review, comprising 35 studies that included a total of 4365 young children, examined the effects of exposure to war, conflict and terrorism on young children and the influence of parental factors on these effects. Results showed that effects include PTSD and post-traumatic stress symptoms, behavioral and emotional symptoms, sleep problems, disturbed play, and psychosomatic symptoms. Correlations emerged between parental and children’s psychopathology and, additionally, family environment and parental functioning emerged as moderators of the exposure–outcome association for children.

Background Chronic or acute medical conditions greatly impact the diagnosed child and their parents. Parents have to deal with an accumulation of stressful and potential traumatic events, which can lead to post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A first-choice evidence-based treatment for PTSD is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), usually delivered in multiple sessions over weeks or months. Currently, parents do not receive this treatment due to barriers, such as time constraints, limited focus on own wellbeing, and lack of reimbursed care at children hospitals. We will study the effect of brief EMDR treatment (offered in-person or online, compared to waitlist control) in reducing PTSD symptoms and comorbid symptoms. Methods In this three-armed parallel randomized controlled trial, parents start with an eligibility assessment (Tscreen), including meeting at least one of the following criteria: increased score on one symptom in each PTSD cluster, fulfillment of three of the four PTSD criteria, or total score >24 on the PCL-5. After baseline measurement (T0), eligible parents will be randomized into one of three groups: EMDR in-person (EMDRip), remote EMDR (EMDRr), or a control group (waiting list). Parents assigned to EMDRip and EMDRr will immediately start brief EMDR treatment and complete follow-up measurements at two weeks (T1ip/T1r), three months (T2ip/T2r), and six months post-treatment (T3ip/T3r). Parents in the waiting list condition complete follow-up measurements at six weeks (T1c) and 16 weeks (T2c) post baseline, assessment timepoints for the waitlist correspond to those of the intervention groups, and will be re-randomized to EMDRip or EMDRr after T2c. They will complete follow-up questionnaires at two weeks (T1.1c) and three months (T2.1c) post-treatment. Primary outcome is PTSD symptom severity. Secondary outcomes include psychological comorbidities, parenting stress, the child’s posttraumatic stress, and relationship quality (parent-spouse and parent-child). Additional objectives include assessing the feasibility of EMDRip and EMDRr, as well as exploring traumatic experiences and flash forward as treatment targets. Discussion If brief EMDR treatment is found to be effective for parents of children with a chronic or acute medical condition the implementation of screening and treatment for parents should be integrated in clinical practice. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06776744), registered on January 14th, 2025. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06776744.

Combat veterans are highly prone to develop Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) following their release from duty, presumably due to high prevalence of prolonged aversive emotional symptoms such as Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS). Parental Reflective Functions (PRF) and Parental Sense of Competence (PSOC) have been identified as key protective factors in predicting maternal functioning and well-being, yet little is known of its role among fathers, let alone combat veteran fathers. In this study we explored whether PRF and PSOC moderated the association between PTSS and AUD among 189 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) male combat veterans. Participants filled out validated measures assessing PTSS, PRF, PSOC and AUD. Results indicated that PTSS, as well as PRF’s “interest and curiosity regarding the child’s mental states” subscale, were positively correlated to AUD. In addition, PRF’s “certainty about child mental states” subscale moderated the association between PTSS and AUD, so that PTSS and AUD were significantly correlated for participants who reported average or high levels of certainty about their child’s mental states. This finding may imply that intrusive mentalizing (“hypermentalizing”) by veteran fathers may facilitate the association between PTSS and AUD, presumably by constituting a maladaptive mechanism for coping with the stressful uncertainty embedded in the parent–child relationship. Highlights Among Israeli combat-veteran fathers, posttraumatic symptoms were associated with alcohol use disorder. Parental reflective functions moderated this association. Significate association was observed in participants with average or high levels of certainty about their child’s mental states.

Maternal trauma has been linked with problematic parenting, including both harsh and permissive behaviors. However, little is known about mechanisms accounting for this association. The current study examined the potential impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and emotion regulation on dysfunctional parenting behaviors in a sample of community mothers. We hypothesized a mediation model wherein PTSD would be associated with dysfunctional parenting (i.e., lax and overreactive behaviors) indirectly through deficits in maternal emotion regulation. Seventy-eight community mothers of 18- to 36-month-old children were administered the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and 19 mothers met criteria for PTSD. Mothers also completed self-report measures of difficulties with emotion regulation and maternal laxness and overreactivity in parenting. Results revealed that emotion dysregulation fully mediated relations between PTSD status and lax (but not overreactive) parenting behaviors. Compared to mothers without PTSD, those with PTSD reported greater lax parenting behaviors indirectly through greater emotion dysregulation. Mothers with PTSD may struggle to parent assertively when trauma symptoms interfere with emotion regulation abilities. The current study highlights the need to design interventions focused on helping trauma-exposed mothers manage distress, ultimately aiming to enhance parenting effectiveness and improve child outcomes.

Although empirical studies have documented associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and parenting among various high-risk populations, there is a relatively limited amount of research on paternal parenting among veterans. Moreover, the understanding of possible mechanisms which may account for this effect is severely lacking. This study examined associations between military related PTSS and parenting sense of competence (PSOC) among veteran fathers. Furthermore, we examined the mediating role of experiential avoidance (EA) and parental reflective functioning (PRF) in the association between PTSS and PSOC. Participants were 189 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) male combat veterans (mean age = 30.03) who completed a set of validated self-report questionnaires in a cross-sectional design study. Results showed negative associations between PTSS and PSOC-parental satisfaction but not parental efficacy. Furthermore, EA mediated the association between PTSS and parental satisfaction and efficacy; PRF- Pre mentalizing modes mediated the association between PTSS and parental satisfaction. Our findings imply that EA and PRF may serve as mechanisms of the association between PTSS and PSOC among veteran fathers. These findings are discussed in light of a psychological trauma perspective, and clinical implications to increase fathers’ mentalization and psychological flexibility are suggested. Highlights We examined predictors of parenting sense of competence (PSOC) among veteran fathers. PTSS was negatively associated with parental satisfaction, but not parental efficacy. Experiential avoidance mediated the association between PTSS and PSOC. Pre mentalizing modes mediated the association between PTSS and parental satisfaction.

Objective Relying upon the military family stress model, we evaluated the associations between combat exposure, PTSD symptoms, and parental locus of control (PLOC) among mothers and fathers with history of deployment, using a multigroup analysis. Background Few studies have investigated the correlates of deployment‐related stressors for deployed mothers and none have examined perceptions of parenting efficacy. The relationship between combat exposure and PTSD symptoms may differ by gender. Method The sample (421 fathers and 117 mothers) was selected by combining baseline data from two distinct randomized controlled trials of a parenting program for post‐deployed military families: ADAPT and ADAPT 4 U (Gewirtz et al., 2018a). Results Our analyses revealed a significant indirect effect of PTSD symptoms between combat exposure and PLOC, among deployed parents, with no gender differences in the indirect effect. Conclusion Relationships between combat exposure, PTSD symptoms, and PLOC support a military family stress model, and highlight the need to support parents with PTSD symptoms because PTSD symptoms appear to be a mechanism through which combat exposure affects parenting beliefs and perceptions. Implications Prevention and intervention research should focus on how parenting programs might help to reduce PTSD symptoms and improve parental perceptions of efficacy, confidence, and control.

Prior studies show a heightened risk of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic because of financial difficulties and parenting stress, but little is known about what happened to the veteran families. This study aimed to examine the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on veteran parents’ harsh parenting – creating a potential for child maltreatment. Further, we explored the potential moderating effects of parental PTSD and parental role on the association between COVID-19 impacts and veteran harsh parenting. We recruited 509 veteran parents from Qualtrics online research panel and assessed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., perceived threat, financial and psychological impacts) on the participants, parental PTSD, and parents’ past year prevalence of corporal punishment and psychological aggression. We used M plus 8.8 to build main models, two-way moderation models, and three-way moderation models. There was a significant association between COVID-19 pandemic impacts and harsh parenting (Corporal punishment: β  = 0.09, p  < 0.05; Psychological aggression: β  = 0.10, p  < 0.05), while parental PTSD was a significant moderator (Corporal punishment: β  = 0.10, p  < 0.05; Psychological aggression: β  = 0.08, p  < 0.05). Parents with higher levels of PTSD were more vulnerable to the negative influences of COVID-19 on their harsh parenting. However, the association between COVID-19 pandemic impacts and harsh parenting did not differ by parental role. Our study findings contribute to the current knowledge of veteran families during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide implications for both Veteran Affairs services and child protective services. Highlights Veteran parents are especially vulnerable during the pandemic because their military experiences have already profoundly affected their behavioral health, such as PTSD. We examined the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on veteran parents’ harsh parenting. Veteran parents with higher levels of PTSD were more vulnerable to the negative influences of COVID-19 on their harsh parenting. Veteran fathers endorsed more corporal punishment than veteran mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the association between COVID-19 pandemic impacts and harsh parenting did not differ by parental role. Research with a large survey data needs to be conducted to explain gender difference in harsh parenting during the pandemic.

Childhood trauma exposure is prevalent among incarcerated youth and associated with antisocial traits and behavior. It has been proposed as a risk factor for the development of sadistic traits, which has been shown to predict future violence in youth. Using regression analyses, we examined the association between self-report and expert-rated measures of childhood trauma, sadistic traits (i.e., verbal, physical, vicarious sadism), and violence (i.e., homicide and non-homicide violent acts) in 54 incarcerated juveniles. Expert-rated (but not self-report) severity of physical abuse was associated with physical and vicarious sadistic traits. Other trauma types (e.g., emotional or sexual abuse) were not significantly associated with sadistic traits. Physical abuse coupled with vicarious sadistic traits conferred the highest risk of non-homicide violence. The findings support and clarify links between childhood trauma, sadistic traits, and violent behavior in youth, and are distinct from those found in other antisocial profiles.