A dimensional approach to understanding emotional neglect and its impact on children's psychosocial development: A mixed methods study

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Project Summary Emotional neglect is one of the most prevalent and pervasive forms of child maltreatment and has been associated with deleterious consequences across development. Importantly, consequences may be further compounded by the fact that it is also the most difficult form of maltreatment to detect due to its diverse range of presentations and (often) lack of visible harm to the child. Despite calls for greater empirical attention, emotional neglect remains the least studied subtype of maltreatment. This is due, in part, to the lack of consensus regarding what constitutes emotionally neglectful behavior. Without a refined understanding of emotional neglect, the field risks overlooking children and families in need of psychosocial supports. By improving identification of at-risk families, we are ensuring early intervention services to those children, and in doing so, improving their developmental trajectories. Broadly, the proposed project will employ an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to examine multiple facets of emotional neglect that can occur within parent-child interactions. Person- centered approaches will be used to identify profiles of emotional neglect and their associations with child psychosocial outcomes (Research Aim 1) as well as to evaluate whether the impact of emotional neglect differs according to child age (Research Aim 2). Additionally, in-depth qualitative data will be collected from a diverse subset of parents to assess parental attitudes and perceptions of emotional neglect (Research Aim 3). The integration of quantitative and qualitative data collected in the study will refine our conceptual and theoretical understanding of emotional neglect, particularly across parent and child age, sex, and racial/ethnic background. Mentorship provided through the F31 will take a comprehensive team approach. Drs. Parent and Alegría will supervise the overall proposed study and training plan. Drs. Parent, Humphreys, and Alegría will provide mentorship on the study of implications of caregiver emotional neglect for child development (Training Goal 1). Drs. Alegría, Alvarez, and Parent will consult on acquiring an advanced understanding of the social determinants of caregiving behavior and family functioning (Training Goal 2). Drs. Hayes, Alegría, and Alvarez will provide mentorship in the quantitative and qualitative components of mixed methods research (Training Goal 3). Training opportunities related to professional development and ethics will involve the entire mentorship team (Training Goal 4). Knowledge gained from the proposed project will propel future prevention and intervention initiatives, including the field's ability to streamline identification of families in need of informal supports from those who warrant the involvement of child protective services. The proposed research aims and training goals have been intentionally delineated to prepare the applicant for a career as an independent investigator.