Opgroeien in Amsterdam

Dysfunctional parenting in early childhood constitutes a major risk factor for the development of irritability and disruptive behavior, and for the development of broader physical and mental health problems. Studies suggest that dysfunction in the epigenetic regulation of the stress response is an important mediator in the association between parental caregiving and the functioning of children’s stress response system and disruptive behavior. Specifically, insensitive parental care, and also a lack of warmth and harsh and/or inconsequent discipline, has been linked to differential methylation of stress system/stress related genes in offspring. Moreover, these differences in methylation have been associated with a dysfunctional physiological stress response and, in turn, increased rates of stress-related disorders. However, previous findings on these associations should be considered preliminary, as they are based on small retrospective correlational studies. The causal chain from parenting to subsequent stress system functioning and disruptive behavior through DNA methylation has yet to be established in humans. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether this causal chain can be broken, with a proven effective parenting intervention. The current project addresses these gaps in our knowledge through the implementation of a RCT of a preventive parenting intervention (VIPP-SD) aimed at increasing sensitive parenting in families at-risk for dysfunctional parenting. By increasing sensitive parenting, we aim to revert differential methylation of stress related genes, leading to improved stress system functioning in young children and, in turn, a reduction in disruptive behavior.

The primary aim of this study is to examine whether a parenting intervention that increases sensitive parenting improves children’s stress system functioning and reduces disruptive behavior, and to examine whether these improvements are causally mediated by alterations in DNA methylation at stress related genes Core hypotheses are:
1. The VIPP-SD parenting intervention leads to improved parenting (more positivity and warmth; higher parental self-efficacy; less parenting stress; more sensitive and consequent disciplining by parents).
2. The VIPP-SD parenting intervention leads to alterations in DNA methylation at stress system/stress related genes.
3. Improved parenting leads to improvements in children’s stress response and reduced child disruptive behavior.
4. Improvements in children’s stress response and reduced child disruptive behavior are induced by alterations in DNA methylation at stress system/stress related genes.

Pre-intervention assessment
Post-intervention assessment
Follow-up assessment, at 6 months after completion intervention

Experimental group: Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD)
Control intervention group: semi-structured interviews via phone calls