ECPN poster contestant: The Moderating Effect of Combat Exposure on the Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Observed Parenting in Deployed Fathers

Introduction: Given the research linking mindfulness to parenting behaviors, parenting interventions have incorporated mindfulness training and showed effects in enhancing parent-child relationships and improving child adjustment behaviors (Coatsworth et al., 2010). Mindful parenting is defined as parents intentionally bring moment-to-moment awareness to the parent–child relationship, and it is done by developing listening with full attention, cultivating emotional awareness and self–regulation (Duncan et al., 2009). Meanwhile, evidence suggests that mindfulness training is effective in decreasing posttraumatic stress symptoms and strengthening cognitive functioning for military service members (Reber et al., 2013). It is unclear whether mindfulness would be differentially associated with parenting behaviors of service members who have been exposed to combat-related trauma. This study is aimed to explore the effect of combat exposure on the relationship between deployed fathers’ trait mindfulness and their observed parenting during family interactions. 

Methods: The current study used a subset of data drawing from the randomized controlled trial of a military parenting program (After Deployment Adaptive Parenting Tools). The sample included 185 fathers who had been deployed to conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan, were primarily White and in their 30s. The Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) was used to measure trait mindfulness and the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory (DRRI) was used to evaluate combat exposure. Parenting behaviors during family interactions tasks was observed and rated using the Macro-Level Family Interaction Coding Systems. Three categories of parenting behaviors were yielded according to the coding system: Positive Engagement (PE), Withdrawal/Avoidance (WA), Reactivity/Coercion (RC) and Distress Avoidance (DA). Control variables included demographic variables, times and length of deployment, post-traumatic stress symptoms, child age and gender. The hypothesized models were tested using the multiple regression analysis. 

Results: The analyses revealed significant interactions between mindfulness and compact exposure in predicting PE (β= -.24, ΔR²= .05, p< .01) and RC (β= .22, ΔR²= .04, p< .05). Higher trait mindfulness was only significantly associated with more PE when combat exposure was relatively low. Similarly, higher trait mindfulness was only significantly associated with less RC when combat exposure was relatively low. No interaction effect of trait mindfulness and combat exposure was found on WA and DA.

Conclusions: Using both self-report and behavioral observation methods, this study offers evidence that combat exposure may dampen the relationships between trait mindfulness and adaptive parenting in terms of increased PE and decreased RC.