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Parenting Characteristics and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Children Aged 0–6 Years: A Systematic Narrative Review

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Abstract

There has been a growing interest in research examining the relationship between parenting and child callous-unemotional (CU) traits, particularly in early childhood. This study reviewed evidence from studies that investigated the relationship between parenting characteristics (e.g., caregiving beliefs, attitudes, behaviour or quality, or parental mental health) and callous-unemotional traits in children aged 0 to 6 years. A systematic search conducted according to PRISMA guidelines yielded 27 peer-reviewed articles. Analysis of the included articles suggested that there was strong evidence to support links between child CU traits and parenting characteristics (particularly, parental feelings about their child, warm parenting, and harsh/ inconsistent parenting). Taken together, the results of this review demonstrate the links between both positive and negative dimensions of parenting and CU traits in early childhood; however, mixed findings highlight the need for further research.

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Data Availability

The data that supports the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Vivian Chau, Valsamma Eapen & Jane Kohlhoff

  2. Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia

    Valsamma Eapen

  3. School of Applied Psychology, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

    Erinn Hawkins

  4. Karitane, Sydney, Australia

    Jane Kohlhoff

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  1. Vivian Chau
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VC wrote the main manuscript text. JK and VC screened and reviewed the research, and conducted quality assessments of included studies. VE and EH were available for any disagreements regarding data screening. All authors contributed to the final preparation of the manuscript.

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Chau, V., Eapen, V., Hawkins, E. et al. Parenting Characteristics and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Children Aged 0–6 Years: A Systematic Narrative Review. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01634-6

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