# Bidirectional Associations between Parental Distress and Behavior Problems in Children with Developmental Delay

> **NIH NIH F31** · FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $36,597

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This application will launch PI Heflin’s independent research career focused on assessing and evaluating: (1)
familial factors that impact child behavior problems and the interplay between parental psychopathology and
child outcomes; (2) the role of novel treatment formats in extending care to underserved and high-risk
populations; and (3) understanding cultural processes such as acculturative stress as it applies to and impacts
familial outcomes. The proposed research project aims to leverage a larger, on-going grant (R01HD084497) to
gather data on: (a) the bidirectional associations between parental distress and behavior problems over time in
young children with developmental delay and from cultural minority backgrounds; (b) the impact of
acculturation and enculturation on these bidirectional associations; and (c) whether the bidirectional
associations between parental distress and child problem behaviors changes in the context of a behavioral
parenting intervention. We will conduct cross-lagged structural equation modeling to examine the bidirectional
associations between parental distress and child behavior problems over four time points across 68 weeks
(Aim 1). Additionally, we will examine the moderating effect of acculturation and enculturation using a
moderated structural equation modeling framework (Aim 2a) and the moderating effect of Internet-delivered
treatment using multiple group structural equation modeling (Aim 2b). This proposal aims to fill gaps in prior
literature through the assessment of parental distress as a broad construct (consisting of depression, anxiety
and stress), and assessment of child behavior integrating observational coding and parent-report measures.
Findings are expected to advance understanding of the associations between parent symptomatology and
behavior problems in children with developmental delay, as well as the impact of stressors for cultural minority
families. This information will inform PI Heflin’s future research career examining where in parent-child
interventions we can best intervene in order to promote positive child outcomes in the context of parental
psychopathology. Additionally, findings will set the foundation for future work examining acculturative stress
and other cultural considerations as they pertain to treatment outcomes in early childhood.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10141665
- **Project number:** 1F31HD104336-01
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Brynna Hope Heflin
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $36,597
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-12-03 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10141665

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10141665, Bidirectional Associations between Parental Distress and Behavior Problems in Children with Developmental Delay (1F31HD104336-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10141665. Licensed CC0.

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