# Parental Emotion Socialization and Protective Factors Related to Child Psychosocial Outcomes in the Context of Military Families and PTSD

> **NIH NIH F31** · GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $41,847

## Abstract

The process of deployment and reintegration of military service members/veterans (SM/Vs) creates a stressful
environment for SM/Vs and their families, which can put children at risk for adverse outcomes. Such risk is
exacerbated when a SM/V has elevated PTSD symptoms. This type of high-risk environment is associated
with development of future psychosocial problems in children. On the other hand, many children are resilient to
such problems and demonstrate healthy adjustment. Little is known about what factors influence whether a
child experiences negative or positive outcomes in such situations, but parenting likely plays a key role. There
is evidence that the symptoms of PTSD can make parenting difficult for SM/Vs and their partners, but further
research is needed about specific parenting processes that are affected by PTSD. Little is also known about
how SM/Vs' and partners' parenting styles and behaviors interact to affect children. This study investigates
how PTSD might be related to emotion socialization, or how parents teach, model, and respond to emotions in
the family. Emotion socialization is a critical parenting process that contributes to children's psychosocial
development. To examine these processes, this project capitalizes on a unique, previously-collected dataset
with videos of parent-child interactions and questionnaire data collected from SM/Vs, partners, children, and
teachers. Emotion socialization-related behaviors (ESRBs) of parents will be assessed through rigorous
observational coding of the parent-child interactions. This approach will allow for investigations of associations
among SM/V PTSD, the ESRBs of both partners, and children's adjustment, which will be important to
understanding psychosocial risk and resilience in military children with a parent who has symptoms of PTSD.
Secondly, this project will examine a series of individual and couple factors that may buffer (a) partners from
engaging in non-supportive ESRBs and (b) children from maladaptive adjustment when SM/Vs demonstrate
symptoms of PTSD. The proposed investigation addresses the NICHD priority to identify “factors and
mechanisms that promote …psychosocial adjustment for children … exposed to high-risk family …
environments.” These factors and mechanisms are essential to inform the development of evidence-based
prevention and intervention programs for military and other high-risk families. The goals of the proposed study
will be accomplished within a research training program aimed at helping the fellow develop expertise in
interpersonal family relationships in a high-risk context, observational coding, and statistical analyses involving
family and multi-informant data. The training plan includes completion of relevant courses, attendance in
targeted workshops, individual supervision and mentorship by experts in the field, and scientific writing and
presentation experience.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9916630
- **Project number:** 5F31HD098830-02
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah Thomas Giff
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $41,847
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-25 → 2021-05-24

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9916630

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9916630, Parental Emotion Socialization and Protective Factors Related to Child Psychosocial Outcomes in the Context of Military Families and PTSD (5F31HD098830-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9916630. Licensed CC0.

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