The Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Parenting Stress in First-Time Fathers: The Mediating Role of Caregiving and Tenderness tendencies

This study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment and parenting stress among first-time fathers in the postnatal period, and whether caregiving and tenderness tendencies mediate this relationship. A total of 220 fathers within the first three years after childbirth contributed data to the study, completing validated self-report measures assessing childhood maltreatment, caregiving and tenderness tendencies, and parenting stress. Contrary to expectations and previous findings, childhood maltreatment was not directly associated with higher parenting stress, but was positively associated with both caregiving and tenderness tendencies. However, only tenderness tendencies were negatively related to parenting stress. Mediation analyses confirmed that tenderness, but not caregiving tendencies, fully mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and parenting stress: fathers with higher maltreatment scores reported greater tenderness tendencies, which in turn...Show moreThis study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment and parenting stress among first-time fathers in the postnatal period, and whether caregiving and tenderness tendencies mediate this relationship. A total of 220 fathers within the first three years after childbirth contributed data to the study, completing validated self-report measures assessing childhood maltreatment, caregiving and tenderness tendencies, and parenting stress. Contrary to expectations and previous findings, childhood maltreatment was not directly associated with higher parenting stress, but was positively associated with both caregiving and tenderness tendencies. However, only tenderness tendencies were negatively related to parenting stress. Mediation analyses confirmed that tenderness, but not caregiving tendencies, fully mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and parenting stress: fathers with higher maltreatment scores reported greater tenderness tendencies, which in turn predicted lower parenting stress. This mediating effect of tenderness remained significant after controlling for psychiatric problems. The absence of a direct association between maltreatment and stress may be due to limited variance in maltreatment scores, high socioeconomic status in the sample, and possible effects of maternal gatekeeping. The findings contribute to the scarce literature on child maltreatment and parenting stress, particularly in the postnatal period. Tenderness tendencies may serve as a protective factor for fathers with maltreatment histories, potentially reducing parenting stress.Show less

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The Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Parenting Stress in First-Time Fathers: The Mediating Role of Caregiving and Tenderness tendencies