Sample records for parenting support network

  1. Satisfaction with support versus size of network: differential effects of social support on psychological distress in parents of pediatric cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Harper, Felicity W K; Peterson, Amy M; Albrecht, Terrance L; Taub, Jeffrey W; Phipps, Sean; Penner, Louis A

    2016-05-01

    This study examined the direct and buffering effects of social support on longer-term global psychological distress among parents coping with pediatric cancer. In both sets of analyses, we examined whether these effects depended on the dimension of social support provided (i.e., satisfaction with support versus size of support network). Participants were 102 parents of pediatric cancer patients. At study entry, parents reported their trait anxiety, depression, and two dimensions of their social support network (satisfaction with support and size of support network). Parents subsequently reported their psychological distress in 3- and 9-month follow-up assessments. Parents' satisfaction with support had a direct effect on longer-term psychological distress; satisfaction was negatively associated with distress at both follow-ups. In contrast, size of support network buffered (moderated) the impact of trait anxiety and depression on later distress. Parents with smaller support networks and higher levels of trait anxiety and depression at baseline had higher levels of psychological distress at both follow-ups; for parents with larger support networks, there was no relationship. Social support can attenuate psychological distress in parents coping with pediatric cancer; however, the nature of the effect depends on the dimension of support. Whereas interventions that focus on increasing satisfaction with social support may benefit all parents, at-risk parents will likely benefit from interventions that ensure they have an adequate number of support resources. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Satisfaction with support versus size of network: Differential effects of social support on psychological distress in parents of pediatric cancer patients

    PubMed Central

    Harper, Felicity W. K.; Peterson, Amy M.; Albrecht, Terrance L.; Taub, Jeffrey W.; Phipps, Sean; Penner, Louis A.

    2016-01-01

    Objective This study examined the direct and the buffering effects of social support on longer-term global psychological distress among parents coping with pediatric cancer. In both sets of analyses we examined whether these effects depended on the dimension of social support provided (i.e., satisfaction with support versus size of support network). Method Participants were 102 parents of pediatric cancer patients. At study entry, parents reported their trait anxiety, depression, and two dimensions of their social support network (satisfaction with support and size of support network). Parents subsequently reported their psychological distress in 3- and 9-month follow-up assessments. Results Parents’ satisfaction with support had a direct effect on longer-term psychological distress; satisfaction was negatively associated with distress at both follow-ups. In contrast, size of support network buffered (moderated) the impact of trait anxiety and depression on later distress. Parents with smaller support networks and higher levels of trait anxiety and depression at baseline had higher levels of psychological distress at both follow-ups; for parents with larger support networks, there was no relationship. Conclusion Social support can attenuate psychological distress in parents coping with pediatric cancer; however, the nature of the effect depends on the dimension of support. Whereas, interventions that focus on increasing satisfaction with social support may benefit all parents, at-risk parents will likely benefit from interventions that ensure they have an adequate number of support resources. PMID:27092714

  3. Childhood ADHD Symptoms: Association with Parental Social Networks and Mental Health Service Use during Adolescence.

    PubMed

    Bussing, Regina; Meyer, Johanna; Zima, Bonnie T; Mason, Dana M; Gary, Faye A; Garvan, Cynthia Wilson

    2015-09-22

    This study examines the associations of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) risk status with subsequent parental social network characteristics and caregiver strain in adolescence; and examines predictors of adolescent mental health service use. Baseline ADHD screening identified children at high risk (n = 207) and low risk (n = 167) for ADHD. At eight-year follow-up, parents reported their social network characteristics, caregiver strain, adolescents' psychopathology and mental health service utilization, whereas adolescents self-reported their emotional status and ADHD stigma perceptions. Analyses were conducted using ANOVAs and nested logistic regression modeling. Parents of youth with childhood ADHD reported support networks consisting of fewer spouses but more healthcare professionals, and lower levels of support than control parents. Caregiver strain increased with adolescent age and psychopathology. Increased parental network support, youth ADHD symptoms, and caregiver strain, but lower youth stigma perceptions were independently associated with increased service use. Raising children with ADHD appears to significantly impact parental social network experiences. Reduced spousal support and overall lower network support levels may contribute to high caregiver strain commonly reported among parents of ADHD youth. Parental social network experiences influence adolescent ADHD service use. With advances in social networking technology, further research is needed to elucidate ways to enhance caregiver support during ADHD care.

  4. [Social Networks of Children with Mentally Ill Parents].

    PubMed

    Stiawa, Maja; Kilian, Reinhold

    2017-10-01

    Social Networks of Children with Mentally Ill Parents Mental illness of parents can be a load situation for children. Supporting social relations might be an important source in such a situation. Social relations can be shown by social network analysis. Studies about social networks and mental health indicate differences regarding structure and potential for support when compared with social networks of healthy individuals. If and how mental illness of parents has an impact on their children's network is widely unknown. This systematic review shows methods and results of studies about social networks of children with mentally ill parents. By systematic search in electronic databases as well as manual search, two studies were found who met the target criteria. Both studies were conducted in the USA. Results of studies indicate that parental mental illness affects the state of mental health and social networks of children. Symptomatology of children changed due to perceived social support of network contacts. Impact of social support and strong network contacts seems to depend on age of children and the family situation. That's why support offers should be adapt to children's age. Focusing on social networks as potential resource for support and needs of the family affected seems appropriate during treatment.

  5. Characteristics of the Social Support Networks of Maltreated Youth: Exploring the Effects of Maltreatment Experience and Foster Placement.

    PubMed

    Negriff, Sonya; James, Adam; Trickett, Penelope K

    2015-08-01

    Little is known about the social support networks of maltreated youth or how youth in foster care may compare with those who remain with their parent(s). Social network characteristics and perceived social support were examined between (1) maltreated and comparison youth, (2) maltreated youth who remained with their biological parent, those with a foster parent, or a those with a kin caregiver, and (3) youth in stable placements and those who have changed placements. Data came from a sample of 454 adolescents (241 boys, 9-13 years old at enrollment) who took part in a longitudinal study of child maltreatment. Participants completed three assessments approximately 1 year apart. Results showed that on average, maltreated adolescents named significantly fewer people in their network than comparison adolescents. At Time 2, comparison adolescents reported more same-aged friends. In the maltreatment group, youth with a foster parent reported significantly more older friends than maltreated youth with a kin caregiver. Fewer maltreated youth named a biological parent on the social support questionnaire at all three time points. More youth in kinship care described their caregiver as supportive than those in foster care. These findings indicate that despite heterogeneous placement histories, social support networks among maltreated youth were very similar.

  6. Characteristics of the Social Support Networks of Maltreated Youth: Exploring the Effects of Maltreatment Experience and Foster Placement

    PubMed Central

    Negriff, Sonya; James, Adam; Trickett, Penelope K.

    2014-01-01

    Little is known about the social support networks of maltreated youth or how youth in foster care may compare with those who remain with their parent(s). Social network characteristics and perceived social support were examined between (1) maltreated and comparison youth, (2) maltreated youth who remained with their biological parent, those with a foster parent, or a those with a kin caregiver, and (3) youth in stable placements and those who have changed placements. Data came from a sample of 454 adolescents (241 boys, 9–13 years old at enrollment) who took part in a longitudinal study of child maltreatment. Participants completed three assessments approximately 1 year apart. Results showed that on average, maltreated adolescents named significantly fewer people in their network than comparison adolescents. At Time 2, comparison adolescents reported more same-aged friends. In the maltreatment group, youth with a foster parent reported significantly more older friends than maltreated youth with a kin caregiver. Fewer maltreated youth named a biological parent on the social support questionnaire at all three time points. More youth in kinship care described their caregiver as supportive than those in foster care. These findings indicate that despite heterogeneous placement histories, social support networks among maltreated youth were very similar. PMID:26388678

  7. Optimizing Social Network Support to Families Living With Parental Cancer: Research Protocol for the Cancer-PEPSONE Study.

    PubMed

    Hauken, May Aasebø; Senneseth, Mette; Dyregrov, Atle; Dyregrov, Kari

    2015-12-30

    Parental cancer can have a significant impact on a family's psychosocial functioning and quality of life, whereby the children's situation is strongly related to parental coping and capacity. Such parents ask for more help in order to increase their care capacity, while the network is often insecure about how to help and thereby withdraw. They ask for guidance and training to be able to support cancer families. Based on this, the Cancer- Psycho-Educational Program for the SOcial NEtwork (PEPSONE) study was developed. To optimize social network support through a psycho-educational program for families living with parental cancer and their network members in order to increase parental capacity and thereby secure the children's safety and quality of life. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which families (N=60) living with parental cancer will be randomized to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention will last for 3 hours and includes (1) introduction, (2) psycho-education (living with cancer in the family and the importance of social network support), and (3) discussion (this family's need for social support). Primary outcomes are social support, mental health, and quality of life, and secondary outcomes are resilience and parental capacity. Data will be collected by a set of questionnaires distributed to healthy parents (N=60) living with a partner with cancer, one child in the family between 8-18 years of age (N=60), and network members (N=210) of the intervention families at inclusion, and after 3 and 6 months. Comparing differences between the intervention group (n=30) and the control group (n=30), the power analysis shows that P<.05 and a statistical power = .80 would detect effect sizes of clinical interest. This paper presents the Cancer-PEPSON study's protocol to provide a broader understanding of the background and content of the program. The study is ongoing until August 2016 and the first results are anticipated to be finished by November 2015. To our knowledge, this will be the first RCT study to optimize social network support through a psycho-educational program for families living with parental cancer and their network members, as well as provide an evidence basis for social network support. The results may provide important knowledge that is useful for clinical practice and further research. The trial is reported according to the CONSORT checklist. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 15982171; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN15982171/15982171 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6cg9zunS0).

  8. Parenting stress and child behaviour problems among parents with intellectual disabilities: the buffering role of resources.

    PubMed

    Meppelder, M; Hodes, M; Kef, S; Schuengel, C

    2015-07-01

    Parents with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at risk for high levels of parenting stress. The present study evaluated resources, including parental adaptive functioning, financial resources and access to a support network, as moderators of the association between child behaviour problems and parenting stress. A total of 134 parents with ID and their children (ages 1-7 years) were recruited from 10 Dutch care organisations. Questionnaires were administered to the parents to obtain information on parenting stress in the parent and child domain, financial resources and their support network. Teachers and care workers reported on child behaviour problems and parental adaptive functioning, respectively. Parents experienced more stress with regard to their children than towards their own functioning and situation. Parenting stress was less in parents who were not experiencing financial hardship. Child behaviour problems were associated with high child-related parenting stress, not parent-related parenting stress. Large support networks decreased the association between child behaviour problems and child-related parenting stress. Financial resources did not significantly moderate the association. Parenting stress among parents with ID is focused on problems with the child, especially when little social support is available. © 2014 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. An Evaluation of Informal Parent Support Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lennon, Lori; And Others

    This study examined the effects of an informal parental support network on parents' perceptions of child behavior, discipline style, and satisfaction in parenting. The parent support group consisted of 38 parents (mostly mothers) who met regularly and had an opportunity to discuss parenting concerns and compare experiences with their children;…

  10. Cascades of emotional support in friendship networks and adolescent smoking

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Cheng; Butts, Carter T.; Jose, Rupa; Hipp, John R.

    2017-01-01

    Social support from peers and parents provides a key socialization function during adolescence. We examine adolescent friendship networks using a Stochastic Actor-Based modeling approach to observe the flow of emotional support provision to peers and the effect of support from parents, while simultaneously modeling smoking behavior. We utilized one school (n = 976) from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (AddHealth) Study. Our findings suggest that emotional support is transacted through an interdependent contextual system, comprised of both peer and parental effects, with the latter also having distal indirect effects from youths’ friends’ parents. PMID:28662121

  11. Effects of social support and conflict on parenting among homeless mothers.

    PubMed

    Marra, Jaime V; McCarthy, Elissa; Lin, Hsiu-Ju; Ford, Julian; Rodis, Eleni; Frisman, Linda K

    2009-07-01

    Research has shown that having a supportive social network is generally beneficial for individuals, particularly those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. However, conflict within these networks may diminish the positive effects of social support on well-being, and these effects may be felt acutely within a vulnerable population with multiple needs. This study examined the impact of conflict and social support on parenting behaviors in a sample of mothers who are homeless and were involved in a study of case management interventions of varying intensity. We found that women who reported high emotional and instrumental social support self-reported greater improvements in parenting consistency over time than those who reported lower levels of support. However, three-way interactions showed that conflict in support networks was a risk factor for harsh parenting practices among participants who reported lower levels of instrumental social support. Results suggest that social support may enhance homeless mothers' ability to provide consistent parenting, but that these benefits may be undermined if conflict occurs in combination with limited levels of instrumental social support.

  12. Social Networks and Structural Holes: Parent-School Relationships as Loosely Coupled Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wanat, Carolyn Louise; Zieglowsky, Laura Thudium

    2010-01-01

    This article describes parent groups as social networks that are loosely coupled to schools. The study investigated parent groups that work together to support schools by networking, responding to change, seeking input on policy decisions, and communicating with school leaders. Parents from one elementary school who participated in two focus group…

  13. Optimizing Social Network Support to Families Living With Parental Cancer: Research Protocol for the Cancer-PEPSONE Study

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Background Parental cancer can have a significant impact on a family's psychosocial functioning and quality of life, whereby the children’s situation is strongly related to parental coping and capacity. Such parents ask for more help in order to increase their care capacity, while the network is often insecure about how to help and thereby withdraw. They ask for guidance and training to be able to support cancer families. Based on this, the Cancer- Psycho-Educational Program for the SOcial NEtwork (PEPSONE) study was developed. Objective To optimize social network support through a psycho-educational program for families living with parental cancer and their network members in order to increase parental capacity and thereby secure the children’s safety and quality of life. Methods A randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which families (N=60) living with parental cancer will be randomized to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention will last for 3 hours and includes (1) introduction, (2) psycho-education (living with cancer in the family and the importance of social network support), and (3) discussion (this family’s need for social support). Primary outcomes are social support, mental health, and quality of life, and secondary outcomes are resilience and parental capacity. Data will be collected by a set of questionnaires distributed to healthy parents (N=60) living with a partner with cancer, one child in the family between 8-18 years of age (N=60), and network members (N=210) of the intervention families at inclusion, and after 3 and 6 months. Comparing differences between the intervention group (n=30) and the control group (n=30), the power analysis shows that P<.05 and a statistical power = .80 would detect effect sizes of clinical interest. Results This paper presents the Cancer-PEPSON study’s protocol to provide a broader understanding of the background and content of the program. The study is ongoing until August 2016 and the first results are anticipated to be finished by November 2015. Conclusions To our knowledge, this will be the first RCT study to optimize social network support through a psycho-educational program for families living with parental cancer and their network members, as well as provide an evidence basis for social network support. The results may provide important knowledge that is useful for clinical practice and further research. The trial is reported according to the CONSORT checklist. ClinicalTrial International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 15982171; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN15982171/15982171 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6cg9zunS0) PMID:26733339

  14. Network and Mutual Support for Parents Bereaved Following the Violent Deaths of Their 12- to 28-Year Old Children: A Longitudinal, Prospective Analysis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Shirley A.; Lohan, Janet; Dimond, Margaret; Fan, Juanjuan

    1998-01-01

    Examines types and frequency of posttreatment contacts among bereaved parents who participated in an experimental support program. Compares those who reported high versus low social support and high versus low numbers of network confidants on selected outcome and coping variables. Number of network confidants did not significantly affect the…

  15. The Investigation of Parents' Interactions and Their Children's Learning Levels at Parental Coaching Carried out over Social Network

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gündüz, Gülten Feryal

    2018-01-01

    The study aims to provide academic and affective support for children's learning by using teacher-parent collaboration through parental coaching realized via social network. This parental coaching includes three phases: preparation, implementation and evaluation. The participants of the study are 16 parents and their children. The data of the…

  16. Long-term support and personal adjustment of adolescent and older mothers.

    PubMed

    Schilmoeller, G L; Baranowski, M D; Higgins, B S

    1991-01-01

    Adolescent and older mothers reported the size and quality of social networks and perceptions of family support at 1, 6, and 12 months postpartum. Maternal behavior, general life satisfaction, and parental satisfaction were assessed at 12 months. No significant differences were found in the size of social networks and quality of interactions within those networks, though older mothers had significantly higher scores on perceived family support than did adolescent mothers. Perceived family support and quality of interactions within the social network generally were associated positively with maternal behavior, life satisfaction, and parental satisfaction. This was true in more cases for the adolescent than for older mothers.

  17. The role of social and cognitive processes in the relationship between fear network and psychological distress among parents of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

    PubMed

    Virtue, Shannon Myers; Manne, Sharon; Mee, Laura; Bartell, Abraham; Sands, Stephen; Ohman-Strickland, Pamela; Gajda, Tina Marie

    2014-09-01

    The current study examined whether cognitive and social processing variables mediated the relationship between fear network and depression among parents of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Parents whose children were initiating HSCT (N = 179) completed survey measures including fear network, Beck Depression Inventory, cognitive processing variables (positive reappraisal and self-blame) and social processing variables (emotional support and holding back from sharing concerns). Fear network was positively correlated with depression (p < .001). Self-blame and holding back emerged as individual partial mediators in the relationship between fear network and depression. Together they accounted for 34.3% of the variance in the relationship between fear network and depression. Positive reappraisal and emotional support did not have significant mediating effects. Social and cognitive processes, specifically self-blame and holding back from sharing concerns, play a negative role in parents' psychological adaptation to fears surrounding a child's HSCT.

  18. An Examination of the Support Families Receive and Parent Perceptions of How Helpful These Supports Are in Meeting the Needs of Their Children and Families.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehman, Constance M.

    Two-hundred and fifty parents of children with emotional or behavioral disorders residing in Oregon were surveyed concerning the nature and extent of support they received. Parents were affiliated with the Oregon Family Support Network, a statewide, parent-run, information and family advocacy organization. One hundred usable surveys were returned.…

  19. Network integrity of the parental brain in infancy supports the development of children's social competencies.

    PubMed

    Abraham, Eyal; Hendler, Talma; Zagoory-Sharon, Orna; Feldman, Ruth

    2016-11-01

    The cross-generational transmission of mammalian sociality, initiated by the parent's postpartum brain plasticity and species-typical behavior that buttress offspring's socialization, has not been studied in humans. In this longitudinal study, we measured brain response of 45 primary-caregiving parents to their infant's stimuli, observed parent-infant interactions, and assayed parental oxytocin (OT). Intra- and inter-network connectivity were computed in three main networks of the human parental brain: core limbic, embodied simulation and mentalizing. During preschool, two key child social competencies were observed: emotion regulation and socialization. Parent's network integrity in infancy predicted preschoolers' social outcomes, with subcortical and cortical network integrity foreshadowing simple evolutionary-based regulatory tactics vs complex self-regulatory strategies and advanced socialization. Parent-infant synchrony mediated the links between connectivity of the parent's embodied simulation network and preschoolers' ability to use cognitive/executive emotion regulation strategies, highlighting the inherently dyadic nature of this network and its long-term effects on tuning young to social life. Parent's inter-network core limbic-embodied simulation connectivity predicted children's OT as moderated by parental OT. Findings challenge solipsistic neuroscience perspectives by demonstrating how the parent-offspring interface enables the brain of one human to profoundly impact long-term adaptation of another. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press.

  20. The Effects of Marital Support, Social Network Support, and Parenting Stress on Parenting: Self-Efficacy among Mothers of Young Children in Japan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suzuki, Sawako

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated whether Japanese women's perceived marital and social support affect their parenting self-efficacy directly or indirectly through their levels of parenting stress. Participants were 98 mothers of children in the second grade living in Sapporo or Osaka, Japan. Data collected through surveys were submitted to a structural…

  1. Interactions with parents and friends among chronically ill children: examining social networks.

    PubMed

    Herzer, Michele; Umfress, Kris; Aljadeff, Gabriel; Ghai, Kanika; Zakowski, Sandra G

    2009-12-01

    Children with medical conditions often experience a combination of positive and negative social interactions with parents and friends. Adult research examining cross-domain buffering effects has documented that supportive social ties can make up for shortcomings in other social relationships. This study examined whether negative effects of strained relationships with loved ones can be buffered when children feel supported by individuals in different support networks (i.e., cross-domain buffering effects). Children with Type I diabetes (n = 56), chronic asthma (n = 54), and cystic fibrosis (n = 17) completed questionnaires during an outpatient hospital visit that assessed perceptions of support and strain from parents and friends, quality of life, self-concept, and emotional/behavioral difficulties. Parental strain was conceptualized as parental overprotection and parental rejection. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that friend support buffered the adverse effects of parental strain on child quality of life, self-concept, and emotional/behavioral difficulties. Interestingly, parental support did not buffer the negative effects of experiencing strained relationships with friends; only main effects on outcome were found. These findings partially support our hypotheses of cross-domain buffering. In this study, friendships were a protective factor for children who experienced strained relationships with parents. In contrast, although parent support had a direct impact on child outcome, it did not make up for feeling rejected by friends. Because close relationships are often strained during medical stressors, findings underscore the importance of promoting social connectedness in chronically ill children to maximize opportunities for experiencing positive social relationships.

  2. Emotional Reactivity to Network Stress in Middle and Late Adulthood: The Role of Childhood Parental Emotional Abuse and Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poon, Cecilia Y. M.; Knight, Bob G.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: This study examined whether recalled childhood parental emotional abuse and support were associated with emotional reactivity to network stress among middle-aged and older adults. Design and Methods: Hypotheses were tested by performing 2-level multilevel modeling analysis on 787 participants aged 33-83 who participated in the Daily…

  3. The Relationship between Neighborhood Characteristics and Effective Parenting Behaviors: The Role of Social Support.

    PubMed

    Byrnes, Hilary F; Miller, Brenda A

    2012-12-01

    Neighborhood characteristics have been linked to healthy behavior, including effective parenting behaviors. This may be partially explained through the neighborhood's relation to parents' access to social support from friends and family. The current study examined associations of neighborhood characteristics with parenting behaviors indirectly through social support. The sample included 614 mothers of 11-12 year old youths enrolled in a health care system in the San Francisco area. Structural equations modeling shows that neighborhood perceptions were related to parenting behaviors, indirectly through social support, while archival census neighborhood indicators were unrelated to social support and parenting. Perceived neighborhood social cohesion and control were related to greater social support, which was related to more effective parenting style, parent-child communication, and monitoring. Perceived neighborhood disorganization was unrelated to social support. Prevention strategies should focus on helping parents build a social support network that can act as a resource in times of need.

  4. The Longitudinal Effects of Network Characteristics on the Mental Health of Mothers of Children with ASD: The Mediating Role of Parent Cognitions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benson, Paul R.

    2016-01-01

    Employing a cohort sequential design, the effects of network characteristics on maternal cognitions (perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy) and mental health (depression and well-being) were assessed over 7 years when children with ASD of mothers in the study were age 7-14. Findings indicated that network size, network emotional…

  5. Supporting Parents: Using Research to Inform Policy and Best Practice. Social Policy Report Brief. Volume 30, Issue 5

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bridgman, Anne

    2017-01-01

    Parenting is one of the most emotionally powerful, demanding, and consequential tasks of adulthood. Previously, the task of parenting was shared with extended family and community members. Today, with less extensive networks of experience and support, parents are frequently not as well prepared. Research has identified the elements of competent…

  6. Fussy Baby Network® New Orleans and Gulf Coast: Using the FAN to Support Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heller, Sherryl Scott; Breuer, Anna

    2015-01-01

    This article describes the components of the FAN model used in the Fussy Baby Network® intervention. Careful attunement and matching to the parents' experience help stressed parents feel understood and not alone and foster a sense of coherence during this difficult time. It is this attention to the parent's experience that allows flexibility in…

  7. Autonomous management of a recursive area hierarchy for large scale wireless sensor networks using multiple parents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cree, Johnathan Vee; Delgado-Frias, Jose

    Large scale wireless sensor networks have been proposed for applications ranging from anomaly detection in an environment to vehicle tracking. Many of these applications require the networks to be distributed across a large geographic area while supporting three to five year network lifetimes. In order to support these requirements large scale wireless sensor networks of duty-cycled devices need a method of efficient and effective autonomous configuration/maintenance. This method should gracefully handle the synchronization tasks duty-cycled networks. Further, an effective configuration solution needs to recognize that in-network data aggregation and analysis presents significant benefits to wireless sensor network and should configuremore » the network in a way such that said higher level functions benefit from the logically imposed structure. NOA, the proposed configuration and maintenance protocol, provides a multi-parent hierarchical logical structure for the network that reduces the synchronization workload. It also provides higher level functions with significant inherent benefits such as but not limited to: removing network divisions that are created by single-parent hierarchies, guarantees for when data will be compared in the hierarchy, and redundancies for communication as well as in-network data aggregation/analysis/storage.« less

  8. Support and Conflict in Ethnically Diverse Young Adults' Relationships with Parents and Friends

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moilanen, Kristin L.; Raffaelli, Marcela

    2010-01-01

    We examined support and conflict with parents and close friends in a sample of ethnically diverse young adults (European-, Asian-, Cuban-, Latin-, and Mexican Americans). College students (N = 495) completed six subscales from the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI; Furman & Buhrmester, 1985). Friends were rated higher than parents on…

  9. The Role of Social and Cognitive Processes in the Relationship between Fear Network and Psychological Distress among Parents of Children Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

    PubMed Central

    Virtue, Shannon Myers; Manne, Sharon; Mee, Laura; Bartell, Abraham; Sands, Stephen; Ohman-Strickland, Pamela; Gajda, Tina Marie

    2014-01-01

    The current study examined whether cognitive and social processing variables mediated the relationship between fear network and depression among parents of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Parents whose children were initiating HSCT (N = 179) completed survey measures including fear network, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), cognitive processing variables (positive reappraisal and self-blame) and social processing variables (emotional support and holding back from sharing concerns). Fear network was positively correlated with depression (p < .001). Self-blame and holding back emerged as individual partial mediators in the relationship between fear network and depression. Together they accounted for 34.3% of the variance in the relationship between fear network and depression. Positive reappraisal and emotional support did not have significant mediating effects. Social and cognitive processes, specifically self-blame and holding back from sharing concerns, play a negative role in parents’ psychological adaptation to fears surrounding a child’s HSCT. PMID:25081956

  10. Family Influences on Children's Peer Relationships: Parents' Social Networks and Educational Attitudes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krappmann, Lothar; Uhlendorff, Harald

    Although children of primary school age increasingly maintain friendships autonomously, they still are influenced by their parents. In particular, parents' behaviors supporting peer activities of their children, parental educational attitudes, and parents' own social relationships are expected to be relevant for children's social integration into…

  11. Social Support, Parenting Competence, and Parenting Satisfaction Among Adolescent, African American, Mothers.

    PubMed

    Brown, Sara G; Hudson, Diane B; Campbell-Grossman, Christie; Kupzyk, Kevin A; Yates, Bernice C; Hanna, Kathleen M

    2018-04-01

    This secondary analysis explored how social support changed during the first 6 months postpartum and examined the relationships among social support, parenting competence, and parenting role satisfaction. Single, low-income, adolescent, new mothers ( N = 34) completed measures of perceived parenting competence, parenting role satisfaction, and four types of received social support (emotional, informational, tangible, problematic) from the entire social network at 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. Results indicated that social support did not change over time. Emotional, informational, and tangible social support were significantly correlated, concurrently and predictively, with perceived competence and satisfaction at most data collection points. Future social support intervention studies using social support as a modifiable variable with this high-risk group of African American adolescent new mothers are advocated. Health care professionals are encouraged to examine existing social support within these mothers' identified family units.

  12. Social support for South Asian Muslim parents with life-limiting illness living in Scotland: a multiperspective qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Gaveras, Eleni Margareta; Kristiansen, Maria; Worth, Allison; Irshad, Tasneem; Sheikh, Aziz

    2014-02-06

    To explore experiences of social support needs among South Asian Muslim patients with life-limiting illness, living in Scotland, who are parents of young children. Secondary analysis of data from a multiperspective, longitudinal Scottish study involving in-depth semistructured interviews with patients, their nominated carers and healthcare professionals. Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Edinburgh, Scotland. South-Asian Muslim patients with life-limiting illness with children under the age of 18 (n=8), their carer (n=6) and their healthcare professional. Access and provision of social support in palliative care. Open-ended qualitative interviews identified four main themes: (1) parental sadness over being unable to provide tangible support; (2) parental desire to continue to provide emotional support; (3) limited availability of informal social support networks; and (4) differing perspectives between healthcare professionals and patients on patient access to social support sources, with a subtheme being the capacity of male carers to provide social support. South-Asian parents at the end of life had limited access to extended-network support. Gender roles appeared as challenging for healthcare providers who at times overestimated the amount of support a female carer could provide and underestimated the amount of support male carers provided. Implications for practice include the need for greater awareness by healthcare providers of the social support needs of ethnic minority and migrant parents with life-limiting illnesses and especially an awareness of the importance of the role of male and female carers. Further research is needed to explore how the timing of migration impacts the need for and availability of tangible and emotional informal social support among ethnic minority parents with life-limiting illness.

  13. Social support for South Asian Muslim parents with life-limiting illness living in Scotland: a multiperspective qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Gaveras, Eleni Margareta; Kristiansen, Maria; Worth, Allison; Irshad, Tasneem; Sheikh, Aziz

    2014-01-01

    Objective To explore experiences of social support needs among South Asian Muslim patients with life-limiting illness, living in Scotland, who are parents of young children. Design Secondary analysis of data from a multiperspective, longitudinal Scottish study involving in-depth semistructured interviews with patients, their nominated carers and healthcare professionals. Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Setting Edinburgh, Scotland. Participants South-Asian Muslim patients with life-limiting illness with children under the age of 18 (n=8), their carer (n=6) and their healthcare professional. Main outcome measures Access and provision of social support in palliative care. Results Open-ended qualitative interviews identified four main themes: (1) parental sadness over being unable to provide tangible support; (2) parental desire to continue to provide emotional support; (3) limited availability of informal social support networks; and (4) differing perspectives between healthcare professionals and patients on patient access to social support sources, with a subtheme being the capacity of male carers to provide social support. South-Asian parents at the end of life had limited access to extended-network support. Gender roles appeared as challenging for healthcare providers who at times overestimated the amount of support a female carer could provide and underestimated the amount of support male carers provided. Implications for practice include the need for greater awareness by healthcare providers of the social support needs of ethnic minority and migrant parents with life-limiting illnesses and especially an awareness of the importance of the role of male and female carers. Further research is needed to explore how the timing of migration impacts the need for and availability of tangible and emotional informal social support among ethnic minority parents with life-limiting illness. PMID:24503303

  14. The Relationship between Neighborhood Characteristics and Effective Parenting Behaviors: The Role of Social Support

    PubMed Central

    Byrnes, Hilary F.; Miller, Brenda A.

    2011-01-01

    Neighborhood characteristics have been linked to healthy behavior, including effective parenting behaviors. This may be partially explained through the neighborhood’s relation to parents’ access to social support from friends and family. The current study examined associations of neighborhood characteristics with parenting behaviors indirectly through social support. The sample included 614 mothers of 11–12 year old youths enrolled in a health care system in the San Francisco area. Structural equations modeling shows that neighborhood perceptions were related to parenting behaviors, indirectly through social support, while archival census neighborhood indicators were unrelated to social support and parenting. Perceived neighborhood social cohesion and control were related to greater social support, which was related to more effective parenting style, parent-child communication, and monitoring. Perceived neighborhood disorganization was unrelated to social support. Prevention strategies should focus on helping parents build a social support network that can act as a resource in times of need. PMID:23794774

  15. Parental social networks during childhood and offspring depression in early adulthood: a lifecourse approach.

    PubMed

    Allchin, Adelyn; Melchior, Maria; Fombonne, Eric; Surkan, Pamela J

    2016-07-04

    Little is known on how parental social relationships may affect their children's mental health. We sought to examine the relation between parental social relationship characteristics and subsequent offspring depression in young adulthood. We used 2009 Trajectoires Épidémiologiques en Population (TEMPO) study data from 1087 French young adults ages 22 to 35 and parental data from the corresponding Gaz et Eléctricité (GAZEL) study in 1991. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine parental social networks, quality of parental relationships, and reciprocity of parental social support measured in 1991 in relation to offspring depression in young adulthood measured using the Adult Self Report in 2009. Analyses were stratified by participant sex. In adjusted models, daughters of parents who reported giving more support to others than they received had 1.72 higher odds (95% CI, 1.09-2.70) of depression in young adulthood. Daughters of parents who were unsatisfied with their social relationships had 2.14 (95% CI, 1.22-3.76) higher odds of depression. Among male participants, there was no statistically significant association between parental relationship satisfaction, reciprocity of parental exchanges, and depression. Parental relationships during mid-childhood have long-term associations with offspring depression. Results suggest that enhancing social support for parents may have positive implications for their children's mental health. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Brief Report: Mapping Systems of Support and Psychological Well-Being of Mothers of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuhn, Jocelyn; Ford, Katie; Dawalt, Leann Smith

    2018-01-01

    Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders are generally known to experience elevated levels of stress and poorer psychological well-being. To provide treatments and resources that most effectively support parent mental health, it is critical to understand how parents' connections with various networks and systems impact their well-being.…

  17. Teleaudiology: efficacy assessment of an online social network as a support tool for parents of children candidates for cochlear implant.

    PubMed

    Aiello, Camila Piccini; Ferrari, Deborah Viviane

    2015-01-01

    To assess the efficacy of an online social network as a support for parents of children with hearing impairment. Twenty-two mothers, randomly divided into experimental (n=11) and control (n=11) groups, filled in an online form containing the Parental Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF). Only the experimental group had access to the "Babies' Portal" social network. Both groups filled in the online form once again 3 months after the first assessment, for evaluating the use and participation in the social network. The posts on the social network were rated by two independent raters regarding themes and mechanisms of self-help. No difference was observed in mean PSI-SF scores between the groups for both assessments. Intragroup analysis showed no difference for total and subscale results of PSI-SF between the two data collected for both groups except for the "Defensive Response" subscale, in which a decrease was observed in the score for the control group. The most frequent posting themes were related to personal information and expressions of religious beliefs. Regarding self-help mechanisms, a higher frequency of exchanging experiences and gratitude expressions was observed. Participants in the experimental group stated they would have liked to participate more frequently in the social network as they considered this tool important because of the exchange of information and experience with other mothers and hearing health-care professionals. The posts and the assessment of participants indicated the potential of this network to support parents of children with hearing impairment.

  18. The Benefits of Parenting Self-Help Groups for Rural Latino Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wituk, Scott; Commer, Amy; Lindstrom, Julie; Meisen, Greg

    2001-01-01

    A survey of 118 rural, mostly female, Latino participants in Parents Helping Parents (PHP)--a Kansas network of parenting self-help groups--found high satisfaction with PHP. PHP provided support and information concerning child rearing and child development, improved family communication, and increased the use of alternative means of discipline.…

  19. Structural and Supportive Changes in Couples' Family and Friendship Networks across the Transition to Parenthood.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bost, Kelly K.; Cox, Martha J.; Burchinal, Margaret R.; Payne, Chris

    2002-01-01

    Examines patterns of change in family and friend network with parenthood in 137 couples surveyed before the birth of their first child. Husbands and wives who reported larger network sizes and support prior to their first child's birth were more likely to report larger networks after birth. Changes in parents' social systems were related to…

  20. Meeting the Needs of Parents of Preschool Handicapped Children through Increased Support Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cormany, Ernestine E.

    This practicum report describes development of a system of family support services for 56 parents of preschool handicapped children (ages birth to 3) in an early intervention setting. A preliminary survey was administered to determine family needs. A family support group was then developed which met monthly for fellowship, networking, work…

  1. Passing It on: Lessons in Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wechsler, Nick

    2005-01-01

    Since 1982, the Ounce of Prevention Fund's network of Parents Too Soon (PTS) programs for teen parents throughout Illinois has supported communities, programs, and families through a mix of mechanisms: funding, program development, extensive training and support, and public policy advocacy. This article describes a qualitative view of how…

  2. A Dynamic Model of Adolescent Friendship Networks, Parental Influences, and Smoking.

    PubMed

    Lakon, Cynthia M; Wang, Cheng; Butts, Carter T; Jose, Rupa; Timberlake, David S; Hipp, John R

    2015-09-01

    Peer and parental influences are critical socializing forces shaping adolescent development, including the co-evolving processes of friendship tie choice and adolescent smoking. This study examines aspects of adolescent friendship networks and dimensions of parental influences shaping friendship tie choice and smoking, including parental support, parental monitoring, and the parental home smoking environment using a Stochastic Actor-Based model. With data from three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health of youth in grades 7 through 12, including the In-School Survey, the first wave of the In-Home survey occurring 6 months later, and the second wave of the In-Home survey, occurring one year later, this study utilizes two samples based on the social network data collected in the longitudinal saturated sample of sixteen schools. One consists of twelve small schools (n = 1,284, 50.93 % female), and the other of one large school (n = 976, 48.46 % female). The findings indicated that reciprocity, choosing a friend of a friend as a friend, and smoking similarity increased friendship tie choice behavior, as did parental support. Parental monitoring interacted with choosing friends who smoke in affecting friendship tie choice, as at higher levels of parental monitoring, youth chose fewer friends that smoked. A parental home smoking context conducive to smoking decreased the number of friends adolescents chose. Peer influence and a parental home smoking environment conducive to smoking increased smoking, while parental monitoring decreased it in the large school. Overall, peer and parental factors affected the coevolution of friendship tie choice and smoking, directly and multiplicatively.

  3. A Dynamic Model of Adolescent Friendship Networks, Parental Influences, and Smoking

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Cheng; Butts, Carter T.; Jose, Rupa; Timberlake, David S.; Hipp, John R.

    2015-01-01

    Peer and parental influences are critical socializing forces shaping adolescent development, including the co-evolving processes of friendship tie choice and adolescent smoking. This study examines aspects of adolescent friendship networks and dimensions of parental influences shaping friendship tie choice and smoking, including parental support, parental monitoring, and the parental home smoking environment using a Stochastic Actor-Based model. With data from three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health of youth in grades 7 through 12, including the In-School Survey, the first wave of the In-Home survey occurring 6 months later, and the second wave of the In-Home survey, occurring one year later, this study utilizes two samples based on the social network data collected in the longitudinal saturated sample of sixteen schools. One consists of twelve small schools (n = 1,284, 50.93 % female), and the other of one large school (n = 976, 48.46 % female). The findings indicated that reciprocity, choosing a friend of a friend as a friend, and smoking similarity increased friendship tie choice behavior, as did parental support. Parental monitoring interacted with choosing friends who smoke in affecting friendship tie choice, as at higher levels of parental monitoring, youth chose fewer friends that smoked. A parental home smoking context conducive to smoking decreased the number of friends adolescents chose. Peer influence and a parental home smoking environment conducive to smoking increased smoking, while parental monitoring decreased it in the large school. Overall, peer and parental factors affected the coevolution of friendship tie choice and smoking, directly and multiplicatively. PMID:25239115

  4. From Parents to Partners: Building a Family-Centered Early Childhood Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keyser, Janis

    2006-01-01

    Partnering with parents is essential if an early childhood program is to succeed. "From Parents to Partners" explores the reasons and methods for developing ongoing partnerships with parents and other family members. It also provides the tools and strategies needed to build the communication and support networks within which these partnerships…

  5. Lesbian Parenting: Issues, Strengths and Challenges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNair, Ruth; Dempsey, Deborah; Wise, Sarah; Perlesz, Amaryll

    2002-01-01

    This study examined family relationships, conception methods, involvement of biological fathers in their children's lives, and the use of social and support networks by Australian lesbian and bisexual parents/prospective parents. Findings indicated that lesbians achieved parenthood most commonly within a heterosexual relationship or through self-…

  6. Emotional reactivity to network stress in middle and late adulthood: the role of childhood parental emotional abuse and support.

    PubMed

    Poon, Cecilia Y M; Knight, Bob G

    2012-12-01

    This study examined whether recalled childhood parental emotional abuse and support were associated with emotional reactivity to network stress among middle-aged and older adults. Hypotheses were tested by performing 2-level multilevel modeling analysis on 787 participants aged 33-83 who participated in the Daily Stress Project (2004-2009). Adult daughters who recalled more childhood emotional abuse from their mother reported a higher average level of daily emotional distress nearly a decade later. The association between network stress and emotional distress was only significant among adult daughters. This emotional reactivity was attenuated by greater childhood emotional support from mothers. Recalled childhood mother-child relationship continues to influence stress and coping across the lifespan, especially among women.

  7. Can social networking be used to promote engagement in child maltreatment prevention programs? Two pilot studies.

    PubMed

    Edwards-Gaura, Anna; Whitaker, Daniel; Self-Brown, Shannon

    2014-08-01

    Child maltreatment is one of the United States' most significant public health problems. In efforts to prevent maltreatment experts recommend use of Behavioral Parent Training Programs (BPTs), which focus on teaching skills that will replace and prevent maltreating behavior. While there is research to support the effectiveness of BPTs in maltreatment prevention, the reach of such programs is still limited by several barriers, including poor retention of families in services. Recently, new technologies have emerged that offer innovative opportunities to improve family engagement. These technologies include smartphones and social networking; however, very little is known about the potential of these to aid in maltreatment prevention. The primary goal of this study was to conduct 2 pilot exploratory projects. The first project administered a survey to parents and providers to gather data about at-risk parents' use of smartphones and online social networking technologies. The second project tested a social networking-enhanced brief parenting program with 3 intervention participants and evaluated parental responses. Seventy-five percent of parents surveyed reported owning a computer that worked. Eighty-nine percent of parents reported that they had reliable Internet access at home, and 67% said they used the Internet daily. Three parents participated in the intervention with all reporting improvement in parent-child interaction skills and a positive experience participating in the social networking-enhanced SafeCare components. In general, findings suggest that smartphones, social networking, and Facebook, in particular, are now being used by individuals who show risk factors for maltreatment. Further, the majority of parents surveyed in this study said that they like Facebook, and all parents surveyed said that they use Facebook and have a Facebook account. As well, all saw it as a potentially beneficial supplement for future parents enrolling in parenting programs.

  8. Facilitating employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disability through parents and social networks.

    PubMed

    Petner-Arrey, Jami; Howell-Moneta, Angela; Lysaght, Rosemary

    2015-07-01

    People with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) have historically had high unemployment and underemployment rates and continue to face significant barriers to attaining and sustaining employment. The purpose of this research, conducted in Ontario, Canada was to better understand the experiences of people with IDD gaining and keeping productivity roles. We used qualitative semi-structured interviews with 74 participants with IDD and their families or caregivers as proxies regarding the employment of a person with IDD. We selected a sample of persons from three different geographic regions in Ontario, Canada, and analyzed data through coding methods consistent with a grounded theory approach. Our results demonstrate the importance of parents and other members of social and family networks relative to connecting with work options and sustaining work over time, especially through continued advocacy and investment. Parents helped individuals with IDD negotiate the right job fit, though they often encountered challenges as a result of their efforts. Practitioners must understand how to support parents to be effective advocates for their adult children with IDD, assist them to develop and maintain their social networks and help them to avoid caregiver burnout. Implications for Rehabilitation People with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) face numerous challenges in indentifying work options and overcoming barriers to employment. Parents and other non-paid support members of social networks can be instrumental in ensuring that persons with IDD not only secure initial job placements, but also sustain employment and employment alternatives. Professionals that support persons with IDD can direct their efforts to helping persons with IDD develop strong social connections, as well as helping parents to prevent burnout.

  9. The Imperative Educational Network: Parents, Teachers, and Concerned Individuals. Volume 4. Proceedings of the Imperative Educational Network Conference (Athens, Georgia, 1992).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomlinson, Louise M., Ed.

    This conference sought to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on how parents, teachers, and other concerned individuals can contribute to strengthening the educational support system, and sought to generate practical information on strategies to improve achievement levels of youth. A conference program prospectus by Louise M. Tomlinson…

  10. The Imperative Educational Network: Parents, Teachers, and Concerned Individuals. Volume 2. Proceedings of the Imperative Educational Network Conference (Athens, Georgia, 1990).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomlinson, Louise M., Ed.

    This conference was designed to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on how parents, teachers, and other concerned individuals can contribute to strengthening the educational support system, and to generate practical information on strategies to improve achievement levels of youth. The first article, titled "Conference Program…

  11. Gaining Empowerment Allows Results [G.E.A.R.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reclaiming Children and Youth, 2011

    2011-01-01

    Gaining Empowerment Allows Results (G.E.A.R.) is a parent-run organization for families facing challenges due to children with emotional and behavioral health concerns. These parents are able to network with other families and learn about resources for their family. A wide range of services include telephone support, monthly family support groups,…

  12. 75 FR 55587 - Family-to-Family Health Information Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-13

    ... (P2P) of Vermont to the Vermont Family Network, Inc. (VFN) in Williston, due to an organizational..., related services, and parent-to-parent support for families with children and youth with special health... Replacement Award: The period of support for the replacement award is June 1, 2010 to May 31, 2011. Authority...

  13. Network integrity of the parental brain in infancy supports the development of children’s social competencies

    PubMed Central

    Abraham, Eyal; Hendler, Talma; Zagoory-Sharon, Orna

    2016-01-01

    The cross-generational transmission of mammalian sociality, initiated by the parent’s postpartum brain plasticity and species-typical behavior that buttress offspring’s socialization, has not been studied in humans. In this longitudinal study, we measured brain response of 45 primary-caregiving parents to their infant’s stimuli, observed parent–infant interactions, and assayed parental oxytocin (OT). Intra- and inter-network connectivity were computed in three main networks of the human parental brain: core limbic, embodied simulation and mentalizing. During preschool, two key child social competencies were observed: emotion regulation and socialization. Parent’s network integrity in infancy predicted preschoolers’ social outcomes, with subcortical and cortical network integrity foreshadowing simple evolutionary-based regulatory tactics vs complex self-regulatory strategies and advanced socialization. Parent–infant synchrony mediated the links between connectivity of the parent’s embodied simulation network and preschoolers' ability to use cognitive/executive emotion regulation strategies, highlighting the inherently dyadic nature of this network and its long-term effects on tuning young to social life. Parent’s inter-network core limbic-embodied simulation connectivity predicted children’s OT as moderated by parental OT. Findings challenge solipsistic neuroscience perspectives by demonstrating how the parent–offspring interface enables the brain of one human to profoundly impact long-term adaptation of another. PMID:27369068

  14. Are Parental Relationships Always Protective? A Social Network Analysis of Black, Latino, and White Homeless Youth and Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors.

    PubMed

    Craddock, Jaih B; Rice, Eric; Rhoades, Harmony; Winetrobe, Hailey

    2016-11-01

    Black and Latino homeless youth are at high risk of HIV, and yet no HIV prevention interventions have been specifically designed for these groups. Given the success of parent-child intervention programs for housed Black and Latino youth, this study examined parental relationships that could be leveraged for future HIV prevention efforts targeting minority homeless youth, specifically the associations among presence of parents in social networks, parental influence, and parental support. A convenience sample of Black, Latino, and White homeless youth (N = 754) was recruited from three drop-in centers in Los Angeles. Participants completed a computerized, self-administered questionnaire and an interviewer-led personal social network interview. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association between parental relationships and sexual risk behaviors. Forty-five percent (n = 338) of youth identified a parent in their network. Having at least one parent in their network was significantly associated with decreased odds of using a condom for Black and White youth. Black youth were almost four times more likely to report being tested for HIV if they spoke to their parents about sex, whereas Latino youth were 91 % less likely to report being tested for HIV if they talked with their parents about sex. Black youth who identified a parent as a positive influence (i.e., promoting condom use or discouraging multiple partners) were almost four times more likely to have used a condom during their last sexual encounter. Parent-child HIV prevention interventions targeting homeless youth would benefit from culturally tailored adaptations.

  15. From thought to action: young parents' reasons for participation in parenting support groups at child welfare centers.

    PubMed

    Hjelte, Jan; Sjöberg, Magdalena; Westerberg, Kristina; Hyvönen, Ulf

    2015-01-01

    In this article the focus is on young parents' engagement process in relation to participation in parenting support groups carried out at child welfare centers. This qualitative study focuses not only on young parents' reasons for participating or not participating in parenting support groups during different phases in their engagement process, but also on examining the circumstances that may contribute to such changes. The results show that these reasons can be divided into four categories: the staff, other participants, the social network, and practical circumstances. It also appears that these reasons change between different phases of their engagement process. Primarily three different circumstances contributed to variation in parents' reasons: difficulty in predicting the value of participation, increased closeness in relationships with staff and other parents, and the specific life phase in which young parents find themselves. The results have important implications for policy makers and practitioners in their work in formulating and updating parenting support; they also indicate what may be important to focus on in the recruitment of young parents, and also what may be crucial in regard to them completing their engagement in parent support groups.

  16. The Imperative Educational Network: Parents, Teachers, and Concerned Individuals. Volume 3. Proceedings of the Imperative Educational Network Conference (Athens, Georgia, 1991).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomlinson, Louise M., Ed.

    This conference sought to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on how parents, teachers, and other concerned individuals can contribute to strengthening the educational support system, and to generate practical information on strategies to improve achievement levels of youth. A conference program prospectus by Louise M. Tomlinson offers a…

  17. Parenting Stress and Parent Support Among Mothers With High and Low Education

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Current theorizing and evidence suggest that parenting stress might be greater among parents from both low and high socioeconomic positions (SEP) compared with those from intermediate levels because of material hardship among parents of low SEP and employment demands among parents of high SEP. However, little is known about how this socioeconomic variation in stress relates to the support that parents receive. This study explored whether variation in maternal parenting stress in a population sample was associated with support deficits. To obtain a clearer understanding of support deficits among mothers of high and low education, we distinguished subgroups according to mothers’ migrant and single-parent status. Participants were 5,865 mothers from the Growing Up in Scotland Study, who were interviewed when their children were 10 months old. Parenting stress was greater among mothers with either high or low education than among mothers with intermediate education, although it was highest for those with low education. Support deficits accounted for around 50% of higher stress among high- and low-educated groups. Less frequent grandparent contact mediated parenting stress among both high- and low-educated mothers, particularly migrants. Aside from this common feature, different aspects of support were relevant for high- compared with low-educated mothers. For high-educated mothers, reliance on formal childcare and less frequent support from friends mediated higher stress. Among low-educated mothers, smaller grandparent and friend networks and barriers to professional parent support mediated higher stress. Implications of differing support deficits are discussed. PMID:26192130

  18. Predictors of Change in Self-Reported Social Networks among Homeless Young People

    PubMed Central

    Falci, Christina D.; Whitbeck, Les B.; Hoyt, Dan R.; Rose, Trina

    2011-01-01

    This research investigates changes in social network size and composition of 351 homeless adolescents over three years. Findings show that network size decreases over time. Homeless youth with a conduct disorder begin street life with small networks that remain small over time. Caregiver abuse is associated with smaller emotional networks due to fewer home ties, especially to parents, and a more rapid loss of emotional home ties over time. Homeless youth with major depression start out with small networks, but are more likely to maintain network ties. Youth with substance abuse problems are more likely to maintain instrumental home ties. Finally, homeless adolescents tend to reconnect with their parents for instrumental aid and form romantic relationship that provide emotional support. PMID:22121332

  19. Can Social Networking Be Used to Promote Engagement in Child Maltreatment Prevention Programs? Two Pilot Studies

    PubMed Central

    Edwards-Gaura, Anna; Whitaker, Daniel; Self-Brown, Shannon

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Child maltreatment is one of the United States' most significant public health problems. In efforts to prevent maltreatment experts recommend use of Behavioral Parent Training Programs (BPTs), which focus on teaching skills that will replace and prevent maltreating behavior. While there is research to support the effectiveness of BPTs in maltreatment prevention, the reach of such programs is still limited by several barriers, including poor retention of families in services. Recently, new technologies have emerged that offer innovative opportunities to improve family engagement. These technologies include smartphones and social networking; however, very little is known about the potential of these to aid in maltreatment prevention. The primary goal of this study was to conduct 2 pilot exploratory projects. Methods: The first project administered a survey to parents and providers to gather data about at-risk parents' use of smartphones and online social networking technologies. The second project tested a social networking-enhanced brief parenting program with 3 intervention participants and evaluated parental responses. Results: Seventy-five percent of parents surveyed reported owning a computer that worked. Eighty-nine percent of parents reported that they had reliable Internet access at home, and 67% said they used the Internet daily. Three parents participated in the intervention with all reporting improvement in parent-child interaction skills and a positive experience participating in the social networking-enhanced SafeCare components. Conclusion: In general, findings suggest that smartphones, social networking, and Facebook, in particular, are now being used by individuals who show risk factors for maltreatment. Further, the majority of parents surveyed in this study said that they like Facebook, and all parents surveyed said that they use Facebook and have a Facebook account. As well, all saw it as a potentially beneficial supplement for future parents enrolling in parenting programs. PMID:25157304

  20. Network Characteristics and Dynamics: Reciprocity, Competition and Information Dissemination

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-01

    AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION A Dissertation Presented by BO JIANG Approved as to style and content by: Don Towsley, Chair Weibo Gong, Member Matthias...my parents . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my deepest thanks to my advisor, Prof. Don Towsley, who has always been encouraging, supportive...deepest gratitude to my parents and all my extended family members for their constant love and support. This work was supported in part by DoD ARO MURI

  1. Feasibility and perceived benefits of a framework for physician-parent follow-up meetings after a child's death in the PICU.

    PubMed

    Meert, Kathleen L; Eggly, Susan; Berg, Robert A; Wessel, David L; Newth, Christopher J L; Shanley, Thomas P; Harrison, Rick; Dalton, Heidi; Clark, Amy E; Dean, J Michael; Doctor, Allan; Nicholson, Carol E

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the feasibility and perceived benefits of conducting physician-parent follow-up meetings after a child's death in the PICU according to a framework developed by the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network. Prospective observational study. Seven Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network-affiliated children's hospitals. Critical care attending physicians, bereaved parents, and meeting guests (i.e., parent support persons, other health professionals). Physician-parent follow-up meetings using the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network framework. Forty-six critical care physicians were trained to conduct follow-up meetings using the framework. All meetings were video recorded. Videos were evaluated for the presence or absence of physician behaviors consistent with the framework. Present behaviors were evaluated for performance quality using a 5-point scale (1 = low, 5 = high). Participants completed meeting evaluation surveys. Parents of 194 deceased children were mailed an invitation to a follow-up meeting. Of these, one or both parents from 39 families (20%) agreed to participate, 80 (41%) refused, and 75 (39%) could not be contacted. Of 39 who initially agreed, three meetings were canceled due to conflicting schedules. Thirty-six meetings were conducted including 54 bereaved parents, 17 parent support persons, 23 critical care physicians, and 47 other health professionals. Physician adherence to the framework was high; 79% of behaviors consistent with the framework were rated as present with a quality score of 4.3 ± 0.2. Of 50 evaluation surveys completed by parents, 46 (92%) agreed or strongly agreed the meeting was helpful to them and 40 (89%) to others they brought with them. Of 36 evaluation surveys completed by critical care physicians (i.e., one per meeting), 33 (92%) agreed or strongly agreed the meeting was beneficial to parents and 31 (89%) to them. Follow-up meetings using the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network framework are feasible and viewed as beneficial by meeting participants. Future research should evaluate the effects of follow-up meetings on bereaved parents' health outcomes.

  2. Australian Family Research Conference Proceedings (Canberra, Australia, November 23-25, 1983). Volume V: Support Networks.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne (Australia).

    This fifth volume in a series of volumes containing the proceedings of the 1983 Australian Family Research Conference deals with support networks. Papers and authors included are: "Blood Ties and Gender Roles: Adult Children Who Care for Aged Parents" (Hal L. Kendig), "Family Care Policies: Findings from a Survey of Carers"…

  3. Parenting stress and parent support among mothers with high and low education.

    PubMed

    Parkes, Alison; Sweeting, Helen; Wight, Daniel

    2015-12-01

    Current theorizing and evidence suggest that parenting stress might be greater among parents from both low and high socioeconomic positions (SEP) compared with those from intermediate levels because of material hardship among parents of low SEP and employment demands among parents of high SEP. However, little is known about how this socioeconomic variation in stress relates to the support that parents receive. This study explored whether variation in maternal parenting stress in a population sample was associated with support deficits. To obtain a clearer understanding of support deficits among mothers of high and low education, we distinguished subgroups according to mothers' migrant and single-parent status. Participants were 5,865 mothers from the Growing Up in Scotland Study, who were interviewed when their children were 10 months old. Parenting stress was greater among mothers with either high or low education than among mothers with intermediate education, although it was highest for those with low education. Support deficits accounted for around 50% of higher stress among high- and low-educated groups. Less frequent grandparent contact mediated parenting stress among both high- and low-educated mothers, particularly migrants. Aside from this common feature, different aspects of support were relevant for high- compared with low-educated mothers. For high-educated mothers, reliance on formal childcare and less frequent support from friends mediated higher stress. Among low-educated mothers, smaller grandparent and friend networks and barriers to professional parent support mediated higher stress. Implications of differing support deficits are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. A Guidebook for Parents of Children with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders. Third Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jordon, Dixie

    This handbook discusses different types of disorders, mental health services, and school services. The first section highlights the importance of parental advocacy and family support networks. This is followed by a discussion of the plight of parents who have a child with an emotional or behavioral disorder and the perspective of a child with…

  5. Parental Experiences of Caring for a Child with Intellectual Disabilities: A UK Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willingham-Storr, Gemma Louise

    2014-01-01

    A structured literature search and thematic analysis of six research articles relating to stress and parenting of a child with an intellectual disability in the United Kingdom identified four key themes: impact upon families, service provision and support networks, coping and transition. The findings identified that parenting a child with an…

  6. The first year: the support needs of parents caring for a child with an intellectual disability.

    PubMed

    Douglas, Tracy; Redley, Bernice; Ottmann, Goetz

    2016-11-01

    To describe the support needs of parents caring for a child with an intellectual disability in the first year of life. Parents of children with intellectual disabilities face significant challenges during the first year of their child's life which is an important developmental period not previously addressed in the literature. The provision of support by health professionals, particularly nurses and midwives, during this crucial period can impact on parental well-being and on the health and developmental outcomes of their children. However, parents often feel unsupported. The study used a qualitative descriptive methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of eleven children with an intellectual disability in Victoria, Australia, during 2014. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic data analysis. Three key areas of support need were identified to assist parents to provide effective care for their child with an intellectual disability in the first year of life: (1) emotional support as parents adjusted to their role of caring for a child with an intellectual disability; (2) information support as they embarked on a quest for knowledge; and (3) support to facilitate their connection to peer networks. The findings highlighted inconsistent provision of support for parents. This study informs health professionals about how to provide holistic, timely support to parents of children with intellectual disabilities in the first year of life. There is an urgent need to review how nurses and midwives can provide relevant support that is responsive to parents' needs. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Social inequalities in adolescent depression: the role of parental social support and optimism.

    PubMed

    Piko, Bettina F; Luszczynska, Aleksandra; Fitzpatrick, Kevin M

    2013-08-01

    Interpersonal theory suggests relationships between socio-economic status (SES) and adolescent psychopathology mediated by negative parenting. This study examines the role of perceived parental social support and optimism in understanding adolescents' depression and self-rated health among a sample of Hungarian youth. Using a self-administered questionnaire, data (N = 881) were collected from high-school students (14-20 years old) in Szeged, Hungary (a regional centre in the southeastern region, near to the Serbian border, with a population of 170,000 inhabitants). To analyse the overall structure of the relationship between objective/subjective SES, parental support, optimism and health outcomes (depression, self-perceived health), structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed. Findings suggest the following: (1) SES variables generate social inequalities in adolescent depression through parental social support, particularly maternal support; and (2) parents provide youths with different levels of social support that in turn may strengthen or weaken optimism during the socialization process. In addressing depression prevention and treatment, we may want to take into account socio-economic differences in social networks and levels of optimism, which may influence youths' psychosocial adjustment and development of psychopathology.

  8. Use of social networking sites by parents of very low birth weight infants: experiences and the potential of a dedicated site.

    PubMed

    Gabbert, Tatjana I; Metze, Boris; Bührer, Christoph; Garten, Lars

    2013-12-01

    The objective of this study was to study the experiences of parents of preterm infants who use social networking sites and the potential of such sites for gathering information and facilitating personal exchange. An anonymous self-reporting questionnaire was administered to parents of infants below 1,500 g birth weight born between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 in two tertiary neonatal intensive care units. Of the 278 families who were sent a questionnaire, 141 responded; 53.6 % of respondents claimed to be presently members of online social networking sites. However, only 10.7 and 18.6 % used the Internet to exchange information about their infants during the NICU stay and after discharge, respectively. Most (64.0 %) responding parents considered that currently available commercial Internet sites inadequately met their need to exchange information as parents of preterm infants. Overall, 79.1 % of respondents reported that they would be interested in joining a native-language online networking site providing (1) general information on prematurity, (2) explanations of abbreviations commonly used in a hospital setting, and (3) details of common medical problems and the treatment thereof, including the availability of local therapists and follow-up services. Also, parents wanted to engage in personal exchange online not only with other parents but also with medical staff. The support of parents of hospitalized preterm infants by neonatal nurses and doctors could be extended by developing an expert-controlled, online networking site providing reliable and updated information and facilitating personal exchange among parents.

  9. How do parents experience support after the death of their child?

    PubMed

    Gijzen, Sandra; L'Hoir, Monique P; Boere-Boonekamp, Magda M; Need, Ariana

    2016-12-07

    A child's death is an enormous tragedy for both the parents and other family members. Support for the parents can be important in helping them to cope with the loss of their child. In the Netherlands little is known about parents' experiences of the support they receive after the death of their child. The purpose of this study is to determine what support parents in the Netherlands receive after the death of their child and whether the type of care they receive meets their needs. Parents who lost a child during pregnancy, labour or after birth (up to the age of two) were eligible for participation. They were recruited from three parents' associations. Sixty-four parents participated in four online focus group discussions. Data on background characteristics were gathered through an online questionnaire. SPSS was used to analyse the questionnaires and Atlas ti. was used for the focus group discussions. Of the 64 participating parents, 97% mentioned the emotional support they received after the death of their child. This kind of support was generally provided by family, primary care professionals and their social network. Instrumental and informational support, which respectively 80% and 61% of the parents reported receiving, was mainly provided by secondary care professionals. Fifty-two per cent of the parents in this study reported having received insufficient emotional support. Shortcomings in instrumental and informational support were experienced by 25% and 19% of the parents respectively. Parental recommendations were directed at ongoing support and the provision of more information. To optimise the way Dutch professionals respond to a child's death, support initiated by the professional should be provided repeatedly after the death of a child. Parents appreciated follow-up contacts with professionals at key moments in which they were asked whether they needed support and what kind of support they would like to receive.

  10. Adolescent pregnancy: networking and the interdisciplinary approach.

    PubMed

    Canada, M J

    1986-01-01

    The networking approach to providing needed services to pregnant and parenting teenagers has numerous merits. An historical overview of the formation of the Brooklyn Teen Pregnancy Network highlights service agency need for information and resource sharing, and improved client referral systems as key factors in the genesis of the Network. The borough-wide approach and its spread as an agency model throughout New York City's other boroughs and several other northeastern cities is also attributed to its positive client impact, including: improved family communication and cooperation; early prenatal care with its concomitant improved pregnancy outcomes; financial support for teens; continued teen education; and parenting skills development. Resource information is provided regarding networks operating in the Greater New York metropolitan area. A planned Eastern Regional network initiative is under development.

  11. Development of an Internet-Based Parent Training Intervention for Children with ASD

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-01

    and  social   support ,  13    and having a local subject matter expert available who could answer parents’ questions as they  worked through the program...important  social   support  role for parents.  [Provider] “The therapist is also a  social   support  network, and while we are  looking for the data, the...regular parent group to increase accountability and  social   support , and  having a local subject matter expert available who could answer parents

  12. Parent-to-parent support: a critical component of health care services for families.

    PubMed

    Hartman, A F; Radin, M B; McConnell, B

    1992-01-01

    Families of children with chronic medical conditions or disabilities face many unique difficulties. It is often necessary for them to assimilate technical medical information and participate in important decisions regarding their children's care before they have had time to adjust to their children's condition. Health care providers are not always available to help parents learn how to function in their dramatically changed roles. To adjust to their new parenting roles and work through feelings of confusion, denial, anxiety, guilt, anger, and depression, parents of children with special health care needs need opportunities to fully vent feelings, and to experience the grieving processes in their own way and at their own pace, in a nonthreatening, nonjudgmental environment. An informal support network is a powerful tool for accomplishing these tasks, for teaching day-to-day coping skills, and for supporting the establishment of new value systems that incorporate families' unique needs. The literature on family support documents ways in which parents of children with special health care needs are particularly qualified to help each other. This article briefly describes the philosophy of parent-to-parent support, its unique contributions in the health care setting, and the ways that health care providers can assist in creating an environment in which parents and professionals can work together more effectively.

  13. Parenting Efficacy and Support in Mothers With Dual Disorders in a Substance Abuse Treatment Program.

    PubMed

    Brown, Suzanne; Hicks, Laurel M; Tracy, Elizabeth M

    2016-01-01

    Approximately 73% of women entering treatment for substance use disorders are mothers of children younger than 18, and the high rate of mental health disorders among mothers with substance use disorders increases their vulnerability to poor parenting practices. Parenting efficacy and social support for parenting have emerged as significant predictors of positive parenting practices among families at risk for child maltreatment. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of parenting support and parenting efficacy on the likelihood of out-of-home placement and custody status among the children of mothers with dual substance use and mental health disorders. This study examined the impact of parenting efficacy and assistance with childcare on the likelihood of child out-of-home placement and custody status among 175 mothers with diagnosed dual substance and mental health disorder and in treatment for substance dependence. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the contributions of parenting efficacy and the number of individuals in mothers' social networks who assist with childcare to the likelihood of out-of-home placement and custody loss of children. Parenting efficacy was also examined as a mediator using bootstrapping in PROCESS for SPSS. Greater parenting efficacy was associated with lower likelihood of having at least one child in out-of-home placement (B = -.064, SE = .029, p = .027) and lower likelihood of loss of child custody (B = -.094, SE = .034, p = .006). Greater number of children in the 6 to 18 age range predicted greater likelihood of having at least one child in the custody of someone else (B = .409, SE = .171, p = .017) and in out-of-home placement (B = .651, SE = .167, p < .001). In addition, mothers who identified as African American were less likely to have a child in out-of-home placement (B = .927, SE = .382, p = .015) or to have lost custody of a child (B = -1.31, SE = .456, p = .004). Finally, parenting efficacy mediated the relationship between parenting support and likelihood of out-of-home placement (effect = -.0604, SE = .0297, z = 2.035, p = .042) and between parenting support and likelihood of custody loss (effect = -.0332, SE = .0144, z = -2.298, p = .022). Implications for practice include the utilization of personal network interventions, such as increased assistance with childcare, and increased attention to efficacy among mothers with dual disorders.

  14. Groups for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities: A Qualitative Analysis of Experiences.

    PubMed

    Gustavsson, Marie; Starke, Mikaela

    2017-07-01

    Parents with intellectual disabilities (IDs) are often socially isolated and need support. This qualitative study is based on participant observations of a group for parents with with intellectual disabilities. Data were categorized and interpreted in the framework of social capital and symbolic interactionism. Being a part of the parent group provided parents with a social network, which had the potential to be supportive in everyday life. The social workers in the group were seen as allies, and parents appeared to trust them and felt they could seek advice and tell them about their personal problems. The parents sometimes asked for advice about how to handle contacts with other professionals in their everyday life. The parents valued the social contact with the other parents. The group provided the parents with the opportunity to meet both other parents and two social workers. The group gave a greater number of social relations, adding to the parents' social capital and helping to reduce social isolation. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Understanding the Online Information-Seeking Behaviours of Young People: The Role of Networks of Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eynon, R.; Malmberg, L.-E.

    2012-01-01

    Information seeking is one of the most popular online activities for young people and can provide an additional information channel, which may enhance learning. In this study, we propose and test a model that adds to the existing literature by examining the ways in which parents, schools, and friends (what we call networks of support) effect young…

  16. Preventing interpersonal violence in Panama: is a parenting intervention developed in Australia culturally appropriate?

    PubMed

    Mejia, Anilena; Ulph, Fiona; Calam, Rachel

    2016-11-01

    To explore cultural appropriateness of a transported parenting intervention in Panama. Panamanian parents (n = 25) were interviewed after participation in an Australian parenting intervention. A thematic analysis was conducted to interpret qualitative data. Three themes emerged; cultural context, appropriateness of the intervention, and development of support networks. In terms of cultural context, parents described economic difficulties, living in a dangerous world, struggling to balance parenting and work, and using aggressive communication patterns. In terms of appropriateness of the intervention, they rated materials as appropriate, although suggested modifications to its delivery by including children and teachers in the training. Finally, parents commented that the intervention prompted the development of social networks within their communities. Overall, parents considered a transported parenting intervention as appropriate to their local needs. This study might be useful to local governments and international funders in charge of deciding whether transporting parenting interventions North to South as a strategy for violence prevention would be respectful of local needs. Our findings cannot be generalized beyond Panama, but the methodology can be replicated to answer this question in other settings.

  17. Parental stress and support of parents of children with spina bifida in Uganda.

    PubMed

    Bannink, Femke; Idro, Richard; van Hove, Geert

    2016-01-01

    Children with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa depend for a large part of their functioning on their parent or caregiver. This study explores parental stress and support of parents of children with spina bifida in Uganda. The study aimed to explore perceived stress and support of parents of children with spina bifida living in Uganda and the factors that influence them. A total of 134 parents were interviewed. Focus group discussions were held with four parent support groups in four different regions within the country. The Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, Daily Functioning Subscales and Parental Stress Index Short Form (PSI/SF) were administered to measure the child's daily functioning level and parental stress levels. Parental stress was high in our study population with over half of the parents having a > 90% percentile score on the PSI/SF. Stress outcomes were related to the ability to walk (Spearman's correlation coefficient [ ρ ] = -0.245), continence ( ρ = -0.182), use of clean intermittent catheterisation (ρ = -0.181) and bowel management ( ρ = -0.213), receiving rehabilitative care ( ρ = -0.211), household income ( ρ = -0.178), geographical region ( ρ = -0.203) and having support from another parent in taking care of the child ( ρ = -0.234). Linear regression showed parental stress was mostly explained by the child's inability to walk ( β = -0.248), practicing bowel management ( β = -0.468) and having another adult to provide support in caring for the child ( β = -0.228). Parents in northern Uganda had significantly higher scores compared to parents in other regions (Parental Distress, F = 5.467*; Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction, F = 8.815**; Difficult Child score, F = 10.489**). Parents of children with spina bifida experience high levels of stress. To reduce this stress, rehabilitation services should focus on improving mobility. Advocacy to reduce stigmatisation and peer support networks also need to be strengthened and developed.

  18. Beyond parenting practices: extended kinship support and the academic adjustment of African-American and European-American teens.

    PubMed

    Pallock, Linda L; Lamborn, Susie D

    2006-10-01

    This study examined adolescents' perceptions of parenting practices and extended kinship support in relation to academic adjustment for 104 African American and 60 European American 9th and 10th graders (14 and 15 year olds). For African-American teens, parental acceptance was associated with school values, teacher bonding, and work orientation. Higher levels of behavioral control and lower levels of psychological control were associated with a stronger work orientation. After accounting for the demographic variables and the three parenting practices, higher levels of extended kinship support related to stronger school values, higher teacher bonding, and a stronger work orientation. For European-American teens, parental acceptance related to academic adjustment, including stronger school values, higher teacher bonding, and a stronger work orientation. European-American adolescents with stronger extended kinship networks reported higher teacher bonding and a stronger work orientation. Results indicate the importance of extended kinship support for both African-American and European-American adolescents.

  19. Parental stress and support of parents of children with spina bifida in Uganda

    PubMed Central

    Idro, Richard; van Hove, Geert

    2016-01-01

    Background Children with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa depend for a large part of their functioning on their parent or caregiver. This study explores parental stress and support of parents of children with spina bifida in Uganda. Objectives The study aimed to explore perceived stress and support of parents of children with spina bifida living in Uganda and the factors that influence them. Methods A total of 134 parents were interviewed. Focus group discussions were held with four parent support groups in four different regions within the country. The Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, Daily Functioning Subscales and Parental Stress Index Short Form (PSI/SF) were administered to measure the child’s daily functioning level and parental stress levels. Results Parental stress was high in our study population with over half of the parents having a > 90% percentile score on the PSI/SF. Stress outcomes were related to the ability to walk (Spearman’s correlation coefficient [ρ] = −0.245), continence (ρ = −0.182), use of clean intermittent catheterisation (ρ = −0.181) and bowel management (ρ = −0.213), receiving rehabilitative care (ρ = −0.211), household income (ρ = −0.178), geographical region (ρ = −0.203) and having support from another parent in taking care of the child (ρ = −0.234). Linear regression showed parental stress was mostly explained by the child’s inability to walk (β = −0.248), practicing bowel management (β = −0.468) and having another adult to provide support in caring for the child (β = −0.228). Parents in northern Uganda had significantly higher scores compared to parents in other regions (Parental Distress, F = 5.467*; Parent–Child Dysfunctional Interaction, F = 8.815**; Difficult Child score, F = 10.489**). Conclusion Parents of children with spina bifida experience high levels of stress. To reduce this stress, rehabilitation services should focus on improving mobility. Advocacy to reduce stigmatisation and peer support networks also need to be strengthened and developed. PMID:28730051

  20. Designing a web-application to support home-based care of childhood CKD stages 3-5: qualitative study of family and professional preferences.

    PubMed

    Swallow, Veronica M; Hall, Andrew G; Carolan, Ian; Santacroce, Sheila; Webb, Nicholas J A; Smith, Trish; Hanif, Noreen

    2014-02-18

    There is a lack of online, evidence-based information and resources to support home-based care of childhood CKD stages 3-5. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with parents, patients and professionals to explore their views on content of the proposed online parent information and support (OPIS) web-application. Data were analysed using Framework Analysis, guided by the concept of Self-efficacy. 32 parents, 26 patients and 12 professionals were interviewed. All groups wanted an application that explains, demonstrates, and enables parental clinical care-giving, with condition-specific, continously available, reliable, accessible material and a closed communication system to enable contact between families living with CKD. Professionals advocated a regularly updated application to empower parents to make informed health-care decisions. To address these requirements, key web-application components were defined as: (i) Clinical care-giving support (information on treatment regimens, video-learning tools, condition-specific cartoons/puzzles, and a question and answer area) and (ii) Psychosocial support for care-giving (social-networking, case studies, managing stress, and enhancing families' health-care experiences). Developing a web-application that meets parents' information and support needs will maximise its utility, thereby augmenting parents' self-efficacy for CKD caregiving, and optimising outcomes. Self-efficacy theory provides a schema for how parents' self-efficacy beliefs about management of their child's CKD could potentially be promoted by OPIS.

  1. Father's brain is sensitive to childcare experiences

    PubMed Central

    Abraham, Eyal; Hendler, Talma; Shapira-Lichter, Irit; Kanat-Maymon, Yaniv; Zagoory-Sharon, Orna; Feldman, Ruth

    2014-01-01

    Although contemporary socio-cultural changes dramatically increased fathers' involvement in childrearing, little is known about the brain basis of human fatherhood, its comparability with the maternal brain, and its sensitivity to caregiving experiences. We measured parental brain response to infant stimuli using functional MRI, oxytocin, and parenting behavior in three groups of parents (n = 89) raising their firstborn infant: heterosexual primary-caregiving mothers (PC-Mothers), heterosexual secondary-caregiving fathers (SC-Fathers), and primary-caregiving homosexual fathers (PC-Fathers) rearing infants without maternal involvement. Results revealed that parenting implemented a global “parental caregiving” neural network, mainly consistent across parents, which integrated functioning of two systems: the emotional processing network including subcortical and paralimbic structures associated with vigilance, salience, reward, and motivation, and mentalizing network involving frontopolar-medial-prefrontal and temporo-parietal circuits implicated in social understanding and cognitive empathy. These networks work in concert to imbue infant care with emotional salience, attune with the infant state, and plan adequate parenting. PC-Mothers showed greater activation in emotion processing structures, correlated with oxytocin and parent-infant synchrony, whereas SC-Fathers displayed greater activation in cortical circuits, associated with oxytocin and parenting. PC-Fathers exhibited high amygdala activation similar to PC-Mothers, alongside high activation of superior temporal sulcus (STS) comparable to SC-Fathers, and functional connectivity between amygdala and STS. Among all fathers, time spent in direct childcare was linked with the degree of amygdala-STS connectivity. Findings underscore the common neural basis of maternal and paternal care, chart brain–hormone–behavior pathways that support parenthood, and specify mechanisms of brain malleability with caregiving experiences in human fathers. PMID:24912146

  2. The dark side of social support: understanding the role of social support, drinking behaviors and alcohol outlets for child physical abuse.

    PubMed

    Freisthler, Bridget; Holmes, Megan R; Wolf, Jennifer Price

    2014-06-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine how parental drinking behavior, drinking locations, alcohol outlet density, and types of social support (tangible, emotional, and social companionship) may place children at greater risk for physical abuse. Data on use of physical abuse, drinking behaviors, types of social support, social networks, and demographic information were collected via telephone interviews with 3,023 parent respondents in 50 cities in California. Data on alcohol outlet density were obtained by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Multilevel Poisson models were used to analyze data for the drinking levels in the entire sample and dose-response drinking models for drinkers. Social companionship support was related to more frequent use of physical abuse. Having a higher percentage of social companionship support network living within the neighborhood was related to more frequent physical abuse in the full sample. This relationship was moderated by on-premise alcohol outlet density. With regards to drinking behaviors, drinking behaviors from ex-drinkers to frequent heavy drinkers used physically abusive parenting practices more often than lifetime abstainers. The dose-response models show that each additional drinking event at a bar or home/party was related to more frequent use of physical abuse. Practitioners working with parents who abuse their children should be aware that not all social support is beneficial. Findings build evidence that child maltreatment is influenced by the interaction between individual and ecological factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. A Case Study of Elementary School Parents as Agents for Summer Reading Gain: Fostering a Summer Leap and Holding Steady

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Lynette; Reid, Charlene

    2017-01-01

    This case study examines the role of parents as situationally positioned educators during summer months. It illuminates the processes employed by a public charter school to empower parents to support student learning. The study is an action research case study of one school in a small network of schools. The goal was to determine the effectiveness…

  4. An Algorithm for Timely Transmission of Solicitation Messages in RPL for Energy-Efficient Node Mobility.

    PubMed

    Park, Jihong; Kim, Ki-Hyung; Kim, Kangseok

    2017-04-19

    The IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) was proposed for various applications of IPv6 low power wireless networks. While RPL supports various routing metrics and is designed to be suitable for wireless sensor network environments, it does not consider the mobility of nodes. Therefore, there is a need for a method that is energy efficient and that provides stable and reliable data transmission by considering the mobility of nodes in RPL networks. This paper proposes an algorithm to support node mobility in RPL in an energy-efficient manner and describes its operating principle based on different scenarios. The proposed algorithm supports the mobility of nodes by dynamically adjusting the transmission interval of the messages that request the route based on the speed and direction of the motion of mobile nodes, as well as the costs between neighboring nodes. The performance of the proposed algorithm and previous algorithms for supporting node mobility were examined experimentally. From the experiment, it was observed that the proposed algorithm requires fewer messages per unit time for selecting a new parent node following the movement of a mobile node. Since fewer messages are used to select a parent node, the energy consumption is also less than that of previous algorithms.

  5. An Algorithm for Timely Transmission of Solicitation Messages in RPL for Energy-Efficient Node Mobility

    PubMed Central

    Park, Jihong; Kim, Ki-Hyung; Kim, Kangseok

    2017-01-01

    The IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) was proposed for various applications of IPv6 low power wireless networks. While RPL supports various routing metrics and is designed to be suitable for wireless sensor network environments, it does not consider the mobility of nodes. Therefore, there is a need for a method that is energy efficient and that provides stable and reliable data transmission by considering the mobility of nodes in RPL networks. This paper proposes an algorithm to support node mobility in RPL in an energy-efficient manner and describes its operating principle based on different scenarios. The proposed algorithm supports the mobility of nodes by dynamically adjusting the transmission interval of the messages that request the route based on the speed and direction of the motion of mobile nodes, as well as the costs between neighboring nodes. The performance of the proposed algorithm and previous algorithms for supporting node mobility were examined experimentally. From the experiment, it was observed that the proposed algorithm requires fewer messages per unit time for selecting a new parent node following the movement of a mobile node. Since fewer messages are used to select a parent node, the energy consumption is also less than that of previous algorithms. PMID:28422084

  6. Predictors of Parenting among Economically Disadvantaged Latina Mothers: Mediating and Moderating Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prelow, Hazel M.; Weaver, Scott R.; Bowman, Marvella A.; Swenson, Rebecca R.

    2010-01-01

    Structural equation modeling was used to examine the role of ecological risk factors, maternal psychological distress, and social network support on the parenting behaviors of 535 economically disadvantaged Latina mothers, who were surveyed for the Welfare Children, & Families: A Three City Study. We predicted that ecological risk would…

  7. Support network of adolescents with chronic disease: adolescents' perspective.

    PubMed

    Kyngäs, Helvi

    2004-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the support network of adolescents with a chronic disease from their own perspective. Data were collected by interviewing adolescents with asthma, epilepsy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The sample consisted of 40 adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years. Interview data were examined using content analysis. Six main categories were established to describe the support network of adolescents with a chronic disease: parents, peers, school, health care providers, technology and pets. Peers were divided into two groups: fellow sufferers and peers without a chronic disease. At school, teachers, school nurses and classmates were part of the support network. Health care providers included nurses, physicians and physiotherapists. Technology was also part of the support network and included four techniques that may be used to communicate: computers, mobile telephones, television and videos. The results provided a useful insight into the social network of adolescents with chronic disease and serve to raise awareness of the problems and opinions experienced by adolescents with this condition.

  8. Parenting Efficacy and Support in Mothers with Dual Disorders in a Substance Abuse Treatment Program

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Suzanne; Hicks, Laurel M.; Tracy, Elizabeth M.

    2016-01-01

    Objective Approximately 73% of women entering treatment for substance use disorders are mothers of children under the age of 18 (SAMHSA, 2009), and the high rate of mental health disorders among mothers with substance use disorders increases their vulnerability to poor parenting practices. Parenting efficacy and social support for parenting have emerged as significant predictors of positive parenting practices among families at risk for child maltreatment. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of parenting support and parenting efficacy on the likelihood of out-of-home placement and custody status among the children of mothers with dual substance use and mental health disorders. Methods This study examined the impact of parenting efficacy, and assistance with child-care on the likelihood of child out-of-home placement and custody status among 175 mothers diagnosed with a dual substance and mental health disorder and in treatment for substance dependence. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the contributions of parenting efficacy, and the number of individuals in mothers’ social networks who assist with child-care, to the likelihood of out-of-home placement and custody loss of children. Parenting efficacy was also examined as a mediator using bootstrapping in PROCESS for SPSS. Results Greater parenting efficacy was associated with lower likelihood of having at least one child in out-of-home placement (B = −.064, SE =.029, p = .027), and lower likelihood of loss of child custody (B = −.094, SE =.034, p = .006). Greater number of children in the 6–18 age range predicted greater likelihood of having at least one child in the custody of someone else (B = .409, SE = .171, p = .017) and in out-of-home placement (B = .651, SE = .167, p < .001). Additionally, mothers who identified as African-American were less likely to have a child in out-of-home placement (B = .927, SE = .382, p = .015) or to have lost custody of a child (B = −1.31, SE = .456, p = .004). Finally, parenting efficacy mediated the relationship between parenting support and likelihood of out-of-home placement (Effect = −.0604, SE = .0297, z = 2.035, p = .042), and between parenting support and likelihood of custody loss (Effect = −.0332, SE = .0144, z = −2.298, p = .022). Conclusion Implications for practice include the utilization of personal network interventions, such as increased assistance with child-care, and increased attention to efficacy among mothers with dual disorders. PMID:27739932

  9. Effectiveness of resource-enhancing family-oriented intervention.

    PubMed

    Häggman-Laitila, Arja; Tanninen, Hanna-Mari; Pietilä, Anna-Maija

    2010-09-01

    The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a resource-enhancing family-oriented intervention. There is very little empirical knowledge of how nurses working in a home context develop relationships with families, what methods they use to enhance families' resources and how such relationships affect the families' health outcomes. The study was designed as a descriptive service evaluation. A total of 129 family members from 30 families with small children participated in the study. Data were collected with family care plans and client reports in 2004-2005. Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis and by descriptive statistical methods. Resource-enhancing discussions were carried out in all family meetings. Other methods were video guidance, creation of a family tree and parents' role map, network collaboration, observation and parent-child group activity. The families needed support mostly in parents' health and well-being, coping with parenthood, upbringing and child care, parents' relationships, social relations and children's health and growth. The families had an average of five support needs at the beginning of the intervention and 1·8 needs at the completion. The families set on average 3·6 and achieved 4·5 goals during the family nursing process. The resource-enhancing family nursing can be used for supporting parenthood, the raising of and caring for the children, strengthening of social support networks, decreasing the need for support from the authorities and enhancing the parents' resources to manage the duties related to their work and studies. The study resulted in empirically based concepts that can be used in the future to construct instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of resource-enhancing family nursing from the perspective of families and family health. The findings add to our professional understanding of resource-enhancing family nursing. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  10. Communication and Exchange of Specialized Health-Related Support Among People With Experiential Similarity on Facebook.

    PubMed

    Gage-Bouchard, Elizabeth A; LaValley, Susan; Mollica, Michelle; Beaupin, Lynda Kwon

    2017-10-01

    Social support is an important factor that shapes how people cope with illness, and health-related communication among peers managing the same illness (network ties with experiential similarity) offers specialized information, resources, and emotional support. Facebook has become a ubiquitous part of many Americans' lives, and may offer a way for patients and caregivers experiencing a similar illness to exchange specialized health-related support. However, little is known about the content of communication among people who have coped with the same illness on personal Facebook pages. We conducted a content analysis of 12 months of data from 18 publicly available Facebook pages hosted by parents of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, focusing on communication between users who self-identified as parents of pediatric cancer patients. Support exchanges between users with experiential similarity contained highly specialized health-related information, including information about health services use, symptom recognition, compliance, medication use, treatment protocols, and medical procedures. Parents also exchanged tailored emotional support through comparison, empathy, encouragement, and hope. Building upon previous research documenting that social media use can widen and diversify support networks, our findings show that cancer caregivers access specialized health-related informational and emotional support through communication with others who have experienced the same illness on personal Facebook pages. These findings have implications for health communication practice and offer evidence to tailor M-Health interventions that leverage existing social media platforms to enhance peer support for patients and caregivers.

  11. Adapting the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire (FCQ) for Bilingual Filipino Adolescents: Validating English and Filipino Versions.

    PubMed

    Ganotice, Fraide A; Bernardo, Allan B I; King, Ronnel B

    2013-06-01

    This study examined the applicability of the English and Filipino versions of the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire (FCQ) among Filipino high school students. The FCQ measures the external forces in students' social environments that can influence their motivation for school. It is composed of 11 factors: university intention, school valuing, parent support, teacher support, peer help, leave school, pride from others, negative parent influence, affect to school, negative peer influence, and positive peer influence. It was translated into conversational Filipino. Seven hundred sixty-five high school students answered one of the two language versions. Both within-network and between-network approaches to construct validation were used. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the two versions showed good fit. Results of the multigroup CFA indicated that there was invariance in terms of factor loadings for the two versions. Results of the between-network test also showed that the factors in the FCQ correlated systematically with theoretically relevant constructs. Taken together, this study supports the applicability of the FCQ for use with Filipino bilingual adolescents.

  12. Social Network to Support Parents and Teachers of Students with Multiple Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nunes, Clarisse; Miranda, Guilhermina Lobato; Amaral, Isabel

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to analyze how the Social Software tools could respond to the needs of parents and teachers of students with multiple disabilities in improving their practices, as well as provide information and resources related to the topic of multiple disabilities. The study was implemented in Portugal and involved 45 participants: 25 special…

  13. Supporting Early Childhood Environmental Education through the Natural Start Alliance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Merrick, Christy; Braus, Judy

    2013-01-01

    The Natural Start Alliance is a new initiative of the North American Association for Environmental Education. Natural Start was created to support and expand early childhood environmental education (ECEE) by creating a network of organizations, educators, parents, and others who care about using environmental education to support young children's…

  14. Parental influences on memories of parents and friends.

    PubMed

    Tani, Franca; Bonechi, Alice; Peterson, Carole; Smorti, Andrea

    2010-01-01

    The authors evaluated the role parent-child relationship quality has on two types of memories, those of parents and those of friends. Participants were 198 Italian university students who recalled memories during 4 separate timed memory-fluency tasks about their preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school and university years. Half were instructed to recall memories involving parents and the remainder memories involving friends. Moreover, parent-child relationships were assessed by the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI; W. Furman & D. Buhrmester, 1985) and Adolescents' Report of Parental Monitoring (D. M. Capaldi & G. R. Patterson, 1989). Results showed that men with positive parent-son relationships had more memories of parents and more affectively positive memories of friends, supporting a consistency model positing similarity between parent-child relationships and memories of friends. Women with positive parental relationship quality had more affectively positive memories of parents but for friends, positive relationship quality only predicted positive memories when young. At older ages, especially middle school-aged children, negative parent-daughter relationships predicted more positive memories of friends, supporting a compensatory model. The gender of parent also mattered, with fathers having a more influential role on affect for memories of friends.

  15. Building a Network for Children of Divorce.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGann, John; Strauss, Jane

    Divorce is a complicated situation, requiring multifaceted interventions and supports. This paper describes a program designed to enhance the ability of social structures to support children experiencing the impact of parental separation and divorce. The program is a four-part, school-based intervention aimed at educating significant adults…

  16. Child Health-Related Quality of Life and Parental Social Capital in Greece: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    El-Dardiry, Giulia; Dimitrakaki, Christine; Tzavara, Chara; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Tountas, Yannis

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we examined dimensions of child health-related quality of life in Greece in relation to parental assessments of neighbourhood social capital and social support networks. For the analysis, two main measures were used: (1) child self-reported health-related quality of life in ten dimensions, as measured by the KIDSCREEN questionnaire;…

  17. The Children of Aged Parents: A Self Help Network.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pierskalla, Carol S.

    This paper describes a program providing support, education, and skill-building within a self-help format for the children of aged parents. The selection of the 18 initial program members, each with relatives living either in their homes, in a nearby location, or in nursing homes is reviewed. The 90-minute group sessions which met weekly for 8…

  18. Effects of an internet intervention on mothers' psychological, parenting, and health care utilization outcomes.

    PubMed

    Hudson, Diane Brage; Campbell-Grossman, Christie; Hertzog, Melody

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this pilot study was to test the effects of an Internet-based intervention, the New Mothers Network, on single, low-income, adolescent, African American mothers' psychological, parenting, and health care utilization outcomes. The study was based on social support theory. For mothers in the Intervention Group, MSNTV™ was installed in subjects' homes and connected to the Internet. Data were collected at 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months following the infant's birth. For infant health services utilization, 70.6% of those in the Control Group took their infant to the emergency room at least once during the study compared to 35.7% of mothers in the Intervention Group. The New Mothers Network allowed mothers to share their experiences and acquire information from nurses about caring for themselves and their infants. The New Mothers Network Web site is well poised for nursing driven social support intervention via the Internet, even though access devices are evolving over time.

  19. How to motivate newborn hearing screening in the absence of a national programme: a collaboration between parents and professionals.

    PubMed

    Cutler, Jodi; Lenzi, Giovanni; Berrettini, Stefano; Martini, Alessandro; Martinelli, Stefano

    2012-10-01

    The establishment of the Italian Pediatric Federation Newborn Hearing Screening Network and the Italian Society of Neonatology Infant Hearing Study Group is the result of an international collaboration between Parents and Medical Professionals in order to promote an effective model in developing Early Hearing Detection Intervention Programs that recognize the role of parents as partners in the process. Among other factors, one important component frequently underestimated in most early intervention programs, both in the USA and other countries, involves the role of parental involvement within the Early Hearing Detection Intervention (EHDI) process. When a parent receives the news of their child's hearing loss, reactions may include, but are not limited to denial, grief, guilt, shame, fear and impotency. A parent may begin to ask certain questions: How do we know if the professionals in our children's lives are capable, educated, trained, up to date in their chosen fields of expertise? Do they respect our children and us as parents? Do they understand the needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing? A life-long health professional - parental collaboration begins at the moment of the diagnosis of that child. When analyzing the habilitation process of a deaf child, the relationship between health professionals and the crucial role of parents in raising that child is a 50-50 shared responsibility. An objective of EHDI programs must be to empower parents by providing support from the beginning of the process. Distributing informative literature regarding the newborn hearing screening process and providing parents with access to resources such as parental support groups upon diagnosis equips parents with the tools necessary to immediately begin advocating for their children. The Italian Federation Pediatric Audiology Network was created by combining the parental perspective and medical protocols in order to establish the roots for stronger EHDI programs.

  20. The psychological adjustment of children from separated families: The role of selected social support variables.

    PubMed

    Bouchard, C; Drapeau, S

    1991-06-01

    This study investigates the impact of social support on children's psychological adjustment following the divorce of their parents. Seventy-one (71) children from separated families and 120 children from intact families participated in the study. Data were collected twice. Children from separated families listed support networks of lower density with more sitters and teachers contributing both to emotional support and to negative interactions. Social support variables contribute more in predicting the psychological status of children from separated families than of children from intact families. Insufficient income, dissatisfaction with family life, lower density of the support network and higher ratio of negative interactions are predictive of children behavior problems.

  1. Determinants of quality of life in children with psychiatric disorders.

    PubMed

    Bastiaansen, Dennis; Koot, Hans M; Ferdinand, Robert F

    2005-08-01

    To assess factors that, in addition to childhood psychopathology, are associated with Quality of Life (QoL) in children with psychiatric problems. In a referred sample of 252 8 to 18-year-olds, information concerning QoL, psychopathology and a broad range of child, parent, and family/ social network factors was obtained from children, parents, teachers and clinicians. Poor child, parent, and clinician reported QoL was associated with child psychopathology, but given the presence of psychopathology, also with child factors, such as low self-esteem, and poor social skills, and family/social network factors, such as poor family functioning, and poor social support. In multiple linear regression analyses the importance of parent factors, such as parenting stress, was almost negligible. To increase QoL of children with psychiatric problems, treatment of symptoms is important, but outcome might improve if treatment is also focussed on other factors that may affect QoL. Results are discussed in relation to current treatment programs.

  2. Support networks and people with physical disabilities: social inclusion and access to health services.

    PubMed

    Holanda, Cristina Marques de Almeida; De Andrade, Fabienne Louise Juvêncio Paes; Bezerra, Maria Aparecida; Nascimento, João Paulo da Silva; Neves, Robson da Fonseca; Alves, Simone Bezerra; Ribeiro, Kátia Suely Queiroz Silva

    2015-01-01

    This study seeks to identify the formation of social support networks of people with physical disabilities, and how these networks can help facilitate access to health services and promote social inclusion. It is a cross-sectional study, with data collected via a form applied to physically disabled persons over eighteen years of age registered with the Family Health Teams of the municipal district of João Pessoa in the state of Paraíba. It was observed that the support networks of these individuals predominantly consist of family members (parents, siblings, children, spouses) and people outside the family (friends and neighbors). However, 50% of the interviewees declared that they could not count on any support from outside the family. It was observed that the support network contributes to access to the services and participation in social groups. However, reduced social inclusion was detected, due to locomotion difficulties, this being the main barrier to social interaction. Among those individuals who began to interact in society, the part played by social support was fundamental.

  3. Parental groups during the child's first year: an interview study of parents' experiences.

    PubMed

    Hjälmhult, Esther; Glavin, Kari; Okland, Toril; Tveiten, Sidsel

    2014-10-01

    To highlight what was important to parents with respect to consultation groups at well-child clinics. Parents managing of their role as parents affect the child's health and are therefore an important priority for public health. Well-child clinics in Norway practise consultations in groups to support parents and to facilitate social network; however, few studies explore parents' perspective of this kind of groups. Grounded theory. We used classical grounded theory with a generative and constant comparative approach. Data were collected through seven focus groups and two individual interviews with the parents of children aged 8-15 months. The parents were most concerned about how to achieve connection without accountability and how to obtain relevant health information. They managed this by 'multipositioning', encompassing the strategies of: (1) practising conditional openness, (2) seeking to belong, (3) awaiting initiative and (4) expecting balanced health information. The use of these strategies explains how they resolved their challenges. Parental groups seem to be popular and have great potential to establish a social network; however, underestimating the need for structure and continuity in the groups might cause this opportunity to be missed. Understanding parents' perspectives will be useful when planning strategies to strengthen parental groups at well-child clinics and that the engaged organisers will account for this need to ensure public health work of high quality and effectiveness for parents. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. [Living arrangements and social networks of elders. A selection of findings from a NESTOR-Study].

    PubMed

    Knipscheer, C P; Dykstra, P A; van Tilburg, T G; de Jong-Gierveld, J

    1998-06-01

    This article presents an overview of the design and results of the NESTOR survey 'Living Arrangements and Social Networks of Older Adults', an empirical study, started in 1992, among a representative sample of 4495 people, aged 55-89, selected from the population registers of 11 municipalities in the Netherlands. Questions were asked about living arrangements, the composition and functions of social networks, and important transitions in the marital, parental and occupational careers. The results indicated a wide diversity in living arrangements and social networks, a diversity which is particularly visible among the young old. They not only have larger networks, but are also more likely to live alone, to be divorced and to participate in shared housing arrangements. The networks vary considerably in size, from 0 to more than 40 important relationships. The decrease in network size with age appears to be directly related to specific life events such as widowhood, physical handicaps, residential moves etc. About 2/3 of the relationships are family relationships: parents, children (in law), grandchildren (in law), brothers and sisters (in law), uncles and aunts. Older people tend to be in touch at least once a month with the majority of close family members. The intensity of supportive exchanges (giving and receiving instrumental and emotional support in the twelve relationships with the highest levels of contact) is moderate, however mostly in balance. Only the very old receive somewhat more instrumental support and give considerably less than the 'young-old'. We studied the shift in balance between giving and receiving over a period of 12 months among a small proportion of the sample, checking a central hypothesis of exchange theory. In some cases a new balance evolves. In others the relationship continues to exist for a number of reasons, despite the imbalance. Early life experiences appear to be important for later life outcomes. Those who experienced the divorce of their parents before the age of 15 or those whose parents lived apart permanently (e.g. unmarried mothers) have a smaller social network and feel more lonely. Marital history has an impact on patterns of informal and formal care. E.g., those respondents without a partner who have children are less likely to use formal care than those who are childless. Among divorced elderly the use of formal care not only varies between men and women but also differs according to the marriage in which the children are born, first or second marriage. Occupational history is strongly related to the income level of older women living alone.

  5. A friend request from dear old dad: associations between parent-child social networking and adolescent outcomes.

    PubMed

    Coyne, Sarah M; Padilla-Walker, Laura M; Day, Randal D; Harper, James; Stockdale, Laura

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between parent-child social networking, connection, and outcomes for adolescents. Participants (491 adolescents and their parents) completed a number of questionnaires on social networking use, feelings of connection, and behavioral outcomes. Social networking with parents was associated with increased connection between parents and adolescents. Feelings of connection then mediated the relationship between social networking with parents and behavioral outcomes, including higher prosocial behavior and lower relational aggression and internalizing behavior. Conversely, adolescent social networking use without parents was associated with negative outcomes, such as increased relational aggression, internalizing behaviors, delinquency, and decreased feelings of connection. These results indicate that although high levels of social networking use may be problematic for some individuals, social networking with parents may potentially strengthen parent-child relationships and then lead to positive outcomes for adolescents.

  6. A Framework of Complex Adaptive Systems: Parents As Partners in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

    PubMed

    DʼAgata, Amy L; McGrath, Jacqueline M

    2016-01-01

    Advances in neonatal care are allowing for increased infant survival; however, neurodevelopmental complications continue. Using a complex adaptive system framework, a broad analysis of the network of agents most influential to vulnerable infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is presented: parent, nurse, and organization. By exploring these interconnected relationships and the emergent behaviors, a model of care that increases parental caregiving in the NICU is proposed. Supportive parent caregiving early in an infant's NICU stay has the potential for more sensitive caregiving and enhanced opportunities for attachment, perhaps positively impacting neurodevelopment.

  7. Changing Needs for Information and Support in an Online System for Parents of Children With Kidney Disease

    PubMed Central

    Pinsk, Maury; Nicholas, David

    2017-01-01

    Background: Pediatric chronic kidney disease is psychologically, financially, and physically demanding on parents providing care. Parents often feel isolated because of the rarity of the condition, and geographic isolation often compounds this perception in Canada. Many parents seek assistance online for both information and social support. Objective: This study examines an online portal, titled “Ability Online,” which was designed to provide support and information to a diverse group of parents using chat facilities, bulletin boards, and e-mail. Specifically, we sought to identify how the technologies offered in this system related to the support and information seeking needs for parents. Secondary aims of determining possible reasons for attrition over time were explored as well. Design: Mixed methodology sequential exploratory design using the qualitative methodology of descriptive interpretation. Setting: Telephone interviews. Patients: Twenty parents of pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease from four Canadian centers who engaged in an online social support system “Ability Online.” Measurements: Interview transcripts generated from 20 taped phone conversations were reviewed from parents who engaged in the online system, and the themes derived from these transcripts served to generate semistructured interview questions that focused on their use of, and perceived benefit from, this technology for social support. Follow-up telephone interviews were then conducted with a 6-person subset of the original group in an effort to further define the impact of technology on their experience. This same smaller cohort provided data on social supports, caregiver satisfaction, and caregiver stress. Results: Many parents experience a progression through which their needs for knowledge and support change over time. Specifically, parents describe a transition from pure information seeking, to seeking parental interaction, mutual support and collaboration, and ultimately to advocacy. Parents described how technology could be used to address those needs. Limitations: Our cohort was slightly more educated and representative of more urban populations than published data reflecting the population of North American pediatric patients living with kidney disease. Conclusions: Our data suggest themes of technology use influencing the goals of online support seeking. While our findings are preliminary, further study may inform Web designers to identify the changing needs of participants in designing such online support networks, and minimize the reasons that participants fail to adopt, or terminate their online experiences. PMID:28717515

  8. Friends as a Bridge to Parental Influence: Implications for Adolescent Alcohol Use

    PubMed Central

    Ragan, Daniel T.; Osgood, D. Wayne; Feinberg, Mark E.

    2014-01-01

    The current study investigates the possibility that friendship networks connect adolescents to influence from a broader group of adults beyond their own families. In doing so, we combine two rich traditions of research on adult influence on children and adolescents. Family research has suggested a number of ways in which effective parenting can reduce deviant behavior among adolescents. In addition, research on neighborhoods has advanced the idea that adults outside of the immediate family can exert social control that may reduce deviance. We employ longitudinal social network analysis to examine data drawn from the PROSPER Peers Project, a longitudinal study of adolescents following over 12,000 students in 27 non-metropolitan communities as they moved from 6th through 9th grade. We find evidence that the behavior of friends’ parents is linked, both directly and indirectly, to adolescent alcohol use. Findings suggest that much of the influence from friends’ parents is mediated through peer behavior, but that parental knowledge reported by friends continues to be associated with alcohol use even when controlling for competing mechanisms. Furthermore, adolescents tend to choose friends who report similar levels of parenting as themselves. Our results provide support for the position that friendships in adolescence connect youth to a broader network of adults and illustrate how adults outside of the family contribute to the social control of adolescents. PMID:24812438

  9. Quality-of-life factors in adolescent inflammatory bowel disease.

    PubMed

    MacPhee, M; Hoffenberg, E J; Feranchak, A

    1998-02-01

    Little is known about the specific psychosocial factors that influence quality of life in adolescents with newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We adapted a model by Garrett and Drossman to assess adolescent adjustment to recent-onset IBD. Thirty adolescent-parent pairs completed a set of standardized questionnaires. The inclusion criteria were adolescents 12-18 years of age with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis of < 5 years' duration. Adolescents' health-related quality-of-life scores significantly correlated with satisfaction and degree of closeness with their social support members, such as parents. An unexpected finding was that the adolescents included more extended family than peers in their social support networks. Also of note was that parental coping styles rather than adolescent coping styles significantly correlated with adolescents' quality-of-life health scores. Severity of illness did not correlate with adolescent quality-of-life health scores. There was significant agreement between adolescent and parental quality-of-life health scores and stressful event ratings. Adolescents with recent-onset IBD rely more on family members than their peers for emotional support, and they depend more on their parents' coping skills than their own. These findings may indicate lags in normal adolescent development. Adolescents and parents do communicate and share concerns with each other. Support programs for adolescents with IBD should reinforce existing coping skills and parent-adolescent communication while promoting normative development.

  10. 78 FR 78358 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Public...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-26

    ... with a seamless network of supportive services to help them complete high school or postsecondary... education (IHE); (2) Support pregnant and parenting teens at high schools and community service centers; (3) Improve services for pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault...

  11. Social Support and Low-Income, Urban Mothers: Longitudinal Associations with Adolescent Delinquency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghazarian, Sharon R.; Roche, Kathleen M.

    2010-01-01

    The current study examined the role of engaged parenting in explaining longitudinal associations between maternal perceptions of social network support and whether youth engage in delinquent behaviors during the transition into adolescence. The sample included 432 low-income, African American and Latino youth (49% female) and their mothers…

  12. Age and sex differences in perceptions of networks of personal relationships.

    PubMed

    Furman, W; Buhrmester, D

    1992-02-01

    In this study, 549 youths in the fourth grade, seventh grade, tenth grade, and college completed Network of Relationship Inventories assessing their perceptions of their relationships with significant others. The findings were largely consistent with 7 propositions derived from major theories of the developmental courses of personal relationships. In particular, mothers and fathers were seen as the most frequent providers of support in the fourth grade. Same-sex friends were perceived to be as supportive as parents in the seventh grade, and were the most frequent providers of support in the tenth grade. Romantic partners moved up in rank with age until college, where they, along with friends and mothers, received the highest ratings for support. Age differences were also observed in perceptions of relationships with grandparents, teachers, and siblings. Finally, age differences in perceived conflict, punishment, and relative power suggested that there was a peak in tension in parent-child relationships in early and middle adolescence. Discussion centers around the role various relationships are perceived as playing at different points in development.

  13. Promising outcomes in teen mothers enrolled in a school-based parent support program and child care center.

    PubMed

    Sadler, Lois S; Swartz, Martha K; Ryan-Krause, Patricia; Seitz, Victoria; Meadows-Oliver, Mikki; Grey, Margaret; Clemmens, Donna A

    2007-03-01

    This study described a cohort of teen mothers and their children attending an urban high school with a parent support program and school-based child care center. Specific aims of the study were to describe maternal characteristics and outcomes, and child developmental and health outcomes. A volunteer sample of 65 adolescent mothers enrolled in the parent support program and their children were interviewed, surveyed, and assessed. Fifty-three mothers had children enrolled in the school-based child care center and 12 mothers had their children cared for by family members. Maternal characteristics assessed included self-esteem and depressive symptoms, social stressors and support, self-perceived parental competence, parent-child teaching interactions, and subsequent childbearing and maternal educational outcomes. Child outcomes included child developmental assessments and health outcomes. About 33% of teen mothers were mildly to moderately depressed and 39% of the sample had experienced transitional homelessness. Social support networks were small; in the past 12 months, mothers experienced a mean number of 13.2 +/- 11.9 negative life events. Maternal self-report measures and mother-child observation measures indicated positive levels of parental competence. Maternal educational outcomes were positive, and only 6% of mothers had subsequent childbirths within 2 years. The mean scores on developmental assessments of children fell within the normal range, although there were 7 children identified with developmental delays. For at-risk teen mothers, this parent support program and school-based child care setting appears to offer promising opportunities to help young mothers with parenting, avoid rapid subsequent pregnancies, and stay engaged with school, while their children are cared for in a close and safe environment.

  14. Socially disadvantaged parents of children treated with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT): report from a supportive intervention study, Denmark.

    PubMed

    Larsen, Hanne Bækgaard; Heilmann, Carsten; Johansen, Christoffer; Adamsen, Lis

    2013-06-01

    This study was undertaken to test a daily Family Navigator Nurse (FNN) conducted intervention program, to support parents during the distressful experience of their child's Allogeneic Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT). A qualitative analysis of the supportive intervention program for parents whose child is under HSCT treatment while hospitalized. Parents to 25 children were included in the intervention group. Twenty-five parents were included in a participant observational study and 21 of these completed a semi-structured interview 100 days following HSCT. Three main problems faced by all parents included 1) the emotional strain of the child's HSCT; 2) re-organizing of the family's daily life to include hospitalization with the child; and 3) the financial strain of manoeuvring within the Danish welfare system. The FNN performed daily intervention rounds to ease each of these problems during the study period. Having the following pre-existing risk factors, negatively influenced the parents' ability to address these problems: 1) being a single parents; 2) low-level income; 3) low-level education; 4) low-level network support: 5) being a student or unemployed; 6) physical/psychiatric illness; and 7) ethnicity. Six families with 4 or more risk factors had complex emotional, social and financial problems that required extensive intervention by the FNN and that impacted their ability to provide care for the child. The parents' pre-existing risk factors were further complicated by their children's HSCT. A recommendation for clinical practice is to identify families with multiple interrelated problems and allocate resources to support these families. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Family strengths, motivation, and resources as predictors of health promotion behavior in single-parent and two-parent families.

    PubMed

    Ford-Gilboe, M

    1997-06-01

    The extent to which selected aspects of family health potential (strengths, motivation, and resources) predicted health work (health-related problem-solving and goal attainment behaviors) was examined in a Canadian sample of 138 female-headed single-parent families and two-parent families. The mother and one child (age 10-14) each completed mailed self-report instruments to assess the independent variables of family cohesion, family pride, mother's non-traditional sex role orientation, general self-efficacy, internal health locus of control, network support, community support, and family income, as well as the dependent variable, health work. With the effects of mothers' education held constant, the independent variables predicted 22 to 27% of the variance in health work in the total sample and each family type. Family cohesion was the most consistent predictor of health work, accounting for 8 to 13% of the variance. The findings challenge existing problem-oriented views of single-parent families by focusing on their potential to engage in health promotion behavior.

  16. [Recognition and communication of early preventive services in obstetrics : A qualitative interview study with parents].

    PubMed

    Prüßmann, Christiane; Stindt, Daniela; Brunke, Jana; Klinkhammer, Ursula; Thyen, Ute

    2016-10-01

    The perception of patients' needs of support and sensitive communication about psychosocial stress all represent new, exacting tasks for nursing staff, midwives, social workers and physicians in obstetrics. As part of Good Start into the Family (GuStaF), a learning and teaching project in a university hospital, we were able to interview parents about their experiences with the intervention. Evaluation of the process of establishing contacts, the communication with professionals in obstetrics and the support offered from the perspective of parents. Qualitative guided interviews with seven families one year after the delivery. Problem areas reported by parents were predominately related to increased parental care and the feeling of being overwhelmed in addition to social stress. Core themes in communication addressed the entry into conversations, which was remembered negatively when advice was perceived as improper, patronizing or stigmatizing, and positively when professionals had listened sensitively and had provided tangible support. Some conversations increased stress. Relating to assistance and support, parents reported both positive and negative experiences. Justness and reliability emerged as particularly important topics. The attendance of families around the time of the delivery poses varying demands upon the hospital staff, not necessarily in keeping with traditional professional attitudes and competencies. Careful attention to the personal physical and emotional well-being of mothers and newborns, non-stigmatizing entry into the conversations, justness of the support and avoiding inconsistencies within the institution and the network all appear to be of great importance.

  17. Modeling Parenting Programs as an Interim Service for Families Waiting for Children's Mental Health Treatment.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, Charles E; Rimas, Heather; Chen, Yvonne; Deal, Ken; McGrath, Patrick; Lingley-Pottie, Patricia; Reid, Graham J; Lipman, Ellen; Corkum, Penny

    2015-01-01

    Using a discrete choice conjoint experiment, we explored the design of parenting programs as an interim strategy for families waiting for children's mental health treatment. Latent class analysis yielded 4 segments with different design preferences. Simulations predicted the Fast-Paced Personal Contact segment, 22.1% of the sample, would prefer weekly therapist-led parenting groups. The Moderate-Paced Personal Contact segment (24.7%) preferred twice-monthly therapist-led parenting groups with twice-monthly lessons. The Moderate-Paced E-Contact segment (36.3%), preferred weekly to twice-monthly contacts, e-mail networking, and a program combining therapist-led sessions with the support of a computerized telephone e-coach. The Slow-Paced E-Contact segment (16.9%) preferred an approach combining monthly therapist-led sessions, e-coaching, and e-mail networking with other parents. Simulations predicted 45.3% of parents would utilize an option combining 5 therapist coaching calls with 5 e-coaching calls, a model that could reduce costs and extend the availability of interim services. Although 41.0% preferred weekly pacing, 58% were predicted to choose an interim parenting service conducted at a twice-monthly to monthly pace. The results of this study suggest that developing interim services reflecting parental preferences requires a choice of formats that includes parenting groups, telephone-coached distance programs, and e-coaching options conducted at a flexible pace.

  18. Parenthood in transition - Somali-born parents' experiences of and needs for parenting support programmes.

    PubMed

    Osman, Fatumo; Klingberg-Allvin, Marie; Flacking, Renée; Schön, Ulla-Karin

    2016-02-16

    Pre- and post-migration trauma due to forced migration may impact negatively on parents' ability to care for their children. Little qualitative work has examined Somali-born refugees' experiences. The aim of this study is to explore Somali-born refugees' experiences and challenges of being parents in Sweden, and the support they need in their parenting. A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken. Data were collected from four focus group discussions (FGDs) among 23 Somali-born mothers and fathers living in a county in central Sweden. Qualitative content analysis has been applied. A main category, Parenthood in Transition, emerged as a description of a process of parenthood in transition. Two generic categories were identified: Challenges, and Improved parenting. Challenges emerged from leaving the home country and being new and feeling alienated in the new country. In Improved parenting, an awareness of opportunities in the new country and ways to improve their parenting was described, which includes how to improve their communication and relationship with their children. The parents described a need for information on how to culturally adapt their parenting and obtain support from the authorities. Parents experienced a process of parenthood in transition. They were looking to the future and for ways to improve their parenting. Schools and social services can overcome barriers that prevent lack of knowledge about the new country's systems related to parenthood. Leaving the home country often means separation from the family and losing the social network. We suggest that staff in schools and social services offer parent training classes for these parents throughout their children's childhood, with benefits for the child and family.

  19. Maternity groups in the postpartum period at well child clinics - mothers' experiences.

    PubMed

    Glavin, Kari; Tveiten, Sidsel; Økland, Toril; Hjälmhult, Esther

    2017-10-01

    To explore mothers' experiences as participants in maternity groups at well child clinics (WCCs). The level of psychological distress that new mothers have may be related to the quantity of social support they receive. Maternity groups to support new parents have a long tradition at WCCs in Norway, and most of the clinics have offered these groups. However, there is little knowledge about mothers' experiences of participating in these groups. Qualitative design. Focus group interviews with mothers who had participated in maternity groups facilitated by public health nurses (PHNs) at WCCs. Interpretive description was used to analyse the transcripts from the interviews. Eight focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 30 mothers who had participated in maternity groups at WCCs in two counties in eastern Norway. The analysis resulted in one main category, 'The maternity group's salutogenic importance' and three subcategories, 'Networks that can last for many years', 'Fellowship with others in the same situation' and 'Become confident in mothering'. Mothers wanted fellowship and found it important to share experiences with other mothers. Maternity groups offered to parents are essential to meet parents' need to discuss experiences and challenges related to parenting. Maternity groups can also create a basis for establishing a social network for those who want it. Well child clinics should offer all mothers the opportunity to participate in groups to strengthen their social relations and their confidence in parenting. PHNs play an important role in facilitating groups for first-time parents. Group leadership can influence how mothers in a group connect and whether the parental role is affected. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Alcohol Use among Adolescent Youth: The Role of Friendship Networks and Family Factors in Multiple School Studies

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Cheng; Hipp, John R.; Butts, Carter T.; Jose, Rupa; Lakon, Cynthia M.

    2015-01-01

    To explore the co-evolution of friendship tie choice and alcohol use behavior among 1,284 adolescents from 12 small schools and 976 adolescents from one big school sampled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (AddHealth), we apply a Stochastic Actor-Based (SAB) approach implemented in the R-based Simulation Investigation for Empirical Network Analysis (RSiena) package. Our results indicate the salience of both peer selection and peer influence effects for friendship tie choice and adolescent drinking behavior. Concurrently, the main effect models indicate that parental monitoring and the parental home drinking environment affected adolescent alcohol use in the small school sample, and that parental home drinking environment affected adolescent drinking in the large school sample. In the small school sample, we detect an interaction between the parental home drinking environment and choosing friends that drink as they multiplicatively affect friendship tie choice. Our findings suggest that future research should investigate the synergistic effects of both peer and parental influences for adolescent friendship tie choices and drinking behavior. And given the tendency of adolescents to form ties with their friends' friends, and the evidence of local hierarchy in these networks, popular youth who do not drink may be uniquely positioned and uniquely salient as the highest rank of the hierarchy to cause anti-drinking peer influences to diffuse down the social hierarchy to less popular youth. As such, future interventions should harness prosocial peer influences simultaneously with strategies to increase parental support and monitoring among parents to promote affiliation with prosocial peers. PMID:25756364

  1. Perceived social support disparities among children affected by HIV/AIDS in Ghana: a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Doku, Paul Narh; Dotse, John Enoch; Mensah, Kofi Akohene

    2015-06-06

    The study investigated whether perceived social support varied among children who have lost their parents to AIDS, those who have lost their parents to other causes, those who are living with HIV/AIDS-infected caregivers and children from intact families (comparison group). This study employed cross-sectional, quantitative survey that involved 291 children aged 10-18 years in the Lower Manya Krobo District of Ghana and examined their social support disparities. Multivariate linear regressions indicate that children living with HIV/AIDS-infected caregivers reported significantly lower levels of social support compared with AIDS-orphaned children, other-orphaned children and non-orphaned children independent of socio-demographic covariates. Children who have lost their parents to other causes and other-orphaned children reported similar levels of social support. In terms of sources of support, all children orphans and vulnerable children were more likely to draw support from friends and significant others rather than from the family. The findings indicate a need to develop interventions that can increase levels of social support for orphaned and vulnerable children within the context of HIV/AIDS in Ghana, particularly networks that include the family.

  2. A synthetic biosocial model of fertility transition: testing the relative contribution of embodied capital theory, changing cultural norms, and women's labor force participation.

    PubMed

    Snopkowski, Kristin; Kaplan, Hillard

    2014-07-01

    This article presents a biosocial model of fertility decline, which integrates ecological-economic and informational-cultural hypotheses of fertility transition in a unified theoretical framework. The model is then applied to empirical data collected among 500 women from San Borja, Bolivia, a population undergoing fertility transition. Using a combination of event history analysis, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling, we examine the pathways by which education responds to birth cohort, parental education and network ties, and how age at first birth and total fertility, in turn, respond to birth cohort, social network ties, education, expectations about parental investment, work, and contraceptive use. We find that in addition to secular trends in education, respondent's education is associated with the education of parents, the investment she received from them, and the education of older siblings. Total fertility has dropped over time, partly in response to increased education; moreover, the behavior of other women in a woman's social network predicts both initiation of reproduction and total fertility, while expected parental investment in offspring negatively predicts total fertility. Involvement in paid work that is incompatible with childcare is associated with a later age of first reproduction, but not subsequent fertility. Contraceptive use partially mediates the effect of education and birth cohort on total fertility, but is not a mediator of the effect of social network or expected parental investment on total fertility. Overall, the empirical results provide support for a biosocial model of fertility decline, particularly the embodied capital and cultural pathways. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. A novel Interactive Health Communication Application (IHCA) for parents of children with long-term conditions: Development, implementation and feasibility assessment.

    PubMed

    Swallow, Veronica; Carolan, Ian; Smith, Trish; Webb, Nicholas J A; Knafl, Kathleen; Santacroce, Sheila; Campbell, Malcolm; Harper-Jones, Melanie; Hanif, Noreen; Hall, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    Few evidence-based, on-line resources exist to support home-based care of childhood long-term conditions. In a feasibility study, children with stages 3, 4, or 5 chronic kidney disease, parents and professionals collaboratively developed a novel Online Parent Information and Support (OPIS) application. Parents were randomized to an intervention arm with access to OPIS or a control arm without access. OPIS usage was assessed using Google Analytics. Parents in the intervention arm completed the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) and User Interface Satisfaction (USE) questionnaires and participated in qualitative interviews. Twenty parents accessed OPIS with a mean of 23.3 (SD 20.8, range 2-64) visits per user. Responses from the SAM and USE questionnaires were positive, most respondents rating OPIS highly and finding it easy to use. Qualitative suggestions include refinement of OPIS components, enabling personalization of OPIS functionalities and proactive endorsements of OPIS by professionals. Implementation of OPIS into standard practice is feasible in the centre where it was developed. Suggested developments will augment reported strengths to inform ongoing testing in the wider UK network of units. Our design and methods are transferrable to developing and evaluating web-applications to support home-based clinical care-giving for other long-term conditions.

  4. Structural social support and cardiovascular disease risk factors in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

    PubMed

    Hernandez, Rosalba; Carnethon, Mercedes; Giachello, Aida L; Penedo, Frank J; Wu, Donghong; Birnbaum-Weitzman, Orit; Giacinto, Rebeca Espinoza; Gallo, Linda C; Isasi, Carmen R; Schneiderman, Neil; Teng, Yanping; Zeng, Donglin; Daviglus, Martha L

    2017-02-23

    Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have yielded inconsistent findings on the associations of social support networks with cardiovascular health in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. We examined the cross-sectional associations of structural social support and traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a diverse sample of Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. This analysis included 2994 adult participants ages 18-74 with diabetes from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL - 2008-2011). Select items from the Social Network Inventory (SNI) were used to assess indices of structural social support, i.e. network size (number of children, parents, and in-laws) and frequency of familial contact. Standardized methods were used to measure abdominal obesity, BMI, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking status. Multivariate regression was used to examine associations of structural support with individual CVD risk factors with demographics, acculturation, physical health, and psychological ill-being (depressive symptoms and anxiety) included as covariates. There were no significant cross-sectional associations of structural support indices with abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or smoking status. There was a marginally significant (OR: 1.05; 95%CI 0.99-1.11) trend toward higher odds of obesity in participants reporting a larger family unit (including children, parents, and in-laws) and those with closer ties with extended family relatives (OR: 1.04; 95%CI 0.99-1.09). Structural social support was marginally associated with higher odds of obesity in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. Alternate forms of social support (e.g. healthcare professionals, friends, peers) should be further explored as potential markers of cardiac risk in Hispanics/Latinos with diabetes.

  5. Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Families: An Exploratory Study of Family Functioning, Adoptive Child's Behavior, and Familial Support Networks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erich, Stephen; Leung, Patrick; Kindle, Peter; Carter, Sharon

    2005-01-01

    Traditional legal and social forces have hindered the adoption of children by gay and lesbian individuals and couples. Using a convenience sample drawn from gay and lesbian support groups and Internet sites, this exploratory study examines adoptive families with gay and lesbian parents in terms of family functioning capabilities, child's behavior,…

  6. Direct and indirect effects of caregiver social support on adolescent psychological outcomes in two South African AIDS-affected communities

    PubMed Central

    Casale, Marisa; Cluver, Lucie; Crankshaw, Tamaryn; Kuo, Caroline; Lachman, Jamie M.; Wild, Lauren G.

    2015-01-01

    Caregiver social support has been shown to be protective for caregiver mental health, parenting and child psychosocial outcomes. This is the first known analysis to quantitatively investigate the relationship between caregiver social support and adolescent psychosocial outcomes in HIV-endemic, resource-scarce Southern African communities. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted over 2009-2010 with 2477 South African adolescents aged 10-17 and their adult caregivers (18 years or older) in one urban and one rural community in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. Adolescent adjustment was assessed using adult caregiver reports of the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), which measures peer problems, hyperactivity, conduct problems, emotional symptoms and child prosocial behavior. Hierarchical linear regressions and multiple mediation analyses, using bootstrapping procedures, were conducted to assess for: a) direct effects of more caregiver social support on better adolescent psychosocial wellbeing; and b) indirect effects mediated by better parenting and caregiver mental health. Direct associations (p<.001), and indirect associations mediated through better parenting, were found for all adolescent outcomes. Findings reinforce the importance of social support components within parenting interventions but also point to scope for positive intervention on adolescent psychosocial wellbeing through the broader family social network. PMID:25623784

  7. Seeking balance between the past and the present: Vietnamese refugee parenting practices and adolescent well-being.

    PubMed

    Tingvold, Laila; Hauff, Edvard; Allen, James; Middelthon, Anne-Lise

    2012-07-01

    This qualitative study examines the resources that Vietnamese refugee parents use in raising their adolescent youth in exile and how they, and their adolescents, regard their experiences of different parenting styles. The study is based on 55 semi-structured interviews and several focus groups performed with a small sample of Vietnamese refugee parents and their adolescent children. Three main themes from the interviews were identified: the role of the extended family and siblings in bringing up children; language acquisition and cultural continuity and, finally, religion and social support. Our findings suggest extended kin are involved in the raising of adolescent children, providing additional family ties and support. Parents regarded Vietnamese language acquisition by their youth as facilitating both communication with extended kin and cultural transmission. Several parents stressed the importance of religious community to socialising and creating a sense of belonging for their youth. Vietnamese refugee parents seek a balance between Vietnamese values and their close extended family social networks, and the opportunities in Norway to develop autonomy in pursuit of educational and economic goals. Together these parenting practices constituted a mobilization of resources in support of their youth. These findings may have important implications for future research on resiliency and the role of these strategies as protective factors mediating mental health outcomes. They may also have implications for treatment, in terms of the types of resources treatment can access and for prevention strategies that maximize key cultural resources for Vietnamese refugee youth.

  8. EXPLORING PARENT-SIBLING COMMUNICATION IN FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE

    PubMed Central

    Graff, J. Carolyn; Hankins, Jane S.; Hardy, Belinda T.; Hall, Heather R.; Roberts, Ruth J.; Neely-Barnes, Susan L.

    2011-01-01

    Focus group interviews were conducted with parents of children with sickle cell disease to explore parent-sibling communication about sickle cell disease. Communication was influenced by attributes and behaviors of the parent, the child with sickle cell disease, and the sibling; extended family, neighbors, friends, and church members or social networks; and available, accessible resources related to the child’s health, child’s school, and parent employment. Outcomes that influenced and were influenced by factors within and outside the parent-sibling dyad and nuclear family included parent satisfaction, parent roles, family intactness, and status attainment. These findings support previous research with African American families and expand our views of the importance of educating parents, family members, and others about sickle cell disease. The findings suggest a need to explore sibling perception of this communication, parent and sibling perception of the impact of frequent hospitalizations and clinic visits on the sibling and family, and variations within families of children with sickle cell disease. PMID:20384476

  9. Child oral health concerns amongst parents and primary care givers in a Sure Start local programme.

    PubMed

    Daly, B; Clarke, W; McEvoy, W; Periam, K; Zoitopoulos, L

    2010-09-01

    To conduct an oral health promotion needs assessment amongst parents and primary care givers of pre-school children in a South East London Sure Start Local Programme (SSLP). To explore the oral health concerns and oral health literacy with regard to children's oral health amongst parents and primary care givers in a South East London SSLP. A qualitative study using four in-depth focus groups with a purposive sample of 20 participants. Data were analysed using the framework method. The SSLP was identified as an important source of information, support and social interaction for participants. Participants rated the informal networks of the programme as equally authoritative as other formal sources of information. Oral health concerns included: introducing healthy eating, establishing tooth brushing, teething and access to dental care. While participants had adequate knowledge of how to prevent oral disease they cited many barriers to acting on their knowledge which included: parents' tiredness, lack of confidence in parenting skills, confusing information, widespread availability of sugary foods and drinks, and lack of local child friendly dentists. Parenting skills and the social support provided by the SSLP appeared to be integral to the introduction of positive oral health behaviours. SSLPs were seen as a trusted source of support and information for carers of pre-school children. Integration of oral health promotion into SSLPs has the potential to tap into early interventions which tackle the wider support needs of carers of pre-school children while also supporting the development of positive oral health behaviours.

  10. Hearing impairment, social networks, and coping: the need for families with hearing-impaired children to relate to other parents and to hearing-impaired adults.

    PubMed

    Hintermair, M

    2000-03-01

    For a report on the stress experiences of parents with hearing-impaired children in Germany, 317 parents completed a survey on how their families communicate and socialize, among other issues. The report focuses on how contacts with other parents and with hearing-impaired adults affect stress experiences, in the context of the child's hearing status and the means of communication. Parents who frequently meet with other parents show evidence of a warm, accepting, trusting relationship with their child. Parents who have many contacts with hearing-impaired adults show evidence of a strong sense of competence in regard to their child's upbringing. The findings confirm the implication found in most reports describing empirical studies. Social support is to be regarded as a cornerstone of psychosocial intervention and has to play as great a role as possible in institutional programs.

  11. Social support, flexible resources, and health care navigation.

    PubMed

    Gage-Bouchard, Elizabeth A

    2017-10-01

    Recent research has focused attention on the role of patients' and clinicians' cultural skills and values in generating inequalities in health care experiences. Yet, examination of how social structural factors shape people's abilities to build, refine, and leverage strategies for navigating the health care system have received less attention. In this paper I place focus on one such social structural factor, social support, and examine how social support operates as a flexible resource that helps people navigate the health care system. Using the case of families navigating pediatric cancer care this study combines in-depth interviews with parents of pediatric cancer patients (N = 80), direct observation of clinical interactions between families and physicians (N = 73), and in-depth interviews with pediatric oncologists (N = 8). Findings show that physicians assess parental visibility in the hospital, medical vigilance, and adherence to their child's treatment and use these judgments to shape clinical decision-making. Parents who had help from their personal networks had more agility in balancing competing demands, and this allowed parents to more effectively meet institutional expectations for appropriate parental involvement in the child's health care. In this way, social support served as a flexible resource for some families that allowed parents to more quickly adapt to the demands of caring for a child with cancer, foster productive interpersonal relationships with health care providers, and play a more active role in their child's health care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. A Tree Based Self-routing Scheme for Mobility Support in Wireless Sensor Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Young-Duk; Yang, Yeon-Mo; Kang, Won-Seok; Kim, Jin-Wook; An, Jinung

    Recently, WSNs (Wireless Sensor Networks) with mobile robot is a growing technology that offer efficient communication services for anytime and anywhere applications. However, the tiny sensor node has very limited network resources due to its low battery power, low data rate, node mobility, and channel interference constraint between neighbors. Thus, in this paper, we proposed a tree based self-routing protocol for autonomous mobile robots based on beacon mode and implemented in real test-bed environments. The proposed scheme offers beacon based real-time scheduling for reliable association process between parent and child nodes. In addition, it supports smooth handover procedure by reducing flooding overhead of control packets. Throughout the performance evaluation by using a real test-bed system and simulation, we illustrate that our proposed scheme demonstrates promising performance for wireless sensor networks with mobile robots.

  13. Stress and well-being among parents of children with rare diseases: a prospective intervention study.

    PubMed

    Dellve, Lotta; Samuelsson, Lena; Tallborn, Andreas; Fasth, Anders; Hallberg, Lillemor R-M

    2006-02-01

    This paper reports a study to assess stress, well-being and supportive resources experienced by mothers and fathers of children with rare disabilities, and how these variables were affected by an intensive family competence intervention. Despite diagnosis-specific studies, little overall knowledge exists about life-consequences for families of children with rare disorders. We used a prospective design with baseline data and two follow-ups (at 6 and 12 months) after an intervention. The intervention aimed at empowering parents in managing their child's disability. Parents from all parts of Sweden visiting a national centre for families of children with rare disabilities were consecutively selected (n = 136 mothers, 108 fathers). Instruments of parental stress, social support, self-rated health, optimism and life satisfaction and perceived physical or psychological strain were used. Stratified analyses were carried out for mothers and fathers, and related to parental demands: single mothers, full-time employment, participation in a parent association, child's age and type of disability. We found high parental stress, physical and emotional strain among mothers, especially among single mothers. Fathers showed high stress related to incompetence, which decreased after the intervention. Decreased strain was found among full-time working mothers and fathers after the intervention. Parents' perceived knowledge and active coping and mothers' perceived social support were increased at follow-up. Factors related to parents' overall life satisfaction (57-70% explained variance) changed after the intervention, from being more related to internal demands (perceived strain, incompetence and social isolation) to other conditions, such as problems related to spouse, paid work and social network. Parents, especially fathers and full-time working parents, may benefit from an intensive family competence programme.

  14. Smoking-based selection and influence in gender-segregated friendship networks: a social network analysis of adolescent smoking.

    PubMed

    Mercken, Liesbeth; Snijders, Tom A B; Steglich, Christian; Vertiainen, Erkki; de Vries, Hein

    2010-07-01

    The main goal of this study was to examine differences between adolescent male and female friendship networks regarding smoking-based selection and influence processes using newly developed social network analysis methods that allow the current state of continuously changing friendship networks to act as a dynamic constraint for changes in smoking behaviour, while allowing current smoking behaviour to be simultaneously a dynamic constraint for changes in friendship networks. Longitudinal design with four measurements. Nine junior high schools in Finland. A total of 1163 adolescents (mean age = 13.6 years) who participated in the control group of the ESFA (European Smoking prevention Framework Approach) study, including 605 males and 558 females. Smoking behaviour of adolescents, parents, siblings and friendship ties. Smoking-based selection of friends was found in male as well as female networks. However, support for influence among friends was found only in female networks. Furthermore, females and males were both influenced by parental smoking behaviour. In Finnish adolescents, both male and female smokers tend to select other smokers as friends but it appears that only females are influenced to smoke by their peer group. This suggests that prevention campaigns targeting resisting peer pressure may be more effective in adolescent girls than boys.

  15. Associations between social vulnerabilities and psychosocial problems in European children. Results from the IDEFICS study.

    PubMed

    Iguacel, Isabel; Michels, Nathalie; Fernández-Alvira, Juan M; Bammann, Karin; De Henauw, Stefaan; Felső, Regina; Gwozdz, Wencke; Hunsberger, Monica; Reisch, Lucia; Russo, Paola; Tornaritis, Michael; Thumann, Barbara Franziska; Veidebaum, Toomas; Börnhorst, Claudia; Moreno, Luis A

    2017-09-01

    The effect of socioeconomic inequalities on children's mental health remains unclear. This study aims to explore the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between social vulnerabilities and psychosocial problems, and the association between accumulation of vulnerabilities and psychosocial problems. 5987 children aged 2-9 years from eight European countries were assessed at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Two different instruments were employed to assess children's psychosocial problems: the KINDL (Questionnaire for Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents) was used to evaluate children's well-being and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to evaluate children's internalising problems. Vulnerable groups were defined as follows: children whose parents had minimal social networks, children from non-traditional families, children of migrant origin or children with unemployed parents. Logistic mixed-effects models were used to assess the associations between social vulnerabilities and psychosocial problems. After adjusting for classical socioeconomic and lifestyle indicators, children whose parents had minimal social networks were at greater risk of presenting internalising problems at baseline and follow-up (OR 1.53, 99% CI 1.11-2.11). The highest risk for psychosocial problems was found in children whose status changed from traditional families at T0 to non-traditional families at T1 (OR 1.60, 99% CI 1.07-2.39) and whose parents had minimal social networks at both time points (OR 1.97, 99% CI 1.26-3.08). Children with one or more vulnerabilities accumulated were at a higher risk of developing psychosocial problems at baseline and follow-up. Therefore, policy makers should implement measures to strengthen the social support for parents with a minimal social network.

  16. Food insecurity and maternal mental health in León, Nicaragua: Potential limitations on the moderating role of social support.

    PubMed

    Piperata, Barbara A; Schmeer, Kammi K; Rodrigues, Andres Herrera; Salazar Torres, Virgilio Mariano

    2016-12-01

    Poor mental health among those living in poverty is a serious global public health concern. Food insecurity (FI) is recognized as an important, yet critically understudied social determinant of mental health. The relationship between FI and mothers' mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is especially important to understand considering the high rates of poverty and associated FI in these settings. For these mothers, social support may serve as a buffer in ameliorating the impact of FI on mental distress. However, data required to understand these relationships in LMIC remain sparse. To address this gap we used quantitative and qualitative data and convergence parallel analysis to assess: the association between FI and maternal mental distress; and, whether three forms of social support - mother's general social network support and family support (spouse/partner living in the home, parents/in-laws living in the home) - moderated the association. A survey that included data on FI (ELCSA) and mental distress (SRQ-20) was administered to a population-based sample of mothers in León, Nicaragua (n = 434) in 2012. The survey was complemented by data from 6 focus groups. Regression models identified a strong positive relationship between household-level FI and maternal distress. Evidence of social support moderation was mixed: while maternal social network and spousal/partner support did not moderate this relationship, parental support did. Our ethnographic data revealed three themes that help explain these findings: FI is embarrassing/shameful, close family is the most appropriate source of social support and, fear of gossip and ridicule limit the buffering capacity of the social support network. Our findings contribute to a growing literature demonstrating that FI is an important social determinant of maternal mental distress in LMIC; and that some forms of social support may reduce (but not eliminate) the impact of FI on mental distress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Affinal and Consanguineal Kin as a Social Support for the Rural Elderly. Paper of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kivett, Vira R.

    Although the support network of elderly individuals has received increased attention recently, most research has focused on the parent child relationship without examining other levels of kin interrelations. To examine the help received by rural-transitional older adults from their consanguineous kin (adult children, grandchildren, siblings,…

  18. How social networks influence female students' choices to major in engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weinland, Kathryn Ann

    Scope and Method of Study: This study examined how social influence plays a part in female students' choices of college major, specifically engineering instead of science, technology, and math. Social influence may show itself through peers, family members, and teachers and may encompass resources under the umbrella of social capital. The purpose of this study was to examine how female students' social networks, through the lens of social capital, influence her major choice of whether or not to study engineering. The variables of peer influence, parental influence, teacher/counselor influence, perception of engineering, and academic background were addressed in a 52 question, Likert scale survey. This survey has been modified from an instrument previously used by Reyer (2007) at Bradley University. Data collection was completed using the Dillman (2009) tailored design model. Responses were grouped into four main scales of the dependent variables of social influence, encouragement, perceptions of engineering and career motivation. A factor analysis was completed on the four factors as a whole, and individual questions were not be analyzed. Findings and Conclusions: This study addressed the differences in social network support for female freshmen majoring in engineering versus female freshmen majoring in science, technology, or math. Social network support, when working together from all angles of peers, teachers, parents, and teachers/counselors, transforms itself into a new force that is more powerful than the summation of the individual parts. Math and science preparation also contributed to female freshmen choosing to major in engineering instead of choosing to major in science, technology, or math. The STEM pipeline is still weak and ways in which to reinforce it should be examined. Social network support is crucial for female freshmen who are majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math.

  19. Family-centred service coordination in childhood health and disability services: the search for meaningful service outcome measures.

    PubMed

    Trute, B; Hiebert-Murphy, D; Wright, A

    2008-05-01

    Potential service outcome measures were tested for their utility in the assessment of the quality of 'family centred' service coordination in the provincial network of children's disability services in Manitoba, Canada. This study is based on in-home survey data provided by 103 mothers at 6 and 18 months following assignment of a 'dedicated' service coordinator. Service outcome indicators included measures of parent self-esteem, parenting stress, family functioning and the need for family support resources. Hierarchical regression analyses showed no relationship between level of quality of family-centred service coordination and standardized psychosocial measures of parent and family functioning. However, family centredness of service coordination was found to predict significant reduction in level of family need for psychosocial support resources after 18 months of contact with a service coordinator. Outcome measures that are focused on specific and tangible results of service coordination appear to be of higher utility in service quality assessment than are more global, standardized measures of parent and family functioning.

  20. Associations and costs of parental symptoms of psychiatric distress in a multi-diagnosis group of children with special needs.

    PubMed

    Thurston, S; Paul, L; Loney, P; Ye, C; Wong, M; Browne, G

    2011-03-01

    Families supporting children with complex needs are significantly more distressed and economically disadvantaged than families of children without disability and delay. What is not known is the associations and costs of parental psychiatric distress within a multi-diagnosis group of special needs children. In this cross-sectional survey, families were identified from the Children's Treatment Network. Families were eligible if the child was aged 0-19 years, resided in Simcoe/York, and if there were multiple family needs (n = 429). Some 42% of surveyed parents exhibited symptoms (mild to severe) of psychiatric distress. The presence of these symptoms was associated with reports of poorer social support, family dysfunction, greater adverse impact of the child's situation on the family, poorer child behaviour, unfavourable parenting styles and poorer child psychosocial functioning. The severity of the child's physical dysfunction was not related to parents/guardians most knowledgeable symptoms of psychiatric distress. Total parent costs were higher and children's uses of primary care services were higher in parents with symptoms of psychiatric distress. Parent symptoms of psychiatric distress are a significant societal concern in families with complex needs children. Children's rehabilitation efforts need to incorporate parental mental health assessment and treatment into existing programmes. This could lead to decreases in direct and indirect healthcare utilisation costs. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. Honoring children, making relatives: the cultural translation of parent-child interaction therapy for American Indian and Alaska Native families.

    PubMed

    Bigfoot, Dolores Subia; Funderburk, Beverly W

    2011-01-01

    The Indian Country Child Trauma Center, as part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, designed a series of American Indian and Alaska Native transformations of evidence-based treatment models. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) was culturally adapted/translated to provide an effective treatment model for parents who have difficulty with appropriate parenting skills or for their children who have problematic behavior. The model, Honoring Children-Making Relatives, embeds the basic tenets and procedures of PCIT in a framework that supports American Indian and Alaska Native traditional beliefs and parenting practices that regard children as being the center of the Circle. This article provides an overview of the Honoring Children-Making Relatives model, reviews cultural considerations incorporated into ICCTC's model transformation process, and discusses specific applications for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy within the model.

  2. Weak and strong publics: drawing on Nancy Fraser to explore parental participation in neonatal networks.

    PubMed

    Gibson, Andrew J; Lewando-Hundt, Gillian; Blaxter, Loraine

    2014-02-01

    We draw on the work of Nancy Fraser, and in particular her concepts of weak and strong publics, to analyze the process of parental involvement in managed neonatal network boards. Public involvement has moved beyond the individual level to include greater involvement of both patients and the public in governance. However, there is relatively little literature that explores the nature and outcomes of long-term patient involvement initiatives or has attempted to theorize, particularly at the level of corporate decision making, the process of patient and public involvement. A repeated survey of all neonatal network managers in England was carried out in 2006-07 to capture developments and changes in parental representation over this time period. This elicited information about the current status of parent representation on neonatal network boards. Four networks were also selected as case studies. This involved interviews with key members of each network board, interviews with parent representatives, observation of meetings and access to board minutes. Data collected show that a wide range of approaches to involving parents has been adopted. These range from decisions not to involve parents at this level to relatively well-developed systems designed to link parent representatives on network boards to parents in neonatal units. Despite these variations, we suggest that parental participation within neonatal services remains an example of a weak public because the parent representatives had limited participation with little influence on decision making. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Inter-generational family support provided by older people in Indonesia

    PubMed Central

    SCHRÖDER-BUTTERFILL, ELISABETH

    2007-01-01

    Most social research on ageing in Asia has focused on the support provided by adult children to their parents, and thereby suggests that as a matter of course older people are in need of support. This paper offers a different perspective. Drawing on ethnographic and quantitative data from a village in East Java, it examines the extent of older people’s dependence on others and highlights the material and practical contributions that they make to their families. It is shown that only a minority of older people are reliant on children or grandchildren for their daily survival. In the majority of cases, the net flow of inter-generational support is either downwards – from old to young – or balanced. Far from merely assisting with childcare and domestic tasks, older people are often the economic pillars of multi-generational families. Pension and agricultural incomes serve to secure the livelihoods of whole family networks, and the accumulated wealth of older parents is crucial for launching children into economic independence and underwriting their risks. Parental generosity does not generally elicit commensurate reciprocal support when it is needed, leaving many people vulnerable towards the end of their lives. PMID:23750060

  4. Social networking site (SNS) use by adolescent mothers: Can social support and social capital be enhanced by online social networks? - A structured review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Nolan, Samantha; Hendricks, Joyce; Ferguson, Sally; Towell, Amanda

    2017-05-01

    to critically appraise the available literature and summarise the evidence relating to adolescent mothers' use of social networking sites in terms of any social support and social capital they may provide and to identify areas for future exploration. social networking sites have been demonstrated to provide social support to marginalised individuals and provide psycho-social benefits to members of such groups. Adolescent mothers are at risk of; social marginalisation; anxiety disorders and depressive symptoms; and poorer health and educational outcomes for their children. Social support has been shown to benefit adolescent mothers thus online mechanisms require consideration. a review of original research articles METHOD: key terms and Boolean operators identified research reports across a 20-year timeframe pertaining to the area of enquiry in: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline, Scopus, ERIC, ProQuest, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Health Collection (Informit) and Google Scholar databases. Eight original research articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. studies demonstrate that adolescent mothers actively search for health information using the Internet and social networking sites, and that social support and social capital can be attributed to their use of specifically created online groups from within targeted health interventions. Use of a message board forum for pregnant and parenting adolescents also demonstrates elements of social support. There are no studies to date pertaining to adolescent mothers' use of globally accessible social networking sites in terms of social support provision and related outcomes. further investigation is warranted to explore the potential benefits of adolescent mothers' use of globally accessible social networking sites in terms of any social support provision and social capital they may provide. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Parent News: A Compilation of 1997 Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robertson, Anne S., Ed.

    1997-01-01

    This document consists of the 12 issues of "Parent News" (an electronic Internet magazine for parents, prepared for the National Parent Information Network) published during 1997. Each monthly issue contains feature articles describing the activities of the National Parent Information Network, summarizing research useful to parents,…

  6. Jugando en el Pidi: Active Learning, Early Child Development and Interactive Radio Instruction. Supporting Caregivers, Parents, and Young Children. LearnTech Case Study Series, No. 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bosch, Andrea; Crespo, Cecilia

    In 1993, Bolivia was selected as a site to pilot an interactive radio instruction (IRI) project that would provide practical support to adult caregivers and children around early childhood development. Through linkages with health and education networks, PIDI (Programa Integral de Desarrollo Infantil) provided young children under the age of six…

  7. The Family Startup Program: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a universal group-based parenting support program.

    PubMed

    Trillingsgaard, Tea; Maimburg, Rikke Damkjær; Simonsen, Marianne

    2015-04-21

    Inadequate parenting is an important public health problem with possible severe and long-term consequences related to child development. We have solid theoretical and political arguments in favor of efforts enhancing the quality of the early family environment in the population at large. However, little is known about effect of universal approaches to parenting support during the transition to parenthood. This protocol describes an experimental evaluation of group based parenting support, the Family Startup Program (FSP), currently implemented large scale in Denmark. Participants will be approximately 2500 pregnant women and partners. Inclusion criteria are parental age above 18 and the mother expecting first child. Families are recruited when attending routine pregnancy scans provided as a part of the publicly available prenatal care program at Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby. Families are randomized within four geographically defined strata to one of two conditions a) participation in FSP or b) Treatment As Usual (TAU). FSP aims to prepare new families for their roles as parents and enhance parental access to informal sources of support, i.e. social network and community resources. The program consists of twelve group sessions, with nine families in each group, continuing from pregnancy until the child is 15 months old. TAU is the publicly available pre- and postnatal care available to families in both conditions. Analyses will employ survey data, administrative data from health visitors, and administrative register based data from Statistics Denmark. All data sources will be linked via the unique Danish Civil Registration Register (CPR) identifier. Data will be obtained at four time points, during pregnancy, when the child is nine months, 18 months and seven years. The primary study outcome is measured by the Parenting Sense of Competence scale (PSOC) J Clin Child Psychol 18:167-75, 1989. Other outcomes include parenting and couple relationship quality, utility of primary sector service and child physical health, socio-emotional and cognitive development. The protocol describes an ambitious experimental evaluation of a universal group-based parenting support program; an evaluation that has not yet been made either in Denmark or internationally. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02294968. Registered November 14 2014.

  8. Youth Transitions and Interdependent Adult-Child Relations in Rural Bolivia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Punch, Samantha

    2002-01-01

    Draws on ethnographic fieldwork in southern Bolivia to explore how rural Bolivian youth negotiate structural constraints on choices of work versus secondary education, including local versus urban location, economic resources, parental attitudes, gender, family characteristics, social networks and support, and peer role models. Suggests the notion…

  9. Someone to talk to: young mothers' experiences of participating in a young parents support programme.

    PubMed

    Mills, Annie; Schmied, Virginia; Taylor, Christine; Dahlen, Hannah; Shuiringa, Wies; Hudson, Margaret E

    2013-09-01

    To identify young parents' perceptions and experiences of a parenting support programme, run by a non-government organisation, which provided both community group-based, and one-on-one home visiting, support. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Sydney, NSW; this is also an area with one of the highest percentage of births among young parents. Young parents were eligible to participate whether they attended one of the parenting groups and/or received professional home visiting through the young parents programme. Eighteen young women were interviewed, and a further ten participated in a focus group. Thematic analysis of the focus groups and interviews was undertaken. Four themes were identified in the analysis: 'someone I know and trust', 'we just talk about anything and everything', 'doing the personal' and 'getting out and relaxing'. These themes were linked through the common thread of relationships; the relationships between themselves and other young mothers, and with the workers on the programme. The characteristics of the person with whom they had a relationship, the type of relationship, the content of their interactions and the benefits of these relationships were all important. This study is limited by the small sample size and the 'low risk' status of the young parents who engaged in the programme. This study demonstrated not only the importance for young parents of all forms of interaction, whether it is one-on-one, in a group or social networking; but most importantly, the benefits of having someone to talk to. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  10. Exploring parent-sibling communication in families of children with sickle cell disease.

    PubMed

    Graff, J Carolyn; Hankins, Jane S; Hardy, Belinda T; Hall, Heather R; Roberts, Ruth J; Neely-Barnes, Susan L

    2010-01-01

    Communication within families of children with sickle cell disease is important yet has not been adequately investigated. Focus group interviews were conducted with parents of children with sickle cell disease to explore parent-sibling communication about sickle cell disease. Communication was influenced by attributes and behaviors of the parent, the child with sickle cell disease, and the sibling; extended family, neighbors, friends, and church members or social networks; and available, accessible resources related to the child's health, child's school, and parent employment. Outcomes that influenced and were influenced by factors within and outside the parent-sibling dyad and nuclear family included parent satisfaction, parent roles, family intactness, and status attainment. These findings support previous research with African-American families and expand our views of the importance of educating parents, family members, and others about sickle cell disease. The findings suggest a need to explore sibling perception of this communication, parent and sibling perception of the impact of frequent hospitalizations and clinic visits on the sibling and family, and variations within families of children with sickle cell disease.

  11. Increases in New Social Network Ties are Associated with Increased Cohesion among Intervention Participants

    PubMed Central

    Gesell, Sabina B.; Barkin, Shari L.; Sommer, Evan C.; Thompson, Jessica R.; Valente, Thomas W.

    2016-01-01

    Objective Many behavior change programs are delivered in group settings to manage implementation costs and to foster support and interactions among group members to facilitate behavior change. Understanding the group dynamics that evolve in group settings (e.g., weight management, Alcoholics Anonymous) is important, yet rarely measured. This paper examined the relationship between social network ties and group cohesion in a group-based intervention to prevent obesity in children. Method The data reported are process measures from an ongoing community-based randomized controlled trial. 305 parents with a child (3-6 years) at risk of developing obesity were assigned to an intervention that taught parents healthy lifestyles. Parents met weekly for 12 weeks in small consistent groups. Two measures were collected at weeks 3 and 6: a social network survey (people in the group with whom one discusses healthy lifestyles); and the validated Perceived Cohesion Scale (Bollen & Hoyle, 1990). We used lagged random and fixed effects regression models to analyze the data. Results Cohesion increased from 6.51 to 6.71 (t=4.4, p<0.01). Network nominations tended to increase over the 3-week period in each network. In the combined discussion and advice network, the number of nominations increased from 1.76 to 1.95 (z=2.59, p<0.01). Cohesion at week 3 was the strongest predictor of cohesion at week 6 (b=0.55, p<0.01). Number of new network nominations at week 6 was positively related to cohesion at week 6 (b=0.06, p<.01). In sum, being able to name new network contacts was associated with feelings of cohesion. Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate how network changes affect perceived group cohesion within a behavioral intervention. Given that many behavioral interventions occur in group settings, intentionally building new social networks could be promising to augment desired outcomes. PMID:26286298

  12. Increases in Network Ties Are Associated With Increased Cohesion Among Intervention Participants.

    PubMed

    Gesell, Sabina B; Barkin, Shari L; Sommer, Evan C; Thompson, Jessica R; Valente, Thomas W

    2016-04-01

    Many behavior change programs are delivered in group settings to manage implementation costs and to foster support and interactions among group members in order to facilitate behavior change. Understanding the group dynamics that evolve in group settings (e.g., weight management, Alcoholics Anonymous) is important, yet rarely measured. This article examined the relationship between social network ties and group cohesion in a group-based intervention to prevent obesity in children. The data reported are process measures from an ongoing community-based randomized controlled trial. A total of 305 parents with a child (3-6 years) at risk of developing obesity were assigned to an intervention that taught parents healthy lifestyles. Parents met weekly for 12 weeks in small consistent groups. Two measures were collected at Weeks 3 and 6: a social network survey (people in the group with whom one discusses healthy lifestyles) and the validated Perceived Cohesion Scale. We used lagged random and fixed effects regression models to analyze the data. Cohesion increased from 6.51 to 6.71 (t= 4.4,p< .01). Network nominations tended to increase over the 3-week period in each network. In the combined discussion and advice network, the number of nominations increased from 1.76 to 1.95 (z= 2.59,p< .01). Cohesion at Week 3 was the strongest predictor of cohesion at Week 6 (b= 0.55,p< .01). Number of new network nominations at Week 6 was positively related to cohesion at Week 6 (b= 0.06,p< .01). In sum, being able to name new network contacts was associated with feelings of cohesion. This is the first study to demonstrate how network changes affect perceived group cohesion within a behavioral intervention. Given that many behavioral interventions occur in group settings, intentionally building new social networks could be promising to augment desired outcomes. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  13. The human parental brain: In vivo neuroimaging

    PubMed Central

    Swain, James E.

    2015-01-01

    Interacting parenting thoughts and behaviors, supported by key brain circuits, critically shape human infants’ current and future behavior. Indeed, the parent–infant relationship provides infants with their first social environment, forming templates for what they can expect from others, how to interact with them and ultimately how they go on to themselves to be parents. This review concentrates on magnetic resonance imaging experiments of the human parent brain, which link brain physiology with parental thoughts and behaviors. After reviewing brain imaging techniques, certain social cognitive and affective concepts are reviewed, including empathy and trust—likely critical to parenting. Following that is a thorough study-by-study review of the state-of-the-art with respect to human neuroimaging studies of the parental brain—from parent brain responses to salient infant stimuli, including emotionally charged baby cries and brief visual stimuli to the latest structural brain studies. Taken together, this research suggests that networks of highly conserved hypothalamic–midbrain–limbic–paralimbic–cortical circuits act in concert to support parental brain responses to infants, including circuits for limbic emotion response and regulation. Thus, a model is presented in which infant stimuli activate sensory analysis brain regions, affect corticolimbic limbic circuits that regulate emotional response, motivation and reward related to their infant, ultimately organizing parenting impulses, thoughts and emotions into coordinated behaviors as a map for future studies. Finally, future directions towards integrated understanding of the brain basis of human parenting are outlined with profound implications for understanding and contributing to long term parent and infant mental health. PMID:21036196

  14. College students' use of electronic communication with parents: links to loneliness, attachment, and relationship quality.

    PubMed

    Gentzler, Amy L; Oberhauser, Ann M; Westerman, David; Nadorff, Danielle K

    2011-01-01

    Despite the ubiquitous use of new communication technologies, gaps in our knowledge remain regarding who is likely to rely on particular technologies and potential ramifications of these forms of communication on individuals' relationships and adjustment. In an online survey, 211 college students reported on their use of electronic communication with a parent who they identified as their closest family member. Results indicated that students who report more frequent phone conversations with parents also report more satisfying, intimate, and supportive parental relationships, but those students who use a social-networking site to communicate with parents report higher levels of loneliness, anxious attachment, as well as conflict within the parental relationship. The findings offer new evidence on how electronic communication technology with parents is related to adjustment in college students. Our study also suggests that further research is needed using longitudinal designs to understand better young adults' use of technology to communicate in today's society.

  15. Assessing the impact of the primary school-based nutrition intervention Petits cuistots--parents en réseaux.

    PubMed

    Bisset, Sherri L; Potvin, Louise; Daniel, Mark; Paquette, Manon

    2008-01-01

    This study sought to provide an intermediate impact assessment of the nutrition intervention Petits cuistots--parents en réseaux (Little Cooks--Parental Networks) on: 1) knowledge, attitude, capacity and experience with regard to nutrition, diet and cookery, and 2) parental and/or family participation in school. A total of 388 students from grades 5 (participants) and 6 (non-participants). The evaluation of the nutrition intervention took place in each of the seven participating elementary schools, all of which are located in Montreal's most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The program component "Little Cooks" is a nutrition workshop run by community dieticians. Each of the eight annual workshops features a food item and nutrition theme with a recipe for a collective food preparation and tasting experience. Classroom teachers participate to provide classroom management and program support. The "Parental Networks" component of the program invites parents to assist with the nutrition workshop, and offers additional parent and family activities which link to nutrition workshop themes (e.g., dinners or visits to local food producers). The program had some impact on knowledge of the nutrient content of food, food produce and cooking; attitude and experience with tasting of new or less common foods; and perceived cooking capacity. Families with students participating in the program participated more in school activities than did families of students not in the program. Our assessment indicates a potential program impact upon several intermediate impact measures, and in so doing highlights a promising nutrition capacity-promoting intervention.

  16. NOA: A Scalable Multi-Parent Clustering Hierarchy for WSNs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cree, Johnathan V.; Delgado-Frias, Jose; Hughes, Michael A.

    2012-08-10

    NOA is a multi-parent, N-tiered, hierarchical clustering algorithm that provides a scalable, robust and reliable solution to autonomous configuration of large-scale wireless sensor networks. The novel clustering hierarchy's inherent benefits can be utilized by in-network data processing techniques to provide equally robust, reliable and scalable in-network data processing solutions capable of reducing the amount of data sent to sinks. Utilizing a multi-parent framework, NOA reduces the cost of network setup when compared to hierarchical beaconing solutions by removing the expense of r-hop broadcasting (r is the radius of the cluster) needed to build the network and instead passes network topologymore » information among shared children. NOA2, a two-parent clustering hierarchy solution, and NOA3, the three-parent variant, saw up to an 83% and 72% reduction in overhead, respectively, when compared to performing one round of a one-parent hierarchical beaconing, as well as 92% and 88% less overhead when compared to one round of two- and three-parent hierarchical beaconing hierarchy.« less

  17. Migrant remittances and the web of family obligations: Ongoing support among spatially extended kin in Northeast Thailand, 1984–94

    PubMed Central

    Rindfuss, Ronald R.; Piotrowski, Martin; Entwisle, Barbara; Edmeades, Jeffery; Faust, Katherine

    2013-01-01

    Exchanges of money, goods, and assistance among family/kin members are influenced by the intertwined lives of individuals and their family/kin. As people pass through the young adulthood years, acquiring obligations as spouses and parents, and migrating in search of economic opportunities, tensions can arise over existing obligations. Using rich longitudinal data from Northeast Thailand, we examined the role of family networks (origin and destination) on migrants’ exchanges with family/kin. Our approach overcame many shortcomings of earlier studies, allowing us to 'see' the family social network arrayed in a broader network. We show that intra-family exchanges are influenced by marital status, the presence of children, having parents in the origin household, and having siblings depart from it. The results are stable across sensitivity tests that systematically include or exclude various familial links. And reports provided by origin households on migrant remittances are consistent with reports from migrants themselves. PMID:22272774

  18. A Mixed-Method Study Exploring Depression in U.S. Citizen-Children in Mexican Immigrant Families

    PubMed Central

    Gulbas, Lauren E.; Zayas, Luis H.; Yoon, Hyunwoo; Szlyk, Hannah; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Natera, Guillermina

    2016-01-01

    Background There is a critical need to document the mental health effects of immigration policies and practices on children vulnerable to parental deportation. Few studies capture the differential experiences produced by U.S. citizen-children’s encounters with immigration enforcement, much less in ways that analyze mental health outcomes alongside the psychosocial contexts within which those outcomes arise. Methods We explore the psychosocial dimensions of depression in U.S. citizen-children with undocumented Mexican parents to examine differences between citizen-children affected and not affected by parental deportation. An exploratory mixed-method design was used to integrate a quantitative measure of depression symptoms (CDI-2) within qualitative data collected with 48 citizen-children aged 8 to 15 with and without experiences of parental deportation. Results Stressors elicited by citizen-children in the qualitative interview included an inability to communicate with friends, negative perceptions of Mexico, financial struggles, loss of supportive school networks, stressed relation with parent(s), and violence. Fifty percent of citizen-children with probable depression—regardless of experiences with parental deportation—cited “stressed relation with parents,” compared to 9% without depression. In contrast, themes of “loss of supportive school network” and “violence” were mentioned almost exclusively by citizen-children with probable depression and affected by parental deportation. Conclusions While citizen-children who suffer parental deportation experience the most severe consequences associated with immigration enforcement, our findings also suggest that the burden of mental health issues extends to those children concomitantly affected by immigration enforcement policies that target their undocumented parents. PMID:26648588

  19. Seeking social support on Facebook for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).

    PubMed

    Mohd Roffeei, Siti Hajar; Abdullah, Noorhidawati; Basar, Siti Khairatul Razifah

    2015-05-01

    This study examined the types of social support messages exchanged between parents and/or caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) who communicate via Facebook (FB); it studies two autism support groups: Autism Malaysia (AM) and Autism Children Club (ACA). A total of 3637 messages including both postings (381) and comments (3256) were gathered from August to November 2013. The study employed a deductive content-analysis approach. The qualitative data were analyzed for social support themes adapted from the Social Support Behavior Code (SSBC). Before collecting the data, email was sent to the FB groups' moderators to gain formal consent from the members. The finding indicated that the highest percentage of messages offered dealt with Informational support (30.7%) followed by Emotional support (27.8%). Network and Esteem support messages were responsible for 20.97% and 20.2%, respectively. Tangible Assistance was the least frequent category (0.4%). A majority of these messages discussed and addressed challenges and difficulties associated with caring and raising ASD children, as well as issues such as children's social lives and self-care routines. Understandings of how FB is used to seek social support could impact supporting and maintaining effective communication among parents and/or caregivers of children with ASDs. This information could also improve approaches used by health professionals in developing, improving and evaluating social support systems for parents/caregivers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Health status and coping strategies among older parent-carers of adults with intellectual disabilities in an Australian sample.

    PubMed

    Llewellyn, Gwynnyth; McConnell, David; Gething, Lindsay; Cant, Rosemary; Kendig, Hal

    2010-01-01

    Older parent-carers in Australia are the subject of increasing policy and practice attention due to concerns about their ongoing ability to care in the light of their own ageing and the ageing of their adult son or daughter. This paper examines health status and the coping strategies of a group of older Australian parents caring for an adult son or daughter with intellectual disabilities. Health status using the SF-12 (Ware, Snow, Kosinski, & Gandek, 1993), caring stress using the CADI (Nolan, Grant, & Keady, 1998), and coping strategies using the CAMI (Nolan et al., 1998) were assessed in 64 older parent-carers of adults with intellectual disabilities. The self-reported health status of this sample of older parent-carers did not differ significantly from Australian population norms, with one exception. That is, the younger parent-carers in the sample (55-64 years) reported significantly poorer mental health. Better health was associated with having a partner, a larger and close support network of family, friends and neighbours, and a lower care-load. Overall, the study participants identified both satisfaction as well as stress associated with caring, a finding that runs counter to the common perception that being a carer is overwhelmingly burdensome. Common sources of stress were feeling helpless or not in control, and poor professional support. Analysis of older parent-carers coping strategies suggests that self-reliance, whether by choice or necessity, was the norm. The health status of older parent-carers may present less cause for concern than anecdotal reports suggest. That said, the strong self-reliance particularly of the older carers presents a challenge to service providers seeking to engage those whose situation appears to warrant support from the service system. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The influence of branch order on optimal leaf vein geometries: Murray's law and area preserving branching.

    PubMed

    Price, Charles A; Knox, Sarah-Jane C; Brodribb, Tim J

    2013-01-01

    Models that predict the form of hierarchical branching networks typically invoke optimization based on biomechanical similitude, the minimization of impedance to fluid flow, or construction costs. Unfortunately, due to the small size and high number of vein segments found in real biological networks, complete descriptions of networks needed to evaluate such models are rare. To help address this we report results from the analysis of the branching geometry of 349 leaf vein networks comprising over 1.5 million individual vein segments. In addition to measuring the diameters of individual veins before and after vein bifurcations, we also assign vein orders using the Horton-Strahler ordering algorithm adopted from the study of river networks. Our results demonstrate that across all leaves, both radius tapering and the ratio of daughter to parent branch areas for leaf veins are in strong agreement with the expectation from Murray's law. However, as veins become larger, area ratios shift systematically toward values expected under area-preserving branching. Our work supports the idea that leaf vein networks differentiate roles of leaf support and hydraulic supply between hierarchical orders.

  2. Teenagers' perceptions of factors affecting decision-making competence in the management of type 1 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Viklund, Gunnel; Wikblad, Karin

    2009-12-01

    Decision-making is an important prerequisite for empowerment. The aim of this study was to explore teenagers' perceptions of factors affecting decision-making competence in diabetes management. A previous study that assessed an empowerment programme for teenagers with diabetes showed no effects on metabolic control or empowerment outcomes, which is not in accordance with results from studies on adult diabetes patients. The definition of empowerment highlights the patient's own responsibility for decision-making. Earlier studies have shown that many teenagers' may not be mature in decision-making competence until late adolescence. To explore the significance of decision-making competence on the effectiveness of empowerment education we wanted to explore teenagers' own view on factors affecting this competence. An explorative, qualitative interview study was conducted with 31 teenagers with type 1 diabetes, aged 12-17 years. The teenagers were interviewed two weeks after completing an empowerment education programme. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Five categories stood out as important for decision-making competence: cognitive maturity, personal qualities, experience, social network and parent involvement. Based on the content in the interviews and the five categories, we made an interpretation and formulated an overall theme: 'Teenagers deserve respect and support for their short-comings during the maturity process'. Our conclusion is that teenagers deserve respect for their immature decision-making competence. Decision-making competence was described as cognitive abilities, personal qualifications and experience. To compensate for the deficiencies the teenagers deserve constructive support from their social network and the essential support is expected to come from their parents. These findings can be useful for diabetes team members in supporting teenagers with diabetes and their parents both in individual meetings and when planning and delivering group education.

  3. Measurable Successes for Children with ASD: Perspectives from Mothers' Virtual Journals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeman, Laura Dreuth; Swanke, Jayme; Doktor, Judy

    2011-01-01

    Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have become the second most common childhood developmental disorder. The parents of these children are hungry for information regarding ASD and often seek support and advice from the internet and virtual social networks. This qualitative study analyzed blogs of twenty-four mothers raising children with ASD. This…

  4. Nurturing Adult-Youth Relationships in the Family and School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whisler, Jo Sue

    Noting that healthy adult-youth relationships are more critical today than in the past because of the complexity of the times and the diminished availability of parents and family networks of support, this paper focuses on those dimensions of the adult-youth relationship that foster healthy development and academic success in all youth, including…

  5. New mothers and media use: associations between blogging, social networking, and maternal well-being.

    PubMed

    McDaniel, Brandon T; Coyne, Sarah M; Holmes, Erin K

    2012-10-01

    Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory and prior empirical research, the current study examines the way that blogging and social networking may impact feelings of connection and social support, which in turn could impact maternal well-being (e.g., marital functioning, parenting stress, and depression). One hundred and fifty-seven new mothers reported on their media use and various well-being variables. On average, mothers were 27 years old (SD = 5.15) and infants were 7.90 months old (SD = 5.21). All mothers had access to the Internet in their home. New mothers spent approximately 3 hours on the computer each day, with most of this time spent on the Internet. Findings suggested that frequency of blogging predicted feelings of connection to extended family and friends which then predicted perceptions of social support. This in turn predicted maternal well-being, as measured by marital satisfaction, couple conflict, parenting stress, and depression. In sum, blogging may improve new mothers' well-being, as they feel more connected to the world outside their home through the Internet.

  6. Key health outcomes for children and young people with neurodisability: qualitative research with young people and parents

    PubMed Central

    Allard, Amanda; Fellowes, Andrew; Shilling, Valerie; Janssens, Astrid; Beresford, Bryony; Morris, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    Objectives To identify key health outcomes, beyond morbidity and mortality, regarded as important in children and young people with neurodisability, and their parents. Design Qualitative research incorporating a thematic analysis of the data supported by the Framework Approach; the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provided a theoretical foundation. Setting The study was conducted in community settings. Participants Participants were 54 children and young people with neurodisability: 50 participated in focus groups, and 4 in interviews; 53 parents participated: 47 in focus groups and 6 in interviews. Children/young people and parents were recruited through different networks, and were not related. Results Children/young people and parents viewed health outcomes as inter-related. Achievement in some outcomes appeared valued to the extent that it enabled or supported more valued domains of health. Health outcomes prioritised by both young people and parents were: communication, mobility, pain, self-care, temperament, interpersonal relationships and interactions, community and social life, emotional well-being and gaining independence/future aspirations. Parents also highlighted their child's sleep, behaviour and/or safety. Conclusions Those responsible for health services for children/young people with neurodisability should take account of the aspects of health identified by families. The aspects of health identified in this study provide a basis for selecting appropriate health indicators and outcome measures. PMID:24747792

  7. Cambodian Parental Involvement: The Role of Parental Beliefs, Social Networks, and Trust

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eng, Sothy; Szmodis, Whitney; Mulsow, Miriam

    2014-01-01

    The role of social capital (parental beliefs, social networks, and trust) as a predictor of parental involvement in Cambodian children's education was examined, controlling for human capital (family socioeconomic status). Parents of elementary students (n = 273) were interviewed face to face in Cambodia. Teacher contact scored highest, followed by…

  8. Direct-to-adolescent text messaging for vaccine reminders: What will parents permit?

    PubMed

    Roberts, James R; Morella, Kristen; Dawley, Erin H; Madden, Christi A; Jacobson, Robert M; Pope, Charlene; Davis, Boyd; Thompson, David; O'Brien, Elizabeth S; Darden, Paul M

    2018-05-11

    Direct-to-adolescent text messaging may be a consideration for vaccine reminders, including human papilloma virus (HPV), but no studies have explored the minimum age at which parents would allow adolescents to receive a text message. We distributed a survey to parents of 10-17 year olds during any office visit in two practice based research networks in South Carolina and Oklahoma. We asked about parental preference for receiving vaccine reminders for their adolescent, whether they would allow the healthcare provider to directly message their adolescent, and if so, what would be the acceptable minimum age. In 546 surveys from 11 practices, parents of females were more supportive of direct-to-teen text message reminders than were parents of males, (75% v. 60%, p < .001). The median age at which parents would allow direct text messages from physicians' offices was 14 in females compared to 15 in males, p = .049. We found a correlation between the child's age and the youngest age at which parents would allow a direct text message. Of the parents who permitted a text message directly to their adolescent, most reported an allowable age higher than their adolescent's current age until the age of 15. Our study suggests that direct-to-adolescent text messaging would be allowed by parents for older adolescents. This supports an intervention aimed at older adolescents, such as for receipt of MCV4 dose #2, delayed HPV vaccine series completion and annual influenza vaccination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Circles of Engagement: Childhood Pain and Parent Brain

    PubMed Central

    Simons, Laura; Goubert, Liesbet; Vervoort, Tine; Borsook, David

    2016-01-01

    Social interaction can have a profound effect on individual behavior, perhaps most salient in interactions between sick suffering children and their parents. Chronic pain is a difficult condition that can produce considerable changes in behaviors in children that can secondarily have profound effects on their parents. It may create a functionally disabling negative feedback loop. Research supports the notion of alterations in the brain of individuals who observe and empathize with loved ones in acute pain. However, neural activity in relation to empathic responses in the context of chronic pain has not been examined. Ongoing suffering with chronic pain in a child can result in child's brain circuit alterations. However, prolonged suffering jointly experienced by the parent may putatively also produce maladaptive changes in their neural networks and consequently in parental behaviors. Here we put forth the conceptual framework for ‘Chronic pain contagion’ (CPC). We review the underlying processes in CPC and we discuss implications for devising and implementing treatments for children in chronic pain and their parents. PMID:27320958

  10. Characteristics of natural mentoring relationships from the perspectives of homeless youth.

    PubMed

    Dang, Michelle T; Miller, Elizabeth

    2013-11-01

    Homeless youth experience high risks for poor mental health outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the characteristics of natural mentoring relationships among homeless youth and to identify possible mechanisms that can enhance social support for this population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 homeless youth aged 14-21 who had natural mentors. The interviews focused on how youth met their natural mentors, the function of these relationships, and how natural mentoring relationships differed from other relationships in the youth's social networks. Main themes that emerged from the interviews included parental absence, natural mentors as surrogate parents, and social support from mentors. Findings suggest that social supports provided by mentors enhance youth's adaptive functioning and may promote resilience, thus the use of natural mentors may be an important untapped asset in designing interventions to improve outcomes for homeless youth. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Characteristics of Natural Mentoring Relationships from the Perspectives of Homeless Youth

    PubMed Central

    Dang, Michelle T.; Miller, Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    PROBLEM Homeless youth experience high risks for poor mental health outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the characteristics of natural mentoring relationships among homeless youth and to identify possible mechanisms that can enhance social support for this population. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 homeless youth aged 14 to 21 who had natural mentors. The interviews focused on how youth met their natural mentors, the function of these relationships, and how natural mentoring relationships differed from other relationships in the youth’s social networks. FINDINGS Main themes that emerged from the interviews included parental absence, natural mentors as surrogate parents, and social support from mentors. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that social supports provided by mentors enhance youth’s adaptive functioning and may promote resilience, thus the use of natural mentors may be an important untapped asset in designing interventions to improve outcomes for homeless youth. PMID:24180604

  12. Social networking sites (SNS); exploring their uses and associated value for adolescent mothers in Western Australia in terms of social support provision and building social capital.

    PubMed

    Nolan, Samantha; Hendricks, Joyce; Towell, Amanda

    2015-09-01

    to explore the use of social networking sites (SNS) by adolescent mothers in Western Australia (WA) in relation to social support and the building of social capital. a constructionist narrative inquiry approach was employed to guide the research design and processes. Approval was gained from the university human ethics department. Sampling was purposeful and data were collected using in-depth interviews with seven adolescent mothers in WA. interviews were undertaken within the homes of adolescent mothers across WA. from within three fundamental domains of social support; tangible, emotional and informational support, provided by SNS use, five key themes were identified from the narratives. 'Social connectedness' was identified as a form of tangible support, sometimes termed 'practical' or 'instrumental' support. This theme incorporates connectedness with family, friends, and peers and across new and existing social groups. Three themes were identified that relate to emotional support; 'increased parenting confidence'; 'reduced parental stress' and 'enhanced self-disclosure' afforded by use of SNS. 'Access to information' was identified in terms of informational support, with participants often highlighting SNS use as their primary portal for information and advice. the findings of this study suggest that SNS use affords adolescent mothers in WA access to tangible, informational and emotional support and thus is a valuable source of social capital for these mothers. This study provides a platform for further exploration into this phenomenon, and possible implications include the potential for midwives and health care professionals to promote the benefits of SNS use with, and for, this group of mothers, or to incorporate SNS use into modern health care practices to further develop the potential for improved social capital related outcomes for them. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. NET-Works: Linking families, communities and primary care to prevent obesity in preschool-age children.

    PubMed

    Sherwood, Nancy E; French, Simone A; Veblen-Mortenson, Sara; Crain, A Lauren; Berge, Jerica; Kunin-Batson, Alicia; Mitchell, Nathan; Senso, Meghan

    2013-11-01

    Obesity prevention in children offers a unique window of opportunity to establish healthful eating and physical activity behaviors to maintain a healthful body weight and avoid the adverse proximal and distal long-term health consequences of obesity. Given that obesity is the result of a complex interaction between biological, behavioral, family-based, and community environmental factors, intervention at multiple levels and across multiple settings is critical for both short- and long-term effectiveness. The Minnesota NET-Works (Now Everybody Together for Amazing and Healthful Kids) study is one of four obesity prevention and/or treatment trials that are part of the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment (COPTR) Consortium. The goal of the NET-Works study is to evaluate an intervention that integrates home, community, primary care and neighborhood strategies to promote healthful eating, activity patterns, and body weight among low income, racially/ethnically diverse preschool-age children. Critical to the success of this intervention is the creation of linkages among the settings to support parents in making home environment and parenting behavior changes to foster healthful child growth. Five hundred racially/ethnically diverse, two-four year old children and their parent or primary caregiver will be randomized to the multi-component intervention or to a usual care comparison group for a three-year period. This paper describes the study design, measurement and intervention protocols, and statistical analysis plan for the NET-Works trial. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Curricular Responses to "Electronically Tethered" Students: Individualized Learning across the Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Stasio, Elizabeth A.; Ansfield, Matthew; Cohen, Paul; Spurgin, Timothy

    2009-01-01

    Most American students enter college at a time when they are still forging their identities and seeking a place in the world. Yet many or most of today's students are increasingly dependent on their parents and stay more firmly connected to previous support networks via the "electronic tether" than did their predecessors. In this article, the…

  15. Collaborative Caregiving: Parlerai Connects the Network of Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Puglisi, Dana

    2009-01-01

    Kristin and Jon Erickson know that communication and collaboration are key to success. As the parents of Karly, a child with special needs, the Ericksons experienced first-hand the trials and tribulations that go along with managing the care of a person with disabilities. They found themselves frustrated by a lack of available tools for parents…

  16. Sources of Support and Mediation Online for 9-12-Year-Old Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDonald-Brown, Craig; Laxman, Kumar; Hope, John

    2017-01-01

    The emerging adolescents of today are required to navigate challenges and risks quite different from those faced by their parents and teachers. The usual trials of adolescence have been magnified and transformed, in large part due to the development of information and communication technology, and the rapid rise of online social networking. The…

  17. Advantaged/Disadvantaged School Neighborhoods, Parental Networks, and Parental Involvement at Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Angran; Fischer, Mary J.

    2017-01-01

    This article examines the relationship between parental networks and parental school involvement during the elementary school years. Using a large, nationally representative data set of elementary school students--the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort--and contextual data from the 2000 U.S. Census, our multilevel analysis…

  18. APPROACHING THE BIOLOGY OF HUMAN PARENTAL ATTACHMENT: BRAIN IMAGING, OXYTOCIN AND COORDINATED ASSESSMENTS OF MOTHERS AND FATHERS

    PubMed Central

    Swain, JE; Kim, P; Spicer, J; Ho, SS; Dayton, CJ; Elmadih, A; Abel, KM

    2014-01-01

    Brain networks that govern parental response to infant signals have been studied with imaging techniques over the last 15 years. The complex interaction of thoughts and behaviors required for sensitive parenting of offspring enable formation of each individual’s first social bonds and critically shape infants’ behavior. This review concentrates on magnetic resonance imaging experiments which directly examine the brain systems involved in parental responses to infant cues. First, we introduce themes in the literature on parental brain circuits studied to date. Next, we present a thorough chronological review of state-of-the-art fMRI studies that probe the parental brain with a range of baby audio and visual stimuli. We also highlight the putative role of oxytocin and effects of psychopathology, as well as the most recent work on the paternal brain. Taken together, a new model emerges in which we propose that cortico-limbic networks interact to support parental brain responses to infants for arousal/salience/motivation/reward, reflexive/instrumental caring, emotion response/regulation and integrative/complex cognitive processing. Maternal sensitivity and the quality of caregiving behavior are likely determined by the responsiveness of these circuits toward long-term influence of early-life experiences on offspring. The function of these circuits is modifiable by current and early-life experiences, hormonal and other factors. Known deviation from the range of normal function in these systems is particularly associated with (maternal) mental illnesses – commonly, depression and anxiety, but also schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Finally, we discuss the limits and extent to which brain imaging may broaden our understanding of the parental brain, and consider a current model and future directions that may have profound implications for intervention long term outcomes in families across risk and resilience profiles. PMID:24637261

  19. Online social networking amongst teens: friend or foe?

    PubMed

    O'Dea, Bridianne; Campbell, Andrew

    2011-01-01

    The impact of Internet communication on adolescent social development is of considerable importance to health professionals, parents and teachers. Online social networking and instant messaging programs are popular utilities amongst a generation of techno-savvy youth. Although these utilities provide varied methods of communication, their social benefits are still in question. This study examined the relationship between online social interaction, perceived social support, self-esteem and psychological distress amongst teens. A total of 400 participants (M(age) = 14.31 years) completed an online survey consisting of parametric and non-parametric measures. No significant relationship was found between online interaction and social support. Time spent interacting online was negatively correlated with self-esteem and psychological distress. While previous research has focused on young adults, this study examines the impact of online social networking on emerging teens. It highlights the need for continued caution in the acceptance of these utilities.

  20. Choosing adolescent smokers as friends: the role of parenting and parental smoking.

    PubMed

    Mercken, L; Sleddens, E F C; de Vries, H; Steglich, C E G

    2013-04-01

    The present study examined whether parenting and parental smoking can prevent children from selecting smoking friends during adolescence. 254 Adolescents of one Belgian secondary school participated. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among 2nd-4th graders (mean ages = 14.2-16.2 years) during spring 2006. Follow-up was conducted 12 months later. Data was analyzed conducting longitudinal social network analyses. Results showed adolescents perceiving high parental psychological control had a significant higher tendency to select smoking friends. Perceived behavioral control and perceived parental support did not affect the selection of smoking friends. Furthermore, maternal smoking behavior affected the selection of smoking friends, although no effect of paternal smoking behavior on the selection of smoking friends was found. Adolescent smoking prevention efforts should focus on the influence of parents through their smoking behavior and their psychological control to decrease adolescents' tendency to select smoking friends resulting in fewer opportunities for negative peer influences to occur. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. From Knowing Nothing to Knowing What, How and Now: Parents' Experiences of Caring for their Children With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

    PubMed

    Lundberg, Tove; Lindström, Anders; Roen, Katrina; Hegarty, Peter

    2017-06-01

    This study investigates various kinds of knowing that European parents use when caring for their children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 parents of 22 children with CAH. Parents emphasized the importance of knowing what CAH is and what support their child needs, but also knowing how to cope and make sense of the new situation, how to attend to their child's medical needs as well as how to talk to their child. Parents also reported challenges related to connecting with their social network, experiences of emergency care, and how to help their children become independent. These challenges require knowing now : being able to respond appropriately to unique circumstances. Parents experience diverse challenges that may moderate the effects of the diagnosis on children's well-being. Parenting children with CAH requires the development of knowing that goes beyond medical information. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  2. The Ethnic Dimensions of Social Capital: How Parental Networks Shape Track Placement in Germany.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Werum, Regina E.

    This research examined the relationship between parental social capital and children's educational track placement in Germany, and how parental social capital differentially affected the tracking experiences of German and non-German children. Parental social capital was defined as the degree to which adults used family networks or connections to…

  3. Parental influence on substance use in adolescent social networks.

    PubMed

    Shakya, Holly B; Christakis, Nicholas A; Fowler, James H

    2012-12-01

    To evaluate the relationship between the parenting style of an adolescent's peers' parents and an adolescent's substance use. Longitudinal survey. Adolescents across the United States were interviewed at school and at home. Nationally representative sample of adolescents in the United States. Authoritative vs neglectful parenting style of adolescent's parents and adolescent's friends' parents and adolescent substance use. Adolescent alcohol abuse, smoking, marijuana use, and binge drinking. If an adolescent had a friend whose mother was authoritative, that adolescent was 40% (95% CI, 12%-58%) less likely to drink to the point of drunkenness, 38% (95% CI, 5%-59%) less likely to binge drink, 39% (95% CI, 12%-58%) less likely to smoke cigarettes, and 43% (95% CI, 1%-67%) less likely to use marijuana than an adolescent whose friend's mother was neglectful, controlling for the parenting style of the adolescent's own mother, school-level fixed effects, and demographics. These results were only partially mediated by peer substance use. Social network influences may extend beyond the homogeneous dimensions of own peer or own parent to include extradyadic influences of the wider network. The value of parenting interventions should be reassessed to take into account these spillover effects in the greater network.

  4. Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers.

    PubMed

    Swain, J E; Kim, P; Spicer, J; Ho, S S; Dayton, C J; Elmadih, A; Abel, K M

    2014-09-11

    Brain networks that govern parental response to infant signals have been studied with imaging techniques over the last 15 years. The complex interaction of thoughts and behaviors required for sensitive parenting enables the formation of each individual's first social bonds and critically shapes development. This review concentrates on magnetic resonance imaging experiments which directly examine the brain systems involved in parental responses to infant cues. First, we introduce themes in the literature on parental brain circuits studied to date. Next, we present a thorough chronological review of state-of-the-art fMRI studies that probe the parental brain with a range of baby audio and visual stimuli. We also highlight the putative role of oxytocin and effects of psychopathology, as well as the most recent work on the paternal brain. Taken together, a new model emerges in which we propose that cortico-limbic networks interact to support parental brain responses to infants. These include circuitry for arousal/salience/motivation/reward, reflexive/instrumental caring, emotion response/regulation and integrative/complex cognitive processing. Maternal sensitivity and the quality of caregiving behavior are likely determined by the responsiveness of these circuits during early parent-infant experiences. The function of these circuits is modifiable by current and early-life experiences, hormonal and other factors. Severe deviation from the range of normal function in these systems is particularly associated with (maternal) mental illnesses - commonly, depression and anxiety, but also schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Finally, we discuss the limits and extent to which brain imaging may broaden our understanding of the parental brain given our current model. Developments in the understanding of the parental brain may have profound implications for long-term outcomes in families across risk, resilience and possible interventions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Parents' asthma information needs and preferences for school-based asthma support.

    PubMed

    Al Aloola, Noha Abdullah; Nissen, Lisa; Alewairdhi, Huda Abdullaziz; Al Faryan, Nawaf; Saini, Bandana

    2017-11-01

    This study sought to investigate parents' needs and preferences for school-based asthma support in Saudi Arabian primary schools. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted in the period between November 2015 and February 2016, with a convenience sample that comprised Saudi parents and carers of children with asthma. Recruitment of participants was primarily driven through Saudi primary schools; passive snowballing and social networks were used to boost participation rates further. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated and data were thematically organised using a latent content analysis approach. Twenty interviews were conducted. Six themes emerged from the interviews and were grouped into three major categories: (1) general asthma management issues; (2) school-based asthma management issues; and (3) communication dissatisfaction. Participants expressed concern at schools' social and physical environments and a lack of confidence in the ability of schools to manage their child's asthma, especially when their child was ill. Most of the participants advocated for staff training and school community engagement to improve the management of asthma in Saudi primary schools. This research clearly describes a need for school-based asthma support, including asthma-related policies, procedures and education on asthma and first aid in Saudi primary schools.

  6. Contrasting Parents' and Pediatricians' Perspectives on Shared Decision-Making in ADHD

    PubMed Central

    Hughes, Cayce C.; Gafen, Angela; Guevara, James P.; Barg, Frances K.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The goal was to compare how parents and clinicians understand shared decision-making (SDM) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a prototype for SDM in pediatrics. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 parents of children 6 to 12 years of age with ADHD (50% black and 43% college educated) and 30 primary care clinicians with varying experience. Open-ended interviews explored how pediatric clinicians and parents understood SDM in ADHD. Interviews were taped, transcribed, and then coded. Data were analyzed by using a modified grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Parents and clinicians both viewed SDM favorably. However, parents described SDM as a partnership between equals, with physicians providing medical expertise and the family contributing in-depth knowledge of the child. In contrast, clinicians understood SDM as a means to encourage families to accept clinicians' preferred treatment. These findings affected care because parents mistrusted clinicians whose presentation they perceived as biased. Both groups discussed how real-world barriers limit the consideration of evidence-based options, and they emphasized the importance of engaging professionals, family members, and/or friends in SDM. Although primary themes did not differ according to race, white parents more commonly received support from medical professionals in their social networks. CONCLUSIONS: Despite national guidelines prioritizing SDM in ADHD, challenges to implementing the process persist. Results suggest that, to support SDM in ADHD, modifications are needed at the practice and policy levels, including clinician training, incorporation of decision aids and improved strategies to facilitate communication, and efforts to ensure that evidence-based treatment is accessible. PMID:21172996

  7. Which Terms Should Be Used to Describe Autism? Perspectives from the UK Autism Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kenny, Lorcan; Hattersley, Caroline; Molins, Bonnie; Buckley, Carole; Povey, Carol; Pellicano, Elizabeth

    2016-01-01

    Recent public discussions suggest that there is much disagreement about the way autism is and should be described. This study sought to elicit the views and preferences of UK autism community members--autistic people, parents and their broader support network--about the terms they use to describe autism. In all, 3470 UK residents responded to an…

  8. Exploratory Case Studies of the Role of the Community School Coordinator: Developing the School Social Network in Urban Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruffin, Verna Dean

    2013-01-01

    This exploratory case study examines the role of the community school coordinator (CSC) in the community school model in two urban elementary schools. It seeks to understand how the role and responsibilities of a community school coordinator supports fostering relationships with parents, teachers, students and the community (i.e. building the…

  9. Adolescent Mothers in a Transitional Living Facility: An Exploratory Study of Support Networks and Attachment Patterns

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartz, Ann E.; McRoy, Ruth G.; Downs, A. Chris

    2004-01-01

    Most of the research literature on attachment and adolescent transitions has addressed youth in family settings. This article explores these issues with a sample of 25 pregnant and parenting teens living in a transitional shelter. Using case records and interview data as well as results of standardized measures of depression, self-esteem, child…

  10. Parental divorce and adult longevity.

    PubMed

    Larson, Kandyce; Halfon, Neal

    2013-02-01

    Life course research has established associations between adverse childhood events and later life health. We examine the relationship of experiencing parental divorce before the age of 16 and survival across 34 years of adulthood. Analysis of panel data from a USA-based survey of 6,928 adults residing in Alameda County, California in 1965. Cox regression was used to examine associations between parental divorce and longevity. Controlling for age, race/ethnicity, gender, and childhood socioeconomic position, respondents who recalled a parental divorce during childhood had increased risk of mortality compared to those with no separation. The association was stronger for premature mortality and deaths due to cardiovascular disease. Divorce in childhood was also associated with lowered adult education, fewer social network ties, more depression, and worse health practices. These factors appeared to explain the association with longevity. Parental divorce in childhood is associated with lowered well-being in adulthood and long-term survival. Early prevention and health promotion efforts may be warranted for children who experience parental divorce or discord as a means of supporting enhanced trajectories of health and well-being.

  11. Consequences of parental corporal punishment on 12-year old children in the Colombo district.

    PubMed

    de Zoysa, Piyanjali; Newcombe, Peter A; Rajapakse, Lalini

    2008-03-01

    To study the association between parental corporal punishment and psychological maladjustment in children. Potential mediating variables of this association were explored. The relationship between corporal punishment and physical abuse was also investigated. DESIGN, SETTING AND SAMPLE: The children (N = 1226, 12-year olds) were selected from government schools in the Colombo district, using a stratified random sampling technique. Self-administered instruments, adapted and validated to the Sri Lankan context were used. The experience of parental corporal punishment was shown to be moderately, but significantly, associated with psychological maladjustment in children. This association was enhanced by the child witnessing or experiencing non-parent-to-child violence (eg. domestic, community, teacher and peer violence). The extent of the child's support network, the nature of the parent-child relationship and the child's attitude to corporal punishment did not significantly alter the association between corporal punishment and psychological maladjustment. Corporal punishment was also moderately, but significantly, associated with child physical abuse. Parental corporal punishment is associated with psychological harm for children; this association is further enhanced by other forms of violence in a child's life.

  12. On duty all the time: health and quality of life among immigrant parents caring for a child with complex health needs.

    PubMed

    Gravdal Kvarme, Lisbeth; Albertini-Früh, Elena; Brekke, Idunn; Gardsjord, Ragnhild; Halvorsrud, Liv; Liden, Hilde

    2016-02-01

    To provide knowledge about how immigrant parents of children with complex health needs manage their family lives and how this affects their own health and quality of life. Caregivers of children with complex health needs have additional risk for general health problems and mental health problems and immigrant parents may be more vulnerable to mental distress and failing health and quality of life. This qualitative study used an exploratory design with individual and focus group interviews. Data collection and analysis followed phenomenological hermeneutic guidelines. Individual and group interviews with 27 parents: 18 mothers and 9 fathers from Pakistan, Poland and Vietnam. Immigrant parents of children with complex health needs experience their own health and quality of life challenges. They described the burden of dealing with their child's needs and special care, which affects their sleep and physical and mental health. Single mothers are particularly vulnerable. Parents reported positive and negative effects of their caregiving experience that may affect their health and quality of life. Mothers were the primary caregivers and reported more health problems than did fathers. The lack of respite care, social networks and support impacted maternal health. Immigrant parents struggle to access resources for their child with complex health needs. Hospital nurses, schools and community health care can play a valuable role in supporting the parents of children with complex health needs. It is important that parents are informed about their rights and receive a coordinator and interdisciplinary group to ensure that their needs are met with assistance and respite care. That maternal health was worse in this sample implies that health care professionals should pay more attention to reducing stress among these caregivers. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Getting Online: A Friendly Guide for Teachers, Students, and Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Educational Resources Information Center (ED), Washington, DC.

    This brochure provides teachers, students, and parents with information on how to connect to a computer network; describes some of the education offerings available to network users; and offers hints to help make exploration of computer networks easy and successful. The brochure explains the equipment needed to connect to a computer network; ways…

  14. A community support program for children with autism and their typically developing siblings: Initial investigation.

    PubMed

    Kryzak, Lauren A; Cengher, Mirela; Feeley, Kathleen M; Fienup, Daniel M; Jones, Emily A

    2015-06-01

    Siblings are a critical part of lifelong support for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). But siblings face their own social-emotional adjustment needs. These needs may be addressed through programs that include support groups specifically for the siblings. This study examined the effects of a community program on typical siblings' depression, anxiety, ASD knowledge, and peer network as well as reciprocal interactions between the typical sibling and sibling with ASD. The program provided a sibling support group, a skills intervention for children with ASD, and an inclusive recreation time. Siblings reported significant decreases in depression and physiological anxiety and improvements in their peer network. Autism knowledge increased but only approached significance. Direct observations revealed improvement in reciprocal interactions by most children that did not reach statistical significance. Parents, typical siblings, and interventionists indicated positive reactions to the program and its goals and outcomes. Findings are discussed in terms of the need to continue to explore interventions for siblings of children with ASD. © The Author(s) 2014.

  15. Young Adults’ Provision of Support to Middle-Aged Parents

    PubMed Central

    Birditt, Kira S.; Zarit, Steven H.; Fingerman, Karen L.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. Middle-aged adults often provide support to aging parents, but researchers know little about support that young adults provide middle-aged parents. This study examined support that young adults provide parents and explanations for that support from both offspring’s and parents’ perspectives. Method. Young adults (n = 515, mean age = 22.34) and their parents (n = 364, mean age = 50.09) from the Family Exchanges Study reported support that offspring provide parents. Participants also reported parental personal problems, parental disability status, relationship quality, and support that parents provide offspring. Results. Offspring provided parents with emotional support and listening more often than other forms of support. Offspring reported providing more frequent support than parents reported receiving. We examined factors associated with support using multilevel models. Both offspring and parents reported more frequent support provided to parents when they had higher quality relationships and when parents gave more frequent support to offspring. Offspring (but not parents) reported providing more frequent support to parents when parents were disabled. Discussion. Findings are consistent with solidarity theory, which suggests that high-quality relationships may explain support. The concept of self-enhancement and generativity in middle-aged parents may explain the intergenerational differences in the association between parental disability and support. PMID:24162441

  16. The Amygdala: An Agent of Change in Adolescent Neural Networks

    PubMed Central

    Scherf, K. Suzanne; Smyth, Joshua M.; Delgado, Mauricio R.

    2013-01-01

    A unique component of adolescent development is the need to master new developmental tasks in which peer interactions become primary (for the purposes of becoming autonomous from parents, forming intimate friendships, and romantic/sexual partnerships). Previously, it has been suggested that the ability to master these tasks requires an important re-organization in the relation between perceptual, motivational, affective, and cognitive systems in a very general and broad way that is fundamentally influenced by the infusion of sex hormones during pubertal development (Scherf et al., 2012). Herein, we extend this argument to suggest that the amygdala, which is vastly connected with cortical and subcortical regions and contains sex hormone receptors, may lie at the heart of this re-organization. We propose that during adolescent development there is a shift in the attribution of relevance to existing stimuli and contexts that is mediated by the amygdala (e.g., heightened relevance of peer faces, reduced relevance of physical distance from parents). As a result, amygdala inputs to existing stable neural networks are re-weighted (increased or decreased), which destabilizes the functional interactions among regions within these networks and allows for a critical restructuring of the network functional organization. This process of network re-organization enables processing of qualitatively new kinds of social information and the emergence of novel behaviors that support mastery of adolescent-specific developmental tasks. PMID:23756154

  17. Development and pilot testing of an educational intervention for parents, caregivers and teachers of children with verbal communication disabilities in Mexico.

    PubMed

    Parada-Toro, Irene; Gómez-Quiroz, Rosa M; Treviño-Siller, Sandra

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to implement and test an educational intervention aimed at training parents/caregivers and teachers in strategies to support children with verbal communication disabilities (VCDs). We carried out a descriptive observational research conducted in two phases during 2013-2014: a mixed-method diagnosis and intervention development. We used convenience sampling to select the parents/caregivers and teachers of first-to-third graders with VCDs across four public elementary schools in a suburban community in central Mexico. Diagnosis was based on questionnaires conducted with parents/caregivers (n = 38) and teachers (n = 16). The instruments focused not only on the respondents' socioeconomic characteristics and general knowledge about VCDs but also included open questions (24/42) about their common practices and support for children with VCDs. The intervention was built on data collected through the questionnaires, and was designed according to the Integral Intervention Model framework based on the ecosystemic approach. Participants were parents/caregivers and teachers of children with VCDs. Main results showed that the participants were trained in various support techniques, they gained knowledge about VCDs and changed their perception of their own ability to help children with language impairments. As an important upshot of the intervention, communication and networking among parents/caregivers and teachers increased. The main strengths of this research reside in its solid theoretical foundation and the fact that intervention design was based on the specific needs of the target group. In as much as the public health problem of VCDs in Mexico has barely been studied and has received minimal official support, it is essential to engage additional social actors, stakeholders and decision-makers in the implementation of permanent actions. Our study emphasises the importance of recognising this form of health impairment as a social responsibility and not as an individual family problem. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Locating hardware faults in a data communications network of a parallel computer

    DOEpatents

    Archer, Charles J.; Megerian, Mark G.; Ratterman, Joseph D.; Smith, Brian E.

    2010-01-12

    Hardware faults location in a data communications network of a parallel computer. Such a parallel computer includes a plurality of compute nodes and a data communications network that couples the compute nodes for data communications and organizes the compute node as a tree. Locating hardware faults includes identifying a next compute node as a parent node and a root of a parent test tree, identifying for each child compute node of the parent node a child test tree having the child compute node as root, running a same test suite on the parent test tree and each child test tree, and identifying the parent compute node as having a defective link connected from the parent compute node to a child compute node if the test suite fails on the parent test tree and succeeds on all the child test trees.

  19. Trauma-Informed Care for Children in the Child Welfare System: An Initial Evaluation of a Trauma-Informed Parenting Workshop.

    PubMed

    Sullivan, Kelly M; Murray, Kathryn J; Ake, George S

    2016-05-01

    An essential but often overlooked component to promoting trauma-informed care within the child welfare system is educating and empowering foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers (resource parents) with a trauma-informed perspective to use in their parenting as well as when advocating for services for their child. In this first evaluation of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network's trauma-informed parenting workshop (Caring for Children who Have Experienced Trauma, also known as the Resource Parent Curriculum), participant acceptance and satisfaction and changes in caregiver knowledge and beliefs related to trauma-informed parenting were examined. Data from 159 ethnically diverse resource parents were collected before and after they participated in the workshop. Results demonstrate that kinship and nonkinship caregivers showed significant increases in their knowledge of trauma-informed parenting and their perceived self-efficacy parenting a child who experienced trauma. Nonkinship caregivers increased on their willingness to tolerate difficult child behaviors, whereas kinship caregivers did not show a significant change. Participants also demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the workshop. Although these preliminary results are important as the first empirical study supporting the workshop's effectiveness, the limitations of this study and the directions for future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

  20. Context and Opportunity: Multiple Perspectives on Parenting by Women With a Severe Mental Illness

    PubMed Central

    Barrow, Susan M.; Alexander, Mary Jane; McKinney, Jacki; Lawinski, Terese; Pratt, Christina

    2014-01-01

    Objective The capabilities framework and a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach frame this study. We consider the real opportunities for parenting available for women with serious mental health diagnoses, despite complications posed by their own capacity, material constraints, social network disruptions, and, by law, custom and policy related to mental health conditions and child custody decisions. Method We convened focus groups with mothers currently living in shelters apart from their children, service providers in supported housing programs, grandmothers caring for children of mothers with mental health and substance use problems, and a policy discussion with mental health administrators. Qualitative analyses explored common and divergent perspectives on parenting experiences and aspirations of particularly marginalized mothers. Results Perspectives of mothers and other stakeholders converged in recognizing the parenting challenges facing mothers experiencing homelessness and mental health and substance use problems, but their views on the implications of this diverged sharply. Mothers’ current aspirations were limited by contextual obstacles to maintaining contact with children; other stakeholders saw contact as risky and reunification as improbable. All stakeholders described systemic barriers to supporting contact and ongoing mothering roles. Conclusions and Implications for Practice Evidence-based parenting interventions require facilitating policy contexts that do not foreclose parenting possibilities for mothers whose current challenges dictate modest immediate parenting goals. CBPR amplifies voices of lived experience to demonstrate what is possible over time for mothers with complex lives and histories. These become possibilities that a person can imagine for herself and are essential to inform the evidence base for practice and policy. PMID:24978622

  1. Health related quality of life in parents of six to eight year old children with Down syndrome.

    PubMed

    Marchal, Jan Pieter; Maurice-Stam, Heleen; Hatzmann, Janneke; van Trotsenburg, A S Paul; Grootenhuis, Martha A

    2013-11-01

    Raising a child with Down syndrome (DS) has been found to be associated with lowered health related quality of life (HRQoL) in the domains cognitive functioning, social functioning, daily activities and vitality. We aimed to explore which socio-demographics, child functioning and psychosocial variables were related to these HRQoL domains in parents of children with DS. Parents of 98 children with DS completed the TNO-AZL adult quality of life questionnaire (TAAQOL) and a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic, child functioning and psychosocial predictors. Using multiple linear regression analyses for each category of predictors, we selected relevant predictors for the final models. The final multiple linear regression models revealed that cognitive functioning was best predicted by the sleep of the child (β=.29, p<.01) and by the parent having given up a hobby (β=-.29, p<.01), social functioning by the quality of the partner relation (β=.34, p<.001), daily activities by the parent having to care for an ill friend or family member (β=-.31, p<.01), and vitality by the parent having enough personal time (β=.32, p<.01). Overall, psychosocial variables rather than socio-demographics or child functioning showed most consistent and powerful relations to the HRQoL domains of cognitive functioning, social functioning, daily activities and vitality. These psychosocial variables mainly related to social support and time pressure. Systematic screening of parents to detect problems timely, and interventions targeting the supportive network and the demands in time are recommended. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Context and opportunity: multiple perspectives on parenting by women with a severe mental illness.

    PubMed

    Barrow, Susan M; Alexander, Mary Jane; McKinney, Jacki; Lawinski, Terese; Pratt, Christina

    2014-09-01

    The capabilities framework and a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach frame this study. We consider the real opportunities for parenting available for women with serious mental health diagnoses, despite complications posed by their own capacity, material constraints, social network disruptions, and, by law, custom and policy related to mental health conditions and child custody decisions. We convened focus groups with mothers currently living in shelters apart from their children, service providers in supported housing programs, grandmothers caring for children of mothers with mental health and substance use problems, and a policy discussion with mental health administrators. Qualitative analyses explored common and divergent perspectives on parenting experiences and aspirations of particularly marginalized mothers. Perspectives of mothers and other stakeholders converged in recognizing the parenting challenges facing mothers experiencing homelessness and mental health and substance use problems, but their views on the implications of this diverged sharply. Mothers' current aspirations were limited by contextual obstacles to maintaining contact with children; other stakeholders saw contact as risky and reunification as improbable. All stakeholders described systemic barriers to supporting contact and ongoing mothering roles. Evidence-based parenting interventions require facilitating policy contexts that do not foreclose parenting possibilities for mothers whose current challenges dictate modest immediate parenting goals. CBPR amplifies voices of lived experience to demonstrate what is possible over time for mothers with complex lives and histories. These become possibilities that a person can imagine for herself and are essential to inform the evidence base for practice and policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Everyone deserves a second chance: a decade of supports for teenage mothers.

    PubMed

    Hudgins, Rebekah; Erickson, Steve; Walker, Dion

    2014-05-01

    Georgia had the third highest 2010 repeat teenage birth rate in the United States and has had one of the worst rates for years. Since 2001, Georgia's Second Chance Home Network, administered by the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential, has provided housing and support to parenting teenagers--almost two-thirds of whom were in custody of and referred by Georgia's Department of Children and Family Services--to help them become nurturing and self-sufficient parents, to avoid repeat teenage pregnancies, and to promote healthy development of their children. Data were collected from each resident at intake, discharge, and three follow-up points at three, 12, and 24 months after discharge. Evaluation has consistently revealed improvements in several key outcomes, including education, housing, income, self-sufficiency, parenting, repeat pregnancy, and child outcomes. The 2012 evaluation revealed benefits in all these areas and found that those who stayed longer demonstrated better outcomes, especially related to the core outcomes of educational status, employment, and stable residence. Methods and findings about these outcomes are featured in this article.

  4. Assessing the feasibility of distributing child poison safety messages through three existing parent information pathways.

    PubMed

    Gibbs, L; Waters, E; Robinson, J; Young, S; Hutchinson, A

    2009-12-01

    The objective of this exploratory study was to assess the feasibility of increasing parents' poison safety awareness and behaviours using existing pathways. The aim was to compare the release of true stories of child unintentional poisoning via three modes: (a) parent "networker"; (b) maternal and child health nurse; (c) the media. The stories spread by the parent networker were readily recalled by the parents, with examples of changed behaviour and spreading of the stories. Parents who were part of the maternal and child health nurse strategy were not able to recall the stories without prompts. The media strategy could not be implemented because of difficulties finding parents ready to publicise their story. Given that it is an exploratory study, it is not possible to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of each of the intervention strategies. However, it appears that a low-resource intervention using stories shared via parent networkers may have exciting potential as a health promotion tool. A stronger study design to examine its effectiveness is proposed.

  5. The effects of maternal alcohol use disorders on childhood relationships and mental health.

    PubMed

    Wolfe, Joseph D

    2016-10-01

    Despite millions of children living in the turmoil of their parents' active alcoholism or the aftermath of past abuse, research to date has not (1) provided a comprehensive examination of the effects of maternal alcohol use disorders (AUDs) on children's social ties outside of their relationships with parents, or (2) considered whether the number and quality of childhood social ties alter the effects of maternal AUDs on children's mental health. Using data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1979 Children and Young Adults, analysis examined the influence of maternal AUDs on the number and quality of children's ties with siblings, extended family and family friends, peers, and neighborhood members. The analysis also considered how children's social ties influenced the association between maternal AUDs and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Children of alcoholic mothers had similarly sized networks but more distant relationships with siblings and friends, negative interactions with classmates, and isolating neighborhoods. Controlling for these aspects of children's social ties substantially reduced mental health disparities between children of alcoholic mothers and other children. Findings support the view that maternal alcohol use disorders have the potential to damage children's mental health while also setting into motion long-term relationship problems. Future research should examine the networks of children who experience parental AUDs to further clarify the social processes that link parental AUDs to children's mental health.

  6. Caregiving and Social Support for Gay and Bisexual Men with Prostate Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Capistrant, Benjamin D.; Torres, Beatriz; Merengwa, Enyinnaya; West, William G.; Mitteldorf, Darryl; Simon Rosser, B. R.

    2017-01-01

    Objective Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among men, typically onsets in middle or older age. Gay/bisexual men have different social networks and unique social support needs, particularly as it pertains to health care access and prostate side effects. Few studies have investigated the availability and provision of social support for gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer (GBMPCa). Methods This study used qualitative data from in-depth, semi-structured, one-on-one telephone interviews with 30 GBMPCa recruited from a national cancer support group network, Malecare. Inductive and deductive coding were used to identify themes about social support provided to GBMPCa during diagnosis and treatment. Results GBMPCa reported help from friends, family (parents, siblings), ex-partners, and paid caregivers. Men in relationships reported varying levels of reliance on their partners for support, in part due to relationship dynamics and living arrangements. Single men showed a theme of independence (“I turned down all help”, “my friends don’t want to be bothered”). After diagnosis, many men reported seeking informational and emotional support from prostate cancer support groups; most expressed wanting more support groups specifically for GBMPCa. During or after treatment, men reported receiving a range of instrumental support, largely a function of relationship status and treatment type. Conclusions GBMPCa received variable, but generally low, social support during diagnosis and treatment and from a diverse social network, including a prominence of friends and family. Clinicians should be aware of GBMPCa’s distinct patterns of social support needs and providers. PMID:27530377

  7. Caregiving and social support for gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer.

    PubMed

    Capistrant, Benjamin D; Torres, Beatriz; Merengwa, Enyinnaya; West, William G; Mitteldorf, Darryl; Rosser, B R Simon

    2016-11-01

    Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among men, typically onsets in middle or older age. Gay/bisexual men have different social networks and unique social support needs, particularly as it pertains to health care access and prostate side effects. Few studies have investigated the availability and provision of social support for gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer (GBMPCa). This study used qualitative data from in-depth, semistructured, one-on-one telephone interviews with 30 GBMPCa recruited from a national cancer support group network, Malecare. Inductive and deductive codes were used to identify themes about social support provided to GBMPCa during diagnosis and treatment. GBMPCa reported help from friends, family (parents and siblings), ex-partners, and paid caregivers. Men in relationships reported varying levels of reliance on their partners for support, in part due to relationship dynamics and living arrangements. Single men showed a theme of independence ("I turned down all help," "My friends don't want to be bothered"). After diagnosis, many men reported seeking informational and emotional support from prostate cancer support groups; most expressed wanting more support groups specifically for GBMPCa. During or after treatment, men reported receiving a range of instrumental support, largely a function of relationship status and treatment type. GBMPCa received variable, but generally low, social support during diagnosis and treatment and from a diverse social network, including a prominence of friends and family. Clinicians should be aware of GBMPCa's distinct patterns of social support needs and providers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Supportive group action for women: a self-help strategy.

    PubMed

    Stewart, M

    1983-09-01

    A major goal of the demonstration project described was to test a model of self-help and voluntary support in developing groups for female single parents. Community meetings, study programs, and related experiential strategies were used to promote coping skills and strategies; access to resources; decision-making learning and responsibility; social contacts and networking; work skills and employment opportunities. The effectiveness of the model, which emphasized self-help, consumer power, and accessibility, was reflected in increased membership, self-awareness and confidence, leadership, employment and development of community resources. Initial individual contact, informal contracting, and community support were seen as important factors in the project's success.

  9. Returning to School After Adolescent Cancer: A Qualitative Examination of Australian Survivors' and Their Families' Perspectives.

    PubMed

    McLoone, Jordana K; Wakefield, Claire E; Butow, Phyllis; Fleming, Catharine; Cohn, Richard J

    2011-06-01

    To examine key factors related to adolescent cancer survivors' return to school after cancer treatment completion, which can be a time of complex transition. Seventy semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 adolescent cancer survivors (mean age 16.1 years), 21 mothers, 15 fathers, and 15 siblings from 22 Australian families. The conceptual framework of Miles and Huberman (1994) was employed to analyze interview data and emergent themes were organized using the software package QSR NVivo 8.0. Barriers to successful school re-entry included symptoms of fatigue, anxiety (particularly regarding examinations), and poor communication between families and the broader school community. Changing grade or school typically extinguished pre-existing support networks and was perceived by parents as a period of unmet need. Support from friends, teachers, tutors, and the hospital outreach nurse were seen as instrumental in creating a positive school re-entry experience. However, the majority of participants reported that support from the school counselor was minimal. Siblings reported this period as relatively non-impactful regarding their own education. Additional support is needed to help parents navigate the education system and to advocate effectively for their child's academic needs beyond the immediate re-entry period. There is strong potential for school counselors to increase the level of support they provide adolescents and their parents during the school re-entry period. The impact of this period on siblings' education is under-studied and warrants further research.

  10. Sibling structure, distributive norms, and negotiation for mothers-in-law's assistance in rural South China.

    PubMed

    To, Clara Wai-chun

    2015-01-01

    Recent studies of parent-adult child relations using a network family approach have paid increasing attention to within-family differences and the role of in-laws in parent-adult child exchanges. However, the effect of sibling structure on the allocation of childcare and household help provided by older women, the negotiation process among in-laws and the underlying principle(s) have been under-examined. Based on ethnographic and interview data collected from 28 women in rural South China, this article examines the effect of sibling structure on mothers-in-law's assistance in the context of economic reform, and the role of cultural norms and daughters-in-law in the negotiation process using a family network perspective. Since the late 1970s, the sibling order of husbands and the presence of their unmarried brothers have negatively affected the bargaining power of young married women and their access to childcare assistance from their mothers-in-law. In terms of household help, sibling size and the equity principle have prevented mothers-in-law in larger extended families from providing assistance during both the pre-reform and reform periods. Although the equity norm is a pivotal moral resource for daughters-in-law in negotiating parental support, other competing norms, particularly parents' obligations to their unmarried adult sons, may set limits on their claims and bargaining power. FINDINGS demonstrate that the distribution of childcare and household help provided by mothers-in-law are results of intra- and intergenerational negotiation among daughters- and mothers-in-law, rather than simply a dyadic parent-child relationship. Competing norms and daughters-in-law also play important roles in the negotiation for parental help. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Parental Influence on Substance Use in Adolescent Social Networks

    PubMed Central

    Shakya, Holly B.; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Fowler, James H.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives Both peer and parental influences have been associated with the use of addictive substances in adolescence. We evaluated the relationship between the parenting style of an adolescent’s peers’ parents and an adolescent’s substance use. Design Longitudinal survey Setting Adolescents across the United States were interviewed at school and at home Participants Nationally representative sample of adolescents in the United States Main Exposure Authoritative versus neglectful parenting style of adolescent’s parents and adolescent’s friends parents; adolescent substance use Main Outcome Measures Adolescent alcohol abuse, smoking, marijuana use, and binge drinking Results If an adolescent has a friend whose mother is authoritative, that adolescent is 40% (95% CI 12%–58%) less likely to drink to the point of drunkenness, 38% (95% CI 5%–59%) less likely to binge drink, 39% (95% CI 12%–58%) less likely to smoke cigarettes, and 43% (95% CI 1%–67%) less likely to use marijuana than an adolescent whose friend’s mother is neglectful, controlling for the parenting style of the adolescent’s own mother, school level fixed effects, and demographics. These results are only partially mediated by peer substance use. Conclusion Social network influences may extend beyond the homogeneous dimensions of own-peer or own-parent to include extra-dyadic influences of the wider network. The value of parenting interventions should be re-assessed to take into account these spillover effects in the greater network. PMID:23045157

  12. College students' use of communication technology with parents: comparisons between two cohorts in 2009 and 2011.

    PubMed

    Ramsey, Meagan A; Gentzler, Amy L; Morey, Jennifer N; Oberhauser, Ann M; Westerman, David

    2013-10-01

    Although communication technology is beneficial to maintain important close relationships, not all findings suggest that communication technology use between college students and their parents is indicative of positive adjustment or relational qualities. A study in 2009 found that only 24.2% of college students used a social networking site (SNS) to communicate with a parent, yet those students reported more loneliness, anxious attachment, and conflict with their parent (Gentzler et al., 2011 ). Because technology and trends in use change rapidly, we investigated a new cohort of college students 2 years later to determine if rates of using communication technology with parents and their links to student adjustment have changed. Comparisons between 2009 and 2011 samples indicated that in-person contact and telephone use did not vary across cohorts. However, texting and SNS use with parents became more common, and using e-mail with parents declined. Consistent with the 2009 data, students' phone use with parents was related to positive relationship qualities (satisfaction, intimacy, support, instrumental aid). In the new 2011 sample, e-mail was linked to aid. However, the present findings indicate students' SNS use with parents is no longer linked to maladaptive outcomes. The study highlights how quickly the use and implications of communication technology changes, and suggests that communication patterns may reflect broader psychosocial adjustment and parent-child dynamics.

  13. Social networking for adolescents with severe haemophilia.

    PubMed

    Khair, K; Holland, M; Carrington, S

    2012-05-01

    Access to modern treatments allows adolescents with haemophilia to manage their haemophilia at home, with improved treatment outcomes and quality of life, but has reduced peer support and the potential for experiential learning from older peers. Social networking, aided by modern communication technologies, may offer health benefits through peer support. We sought to assess whether or not disease-specific social networking could benefit adolescents with severe haemophilia. A total of 150 adolescents (aged 10-18) with severe haemophilia A or B from 11 UK treatment centres or those who had attended focus groups to explore the potential for a social network designed specifically for their use were surveyed. Teenage boys with severe haemophilia in the UK who responded to an online and paper questionnaire (n = 47; 31% response rate) rarely knew of or socialized with others with haemophilia outside their families. Two-thirds of respondents said they would like to meet others. For 70% of boys, parents were the major source of information about haemophilia, yet more than half said they often had trouble finding answers to their questions. These boys frequently used online social networks to chat with friends. Adolescents with severe haemophilia frequently have limited contact with others and many wish to have greater contact. They may benefit from peer support and experiential learning gained through online social networking. The SixVibe restricted access social network is to be launched in 2011. It includes features designed to promote and facilitate the development of peer-to peer disease management skills for adolescents with severe haemophilia. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. Challenges, Coping Strategies, and Unmet Needs of Families with a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Goa, India

    PubMed Central

    Divan, Gauri; Vajaratkar, Vivek; Desai, Miraj U.; Strik-Lievers, Luisa; Patel, Vikram

    2016-01-01

    Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are increasingly recognized in developing countries like India. However, little is known about the experiences of parents raising a child with ASD. This study aimed to describe the experiences of families in Goa, India with a view to understanding the unmet needs of families raising a child with ASD. Twenty in-depth interviews and nine focus group discussions were carried out with families of children with ASD and key community stakeholders such as special educators, teachers, and parents of typically developing children. This qualitative data was triangulated to explore the experiences, life impact, and unmet needs of raising a child with ASD. Key findings suggest that raising a child with ASD puts a tremendous strain on families due to competing commitments, often leading to initial social withdrawal with later reintegration into social networks. Second, the impact is multidimensional, involving the personal sphere but also extending into the wider community with negative experiences of discrimination. Third, parents actively respond to these challenges through a range of approaches with help from existing and new social support networks and health care providers. Fourth, professionals from the health, education, and religious sectors have a low awareness of the unique needs of families living with ASD which leads to a considerable economic and emotional burden on families. Finally, as a consequence of these experiences, several unmet needs can be identified, notably for supporting increasingly isolated families and the limited access to multidisciplinary evidence-based services for ASD. PMID:22473816

  15. Parental attitudes towards the uptake of smoking by children.

    PubMed

    Glover, Marewa; Paynter, Janine; Wong, Grace; Scragg, Robert; Nosa, Vili; Freeman, Becky

    2006-08-01

    Factors related to parental smoking and parenting practice have a big effect on adolescent smoking. More in-depth information about these relationships can be used to inform interventions. This study investigated Maori, Pacific Islander, New Zealand European and Asian parent attitudes and practices in relation to smoking uptake in children. Parents of children aged 8-15 years, recruited through the researchers' community networks and the media, participated in focus groups or interviews run by ethnically matched facilitators. Areas addressed included parents' beliefs about children smoking, their actions, and their suggestions for tobacco control activities. The data were analysed thematically. Parents believed that parental smoking, peer pressure and smoking role models in the media influenced smoking uptake in children. They said they would be disappointed if their children started smoking, but their confidence in influencing them varied. Many talked to their children about the health consequences of smoking, including their own negative perceptions of smoking and smokers. Most had smoke-free homes. The parents who smoked tried to avoid smoking around children. There was a good deal of commonality across the different ethnic groups. Important differences related to the provision of interventions. Parents believed in the value of a smoke-free lifestyle and wanted to protect their children from smoking. Important strategies to prevent smoking in children may include supporting parents to quit, informing them that discouraging children of any age from smoking can be effective, and providing culturally appropriate education and resources to facilitate parent/child communication about smoking.

  16. Refusal of Vitamin K by Parents of Newborns: A Survey of the Better Outcomes Through Research for Newborns Network

    PubMed Central

    Loyal, Jaspreet; Taylor, James A.; Phillipi, Carrie A.; Goyal, Neera K.; Dhepyasuwan, Niramol; Shapiro, Eugene D.; Colson, Eve

    2018-01-01

    Objective To survey newborn clinicians in the United States regarding the frequency of intramuscular (IM) vitamin K refusal by a parent, reasons for refusal, and approaches of clinicians to refusals. Methods An electronic survey was administered to the clinician site representative (nursery director or designee knowledgeable about site-specific nursery policies) at all newborn nurseries in the Better Outcomes through Research for Newborns (BORN) network of newborn nurseries. Results Of 92 BORN sites, 85 (92%) respondents completed the survey. Frequency of IM vitamin K refusal during the past 5 years was reported as increased by 52% of respondents, unchanged by 42%, and 6% did not know. Reported frequencies of refusal of IM vitamin K was weekly (9%), a few times a month (31%), once a month (13%), once every 3 to 4 months (20%), once or twice a year (26%), or never (1%). The overall distribution of the reported frequencies of refusal differed among regions in the United States (higher in the West and the South; P < .05). Reported reasons for refusal by parents included perceptions of parents that the injection was unnecessary, lack of knowledge about vitamin K deficiency bleeding, and concern about preservatives. Approaches to refusal included attempts to educate parents, enlisting support from community clinicians, a state mandate, and prescription of oral vitamin K. Conclusions Respondents from a national sample of newborn nursery clinicians reported an increase in refusal of IM vitamin K in the past 5 years with regional variation. Approaches to refusals need further investigation to determine effectiveness. PMID:28277269

  17. One Family's Journey: Medical Home and the Network of Supports It Offers Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs--Medical Homes in Hospital Systems. Part Six

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Macdonald, Sarah; Hoffman, Alisa; Hagenbach, Tracy; Rusert, Julia

    2008-01-01

    In this 12 installment Medical Home series, "Exceptional Parent" presents a case study about the American Academy of Pediatrics' Medical Home Initiative. A "Medical Home" is not a building but an approach to providing healthcare services to children with special healthcare needs. This sixth part of the Medical Home series describes the experiences…

  18. One Family's Journey: Medical Home and the Network of Supports It Offers Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs--Parent Partners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Townsend, Sabra; Pola-Money, Gina; Gatto, Molly

    2007-01-01

    In this 12 installment Medical Home series, "EP" will present a case study about the American Academy of Pediatrics' Medical Home Initiative. A "Medical Home" is not a building. It is an approach to providing healthcare services to children with special healthcare needs. This article presents Part 3 in the series as readers learn more about Amita…

  19. Parent-adolescent dyads: association of parental autonomy support and parent-adolescent shared diabetes care responsibility.

    PubMed

    Hanna, K M; Dashiff, C J; Stump, T E; Weaver, M T

    2013-09-01

    Parent-adolescent shared responsibility for diabetes care is advocated by experts to achieve beneficial diabetes and psychosocial outcomes for adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Parental autonomy support may be a way to facilitate this sharing. In this dyadic study, we examined parental diabetes-specific autonomy support experienced by adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents (n = 89 dyads), and its association with their experience of shared diabetes care responsibility. Path analysis was used to test an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model for parental autonomy support effects on shared responsibility. This was a secondary analysis of data from 89 parent-early/mid-adolescent dyads. Actor effects were identified. Parents' and adolescents' perceptions of parental autonomy support were associated with their respective reports of shared diabetes care responsibility. One partner effect was identified. Adolescents' reports of parental autonomy support were associated with parents' reports of shared responsibility. Parents and adolescents held similar views of autonomy support but discrepant views of shared responsibility. Older adolescents perceived less parental autonomy support. Increasing parental autonomy support may facilitate parent-adolescent sharing of diabetes care responsibility. Adolescent and parent perceptions influence each other and need to be considered when working with them to strengthen parental autonomy support. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. A qualitative exploration of the role of social networks in educating urban African American adolescents about sex.

    PubMed

    George, Anne E; Abatemarco, Diane J; Terry, Martha Ann; Yonas, Michael; Butler, James; Akers, Aletha Y

    2013-01-01

    To explore social network members' role in educating African American adolescents about sexual health issues. We conducted 21 focus groups with urban African American mothers (n=51), fathers (n=18), sons (n=20), and daughters (n=36) from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, between December 2007 and March 2008. At least one biological parent (or legal guardian) and one adolescent aged 15-17 years from each family participated. Group conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using directive content analysis and the constant comparison method. Two coders independently read each transcript to identify emergent themes. A broad range of people were reportedly involved in the education process. Older siblings, extended family, and peers were most commonly cited. However, unrelated adults were also described as playing important roles. Unrelated adults included the friends of an adolescent's parents and the parents of an adolescent's friends or romantic partners. Social network members were said to address three main issues: the facts about sex and sexuality, the social aspects of sexuality (e.g., appropriate dating behaviors, choosing dating partners), and promotion of family values. When educating adolescents about sex, social network members were described as playing eight functional roles, including that of a teacher, guide, challenger, confidant, shelterer, supervisor-chaperone, role model, and provider of access to reproductive health services. These roles were not mutually exclusive, meaning that social network members often assumed different roles depending on the situation. The influence of individuals who were not an adolescent's parent was highly dependent on adolescents' relationship with their parents or on their parents' comfort dealing with sexual issues. African American adolescents' social networks were described by parents and adolescents as dense, complex, and routinely involved in educating adolescents about sex.

  1. Safe start at home: what parents of newborns need after early discharge from hospital - a focus group study.

    PubMed

    Kurth, Elisabeth; Krähenbühl, Katrin; Eicher, Manuela; Rodmann, Susanne; Fölmli, Luzia; Conzelmann, Cornelia; Zemp, Elisabeth

    2016-03-08

    The length of postpartum hospital stay is decreasing internationally. Earlier hospital discharge of mothers and newborns decreases postnatal care or transfers it to the outpatient setting. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of new parents and examine their views on care following early hospital discharge. Six focus group discussions with new parents (n = 24) were conducted. A stratified sampling scheme of German and Turkish-speaking groups was employed. A 'playful design' method was used to facilitate participants communication wherein they used blocks and figurines to visualize their perspectives on care models The visualized constructions of care models were photographed and discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Text and visual data was thematically analyzed by a multi-professional group and findings were validated by the focus group participants. Following discharge, mothers reported feeling physically strained during recuperating from birth and initiating breastfeeding. The combined requirements of infant and self-care needs resulted in a significant need for practical and medical support. Families reported challenges in accessing postnatal care services and lacking inter-professional coordination. The visualized models of ideal care comprised access to a package of postnatal care including monitoring, treating and caring for the health of the mother and newborn. This included home visits from qualified midwives, access to a 24-h helpline, and domestic support for household tasks. Participants suggested that improving inter-professional networks, implementing supervisors or a centralized coordinating center could help to remedy the current fragmented care. After hospital discharge, new parents need practical support, monitoring and care. Such support is important for the health and wellbeing of the mother and child. Integrated care services including professional home visits and a 24-hour help line may help meet the needs of new families.

  2. Parental Perceived Control and Social Support: Linkages to Change in Parenting Behaviors During Early Adolescence.

    PubMed

    Lippold, Melissa A; Glatz, Terese; Fosco, Gregory M; Feinberg, Mark E

    2018-06-01

    Prior studies have found that parents' perceptions of control over their lives and their social support may both be important for parenting behaviors. Yet, few studies have examined their unique and interacting influence on parenting behaviors during early adolescence. This longitudinal study of rural parents in two-parent families (N = 636) investigated (a) whether perceived control and social support when their youth were in sixth grade were independently or interactively associated with changes in parenting behaviors (discipline, standard setting) and parent-child warmth and hostility 6 months later and (b) if these linkages differed by parent gender. We also investigated the interactive links between perceived control, social support, and parenting. Specifically, we tested if parents' perceived control moderated the linkages between social support and parenting and if these linkages differed by parent gender. Greater perceived control predicted more increases in parents' consistent discipline and standard setting, whereas greater social support predicted increases in parent-child warmth and decreases in parent-child hostility. Parental perceived control moderated the effect of social support on parental warmth: For mothers only, social support was significantly linked to parent-child warmth only when mothers had low (but not high) perceived self-control. The discussion focuses on reasons why perceived control and social support may have associations with different aspects of parenting and why these might differ for mothers and fathers. © 2017 Family Process Institute.

  3. Differences between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Families in Social Capital and Child Development: First-Year Findings from an Experimental Study

    PubMed Central

    Gamoran, Adam; Turley, Ruth N. López; Turner, Alyn; Fish, Rachel

    2012-01-01

    Disadvantages faced by Hispanic children in the U.S., compared to non-Hispanic Whites, have been widely reported. Economic differences account for some of the gaps, but the social isolation of Hispanic families also serves as a barrier to children’s success. Whereas Hispanic families tend to have strong kinship networks, their social ties often do not encompass the school and other authority systems. As a result, Hispanic families may have less access to social capital, that is, relations of trust and shared expectations that foster the flow of relevant information and support social norms that contribute to children’s academic and social development. To study the role of social capital in child development, we embarked on a school-randomized trial in two cities with large Hispanic populations: San Antonio, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona. In this paper, we report on first-year data from what will be a three-year longitudinal study, including 24 of an eventual 52 schools and about 1,300 of what will be a sample of over 3,000 children. We aimed to manipulate social capital through an intervention called Families and Schools Together (FAST), a multi-family after-school program that enhances relations among families, between parents and schools, and between parents and children through a sequence of structured activities over 8 weekly sessions. In the first year, 12 schools were randomly assigned to participate in FAST, and 12 served as controls. Data come from district administrative records, surveys of parents prior to FAST, and surveys of parents and teachers immediately after FAST. Surveys prior to FAST confirm that Hispanic parents have less extensive parent-school networks compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Comparisons of school means on post-FAST surveys indicate that parents in FAST schools experience more extensive social networks than those in control schools, but the differences are much more apparent in Phoenix than in San Antonio. Similarly, a pattern of better behavioral outcomes for children in FAST schools is evident in Phoenix but not San Antonio. Individual-level comparisons suggest that for some outcomes, effects may be larger for non-Hispanic Whites than for Hispanics, which would undermine potential contributions to reducing inequality. PMID:23243331

  4. Working With Children in Families With Parental Substance Abuse: Nurses' Experiences and Complexity in Relationships.

    PubMed

    Wallström, Rebecca; Persson, Renée Ståleborg; Salzmann-Erikson, Martin

    2016-06-01

    Children who grow up in families with parental substance abuse are exposed to increased risk of developing a variety of disorders. As nurses encounter these children, it is important for them to be supportive. The aim of the current study was to describe nurses' experiences and reflections regarding their work with children in families with parental substance abuse. A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted. Seven nurses were interviewed, and data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The results were presented in four categories: (a) nurses' responsibilities; (b) identification of children's social network; (c) ethical concerns; and (d) assessment and evaluation of children's behavior. Nurses' preventive work and intervention in dysfunctional families may have direct consequences on children's present and future development and well-being. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 54(6), 38-44.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  5. Implementing the Fussy Baby Network[R] Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilkerson, Linda; Hofherr, Jennifer; Heffron, Mary Claire; Sims, Jennifer Murphy; Jalowiec, Barbara; Bromberg, Stacey R.; Paul, Jennifer J.

    2012-01-01

    Erikson Institute Fussy Baby Network[R] (FBN) developed an approach to engaging parents around their urgent concerns about their baby's crying, sleeping, or feeding in a way which builds their longer-term capacities as parents. This approach, called the FAN, is now in place in new Fussy Baby Network programs around the country and is being infused…

  6. Parent attitudes, family dynamics and adolescent drinking: qualitative study of the Australian parenting guidelines for adolescent alcohol use

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Parents play a critical role in their children’s introduction to alcohol. A range of parenting factors have been associated with the progression to risky drinking among adolescents, and have recently formed the basis of the Australian ‘Parenting Guidelines for Adolescent Alcohol Use’ designed to help parents delay or reduce their adolescents’ alcohol use. Methods This study aimed to explore the experiences and attitudes of parents of adolescents to gain insight into: (1) the extent to which the behaviours of parents follow the recommendations made in the guidelines; and (2) approaches to reduce hazardous drinking among adolescents. Thirty-two telephone and face-to-face interviews were conducted with parents, and the content of discussions was examined using thematic analysis. Results Parents used approaches they thought would minimise harm and promote healthy development in their children. The guidelines address key areas of concern for parents but their adherence to these approaches is low in certain areas. Many parents provided some alcohol to their adolescents and often cited the social norm of drinking among their adolescents’ peers as a source of pressure to supply. Conclusions Further dissemination of the guidelines may be the first step in a public health strategy, but it is likely that parents will require support to effectively adopt the recommendations. Understanding the influences on parents’ beliefs about their children’s drinking and the functions of social networks in the creation of behavioural norms relating to alcohol consumption and supply may be necessary to address adolescent risky drinking. PMID:22747699

  7. Psychosocial family factors and glycemic control among children aged 1-15 years with type 1 diabetes: a population-based survey.

    PubMed

    Haugstvedt, Anne; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Rokne, Berit; Graue, Marit

    2011-12-20

    Being the parents of children with diabetes is demanding. Jay Belsky's determinants of parenting model emphasizes both the personal psychological resources, the characteristics of the child and contextual sources such as parents' work, marital relations and social network support as important determinants for parenting. To better understand the factors influencing parental functioning among parents of children with type 1 diabetes, we aimed to investigate associations between the children's glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and 1) variables related to the parents' psychological and contextual resources, and 2) frequency of blood glucose measurement as a marker for diabetes-related parenting behavior. Mothers (n = 103) and fathers (n = 97) of 115 children younger than 16 years old participated in a population-based survey. The questionnaire comprised the Life Orientation Test, the Oslo 3-item Social Support Scale, a single question regarding perceived social limitation because of the child's diabetes, the Relationship Satisfaction Scale and demographic and clinical variables. We investigated associations by using regression analysis. Related to the second aim hypoglycemic events, child age, diabetes duration, insulin regimen and comorbid diseases were included as covariates. The mean HbA1c was 8.1%, and 29% had HbA1c ≤ 7.5%. In multiple regression analysis, lower HbA1c was associated with higher education and stronger perceptions of social limitation among the mothers. A higher frequency of blood glucose measurement was significantly associated with lower HbA1c in bivariate analysis. Higher child age was significantly associated with higher HbA1c both in bivariate and multivariate analysis. A scatterplot indicated this association to be linear. Most families do not reach recommended treatment goals for their child with type 1 diabetes. Concerning contextual sources of stress and support, the families who successfully reached the treatment goals had mothers with higher education and experienced a higher degree of social limitations because of the child's diabetes. The continuous increasing HbA1c by age, also during the years before puberty, may indicate a need for further exploring the associations between child characteristics, context-related variables and parenting behavior such as factors facilitating the transfer of parents' responsibility and motivation for continued frequent treatment tasks to their growing children.

  8. The long-term impact of early parental death: lessons from a narrative study

    PubMed Central

    Ellis, Jackie; Dowrick, Chris; Lloyd-Williams, Mari

    2013-01-01

    Objective To explore the individual experiences of those who had experienced the death of a parent(s) before the age of 18, and investigate how such experiences were perceived to impact on adult life. Design An exploratory qualitative design using written (n = 5) and oral (n = 28) narratives and narrative analysis was adopted to explore the experiences 33 adults (7 men and 26 women) who had experienced parental death during childhood. Setting UK Participants Individuals living in the North West of England who had lost a parent(s) before the age of 18. Main outcome measures Views of adults bereaved of a parent before the age of 18 of impact of parental loss in adult life. Results While individual experiences of bereavement in childhood were unique and context bound, the narratives were organized around three common themes: disruptions and continuity, the role of social networks and affiliations and communication and the extent to which these dynamics mediated the bereavement experience and the subsequent impact on adult life. Specifically they illustrate how discontinuity (or continuity that does not meet the child's needs), a lack of appropriate social support for both the child and surviving parent and a failure to provide clear and honest information at appropriate time points relevant to the child's level of understanding was perceived to have a negative impact in adulthood with regards to trust, relationships, self-esteem, feeling of self-worth loneliness and isolation and the ability to express feelings. A model is suggested for identifying and supporting those that may be more vulnerable to less favourable outcomes in adult life. Conclusions The findings suggest that if the negative consequences are to be minimized it is crucial that guidelines for ‘best practice’ that recognize the complex nature of the bereavement experience are followed. PMID:23392851

  9. Middle-Aged Couples' Exchanges of Support with Aging Parents: Patterns and Association with Marital Satisfaction

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Jeong Eun; Zarit, Steven H.; Rovine, Michael J.; Birditt, Kira S.; Fingerman, Karen L.

    2011-01-01

    We examined the context of intergenerational support exchanges with aging parents and its association with middle-aged couples' marital satisfaction. A sample of 197 middle-aged couples reported support they gave to and received from their parents (n = 440). Results indicated that couples provided more total support to and received more from their parents as a function of number of living parents, but the amount of support each parent received (‘parent-adjusted support’) was lower when there were more living parents. The amount of support given to and received from parents had no association with the couple's marital satisfaction, but discrepancies in support given to and received from parents did have a significant association with marital satisfaction. Husbands who gave more support to their living parent(s) than their wives reported lower marital satisfaction. A similar effect on marital satisfaction was found for wives who gave more support to their living parents than their husbands. These findings contrast with caregiving studies where amount of support affected marital satisfaction and suggest that inequalities in involvement with parents may be a critical dimension in marriages of midlife adults. PMID:21540558

  10. Creative Approaches to Parenting Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeBord, Karen; Roseboro, Jacqueline D.; Wicker, Karen M.

    1998-01-01

    Two North Carolina projects used methods from the National Network for Family Resiliency's Parenting Evaluation Decision Framework. Parenting for Success for Hispanic Parents used focus group interviews and summative evaluation. Individualized education for Head Start parents used pre/posttests of parental self-esteem and child development…

  11. A Needs Assessment: The Parenting Needs of Parents of Typical Children, Ages 6-10

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Charles Joon

    2012-01-01

    Programs and resources are available to parents to inform and improve their parenting skills. Despite these resources, the need for parent education continues to increase as parents find existing networks unsatisfactory or inaccessible. Parenting programs have produced inconsistent results in meeting the needs of parents. This study identifies the…

  12. The role of social networks in influenza vaccine attitudes and intentions among college students in the Southeastern United States.

    PubMed

    Nyhan, Brendan; Reifler, Jason; Richey, Sean

    2012-09-01

    To investigate whether support for vaccines among one's health discussants is associated with beliefs in vaccine safety and intention to vaccinate among college students. Ordered logistic regression analysis was conducted of data collected from 1,019 undergraduates at a large public university in 2009 and 2010. Having health discussion networks that support vaccination is a significant predictor of beliefs of H1N1 vaccine safety (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.32) and intention (aOR = 1.78) in 2009 and of influenza vaccine safety (aOR = 1.85) and intention (aOR = 1.74) in 2010. These relationships are strongest among parents, friends, and spouses. Perceptions of flu vaccine attitudes among health discussants were strongly related to vaccination intent and beliefs about flu vaccine safety among survey respondents. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Building Networks of Leaders through the Internet.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gabbard, Glenn

    2001-01-01

    This bulletin brings together the concepts of parent networking and the Internet. The document highlights key free or low cost features of the Internet which have proven to be useful tools in linking together networks of parents. It addresses the following six questions: (1) What if I don't have a computer? (2) How can I get Web access? (3) How do…

  14. Contact network and satisfaction with contacts in children whose parents have post traumatic stress disorder.

    PubMed

    Selimbasic, Zihnet; Sinanovic, Osman; Avdibegovic, Esmina; Kravic, Nemina

    2009-01-01

    The aim was to analyse contacts network and satisfaction with contacts among children of parents with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The sample consisted of 100 pupils (age 10 to 15) from two randomly chosen schools. Children were selected from general population, lived with both parents who have had war traumatic experiences. They agreed to participate in psychometric research. We divided them in two groups: observed (0) group of children (N=50) whose parents were showing symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and control (C) group of children (N=50) whose parents did not show symptoms of PTSD (evaluated by Harvard trauma questionnaire-BiH version). Contact network was examined by a Map of Contact Network which includes contact and satisfaction with persons in close environment. In relation to gender representatives of fathers and mothers, sample was homogenous. The most important persons in children whose parents are showing symptoms of PTSD were schoolmates (88.0%), home mate (86.0%), mother (72.0%), and father (2.0%). At children whose parents did not show symptoms of PTSD, most important persons were schoolmate (94.0%), mother (80.0%), brother (6.0%), grandfather (8.0%), and father (14.0%). The most distinct disappointment in contacts in children with parents with PTSD symptoms were family, relatives and friends, in school and formal contacts (p < 0.001). Children of parents who have had symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the most important persons that they communicate were schoolmates and they had problem in communicating with fathers and males. According to satisfaction children whose parents suffered from PTSD were showing distinction in contacts with their families, relatives, schoolmates and formal contacts.

  15. Effectiveness of a national media campaign to promote parent-child communication about sex.

    PubMed

    Davis, Kevin C; Evans, W Douglas; Kamyab, Kian

    2013-02-01

    Although there is debate on the effectiveness of youth-focused abstinence education programs, research confirms that parents can influence their children's decisions about sexual behavior. To leverage parent-based approaches to adolescent sexual health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched the Parents Speak Up National Campaign (PSUNC) to encourage parent-child communication about sex. Previous experimental studies have found the campaign to be efficacious in increasing parent-child communication. But to date, the actual reach of the campaign and its real-world effectiveness in promoting parent-child communication has not been established. The present study addresses this gap. The authors surveyed 1,804 parents of 10- to14-year-old children from the nationally representative Knowledge Networks online panel. The survey included questions about parents' awareness of PSUNC ads and parent-child communication behaviors. The authors also analyzed market-level data on campaign gross rating points, a measure of market-level intensity of PSUNC advertising in the United States. Multivariate regressions were used to examine the association between PSUNC exposure and a three-item scale for parent-child communication. Overall, 59.4% of parents in the sample reported awareness of PSUNC. The authors found that higher market-level PSUNC gross rating points were associated with increased parent-child communication. Similar relationships were observed between self-reported awareness of PSUNC and increased frequency of communication and recommendations to wait. These associations were particularly strong among mothers. This study provides the first field-based data on the real-world reach and effectiveness of PSUNC among parents. The data support earlier experimental trials of PSUNC, showing that the campaign is associated with greater parent-child communication, primarily among mothers. Further research may be needed to develop additional messages for fathers.

  16. Use of Social Media by Fathers of Premature Infants.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hyung Nam; Wyatt, Tami H; Li, Xueping; Gaylord, Mark

    Although parents of premature infants experience many challenges when transitioning home from the neonatal intensive care unit, healthcare providers and social support systems tend to focus on mothers and infants rather than fathers. Unfortunately, very little is known about paternal concerns and needs as compared with maternal ones. The lack of understanding about paternal needs may lead to inadequate designs of neonatal intensive care unit family support programs with less involved fathers, all of which contribute to increased burdens on mothers and poor health outcomes for their infants. Although information technology (IT) might have the potential to increase support for the fathers of preterm infants, only a few studies have examined systematically how IT applications can be beneficial. This study aims to advance the understanding of needs and concerns of fathers with preterm infants and how fathers use the IT applications (eg, social networking Web sites) to support themselves. We observed qualitatively various social networking Web sites (ie, 29 Web sites) where fathers share their experiences about preterm infants. We discovered that fathers used various social media to discuss their concerns and, in turn, obtained informational, companionship, and emotional supports. On the basis of our analysis, we provide insights into a father-centered technology intervention design.

  17. A Parent-to-Parent Program in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Kae

    2018-01-01

    Parent-to-parent programs provide emotional and informational support to parents of children with special needs by matching trained and experienced parents with parents needing support. This study examined the implementation and effects of a Parent-to-Parent Program in Taiwan that supported 3 families of youngsters with special needs. Based on the…

  18. Challenges, coping strategies, and unmet needs of families with a child with autism spectrum disorder in Goa, India.

    PubMed

    Divan, Gauri; Vajaratkar, Vivek; Desai, Miraj U; Strik-Lievers, Luisa; Patel, Vikram

    2012-06-01

    Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are increasingly recognized in developing countries like India. However, little is known about the experiences of parents raising a child with ASD. This study aimed to describe the experiences of families in Goa, India with a view to understanding the unmet needs of families raising a child with ASD. Twenty in-depth interviews and nine focus group discussions were carried out with families of children with ASD and key community stakeholders such as special educators, teachers, and parents of typically developing children. This qualitative data was triangulated to explore the experiences, life impact, and unmet needs of raising a child with ASD. Key findings suggest that raising a child with ASD puts a tremendous strain on families due to competing commitments, often leading to initial social withdrawal with later reintegration into social networks. Second, the impact is multidimensional, involving the personal sphere but also extending into the wider community with negative experiences of discrimination. Third, parents actively respond to these challenges through a range of approaches with help from existing and new social support networks and health care providers. Fourth, professionals from the health, education, and religious sectors have a low awareness of the unique needs of families living with ASD which leads to a considerable economic and emotional burden on families. Finally, as a consequence of these experiences, several unmet needs can be identified, notably for supporting increasingly isolated families and the limited access to multidisciplinary evidence-based services for ASD. Autism Res 2012, 5: 190-200. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. On Cuteness: Unlocking the Parental Brain and Beyond.

    PubMed

    Kringelbach, Morten L; Stark, Eloise A; Alexander, Catherine; Bornstein, Marc H; Stein, Alan

    2016-07-01

    Cuteness in offspring is a potent protective mechanism that ensures survival for otherwise completely dependent infants. Previous research has linked cuteness to early ethological ideas of a 'Kindchenschema' (infant schema) where infant facial features serve as 'innate releasing mechanisms' for instinctual caregiving behaviours. We propose extending the concept of cuteness beyond visual features to include positive infant sounds and smells. Evidence from behavioural and neuroimaging studies links this extended concept of cuteness to simple 'instinctual' behaviours and to caregiving, protection, and complex emotions. We review how cuteness supports key parental capacities by igniting fast privileged neural activity followed by slower processing in large brain networks also involved in play, empathy, and perhaps even higher-order moral emotions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. On cuteness: unlocking the parental brain and beyond

    PubMed Central

    Kringelbach, M.L.; Stark, E.A.; Alexander, C.; Bornstein, M.H.; Stein, A.

    2016-01-01

    Cuteness in offspring is a potent protective mechanism that ensures survival for otherwise completely dependent infants. Previous research has linked cuteness to early ethological ideas of a “kindchenschema” (infant schema) where infant facial features serve as “innate releasing mechanisms” for instinctual caregiving behaviours. We propose extending the concept of cuteness beyond visual features to include positive infant sounds and smells. Evidence from behavioural and neuroimaging studies links this extended concept of cuteness to simple “instinctual” behaviours and to caregiving, protection and complex emotions. We review how cuteness supports key parental capacities by igniting fast privileged neural activity followed by slower processing in large brain networks also involved in play, empathy, and perhaps even higher-order moral emotions. PMID:27211583

  1. Parental attachment as a mediator between parental social support and self-esteem as perceived by Korean sports middle and high school athletes.

    PubMed

    Kang, Sangwook; Jeon, Hyunsoo; Kwon, Sungho; Park, Seungha

    2015-02-01

    This study examined whether parental attachment mediates the relationship between parental social support and self-esteem in Korean middle and high school athletes. 591 sports athletes attending middle and high schools that specialize in sport volunteered. Parental social support and parental attachment had a significant positive effect on self-esteem; parental attachment had a greater effect on self-esteem. In the structural relationship, direct effects of parental social support on self-esteem were weak, but indirect effects through parental attachment were strong. Therefore, parental attachment complementally mediated the relationship between parental social support and self-esteem. Metric invariance was supported for groups categorized by sex, region, and school level, confirming that the model could be applied to various groups.

  2. How do living arrangements and intergenerational support matter for psychological health of elderly parents? Evidence from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand.

    PubMed

    Teerawichitchainan, Bussarawan; Pothisiri, Wiraporn; Long, Giang Thanh

    2015-07-01

    Living arrangements and family support for older persons have become an increasingly important policy concern in developing and rapidly aging Asia. Formulating a sound elderly care policy for the region will benefit from empirically examining how living arrangements, particularly coresidence, and intergenerational exchanges of financial, instrumental, and emotional support are associated with old-age psychological health. This study analyzes data from nationally representative aging surveys in Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand for 2011-2012 to offer a comparative perspective from Southeast Asia where various kinship systems coexist. Results suggest that coresidence with a child of culturally preferred gender significantly improves the emotional health of Vietnamese and Thai elders but with different implications. In Vietnam, living with a married son is more beneficial to parents' psychological wellbeing than living with other children. In Thailand, coresidence regardless of the child's gender improves old-age psychological wellbeing but living with a daughter brings greater benefits than living only with son. Evidence points to the importance of understanding the dominant kinship system that may shape normative filial expectations and gender role expectations within the family. In Vietnam and Thailand, the positive association holds even after intergenerational support is controlled, suggesting that the value of culturally preferred coresidence goes beyond practical functions. In Myanmar, there are almost no significant differences in psychological wellbeing among elderly across various living arrangements, except between coresidence and network living arrangements. For all settings, we do not find evidence in support of network family arrangements as a complete substitute for coresidence in terms of promoting old-age psychological wellbeing after filial support is controlled. Our study highlights important cultural nuances for theorizing the nature of the relationship between living arrangements and old-age psychological health, and presents the important need for more rigorous investigation of the causal links between these two phenomena in future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Types of support to families of children with disabilities and their influence on family quality of life.

    PubMed

    Araújo, Clarissa Altina Cunha de; Paz-Lourido, Berta; Gelabert, Sebastià Verger

    2016-10-01

    Different types of supports to families are among the aspects that contribute to family quality of life. This study aims to identify the types of supports that families of children with disabilities, users of early intervention services, consider relevant and how public administration influences the quality of this support. This is a qualitative study based on a critical social paradigm. Sixteen mothers and four fathers were interviewed and their contributions were analyzed using discourse analysis. The importance of family support and networks of parents of children with disabilities were highlighted. The role of the supports by health professionals is also crucial and, therefore, cuts in public health and social services have exacerbated the inequity in health. In practice this is highlighted in relation to those who can and the ones who cannot afford additional services. Other approaches in the support to families are suggested.

  4. When Both Parents May Be a Source of Support and Problems: An Analysis of Pregnant and Parenting Female African American Adolescents' Relationships with Their Mothers and Fathers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Anita A.; And Others

    1997-01-01

    Studied influence of maternal versus paternal support for pregnant and parenting African American adolescents who reported supportive or problematic interactions, or both, with their parents. Found more support from mothers despite equal relationship problem levels with both parents; support of both parents was associated with lower depression…

  5. Understanding the experience of adult daughters caring for an ageing parent, a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Lopez Hartmann, Maja; Anthierens, Sibyl; Van Assche, Elisa; Welvaert, Joanna; Verhoeven, Véronique; Wens, Johan; Remmen, Roy

    2016-06-01

    The objective of this study is to describe how adult daughters experience caring for a frail older parent at home. In the near future the ageing of the population will have a major impact on the demand for formal and informal long-term care. Relatives, especially spouses and adult children are the main providers of informal care. Qualitative research methodology was used to study the experience of adult daughters caring for their frail older parents. A phenomenological research perspective was used to better understand the daily experiences of caring for an ageing parent. Data were collected using open-ended interviews. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were subject to thematic analysis. Eleven women between 40-70 years of age participated in this study. Inductive coding of the interview data led to four main themes: being a caregiver as a natural process in life, the perception and consequences of caregiving activities, sharing care and finding a good balance between caring for an ageing parent and other responsibilities. Caregiving activities could be divided into visible and invisible activities and generated different feelings. The visible activities were more easily shared with other family members and professionals than the invisible ones. The women who struggled the most and tended to have a higher level of burden were those who experienced less support from their family. This study provided more insight into the experiences women have when caring for a parent. Supporting family networks that help in both visible and invisible activities may prevent overburden. Consumer-led care and the active participation of the informal caregiver in the decision-making process for building the care plan need to become more prominent. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Parent to Parent Peer Support across the Pacific Rim

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singer, George H. S.; Hornby, Garry; Park, Jiyeon; Wang, Mian; Xu, Jiacheng

    2012-01-01

    In Pacific Rim countries parents of children with developmental disabilities have organized peer support organizations. One form of peer support is Parent to Parent based on one to one connections between two parents. The movements to create and sustain peer support in the U.S., New Zealand, China, and Korea are described. Qualitative evidence…

  7. Parent Training and Parent Support: The Efficacy of a Parent-Focused Parent Training Support Group for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Disruptive Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gattuso, Jonna L.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of parents' participation in a supplemental parent-focused parent education/support group following participation in a pre-existing parent training program. For the purpose of this study, the term "parent" will be used for the child's primary caregiver(s). Parents participated in a…

  8. Social Support for Divorced Fathers' Parenting: Testing a Stress-Buffering Model*

    PubMed Central

    DeGarmo, David S.; Patras, Joshua; Eap, Sopagna

    2008-01-01

    A stress-buffering hypothesis for parenting was tested in a county-representative sample of 218 divorced fathers. Social support for parenting (emergency and nonemergency child care, practical support, financial support) was hypothesized to moderate effects of stress (role overload, coparental conflict, and daily hassles) on fathers’ quality parenting. No custody fathers relied more on relatives compared with custodial fathers, who relied more on new partners for parenting support. No differences by custody status were found on levels of support or parenting over time. Parenting support buffered effects of change in role overload and coparenting conflict on coercive parenting and buffered effects of change in daily hassles on prosocial parenting. Buffer effects were more predictive over time. Implications for practice and preventive intervention strategies are discussed. PMID:19177181

  9. Parenting Beliefs, Parental Stress, and Social Support Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Respler-Herman, Melissa; Mowder, Barbara A.; Yasik, Anastasia E.; Shamah, Renee

    2012-01-01

    The present study built on prior research by examining the relationship of parental stress and social support to parenting beliefs and behaviors. A sample of 87 parents provided their views concerning the importance of parenting characteristics as well as their level of parental stress and perceived social support. These parents completed the…

  10. Gay men with AIDS and their families of origin: an analysis of social support.

    PubMed

    Kadushin, G

    1996-05-01

    This article reviews the literature on the relationships between gay men with AIDS and their families of origin to determine why the family is not a principal source of social support. Several reasons explain the absence of the family from the support network, including the family's lack of acceptance of homosexuality and the relationship with a male partner; the stigma associated with AIDS; the inability of family members to communicate openly about homosexuality and AIDS; the lack of competence among family members in dealing with HIV issues; and overprotective, infantilizing behavior by parents. A sibling, most often a sister, is the family member to whom the gay man with AIDS feels closest and from whom he is most likely to seek support. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

  11. Parents of children with Asperger syndrome or with learning disabilities: family environment and social support.

    PubMed

    Heiman, Tali; Berger, Ornit

    2008-01-01

    The study examined the family environment and perceived social support of 33 parents with a child diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and 43 parents with a child with learning disability, which were compared to 45 parents of children without disabilities as a control group. Parents completed the Family Environment Scale and Social Support Scale questionnaires. The comparison revealed significant differences for expressiveness and family system organization and for social support. Parents with an Asperger child perceived their family's expressive feelings as lower and the family organization as higher, and perceived their friendships and other support as lower than the other groups of parent. Parents of the control group reported the highest family support. The study highlighted the need for additional social support for parents with a child with special needs, and accentuated the importance of developing awareness and intervention programs to facilitate parents' coping abilities and their family interactions.

  12. Maternal parental self-efficacy in newborn care and social support needs in Singapore: a correlational study.

    PubMed

    Shorey, Shefaly; Chan, Sally Wai-Chi; Chong, Yap Seng; He, Hong-Gu

    2014-08-01

    To examine the correlation between maternal parental self-efficacy and social support as well as predictors of self-efficacy in the early postpartum period. Maternal parental self-efficacy is important for mothers' adaptation to motherhood. Lack of support could result in decreased maternal parental self-efficacy in newborn care. Limited studies have focused on maternal parental self-efficacy in the postpartum period in Asia and none in Singapore. A correlational study design was adopted. Data were collected from both primiparas and multiparas during the first to third days postpartum in a public hospital, using the Perceived Maternal Parental Self-efficacy and Perinatal Infant Care Social Support Scales. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Maternal parental self-efficacy in newborn care and the level of social support that mothers received were moderate. In terms of the social support subscales, informational and instrumental support was lower than emotional and appraisal support. Informal support from husbands, parents and parents-in-law was the main source of support. A significant correlation was found between maternal parental self-efficacy and total social support in addition to the informational, instrumental and appraisal subscales of functional support. The predictors of maternal parental self-efficacy were parity, social support and maternal age. The findings highlight the predictors and correlates of maternal parental self-efficacy in newborn care and the social support needs of mothers in the early postpartum period. Healthcare professionals could provide more information and instrumental support and involve family members to enhance maternal parental self-efficacy. Because maternal parental self-efficacy and social support in the early postpartum period are interrelated components, they could be assessed to identify at-risk mothers. There is a need to develop perinatal educational programmes to provide culturally competent individualised support to mothers in need. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Predicting Child Physical Activity and Screen Time: Parental Support for Physical Activity and General Parenting Styles

    PubMed Central

    Crain, A. Lauren; Senso, Meghan M.; Levy, Rona L.; Sherwood, Nancy E.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To examine relationships between parenting styles and practices and child moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen time. Methods: Participants were children (6.9 ± 1.8 years) with a body mass index in the 70–95th percentile and their parents (421 dyads). Parent-completed questionnaires assessed parental support for child physical activity (PA), parenting styles and child screen time. Children wore accelerometers to assess MVPA. Results: Parenting style did not predict MVPA, but support for PA did (positive association). The association between support and MVPA, moreover, varied as a function of permissive parenting. For parents high in permissiveness, the association was positive (greater support was related to greater MVPA and therefore protective). For parents low in permissiveness, the association was neutral; support did not matter. Authoritarian and permissive parenting styles were both associated with greater screen time. Conclusions: Parenting practices and styles should be considered jointly, offering implications for tailored interventions. PMID:24812256

  14. Decreasing Risky Behavior on Social Network Sites: The Impact of Parental Involvement in Secondary Education Interventions.

    PubMed

    Vanderhoven, Ellen; Schellens, Tammy; Valcke, Martin

    2016-06-01

    Teenagers face significant risks when using increasingly popular social network sites. Prevention and intervention efforts to raise awareness about these risks and to change risky behavior (so-called "e-safety" interventions) are essential for the wellbeing of these minors. However, several studies have revealed that while school interventions often affect awareness, they have only a limited impact on pupils' unsafe behavior. Utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior and theories about parental involvement, we hypothesized that involving parents in an e-safety intervention would positively influence pupils' intentions and behavior. In a quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-test measures involving 207 pupils in secondary education, we compared the impact of an intervention without parental involvement with one that included active parental involvement by means of a homework task. We found that whereas parental involvement was not necessary to improve the intervention's impact on risk awareness, it did change intentions to engage in certain unsafe behavior, such as posting personal and sexual information on the profile page of a social network site, and in reducing existing problematic behavior. This beneficial impact was particularly evident for boys. These findings suggest that developing prevention campaigns with active parental involvement is well worth the effort. Researchers and developers should therefore focus on other efficient strategies to involve parents.

  15. Social implications of children's smartphone addiction: The role of support networks and social engagement.

    PubMed

    Ihm, Jennifer

    2018-06-01

    Background and aims Most studies have regarded smartphone addiction as a condition stemming from individuals' psychological issues, so research has rarely examined it in relation to a lack of social resources and its social impacts. However, this study reinterprets smartphone addiction as a social problem stemming from a lack of offline social networks and resulting in a decline of social engagement. Methods This study drew on a survey of 2,000 children in Korea consisting of 991 males and 1,009 females with an average age of 12 years old. Using the STATA 14 structural equation modeling program, this study examined the relationships between children's lack of social networks, smartphone addiction, and social engagement. Results Social network variables, such as formal organizational membership, quality of relationship with parents, size of the peer group, and peer support, decrease smartphone addiction. Simply having good relationships and reciprocal feelings with peers do not have any influence on the smartphone addiction. The more the children become addicted to smartphones, the less they participate in social engagement. Discussion and conclusions This study provides a new understanding of smartphone addiction by focusing on its social aspects, augmenting prior studies that have addressed psychological factors. Findings suggest that children's lack of social networks may inhibit comfortable social interactions and feelings of support in the offline environment, which can heighten their desire to escape to smartphones. These children, unlike non-addicts, may not take advantage of the media to enrich their social lives and increase their level of social engagement.

  16. Exploring parent-reported barriers to supporting their child's health behaviors: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Jarvis, Jocelyn W; Harrington, Daniel W; Manson, Heather

    2017-05-15

    Parents can influence the health behaviors of their children by engaging in supportive behaviors (e.g., playing outside with their child, limiting recreational screen time). How, and the extent to which parents engage in supportive behaviors may be influenced by perceived barriers. The purpose of this study is to explore whether the frequency, and types, of barriers to providing parental support are dependent on the type of child health behavior being supported (i.e., physical activity, recreational screen time reduction, healthy eating, and sleep). Study participants were 1140 Ontario parents with at least one child under the age of 18 who completed a Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) survey about parental support behaviors. Open-ended responses about perceived barriers to parental support were coded, and aggregated to meta-categories adopted from the social-ecological model (i.e., individual child, individual parent, interpersonal, environmental). Freidman rank sum tests were used to assess differences across child behaviors. Wilcoxon rank sum tests with Bonferroni adjustments were used as a post hoc test for significant Freidman results. There were more barriers reported for supporting physical activity than for any other child behavior (ps < .01, As ≥ .53). Parents reported more parent level and environmental level barriers to supporting child physical activity versus other behaviors (ps < .001, As ≥ .55), child level barriers were more frequently reported for supporting healthy eating and sleep (ps < .001, As ≥ .57), and interpersonal barriers were more frequently reported for supporting recreational screen time reduction (ps < .001, As ≥ .52). Overall, parents reported more child and parent level barriers versus interpersonal and environmental barriers to supporting child health. Parents experience a variety of barriers to supporting their children's health behaviors. Differences in types of barriers across child health behaviors emerged; however, some frequently reported barriers (e.g., child preferences) were common across behaviors. Interventions promoting parental support should consider strategies that can accommodate parents' busy schedules, and relate to activities that children find enjoyable. Creating supportive environments that help facilitate support behaviors, while minimizing parent level barriers, may be of particular benefit. Future research should explore the impact of barriers on parental support behaviors, and effective strategies for overcoming common barriers.

  17. Helicopter Parents and Landing Pad Kids: Intense Parental Support of Grown Children.

    PubMed

    Fingerman, Karen L; Cheng, Yen-Pi; Wesselmann, Eric D; Zarit, Steven; Furstenberg, Frank; Birditt, Kira S

    2012-08-01

    Popular media describe adverse effects of helicopter parents who provide intense support to grown children, but few studies have examined implications of such intense support. Grown children (N = 592, M age = 23.82 years, 53% female, 35% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) and their parents (n = 399, M age = 50.67 years, 52% female; 34% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) reported on the support they exchanged with one another. Intense support involved parents' providing several types of support (e.g., financial, advice, emotional) many times a week. Parents and grown children who engaged in such frequent support viewed it as nonnormative (i.e., too much support), but grown children who received intense support reported better psychological adjustment and life satisfaction than grown children who did not receive intense support. Parents who perceived their grown children as needing too much support reported poorer life satisfaction. The discussion focuses on generational differences in the implications of intense parental involvement during young adulthood.

  18. Support for the parents of adolescents: a review.

    PubMed

    Henricson, C; Roker, D

    2000-12-01

    This paper reviews the literature on parent-adolescent relationships, with a particular focus on strategies to offer support to this group of parents. Policy-makers and professionals in many countries are now debating how support can most effectively be offered to the parents of adolescents, and this review aims to summarize the information currently available. The review covers three main areas: (1) approaches to parenting, including an examination of parenting style; (2) models of parent support; and (3) examples of parent support programmes, including group-based parenting courses, projects focusing on adolescents involved in offending or drug abuse, and the use of newsletters and advice lines. Copyright 2000 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.

  19. Aging Parents' Daily Support Exchanges With Adult Children Suffering Problems.

    PubMed

    Huo, Meng; Graham, Jamie L; Kim, Kyungmin; Birditt, Kira S; Fingerman, Karen L

    2017-06-17

    When adult children incur life problems (e.g., divorce, job loss, health problems), aging parents generally report providing more frequent support and experiencing poorer well-being. Yet, it is unclear how adult children's problems may influence aging parents' daily support exchanges with these children or the parents' daily mood. Aging parents from the Family Exchanges Study Wave 2 (N = 207, Mage = 79.86) reported providing and receiving emotional support, practical support, and advice from each adult child each day for 7 days. Parents also rated daily positive and negative mood. Multilevel models showed that aging parents were more likely to provide emotional and practical support to adult children incurring life problems than children not suffering problems. Parents were also more likely to receive emotional support and advice from these children with problems. Further, parents reported less negative mood on days when providing practical support to children with problems. Examining daily support exchanges adds to our understanding of how children's problems influence parent-child ties in late life. Prior research suggests that children's problems upset parents. In this study, however, it appears that supporting adult children who suffer problems may alleviate aging parents' distress regarding such children. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Social networking versus facebook advertising to recruit survey respondents: a quasi-experimental study.

    PubMed

    Gilligan, Conor; Kypri, Kypros; Bourke, Jesse

    2014-09-17

    Increasingly, social contact and knowledge of other people's attitudes and behavior are mediated by online social media such as Facebook. The main research to which this recruitment study pertains investigates the influence of parents on adolescent alcohol consumption. Given the pervasiveness of online social media use, Facebook may be an effective means of recruitment and intervention delivery. The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of study recruitment via social networks versus paid advertising on Facebook. We conducted a quasi-experimental sequential trial with response rate as the outcome, and estimates of cost-effectiveness. The target population was parents of 13-17 year old children attending high schools in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Recruitment occurred via: method (1) social recruitment using Facebook, email-based, social networks, and media coverage followed by method (2) Facebook advertising. Using a range of online and other social network approaches only: method (1) 74 parents were recruited to complete a survey over eight months, costing AUD58.70 per completed survey. After Facebook advertising: method (2) 204 parents completed the survey over four weeks, costing AUD5.94 per completed survey. Participants were representative of the parents recruited from the region's schools using standard mail and email. Facebook advertising is a cost-effective means of recruiting parents, a group difficult to reach by other methods.

  1. Overdose Education and Naloxone Rescue Kits for Family Members of Opioid Users: Characteristics, Motivations and Naloxone Use

    PubMed Central

    Bagley, Sarah M; Peterson, Joanne; Cheng, Debbie M.; Jose, Charles; Quinn, Emily; O’Connor, Patrick G.; Walley, Alexander Y.

    2016-01-01

    Background In response to the overdose epidemic, a network of support groups for family members in Massachusetts has been providing overdose education and naloxone rescue kits (OEN). The aims of this study were to describe the characteristics, motivations and benefits of family members who receive OEN and to describe the frequency of naloxone used during an overdose rescue. Methods This cross-sectional, multisite study surveyed attendees of community support groups for family members of opioid users where OEN training was offered using a 42 item self-administered survey that included demographics, relationship to opioid user, experience with overdose, motivations to receive OEN, and naloxone rescue kit use. Results Of 126 attendees who completed surveys at 8 sites, most attendees were white (95%), female (78%), married or partnered (74%), parents of an opioid user (85%), and provide financial support for opioid user (52%). The OEN trainees (79%) were more likely than attendees not trained (21%) to be parents of an opioid user (91% v 65%, p <0.05), provide financial support to an opioid user (58% v 30%, p <0.05), and to have witnessed an overdose (35% v 12%, p=0.07). The major motivations to receive training were: wanting a kit in their home (72%), education provided at the meeting (60%) and hearing about benefits from others (57%). Sixteen parents reported witnessing their child overdose and five attendees had used naloxone successfully during an overdose rescue. Conclusions Support groups for families of people who use opioids are promising venues to conduct overdose prevention trainings, because attendees are motivated to receive training and will use naloxone to rescue people when witnessing an overdose. Further study is warranted to understand how to optimize this approach to overdose prevention in the community setting. PMID:25564892

  2. Parents' Networking Strategies: Participation of Formal and Informal Parent Groups in School Activities and Decisions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wanat, Carolyn L.

    2010-01-01

    This case study examined parent groups' involvement in school activities and their participation in decision making. Research questions included the following: (1) What is the nature of parent groups in schools? (2) What activities and issues gain parent groups' attention and participation? (3) How do parent groups communicate concerns about…

  3. Interactive associations of parental support, demands, and psychological control, over adolescents' beliefs about the legitimacy of parental authority.

    PubMed

    Mellado, Carlos; Cumsille, Patricio; Martínez, M Loreto

    2018-04-01

    The present study examined the relationship between parental support, demand, psychological control and adolescents' beliefs about the legitimacy of parental authority for personal and multifaceted issues in a sample of 1342 Chilean adolescents (M = 16.38, SD = 1.24, age range 14-20). Results from multiple regression analyses separated by age indicated that demand was positively associated with adolescents' beliefs about the legitimacy of parental authority for personal and multifaceted issues and that psychological control was negatively associated with adolescents' legitimacy beliefs concerning personal issues. Furthermore, parental support moderated the relationship between parental demand and adolescents' beliefs about parental legitimacy for personal and multifaceted issues: those who display high levels of demand showed stronger beliefs about parental legitimacy at high level of support. These results support the interactive effect of parental support and demand on adolescent development. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Development and Evaluation of a Peer Support Program for Parents Facing Perinatal Loss.

    PubMed

    Diamond, Rachel M; Roose, Rosmarie E

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this program evaluation was to understand the perspectives of peer parents and parents receiving support within a peer support program for perinatal bereavement at a midsized hospital within the midwestern United States. To document participants' perceptions of the program, a focus group was conducted with peer parents, and surveys were completed by both peer parents and parents receiving support. In this article we review our model of a peer support program for perinatal bereavement and report on parents' evaluation of the program. Recommendations through which other organizations can develop peer support programs for parents who have experienced a perinatal loss are provided. © 2016 AWHONN, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

  5. Social Support as Mediator and Moderator of the Relationship Between Parenting Stress and Life Satisfaction Among the Chinese Parents of Children with ASD.

    PubMed

    Lu, Ming-Hui; Wang, Guang-Hai; Lei, Hao; Shi, Meng-Liang; Zhu, Rui; Jiang, Fan

    2018-04-01

    Although numerous studies have demonstrated that social support affects a range of life experiences, few have examined its moderating and mediating effects. In the current study, 479 Chinese parents of children with ASD (aged 3-18 years) completed the surveys assessing parenting stress, social support and life satisfaction. Results indicated that parenting stress, social support and life satisfaction were significantly related. Moreover, social support both mediated and moderated the influence of parenting stress on life satisfaction. These findings imply that parenting stress and social support are critical indicators of life satisfaction and can serve as basic intervention strategies that promote life satisfaction among Chinese parents of children with ASD.

  6. Predicting child physical activity and screen time: parental support for physical activity and general parenting styles.

    PubMed

    Langer, Shelby L; Crain, A Lauren; Senso, Meghan M; Levy, Rona L; Sherwood, Nancy E

    2014-07-01

    To examine relationships between parenting styles and practices and child moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen time. Participants were children (6.9 ± 1.8 years) with a body mass index in the 70-95th percentile and their parents (421 dyads). Parent-completed questionnaires assessed parental support for child physical activity (PA), parenting styles and child screen time. Children wore accelerometers to assess MVPA. Parenting style did not predict MVPA, but support for PA did (positive association). The association between support and MVPA, moreover, varied as a function of permissive parenting. For parents high in permissiveness, the association was positive (greater support was related to greater MVPA and therefore protective). For parents low in permissiveness, the association was neutral; support did not matter. Authoritarian and permissive parenting styles were both associated with greater screen time. Parenting practices and styles should be considered jointly, offering implications for tailored interventions. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. The Role of Online Social Support in Supporting and Educating Parents of Young Children With Special Health Care Needs in the United States: A Scoping Review

    PubMed Central

    Staten, Lisa K; Rodgers, Rylin Christine; Denne, Scott C

    2016-01-01

    Background When parents of young children with special health care needs (CSHCN) receive their child’s diagnosis, they encounter information they may not understand, emotions they may not know how to cope with, and questions about their child’s immediate and long-term future that frequently lack answers. The challenge of health care providers is how to prepare parents for caring for their CSHCN, for coping with any resulting challenges, and for accessing the systems and services that can assist them. Objective The purpose of this work was to review evidence of the information and support needs of parents of young CSHCN and to determine whether online social support can serve as an avenue for learning and empowerment for these parents. Methods A scoping review identified the challenges, coping mechanisms, and support needs among parents of CSHCN, and the reach and effectiveness of digital technologies with these families and health care providers. We also conducted interviews with professionals serving parents of CSHCN. Results The literature review and interviews suggested that parents best learn the information they need, and cope with the emotional challenges of raising a CSHCN, with support from other parents of CSHCN, and that young parents in recent years have most often been finding this parent-to-parent support through digital media, particularly social media, consistent with the theory of online social support. Evidence also shows that social media, particularly Facebook, is used by nearly all women aged 18-29 years across racial and socioeconomic lines in the United States. Conclusions Parents of young CSHCN experience significant stress but gain understanding, receive support, and develop the ability to care for and be advocates for their child through parent-to-parent emotional and informational social support. Online social support is most effective with young adults of childbearing age, with social media and apps being the most useful within the theoretical framework of social support. This opens new opportunities to effectively educate and support parents of young CSHCN. Providers seeking to inform, educate, and support families of CSHCN should develop strategies to help parents find and use social support through digital resources to facilitate their emotional adjustment and practical abilities to care for and access services for their child. PMID:28007689

  8. Investigation of the H7 ordinary chondrite, Watson 012: Implications for recognition and classification of Type 7 meteorites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tait, Alastair W.; Tomkins, Andrew G.; Godel, Bélinda M.; Wilson, Siobhan A.; Hasalova, Pavlina

    2014-06-01

    Despite the fact that the number of officially classified meteorites is now over 45,000, we lack a clearly defined sequence of samples from a single parent body that records the entire range in metamorphic temperatures from pristine primitive meteorites up to the temperatures required for extensive silicate partial melting. Here, we conduct a detailed analysis of Watson 012, an H7 ordinary chondrite, to generate some clarity on the textural and chemical changes associated with equilibrium-based silicate partial melting in chondritic meteorites. To do this we compare the textures in the meteorite with those preserved in metamorphic contact aureoles on Earth. The most distinctive texture generated by the partial melting that affected Watson 012 is an extensively interconnected plagioclase network, which is clearly observable with a petrographic microscope. Enlarged metal-troilite grains are encapsulated at widenings in this plagioclase network, and this is clearly visible in reflected light. Together with these features, we define a series of other characteristics that can be used to more clearly classify chondritic meteorites as being of petrologic Type 7. To provide comprehensive evidence of silicate partial melting and strengthen the case for using simple petrographic observations to classify similar meteorites, we use high-resolution X-ray computed tomography to demonstrate that the plagioclase network has a high degree of interconnectedness and crystallised as large (cm-scale) skeletal crystals within an olivine-orthopyroxene-clinopyroxene framework, essentially pseudomorphing a melt network. Back-scattered electron imaging and element mapping are used to show that some of the clino- and orthopyroxene in Watson 012 also crystallised from silicate melt, and the order of crystallisation was orthopyroxene → clinopyroxene → plagioclase. X-ray diffraction data, supported by bulk geochemistry, are used to show that plagioclase and ortho- and clinopyroxene were added to the Watson 012 sample by through-flowing basaltic melt. Along with the absence of glass and granophyre, this interconnected network of coarse-grained skeletal plagioclase indicates that the sample cooled slowly at depth within the parent body. The evidence of melt flux indicates that Watson 012 formed in the presence of a gravitational gradient, and thus at significant distance from the centre of the H chondrite parent body (the gravitational gradient at the centre would be zero). Our interpretation is that incipient silicate partial melting in Watson 012 occurred when a region of radiogenically heated H6 material located at considerable depth (possibly at ∼15-20 km from surface) was heated by an additional ca. 200-300 °C in association with a large shock event. Due to insulation at depth within an already hot parent body, the post-shock temperature equilibrated and remained above the solidus long enough for widespread equilibrium-based silicate partial melting, and for melt to migrate. Although the observed melting may have been facilitated by additional heating from an impact event, this is not an example of instantaneous shock melting, which produces thermal disequilibrium at short length scales and distinctly different textures. A small number of H, L and LL chondrites have been previously classified as being of petrologic Type 7; with our new criteria to support that classification, these represent our best opportunity to explore the transition from high temperature sub-solidus metamorphism through the onset of silicate partial melting in three different parent bodies.

  9. Innate responses to gene knockouts impact overlapping gene networks and vary with respect to resistance to viral infection.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yonghong; Liu, Yuanyuan; Wu, Jiaming; Roizman, Bernard; Zhou, Grace Guoying

    2018-04-03

    Analyses of the levels of mRNAs encoding IFIT1, IFI16, RIG-1, MDA5, CXCL10, LGP2, PUM1, LSD1, STING, and IFNβ in cell lines from which the gene encoding LGP2, LSD1, PML, HDAC4, IFI16, PUM1, STING, MDA5, IRF3, or HDAC 1 had been knocked out, as well as the ability of these cell lines to support the replication of HSV-1, revealed the following: ( i ) Cell lines lacking the gene encoding LGP2, PML, or HDAC4 (cluster 1) exhibited increased levels of expression of partially overlapping gene networks. Concurrently, these cell lines produced from 5 fold to 12 fold lower yields of HSV-1 than the parental cells. ( ii ) Cell lines lacking the genes encoding STING, LSD1, MDA5, IRF3, or HDAC 1 (cluster 2) exhibited decreased levels of mRNAs of partially overlapping gene networks. Concurrently, these cell lines produced virus yields that did not differ from those produced by the parental cell line. The genes up-regulated in cell lines forming cluster 1, overlapped in part with genes down-regulated in cluster 2. The key conclusions are that gene knockouts and subsequent selection for growth causes changes in expression of multiple genes, and hence the phenotype of the cell lines cannot be ascribed to a single gene; the patterns of gene expression may be shared by multiple knockouts; and the enhanced immunity to viral replication by cluster 1 knockout cell lines but not by cluster 2 cell lines suggests that in parental cells, the expression of innate resistance to infection is specifically repressed.

  10. An Ex Post Facto Study Exploring the Impact of Parental Level of Education and Parental Support on First-Year College Adjustment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huntley, Kristy M.

    2011-01-01

    This study explored the impact that parental levels of education and parental support have on college adjustment for first-year students. An ex post facto design was used to examine parental level of education and parental support as variables. Parental level of education is a categorical variable based on report from the student. Parental support…

  11. A Confidant Support and Problem Solving Model of Divorced Fathers’ Parenting

    PubMed Central

    DeGarmo, David S.; Forgatch, Marion S.

    2011-01-01

    This study tested a hypothesized social interaction learning (SIL) model of confidant support and paternal parenting. The latent growth curve analysis employed 230 recently divorced fathers, of which 177 enrolled support confidants, to test confidant support as a predictor of problem solving outcomes and problem solving outcomes as predictors of change in fathers’ parenting. Fathers’ parenting was hypothesized to predict growth in child behavior. Observational measures of support behaviors and problem solving outcomes were obtained from structured discussions of personal and parenting issues faced by the fathers. Findings replicated and extended prior cross-sectional studies with divorced mothers and their confidants. Confidant support predicted better problem solving outcomes, problem solving predicted more effective parenting, and parenting in turn predicted growth in children’s reduced total problem behavior T scores over 18 months. Supporting a homophily perspective, fathers’ antisociality was associated with confidant antisociality but only fathers’ antisociality influenced the support process model. Intervention implications are discussed regarding SIL parent training and social support. PMID:21541814

  12. A confidant support and problem solving model of divorced fathers' parenting.

    PubMed

    Degarmo, David S; Forgatch, Marion S

    2012-03-01

    This study tested a hypothesized social interaction learning (SIL) model of confidant support and paternal parenting. The latent growth curve analysis employed 230 recently divorced fathers, of which 177 enrolled support confidants, to test confidant support as a predictor of problem solving outcomes and problem solving outcomes as predictors of change in fathers' parenting. Fathers' parenting was hypothesized to predict growth in child behavior. Observational measures of support behaviors and problem solving outcomes were obtained from structured discussions of personal and parenting issues faced by the fathers. Findings replicated and extended prior cross-sectional studies with divorced mothers and their confidants. Confidant support predicted better problem solving outcomes, problem solving predicted more effective parenting, and parenting in turn predicted growth in children's reduced total problem behavior T scores over 18 months. Supporting a homophily perspective, fathers' antisociality was associated with confidant antisociality but only fathers' antisociality influenced the support process model. Intervention implications are discussed regarding SIL parent training and social support.

  13. Toward an optimal design principle in symmetric and asymmetric tree flow networks.

    PubMed

    Miguel, Antonio F

    2016-01-21

    Fluid flow in tree-shaped networks plays an important role in both natural and engineered systems. This paper focuses on laminar flows of Newtonian and non-Newtonian power law fluids in symmetric and asymmetric bifurcating trees. Based on the constructal law, we predict the tree-shaped architecture that provides greater access to the flow subjected to the total network volume constraint. The relationships between the sizes of parent and daughter tubes are presented both for symmetric and asymmetric branching tubes. We also approach the wall-shear stresses and the flow resistance in terms of first tube size, degree of asymmetry between daughter branches, and rheological behavior of the fluid. The influence of tubes obstructing the fluid flow is also accounted for. The predictions obtained by our theory-driven approach find clear support in the findings of previous experimental studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Feasibility of Parent-to-Parent Support in Recently Diagnosed Childhood Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Channon, Sue; Lowes, Lesley; Gregory, John W.; Grey, Laura; Sullivan-Bolyai, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop and test the feasibility of a parent-to-parent support intervention for parents whose child has recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the United Kingdom. Methods The research team conducted a formative evaluation, working with parents to design an individual-level parent-to-parent support intervention. Issues of recruitment, uptake, attrition, pattern of contact, and intervention acceptability were assessed. Results A US program was adapted in collaboration with a parents’ advisory group. Of 19 parents nominated as potential mentors by their pediatric diabetes specialist nurses, 12 (63%) volunteered and 11 continued for the 12-month intervention period. Thirty-three children were diagnosed with diabetes in the study period, with 25 families eligible to participate as recipients of the intervention; 9 parents from 7 of those families participated, representing 28% of those eligible. Feedback from parents and clinic staff identified peer support as a welcome service. Lessons were learned about the nature of the supporting relationship (eg, proximity, connectedness, and managing endings) that will enhance the design of future peer support programs. Conclusions Parent-to-parent support in the context of newly diagnosed childhood diabetes in the United Kingdom is feasible to deliver, with good engagement of mentors and clinic staff. The program was acceptable to parents who chose to participate, although uptake by parents whose child had been recently diagnosed was lower than expected. The results merit further investigation, including exploration of parent preference in relation to peer support. PMID:27099255

  15. Intergenerational support, satisfaction with parent-child relationship and elderly parents' life satisfaction in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Peng, Chenhong; Kwok, Chi Leung; Law, Yik Wa; Yip, Paul S F; Cheng, Qijin

    2018-01-22

    This study examines in what exchange patterns that three types of intergenerational support are associated with elderly parents' life satisfaction, and whether elderly parents' evaluation on parent-child relationship plays a mediation role on those associations. Data were drawn from Hong Kong Panel Survey for Poverty Alleviation. Respondents aged 65 and over were included ( N=504). Three types of support, namely, daily-living, financial, and emotional support were examined in four patterns-the over-benefited , under-benefited , reciprocal and no flow of exchange. A multivariable linear regression was applied to investigate the association between pattern of intergenerational exchange and life satisfaction, and mediation analysis was employed to examine the mediating role of satisfaction with parent-child relationship on their associations. Elderly parents were less satisfied with their lives when they had no flow of exchange in daily-living support, and more satisfied when they were under-benefited in financial support, and over-benefited or reciprocal in emotional support. Elderly parents' satisfaction with parent-child relationship mediated the association between exchange of emotional support and life satisfaction; but not the association between daily-living or financial support and life satisfaction. Different types of intergenerational support are associated with elderly parents' life satisfaction in different patterns.

  16. Social Networks and Parent Motivational Beliefs: Evidence from an Urban School District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curry, Katherine A.; Jean-Marie, Gaëtane; Adams, Curt M.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Despite devotion of substantial resources and effort to increase parent/school partnerships, gaps remain between policy rhetoric and practice, especially in high-poverty communities. Current research focuses on parent involvement or effects of parent motivational beliefs on parent choice for behavior; however, it does not address the…

  17. Parents Helping Parents: Mutual Parenting Network Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simkinson, Charles H.; Redmond, Robert F.

    Guidelines for mutual parenting are provided in this handbook. "Mutual parenting" means that everyone in the community shares the responsibility for the safety and well-being of the community's youngsters. Several topics are discussed in the 15 brief chapters of the handbook. Chapters 1 through 3 focus on the formation of a mutual…

  18. Examining the interaction of parental involvement and parenting style in predicting adherence in youth with type 1 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Landers, Sara E; Friedrich, Elizabeth A; Jawad, Abbas F; Miller, Victoria A

    2016-03-01

    This study examined whether aspects of parenting style (specifically, warmth, autonomy support, and coercion) moderated the association between parental involvement and adherence in youth with type 1 diabetes. Children ages 8 to 16 years with type 1 diabetes and a parent completed assessments of parental involvement, parenting style, and adherence. Parent autonomy support and coercion were associated with adherence but warmth was not. Child report of more parental involvement was associated with better adherence. Warmth, autonomy support, and coercion were not moderators. The findings underscore the importance of parental involvement, operationalized as responsibility for diabetes tasks, and parenting style, specifically coercion and autonomy support, for adherence in pediatric chronic illness management. Longitudinal research is needed to better understand how and why dimensions of involvement (e.g., responsibility, monitoring, support) vary over time and whether they impact outcomes differentially. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. Parental Support and Adolescents' Health in the Context of Parental Employment Status

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bacikova-Sleskova, Maria; Madarasova Geckova, Andrea; van Dijk, Jitse P.; Groothoff, Johan W.; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.

    2011-01-01

    Parental employment status is an important and often overlooked contextual factor that may influence parent-adolescent relationships. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of parental support on adolescents' health within the context of parental employment status. Data on perceived mother's and father's support, mother's and father's…

  20. Managing "Spoiled Identities": Parents' Experiences of Compulsory Parenting Support Programmes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holt, Amanda

    2010-01-01

    While recent years have seen a rapid growth of research exploring the usefulness of parenting support programmes, no empirical research to date has specifically explored experiences of compulsory parenting support. The present study examines the narrative accounts of 17 parents who, through a Parenting Order, were made to participate in such…

  1. Learning a Musical Instrument: The Case for Parental Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Creech, Andrea

    2010-01-01

    The aims of this research were to identify the ways in which parents may most constructively support their children's musical development, and to ascertain whether styles of parent-teacher and parent-pupil interaction would influence the extent to which parents engage in different types of supportive behaviours. A model of parent involvement as…

  2. Longitudinal Relations Between Parental Writing Support and Preschoolers’ Language and Literacy Skills

    PubMed Central

    Bindman, Samantha W.; Hindman, Annemarie H.; Aram, Dorit; Morrison, Frederick J.

    2013-01-01

    Parental writing support was examined over time and in relation to children’s language and literacy skills. Seventy-seven parents and their preschoolers were videotaped writing an invitation together twice during one year. Parental writing support was coded at the level of the letter to document parents’ graphophonemic support (letter–sound correspondence), print support (letter formation), and demand for precision (expectation for correcting writing errors). Parents primarily relied on only a couple print (i.e., parent writing the letter alone) and graphophonemic (i.e., saying the word as a whole, dictating letters as children write) strategies. Graphophonemic and print support in preschool predicted children’s decoding skills, and graphophonemic support also predicted children’s future phonological awareness. Neither type of support predicted children’s vocabulary scores. Demand for precision occurred infrequently and was unrelated to children’s outcomes. Findings demonstrate the importance of parental writing support for augmenting children’s literacy skills. PMID:25045186

  3. Playgroup Participation and Social Support Outcomes for Mothers of Young Children: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Hancock, Kirsten J.; Cunningham, Nadia K.; Lawrence, David; Zarb, David; Zubrick, Stephen R.

    2015-01-01

    Objective This study aimed to examine friendship networks and social support outcomes for mothers according to patterns of playgroup participation. Methods Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were used to examine the extent to which patterns of playgroup participation across the ages of 3–19 months (Wave 1) and 2–3 years (Wave 2) were associated with social support outcomes for mothers at Wave 3 (4–5 years) and four years later at Wave 5 (8–9 years). Analyses were adjusted for initial friendship attachments at Wave 1 and other socio-demographic characteristics. Results Log-binomial regression models estimating relative risks showed that mothers who never participated in a playgroup, or who participated at either Wave 1 or Wave 2 only, were 1.7 and 1.8 times as likely to report having no support from friends when the child was 4–5 years, and 2.0 times as likely to have no support at age 8–9 years, compared with mothers who persistently participated in playgroup at both Wave 1 and Wave 2. Conclusion These results provide evidence that persistent playgroup participation may acts as a protective factor against poor social support outcomes. Socially isolated parents may find playgroups a useful resource to build their social support networks. PMID:26181426

  4. Parents, Friends, and Romantic Partners: Enmeshment in Deviant Networks and Adolescent Delinquency Involvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lonardo, Robert A.; Giordano, Peggy C.; Longmore, Monica A.; Manning, Wendy D.

    2009-01-01

    Adolescent networks include parents, friends, and romantic partners, but research on the social learning mechanisms related to delinquency has not typically examined the characteristics of all three domains simultaneously. Analyses draw on data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (n = 957), and our analytic sample contains 51% male and…

  5. "Friending" Professors, Parents and Bosses: A Facebook Connection Conundrum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karl, Katherine A.; Peluchette, Joy V.

    2011-01-01

    The ever-growing popularity of Facebook has led some educators to ponder what role social networking might have in education. The authors examined student reactions to friend requests from people outside their regular network of friends including professors, parents, and employers. We found students have the most positive reactions to friend…

  6. Parents, friends, and romantic partners: enmeshment in deviant networks and adolescent delinquency involvement.

    PubMed

    Lonardo, Robert A; Giordano, Peggy C; Longmore, Monica A; Manning, Wendy D

    2009-03-01

    Adolescent networks include parents, friends, and romantic partners, but research on the social learning mechanisms related to delinquency has not typically examined the characteristics of all three domains simultaneously. Analyses draw on data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (n = 957), and our analytic sample contains 51% male and 49% female as well as 69% white, 24% African-American, and 7% Latino respondents. Parents,' peers,' and partners' deviance are each related to respondents' delinquency, and affiliation with a greater number of deviant networks is associated with higher self-reported involvement. Analyses that consider enmeshment type indicate that those with both above average romantic partner and friend delinquency report especially high levels of self-reported involvement. In all comparisons, adolescents with deviant romantic partners are more delinquent than those youths with more prosocial partners, regardless of friends' and parents' behavior. Findings highlight the importance of capturing the adolescent's entire network of affiliations, rather than viewing these in isolation, and suggest the need for additional research on romantic partner influences on delinquent behavior and other adolescent outcomes.

  7. Distributed expertise: qualitative study of a British network of multidisciplinary teams supporting parents of children with chronic kidney disease.

    PubMed

    Swallow, V; Smith, T; Webb, N J A; Wirz, L; Qizalbash, L; Brennan, E; Birch, A; Sinha, M D; Krischock, L; van der Voort, J; King, D; Lambert, H; Milford, D V; Crowther, L; Saleem, M; Lunn, A; Williams, J

    2015-01-01

    Long-term childhood conditions are often managed by hospital-based multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) of professionals with discipline specific expertise of a condition, in partnership with parents. However, little evidence exists on professional-parent interactions in this context. An exploration of professionals' accounts of the way they individually and collectively teach parents to manage their child's clinical care at home is, therefore, important for meeting parents' needs, informing policy and educating novice professionals. Using chronic kidney disease as an exemplar this paper reports on one aspect of a study of interactions between professionals and parents in a network of 12 children's kidney units in Britain. We conducted semi-structured, qualitative interviews with a convenience sample of 112 professionals (clinical-psychologists, dietitians, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, play-workers, therapists and social workers), exploring accounts of their parent-educative activity. We analysed data using framework and the concept of distributed expertise. Four themes emerged that related to the way expertise was distributed within and across teams: (i) recognizing each other's' expertise, (ii) sharing expertise within the MDT, (iii) language interpretation, and (iv) acting as brokers. Two different professional identifications were also seen to co-exist within MDTs, with participants using the term 'we' both as the intra-professional 'we' (relating to the professional identity) when describing expertise within a disciplinary group (for example: 'As dietitians we aim to give tailored advice to optimize children's growth'), and the inter-professional 'we' (a 'team-identification'), when discussing expertise within the team (for example: 'We work as a team and make sure we're all happy with every aspect of their training before they go home'). This study highlights the dual identifications implicit in 'being professional' in this context (to the team and to one's profession) as well as the unique role that each member of a team contributes to children's care. Our methodology and results have the potential to be transferred to teams managing other conditions. © 2014 The Authors. Child: Care, Health and Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Distributed expertise: qualitative study of a British network of multidisciplinary teams supporting parents of children with chronic kidney disease

    PubMed Central

    Swallow, V; Smith, T; Webb, N J A; Wirz, L; Qizalbash, L; Brennan, E; Birch, A; Sinha, M D; Krischock, L; van der Voort, J; King, D; Lambert, H; Milford, D V; Crowther, L; Saleem, M; Lunn, A; Williams, J

    2015-01-01

    Background Long-term childhood conditions are often managed by hospital-based multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) of professionals with discipline specific expertise of a condition, in partnership with parents. However, little evidence exists on professional–parent interactions in this context. An exploration of professionals' accounts of the way they individually and collectively teach parents to manage their child's clinical care at home is, therefore, important for meeting parents' needs, informing policy and educating novice professionals. Using chronic kidney disease as an exemplar this paper reports on one aspect of a study of interactions between professionals and parents in a network of 12 children's kidney units in Britain. Methods We conducted semi-structured, qualitative interviews with a convenience sample of 112 professionals (clinical-psychologists, dietitians, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, play-workers, therapists and social workers), exploring accounts of their parent-educative activity. We analysed data using framework and the concept of distributed expertise. Results Four themes emerged that related to the way expertise was distributed within and across teams: (i) recognizing each other's' expertise, (ii) sharing expertise within the MDT, (iii) language interpretation, and (iv) acting as brokers. Two different professional identifications were also seen to co-exist within MDTs, with participants using the term ‘we’ both as the intra-professional ‘we’ (relating to the professional identity) when describing expertise within a disciplinary group (for example: ‘As dietitians we aim to give tailored advice to optimize children's growth’), and the inter-professional ‘we’ (a ‘team-identification’), when discussing expertise within the team (for example: ‘We work as a team and make sure we're all happy with every aspect of their training before they go home’). Conclusions This study highlights the dual identifications implicit in ‘being professional’ in this context (to the team and to one's profession) as well as the unique role that each member of a team contributes to children's care. Our methodology and results have the potential to be transferred to teams managing other conditions. PMID:24827413

  9. Helicopter Parents and Landing Pad Kids: Intense Parental Support of Grown Children

    PubMed Central

    Fingerman, Karen L.; Cheng, Yen-Pi; Wesselmann, Eric D.; Zarit, Steven; Furstenberg, Frank; Birditt, Kira S.

    2015-01-01

    Popular media describe adverse effects of helicopter parents who provide intense support to grown children, but few studies have examined implications of such intense support. Grown children (N = 592, M age = 23.82 years, 53% female, 35% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) and their parents (n = 399, M age = 50.67 years, 52% female; 34% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) reported on the support they exchanged with one another. Intense support involved parents’ providing several types of support (e.g., financial, advice, emotional) many times a week. Parents and grown children who engaged in such frequent support viewed it as nonnormative (i.e., too much support), but grown children who received intense support reported better psychological adjustment and life satisfaction than grown children who did not receive intense support. Parents who perceived their grown children as needing too much support reported poorer life satisfaction. The discussion focuses on generational differences in the implications of intense parental involvement during young adulthood. PMID:26336323

  10. Support from spouse as mediator and moderator of the disruptive influence of economic strain on parenting.

    PubMed

    Simons, R L; Lorenz, F O; Conger, R D; Wu, C I

    1992-10-01

    A model is presented regarding associations between economic strain, support from spouse, and quality of parenting. The model was tested using a sample of 451 2-parent families, each of which included a seventh grader (age 12-13). Parent and adolescent reports, as well as observational ratings, were used as indicators of constructs. Analysis using structural equation modeling procedures indicated that level of spouse support was positively related to supportive parenting, whereas economic strain operated to undermine parental involvement. As posited, economic strain produced its effect through a direct relation with parenting and indirectly through its association with spouse support. These findings held for mothers and fathers, regardless of the gender of the child. Spouse support moderated the impact of economic strain on supportive parenting for mothers but not fathers. Possible explanations for this gender difference are presented.

  11. “I’ll Give You the World”: Socioeconomic Differences in Parental Support of Adult Children

    PubMed Central

    Fingerman, Karen L.; Kim, Kyungmin; Davis, Eden M.; Furstenberg, Frank F.; Birditt, Kira S.; Zarit, Steven H.

    2015-01-01

    Research has shown that parents with higher socioeconomic status provide more resources to their children during childhood and adolescence. The authors asked whether similar effects associated with parental socioeconomic position are extended to adult children. Middle-aged parents (N = 633) from the Family Exchanges Study reported support they provided to their grown children and coresidence with grown children (N = 1,384). Parents with higher income provided more emotional and material support to the average children. Grown children of parents with less education were more likely to coreside with them. Parental resources (e.g., being married) and demands (e.g., family size) explained these patterns. Of interest is that lower income parents provided more total support to all children (except total financial support). Lower income families may experience a double jeopardy; each grown child receives less support on average, but parents exert greater efforts providing more total support to all their children. PMID:26339102

  12. Expectant parents' views of factors influencing infant feeding decisions in the antenatal period: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Roll, Coralie L; Cheater, Francine

    2016-08-01

    To explore the factors that influence expectant parents' infant feeding decisions in the antenatal period. Mixed method systematic review focussing on participant views data. CINAHL, Medline, Embase and PsychInfo databases were interrogated using initial keywords and then refined terms to elicit relevant studies. Reference lists were checked and hand-searching was undertaken for 2 journals ('Midwifery' and 'Social Science and Medicine') covering a 3 year time period (January 2011-March 2014). Key inclusion criteria: studies reflecting expectant parents' views of the factors influencing their infant feeding decisions in the antenatal period; Studies in the English language published after 1990, from developed countries and of qualitative, quantitative or mixed method design. A narrative interpretive synthesis of the views data from studies of qualitative, quantitative and mixed method design. Data were extracted on study characteristics and parents' views, using the Social Ecological Model to support data extraction and thematic synthesis. Synthesis was influenced by the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-Ordinating Centre approach to mixed method reviews. Of the 409 studies identified through search methods, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. Thematic synthesis identified 9 themes: Bonding/Attachment; Body Image; Self Esteem/Confidence; Female Role Models; Family and Support Network; Lifestyle; Formal Information Sources; Knowledge; and Feeding in front of others/Public. The review identified a significant bias in the data towards negative factors relating to the breastfeeding decision, suggesting that infant feeding was not a choice between two feeding options, but rather a process of weighing reasons for and against breastfeeding. Findings reflected the perception of the maternal role as intrinsic to the expectant mothers' infant feeding decisions. Cultural perceptions permeated personal, familial and social influences on the decision-making process. Expectant mothers were sensitive to the way professionals attempted to support and inform them about infant feeding choices. By taking a Social Ecological perspective, we were able to explore and demonstrate the multiple influences impacting on expectant parents in the decision-making process. A better understanding of expectant parents' views and experiences in making infant feeding decisions in the prenatal and antenatal periods will inform public health policy and the coordination of service provision to support infant feeding activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. 20 CFR 219.56 - When evidence of a parent's support is required.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When evidence of a parent's support is... a parent's support is required. If a person applies for a parent's annuity, the Board will require evidence to show that the parent received at least one-half of his or her support from the employee in the...

  14. Parental Support and Objectively Measured Physical Activity in Children: A Yearlong Cluster-Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laukkanen, Arto; Pesola, Arto J.; Finni, Taija; Sääkslahti, Arja

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: We studied whether physical activity (PA) counseling for parents influenced the level of parental support of children's PA and leisure-time PA in children of different levels of initial parental support. We hypothesized that the initial level of parental support would moderate the intervention efficacy. Method: Children (n = 44,…

  15. The Role of Internalized Stereotyping, Parental Pressure, and Parental Support on Asian Americans' Choice of College Major

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shen, Frances C.

    2015-01-01

    The author explored the relationship between internalized stereotyping, parental pressure, and parental support on major choices among 315 Asian American undergraduate and graduate students. Results indicated that parental support, but not parental pressure, toward certain majors was associated with more stereotypical major choices. In addition,…

  16. The moderating role of empathy in the association between parental support and adolescent aggressive and delinquent behavior.

    PubMed

    Van der Graaff, Jolien; Branje, Susan; De Wied, Minet; Meeus, Wim

    2012-01-01

    The present two-wave longitudinal study addressed the role of affective empathy and parental support in aggressive and delinquent behavior in a sample of 323 adolescents (158 boys, 165 girls). Self-report questionnaires were used to assess affective empathy, perceived support from parents, delinquency, and aggression. Guided by theories on children's differential susceptibility to socialization, we expected adolescents with different levels of empathy to vary in their responsiveness to parental support. In agreement with our hypothesis, empathy moderated the relation of perceived parental support with aggressive and delinquent behavior. Controlling for the effect of gender and for the stability of aggression and delinquency, higher perceived parental support was predictive of lower levels of aggression at age 15, but only for adolescents high in empathy. Remarkably, adolescents low in empathy not only appeared to benefit less from parental support, but even showed more aggression and delinquency at age 15 when they perceived their parents to be more supportive at age 14. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Measuring vaccine acceptance among Canadian parents: A survey of the Canadian Immunization Research Network.

    PubMed

    Dubé, Eve; Gagnon, Dominique; Ouakki, Manale; Bettinger, Julie A; Witteman, Holly O; MacDonald, Shannon; Fisher, William; Saini, Vineet; Greyson, Devon

    2018-01-25

    Parental decision making about childhood vaccinations is complex and multidimensional. There is a perception that the number of parents having concerns regarding childhood vaccinations has been increasing in Canada. The aim of this study was to explore vaccine hesitancy among Canadian parents and to examine factors associated with a parent's intention to vaccinate his/her child. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) this study assesses potential associations between parents' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs toward vaccination and their intention to vaccinate their child in the future. A national sample of Canadian parents of children aged 24-59 months (N = 2013) was surveyed using an online survey methodology. Half of the surveyed parents strongly intended to have their child vaccinated in the future. Parents' information needs and searches as well as parents' trust in different institutions were associated with intention to vaccinate. Parents who reported having frequently looked for vaccine information, who considered that it was their role as parents to question vaccines, or who had previously experienced difficulty accessing vaccination services were less likely to strongly intend to vaccinate their child in the future. Parents who had a high level of trust in doctors and public health were most likely to strongly intend to vaccinate their child. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that positive attitudes (aOR = 8.0; 95% CI: 6.0, 10.4), higher perceived social support (aOR = 3.0; 95% CI: 2.3, 3.93), and higher perceived behavioural control (aOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.4, 2.43) were associated with parents' intention to vaccinate their child. Findings of this study suggest that trust-building interventions that promote pro-vaccine social norms and that address negative attitudes toward vaccination could enhance vaccine acceptance among Canadian parents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. [Parent satisfaction with the Loire Infant Follow-up Team (LIFT) premature and at-risk infant network in the Pays-de-la-Loire area (France)].

    PubMed

    Branger, B; Rouger, V; Beucher, A; Bouderlique, C; Blayo, S; Le Mauff, E; Roze, J-C; Moret, L; Paillé-Ricolleau, C; N'guyen, S; Winer, N

    2010-10-01

    The Loire Infant Follow-up Team (LIFT) is a network for caring for premature infants whose gestational age is 34 WA or less and at-risk neonates in the Pays-de-la-Loire area in France. The network aims to screen for clinical anomalies early and to propose adapted care. Trained physicians follow the included children in a standardized manner at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months and 2 years, with a specific examination by psychologists at 2 years. The aim of the study was to assess the satisfaction of the parents of the children followed. To evaluate parent satisfaction, a questionnaire from the Consumer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) in its French version was sent to parents whose infants were 2 years old, stratifying on the presence of an anomaly. The questioner had 39 items, with 8 specific items on the network and 31 from the CSS. The questionnaire was mailed twice in September 2006. Out of 300 questionnaires mailed, 269 were returned (rate 89.7 %). The questionnaire was assessed using principal component analysis with 2 dimensions for the 30 items common to all children, one of which covered empathy with physicians and the other with the consulting psychologists at 2 years. The validity was good (Cronbach coefficient, 0.91). The answers to overall questions such as "We are satisfied with the care in the network" scored 16.1±0.7/20, with 90 % "totally agree" or "moderately agree" responses. The "The care is perfect" scored 14.6±0.7/20 with 78 % agreeing with the statement. The total score for 30 general questions was 14.6±3.1 (median, 14.9). The total score was lower for infants with anomalies: 13.7±3.3 versus 14.9±2.9 (P<0.01). The answers with a low score (<10) were given by 22 parents (8.2 %). There was no significant relation between the total score or the satisfaction score and neonatal events. A postal survey is helpful to know the views of parents on the follow-up of their infants. This good level of satisfaction seems to stem from the parents feeling they belong to the network, the quality of the relationships with personnel, and the doctors' empathy, as well as the number of contacts between parents and the network coordinator. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. Long-term psychosocial effects of parental divorce: a follow-up study from adolescence to adulthood.

    PubMed

    Huurre, Taina; Junkkari, Hanna; Aro, Hillevi

    2006-06-01

    The purpose of this 16-year follow-up study was to investigate whether 32-year-old adults who had experienced parental divorce before 16 years of age (n = 317) differed in psychosocial well-being or life trajectories from those from non-divorced two-parent families (n = 1069). The data were obtained from a follow-up survey of a Finnish urban age cohort from the age of 16 till 32 years (n = 1471). The long-term impact of parental divorce on a variety of outcomes in adulthood, including psychological well-being, life situation, health behaviour, social networks and support, negative life events and interpersonal problems, was assessed. Females from divorced compared to non-divorced families reported more psychological problems (higher scores in the Beck Depression Inventory, General Health Questionnaire and Psychosomatic Symptoms Score) and more problems in their interpersonal relationships. These differences were not found among males. Shorter education,unemployment, divorce, negative life events and more risky health behaviour were more common among subjects of both genders with a background of parental divorce. The study revealed that parental divorce is an indicator of sufficient stress in childhood for its influences to persist well into adulthood, possibly with wider scope among females. It is important to recognise specific needs of children in the divorce process in order to prevent or minimize negative consequences and chain reactions during their subsequent life.

  20. The Role of Online Social Support in Supporting and Educating Parents of Young Children With Special Health Care Needs in the United States: A Scoping Review.

    PubMed

    DeHoff, Beth A; Staten, Lisa K; Rodgers, Rylin Christine; Denne, Scott C

    2016-12-22

    When parents of young children with special health care needs (CSHCN) receive their child's diagnosis, they encounter information they may not understand, emotions they may not know how to cope with, and questions about their child's immediate and long-term future that frequently lack answers. The challenge of health care providers is how to prepare parents for caring for their CSHCN, for coping with any resulting challenges, and for accessing the systems and services that can assist them. The purpose of this work was to review evidence of the information and support needs of parents of young CSHCN and to determine whether online social support can serve as an avenue for learning and empowerment for these parents. A scoping review identified the challenges, coping mechanisms, and support needs among parents of CSHCN, and the reach and effectiveness of digital technologies with these families and health care providers. We also conducted interviews with professionals serving parents of CSHCN. The literature review and interviews suggested that parents best learn the information they need, and cope with the emotional challenges of raising a CSHCN, with support from other parents of CSHCN, and that young parents in recent years have most often been finding this parent-to-parent support through digital media, particularly social media, consistent with the theory of online social support. Evidence also shows that social media, particularly Facebook, is used by nearly all women aged 18-29 years across racial and socioeconomic lines in the United States. Parents of young CSHCN experience significant stress but gain understanding, receive support, and develop the ability to care for and be advocates for their child through parent-to-parent emotional and informational social support. Online social support is most effective with young adults of childbearing age, with social media and apps being the most useful within the theoretical framework of social support. This opens new opportunities to effectively educate and support parents of young CSHCN. Providers seeking to inform, educate, and support families of CSHCN should develop strategies to help parents find and use social support through digital resources to facilitate their emotional adjustment and practical abilities to care for and access services for their child. ©Beth DeHoff, Lisa K Staten, Rylin Christine Rodgers, Scott C Denne. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 22.12.2016.

  1. Defining "peerness": Developing peer supports for parents with mental illnesses.

    PubMed

    Nicholson, Joanne; Valentine, Anne

    2018-06-01

    This article addresses critical considerations in the development of peer supports for parents with mental illnesses, focusing on the question of what makes a peer a peer in the parent peer specialist domain. The implementation and testing of parent peer supports requires specification of the critical components of the model, including the qualities, characteristics, and unique contributions of the parent peer specialist. Themes emerged in Parent Peer Specialist Project Advisory Group discussions, with members drawing from lived experience, practice expertise, and conversations with experts. In addition to literature review, strategic stakeholder interviews were conducted. Lived experience of mental illness and family life, training, and ongoing support for parent peer specialists, along with key ingredients conveyed by perceived peer-parent similarity, will likely enhance the benefits of peer supports to parents and promote job satisfaction and career advancement for parent peer specialists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. How do relationships support parenting? Effects of attachment style and social support on parenting behavior in an at-risk population.

    PubMed

    Green, Beth L; Furrer, Carrie; McAllister, Carol

    2007-09-01

    The importance of supportive relationships for new parents has been the focus of both research and parenting interventions. Attachment style, typically viewed as a relatively stable trait reflecting one's comfort in social relationships, as well as social support, or one's perception of the social context, have both been found to be important for fostering engaged, involved parenting. Less is known, however, about how these variables work together to influence parenting behavior, especially in families at higher risk for negative child outcomes. Data were collected from 152 urban, predominantly African American, low-income parents when their children were 14 and 36 months of age. Results suggest that parents with more social support show greater increases in the frequency of positive parent-child activities over time, but that this effect is mediated by mothers' attachment style, specifically, their level of anxious/ambivalent attachment. Mothers with more social support tended to be less anxious/ambivalent about close relationships, and this in turn led to increases over time in the frequency of parent-child interactions. Mothers' tendency to avoid close relationships, however, while correlated with social support, was unrelated to changes in parenting behavior. Implications of these findings for program development, parenting, and the malleability of attachment style based on social context are discussed.

  3. The impact of parent advocacy groups, the Internet, and social networking on rare diseases: the IDEA League and IDEA League United Kingdom example.

    PubMed

    Black, Angela P; Baker, Marie

    2011-04-01

    The development of the Internet and subsequent evolution of social networking has significantly changed the effectiveness of patient advocacy groups for rare diseases. The greatest degree of change has occurred at the patient level, with an increased ability of affected individuals to share experiences and support, and to raise public awareness. Other changes have occurred, not only in the way rare diseases are diagnosed, studied, and treated, but also in how they are addressed at the level of legislation and public policy. The International Dravet syndrome Epilepsy Action League (IDEA League) is the leading patient advocacy organization for Dravet syndrome and related genetic ion-channel epilepsy disorders (hereafter referred to as Dravet syndrome or severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy, SMEI). The IDEA League's mission encompasses international support and outreach for patients and families, as well as collaboration with physicians, medical education, health care coordination, and research. The IDEA League is an excellent example of the impact of patient advocacy groups, the Internet, and social networking on the landscape of rare diseases. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 International League Against Epilepsy.

  4. Understanding the parents of children with special needs: collaboration between health, social and education networks.

    PubMed

    Tétreault, S; Freeman, A; Carrière, M; Beaupré, P; Gascon, H; Marier Deschênes, P

    2014-11-01

    In 2003, Quebec's Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) and the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports (MELS) concluded the Agreement for the complementarity of services between the health and social services network and the education network. The objectives of the current investigation were to evaluate the implementation of this Agreement and its impact upon renewal of practices and services, and to investigate the consequences for children with special needs and their families. The specific focus of this article is to describe parents' perspectives regarding the impact of this Agreement upon them and their children. Interviews were conducted with 56 parents of children with disabilities, social maladjustment or learning difficulties across the province of Quebec. Data were analysed using content analysis. Most parents were not directly aware of any contact between school staff and health or social professionals, although discussions might have been held without their knowledge. The intervention plans seemed to be the main vehicle through which some parents perceived collaboration to be occurring. For parents, the impact upon actual practices or collaborative work is either minimal or non-existent. School inclusion of children with special needs is a challenge for all societies. The Agreement illustrates the Quebec government's intent to promote an alliance between two complex networks and has the potential to greatly benefit children and their families. However, more concrete action is required in order to realize specific changes regarding work cohesion and service organization for these groups. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Social Networking Versus Facebook Advertising to Recruit Survey Respondents: A Quasi-Experimental Study

    PubMed Central

    Kypri, Kypros; Bourke, Jesse

    2014-01-01

    Background Increasingly, social contact and knowledge of other people’s attitudes and behavior are mediated by online social media such as Facebook. The main research to which this recruitment study pertains investigates the influence of parents on adolescent alcohol consumption. Given the pervasiveness of online social media use, Facebook may be an effective means of recruitment and intervention delivery. Objective The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of study recruitment via social networks versus paid advertising on Facebook. Methods We conducted a quasi-experimental sequential trial with response rate as the outcome, and estimates of cost-effectiveness. The target population was parents of 13-17 year old children attending high schools in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Recruitment occurred via: method (1) social recruitment using Facebook, email-based, social networks, and media coverage followed by method (2) Facebook advertising. Results Using a range of online and other social network approaches only: method (1) 74 parents were recruited to complete a survey over eight months, costing AUD58.70 per completed survey. After Facebook advertising: method (2) 204 parents completed the survey over four weeks, costing AUD5.94 per completed survey. Participants were representative of the parents recruited from the region’s schools using standard mail and email. Conclusions Facebook advertising is a cost-effective means of recruiting parents, a group difficult to reach by other methods. PMID:25230740

  6. Parental and Peer Support as Predictors of Depression and Self-Esteem among College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Susan Tinsley; Albert, Arielle Berman; Dwelle, Deborah G.

    2014-01-01

    We investigated the relationship between parent support and peer support as predictors of depression and self-esteem in college students. Several competing models of parental and peer influence were compared including a mediational model in which peer support was hypothesized to mediate the effects of parental support on adjustment. The results…

  7. Time and Energy Efficient Relay Transmission for Multi-Hop Wireless Sensor Networks.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jin-Woo; Barrado, José Ramón Ramos; Jeon, Dong-Keun

    2016-06-27

    The IEEE 802.15.4 standard is widely recognized as one of the most successful enabling technologies for short range low rate wireless communications and it is used in IoT applications. It covers all the details related to the MAC and PHY layers of the IoT protocol stack. Due to the nature of IoT, the wireless sensor networks are autonomously self-organized networks without infrastructure support. One of the issues in IoT is the network scalability. To address this issue, it is necessary to support the multi-hop topology. The IEEE 802.15.4 network can support a star, peer-to-peer, or cluster-tree topology. One of the IEEE 802.15.4 topologies suited for the high predictability of performance guarantees and energy efficient behavior is a cluster-tree topology where sensor nodes can switch off their transceivers and go into a sleep state to save energy. However, the IEEE 802.15.4 cluster-tree topology may not be able to provide sufficient bandwidth for the increased traffic load and the additional information may not be delivered successfully. The common drawback of the existing approaches is that they do not address the poor bandwidth utilization problem in IEEE 802.15.4 cluster-tree networks, so it is difficult to increase the network performance. Therefore, to solve this problem in this paper we study a relay transmission protocol based on the standard protocol in the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC. In the proposed scheme, the coordinators can relay data frames to their parent devices or their children devices without contention and can provide bandwidth for the increased traffic load or the number of devices. We also evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme through simulation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can improve the reliability, the end-to-end delay, and the energy consumption.

  8. Time and Energy Efficient Relay Transmission for Multi-Hop Wireless Sensor Networks

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jin-Woo; Barrado, José Ramón Ramos; Jeon, Dong-Keun

    2016-01-01

    The IEEE 802.15.4 standard is widely recognized as one of the most successful enabling technologies for short range low rate wireless communications and it is used in IoT applications. It covers all the details related to the MAC and PHY layers of the IoT protocol stack. Due to the nature of IoT, the wireless sensor networks are autonomously self-organized networks without infrastructure support. One of the issues in IoT is the network scalability. To address this issue, it is necessary to support the multi-hop topology. The IEEE 802.15.4 network can support a star, peer-to-peer, or cluster-tree topology. One of the IEEE 802.15.4 topologies suited for the high predictability of performance guarantees and energy efficient behavior is a cluster-tree topology where sensor nodes can switch off their transceivers and go into a sleep state to save energy. However, the IEEE 802.15.4 cluster-tree topology may not be able to provide sufficient bandwidth for the increased traffic load and the additional information may not be delivered successfully. The common drawback of the existing approaches is that they do not address the poor bandwidth utilization problem in IEEE 802.15.4 cluster-tree networks, so it is difficult to increase the network performance. Therefore, to solve this problem in this paper we study a relay transmission protocol based on the standard protocol in the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC. In the proposed scheme, the coordinators can relay data frames to their parent devices or their children devices without contention and can provide bandwidth for the increased traffic load or the number of devices. We also evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme through simulation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can improve the reliability, the end-to-end delay, and the energy consumption. PMID:27355952

  9. Brain basis of early parent–infant interactions: psychology, physiology, and in vivo functional neuroimaging studies

    PubMed Central

    Swain, James E.; Lorberbaum, Jeffrey P.; Kose, Samet; Strathearn, Lane

    2015-01-01

    Parenting behavior critically shapes human infants’ current and future behavior. The parent–infant relationship provides infants with their first social experiences, forming templates of what they can expect from others and how to best meet others’ expectations. In this review, we focus on the neurobiology of parenting behavior, including our own functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain imaging experiments of parents. We begin with a discussion of background, perspectives and caveats for considering the neurobiology of parent–infant relationships. Then, we discuss aspects of the psychology of parenting that are significantly motivating some of the more basic neuroscience research. Following that, we discuss some of the neurohormones that are important for the regulation of social bonding, and the dysregulation of parenting with cocaine abuse. Then, we review the brain circuitry underlying parenting, proceeding from relevant rodent and nonhuman primate research to human work. Finally, we focus on a study-by-study review of functional neuroimaging studies in humans. Taken together, this research suggests that networks of highly conserved hypothalamic–midbrain–limbic–paralimbic–cortical circuits act in concert to support aspects of parent response to infants, including the emotion, attention, motivation, empathy, decision-making and other thinking that are required to navigate the complexities of parenting. Specifically, infant stimuli activate basal forebrain regions, which regulate brain circuits that handle specific nurturing and caregiving responses and activate the brain’s more general circuitry for handling emotions, motivation, attention, and empathy – all of which are crucial for effective parenting. We argue that an integrated understanding of the brain basis of parenting has profound implications for mental health. PMID:17355399

  10. Management of Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks Utilizing Multi-Parent Recursive Area Hierarchies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cree, Johnathan V.; Delgado-Frias, Jose

    2013-04-19

    Autonomously configuring and self-healing a largescale wireless sensor network requires a light-weight maintenance protocol that is scalable. Further, in a battery powered wireless sensor network duty-cycling a node’s radio can reduce the power consumption of a device and extend the lifetime of a network. With duty-cycled nodes the power consumption of a node’s radio depends on the amount of communication is must perform and by reducing the communication the power consumption can also be reduced. Multi-parent hierarchies can be used to reduce the communication cost when constructing a recursive area clustering hierarchy when compared to singleparent solutions that utilize inefficientmore » communication methods such as flooding and information propagation via single-hop broadcasts. The multi-parent hierarchies remain scalable and provides a level of redundancy for the hierarchy.« less

  11. Parenting by persons with intellectual disability: an explorative study in the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Willems, D L; de Vries, J-N; Isarin, J; Reinders, J S

    2007-07-01

    As a sequel to a report by the Health Council of the Netherlands on contraception in persons with intellectual disabilities (IDs), a fierce debate about parenthood by such persons occurred, in which a lack of knowledge about parenting competences became clear. Therefore, the Ministry of Health commissioned a study investigating examples of 'successful parenthood' by persons with IDs. In conformity with the literature and with legal categories, we defined 'successful parenthood' as 'good enough parenthood', meaning no indications for child abuse and/or neglect, no dealings with child protection agencies and no legal custody. We combined a nationwide quantitative questionnaire study with a qualitative interview study. Questionnaires were sent to all institutions involved in caring for persons with ID, interviews were held with 'good enough' parents and their professional caregivers, selected on the basis of returned questionnaires. Parenthood occurs in around 1.5% of persons with ID in the Netherlands and is mostly restricted to those with mild handicaps. In total, 51% of the cases were regarded, by caregivers, as not-good-enough parenthood, 33% were clearly good enough and 16% were doubtful. Predicting factors included the ability and the willingness to follow advice, the quality of the social network and the acceptance of parenting in the community. However, there is not one decisive predicting factor; particularly, the predictive value of the IQ alone is small. A general policy of discouragement of parenthood, as advocated by the Dutch Ministry, is not supported by our results; moreover, it would probably be impossible and have negative effects on social acceptance of parents with ID. The overall conclusion from the study therefore is that some kind of balancing model, in which positive and negative factors are weighed, may be useful to predict success and need for support.

  12. Insights from Australian parents into educational experiences in the early postnatal period.

    PubMed

    McKellar, Lois V; Pincombe, Jan I; Henderson, Ann M

    2006-12-01

    to investigate the provision of parent education during the early postnatal period in order to gain insight that, through stakeholder collaboration, will contribute to the development of innovative strategies to enhance the provision of postnatal education in a contemporary health-care environment. the study comprises the first stage of an action-research project. The first stage of research sought to explore the experiences of mothers and fathers in the early postnatal period by conducting a questionnaire within 4 weeks of the birth of their baby. The data obtained from the questionnaire is to inform an action-research group for stage two of the project. The Children, Youth and Women's Health Service, a large city maternity hospital in South Australia, covering a range of socio-economic strata. 85 parents completed and returned the questionnaire, comprising 52 mothers and 33 fathers. an anonymous self-report questionnaire was purpose designed to provide each parent with an opportunity to reflect on their own experience, with particular emphasis given to the provision of education and support during the early postnatal period. a number of themes emerged, including a window of opportunity during the postnatal hospital stay to provide education and support, despite the reduction in the length of stay; the need for a family-centred approach to maternity services; and the significance of self and social network in the early transition to parenthood. The findings from this stage of the research, combined with a review of the literature, provide insight that will contribute to stage two of the study. At this stage, an action-research group will continue planning to develop specific actions to enhance the provision of education to parents in the early postnatal period. These actions will subsequently be implemented and assessed.

  13. Universal parent support groups for parents of adolescents: Which parents participate and why?

    PubMed

    Alfredsson, Elin K; Broberg, Anders G

    2016-04-01

    Leader-led parent support groups, offered universally to parents of adolescents, are increasingly common, yet little is known of the parents who use this support. The study presented here explored the characteristics of parents of 10- to 17-year-olds (N = 192) who had enlisted in universal support groups and their reasons for enrollment. Sociodemographic factors (parents' country of origin, educational level, long-term sick-leave or unemployment, and marital status) were compared to the general population (Statistics Sweden, 2012) and parents' psychological health and children's psychiatric symptoms were compared to a control group (the BITA study). Results showed that support group parents reported more psychosocial difficulties, such as higher frequency of long-term sick-leave or unemployment, more symptoms of anxiety and depression and more psychiatric symptoms in their children than parents in general. While about a fifth of the parents had problem-oriented (targeted) reasons for enrollment, most parents had general (universal) reasons. Thus, the universal approach does seem to reach its intended recipients. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Parental responses to child experiences of trauma following presentation at emergency departments: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Williamson, Victoria; Creswell, Cathy; Butler, Ian; Christie, Hope

    2016-01-01

    Objective Parents are often children's main source of support following fear-inducing traumatic events, yet little is known about how parents provide that support. The aim of this study was to examine parents' experiences of supporting their child following child trauma exposure and presentation at an emergency department (ED). Design Semistructured qualitative interviews analysed using thematic analysis. Setting The setting for this study was two National Health Service EDs in England. Participants 20 parents whose child experienced a traumatic event and attended an ED between August 2014 and October 2015. Results Parents were sensitive to their child's distress and offered reassurance and support for their child to resume normal activities. However, parental beliefs often inhibited children's reinstatement of pretrauma routines. Support often focused on preventing future illness or injury, reflective of parents' concerns for their child's physical well-being. In a minority of parents, appraisals of problematic care from EDs contributed to parents' anxiety and perceptions of their child as vulnerable post-trauma. Forgetting the trauma and avoidance of discussion were encouraged as coping strategies to prevent further distress. Parents highlighted their need for further guidance and support regarding their child's physical and emotional recovery. Conclusions This study provides insight into the experiences of and challenges faced by parents in supporting their child following trauma exposure. Perceptions of their child's physical vulnerability and treatment influenced parents' responses and the supportive strategies employed. These findings may enable clinicians to generate meaningful advice for parents following child attendance at EDs post-trauma. PMID:27821599

  15. Evaluating Rural Preschool Speech-Language Services: Consumer Satisfaction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grela, Bernard G.; Illerbrun, David

    1998-01-01

    A survey evaluated the satisfaction of 79 parents with the delivery of preschool speech-language services in a rural region of Canada. While parents were generally supportive of the services, they were less supportive of service convenience, parent support, and overall parent satisfaction. Intervention format received the lowest parent rating.…

  16. Teen Mothers Parenting their Own Teen Offspring: The Moderating Role of Parenting Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riggs, Laura; Holmbeck, Grayson; Paikoff, Roberta; Bryant, Fred B.

    2004-01-01

    This study investigated whether parenting support moderated relations between age of mother at childbirth and parental responsiveness and monitoring. The sample included 212 African American families living in urban public housing; offspring were entering adolescence when data were collected. Parenting support was measured by assessing the…

  17. Influence of Kinship Social Support on the Parenting Experiences and Psychosocial Adjustment of African-American Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Ronald D.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Questionnaires assessed kinship support, psychosocial adjustment, and parenting practices for 125 African-American adolescents. Found that kinship support for adolescents was positively associated with adolescent adjustment and authoritative parenting practices in single- but not two-parent families and that parenting practices mediated the…

  18. Parental Support of Children's Physical Activity in Hong Kong

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leung, Ka-Man; Chung, Pak-Kwong; Kim, Seungmo

    2017-01-01

    This study (a) presented a structural model for examining how parents' perceptions of their children's competence, exercise benefits, exercise barriers and neighbourhood safety influenced parental support and their children's physical activity (PA) and (b) examined the mediating effect of parental support on children's PA. Parents of 478 children…

  19. Predicting Parenting Stress in Families of Children with ADHD: Parent and Contextual Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theule, Jennifer; Wiener, Judith; Rogers, Maria A.; Marton, Imola

    2011-01-01

    We examined parental ADHD symptoms and contextual (parental education, social support, marital status) predictors of parent domain parenting stress (parental distress) as a function of child ADHD symptoms in a sample of 95 parents of 8 to 12 year-old children with and without ADHD. Parents' perceptions of parental distress and social support were…

  20. Effects of Parent and Child Pre-Intervention Characteristics on Child Skill Acquisition during a School Readiness Intervention

    PubMed Central

    Mathis, Erin T. B.; Bierman, Karen L.

    2016-01-01

    200 preschool children in Head Start (55% girls; 20% Hispanic, 25% African-American, 55% European American; M age = 4.80 years old) participated in a randomized-controlled trial of a home visiting intervention designed to promote their emergent literacy skills (the Research-based Developmentally Informed parent [REDI-P] program). This study explored concurrent changes in levels of parent support and child literacy skills that occurred over the course of the intervention, and examined the impact of pre-intervention parent support and child literacy skills as potential moderators of parent and child outcomes. Cross-lagged structural equation models and follow-up analyses indicated that intervention had the strongest impact on child literacy skills when parents were high on support at the pre-intervention assessment. Conversely, the REDI-Parent program promoted the greatest gains in parent support when parents entered the program with low levels. These findings suggest that families may benefit from home visit school readiness interventions in different ways: child skill acquisition may be greatest when parents are initially high in support, whereas parenting may improve most when parents are initially low in support. PMID:27279678

  1. Intergenerational transfers in the era of HIV/AIDS: Evidence from rural Malawi.

    PubMed

    Kohler, Iliana V; Kohler, Hans-Peter; Anglewicz, Philip; Behrman, Jere R

    2012-12-13

    Intergenerational transfer patterns in sub-Saharan Africa are poorly understood, despite the alleged importance of support networks to ameliorate the complex implications of the HIV/AIDS epidemic for families. There is a considerable need for research on intergenerational support networks and transfers to better understand the mechanisms through which extended families cope with the HIV/AIDS epidemic and potentially alleviate some of its consequences in sub-Saharan Africa, and to comprehend how transfers respond-or not-to perceptions about own and other family members' health. Using the 2008 round of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH), we estimate the age patterns and the multiple directions of financial and non-financial transfer flows in rural Malawi-from prime-aged respondents to their elderly parents and adult children age 15 and up. We also estimate the social, demographic and economic correlates of financial and non-financial transfers of financial intergenerational transfers in this context. Our findings are that: (1) intergenerational financial and non-financial transfers are widespread and a key characteristic of family relationships in rural Malawi; (2) downward and upward transfers are importantly constrained and determined by the availability of transfer partners (parents or adult children); (3) financial net transfers are strongly age-patterned and the middle generations are net-providers of transfers; (4) non-financial transfers are based on mutual assistance rather than reallocation of resources; and (5) intergenerational transfers are generally not related to health status, including HIV positive status.

  2. Keeping the Spirits Up: The Effect of Teachers' and Parents' Emotional Support on Children's Working Memory Performance.

    PubMed

    Vandenbroucke, Loren; Spilt, Jantine; Verschueren, Karine; Baeyens, Dieter

    2017-01-01

    Working memory, used to temporarily store and mentally manipulate information, is important for children's learning. It is therefore valuable to understand which (contextual) factors promote or hinder working memory performance. Recent research shows positive associations between positive parent-child and teacher-student interactions and working memory performance and development. However, no study has yet experimentally investigated how parents and teachers affect working memory performance. Based on attachment theory, the current study investigated the role of parent and teacher emotional support in promoting working memory performance by buffering the negative effect of social stress. Questionnaires and an experimental session were completed by 170 children from grade 1 to 2 ( M age = 7 years 6 months, SD = 7 months). Questionnaires were used to assess children's perceptions of the teacher-student and parent-child relationship. During an experimental session, working memory was measured with the Corsi task backward (Milner, 1971) in a pre- and post-test design. In-between the tests stress was induced in the children using the Cyberball paradigm (Williams et al., 2000). Emotional support was manipulated (between-subjects) through an audio message (either a weather report, a supportive message of a stranger, a supportive message of a parent, or a supportive message of a teacher). Results of repeated measures ANOVA showed no clear effect of the stress induction. Nevertheless, an effect of parent and teacher support was found and depended on the quality of the parent-child relationship. When children had a positive relationship with their parent, support of parents and teachers had little effect on working memory performance. When children had a negative relationship with their parent, a supportive message of that parent decreased working memory performance, while a supportive message from the teacher increased performance. In sum, the current study suggests that parents and teachers can support working memory performance by being supportive for the child. Teacher support is most effective when the child has a negative relationship with the parent. These insights can give direction to specific measures aimed at preventing and resolving working memory problems and related issues.

  3. Parent-to-parent support for parents with children who are deaf or hard of hearing: a conceptual framework.

    PubMed

    Henderson, Rebecca J; Johnson, Andrew; Moodie, Sheila

    2014-12-01

    Parent-to-parent support for parents with children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) is identified as an important component of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs for children with hearing loss. The specific aim of this review was to identify the constructs and components of parent-to-parent support for parents of children who are D/HH. An extensive scoping literature review identified 39 peer-reviewed articles published from 2000 to 2014. Studies were selected and reviewed based on standardized procedures. Data were identified, extracted, and organized into libraries of thematic and descriptive content. A conceptual framework of parent-to-parent support for parents of children who are D/HH was developed and presented in a comprehensive, bidirectional informational graphic. The constructs and components of the conceptual framework are (a) well-being: parent, family, and child; (b) knowledge: advocacy, system navigation, and education; and (c) empowerment: confidence and competence. The findings from this scoping review led to the development of a structured conceptual framework of parent-to-parent support for parents of children who are D/HH. The conceptual framework provides an important opportunity to explore and clearly define the vital contribution of parents in EHDI programs.

  4. Understanding Communities of Neglectful Parents: Child Caregiving Networks and Child Neglect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roditti, Martha G.

    2005-01-01

    This article focuses on family social networks and the community of caregivers of neglected children. If neglect is part of family functioning, who watches over the children? Using a case study approach, this study researched 12 children and their parents. Several concepts, such as multiple caregiving and kin keepers, revealed that study children…

  5. Parental Networks, Ethnicity, and Social and Cultural Capital: The Societal Dynamics of Educational Resilience in Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çelik, Çetin

    2017-01-01

    Resilience research has increasingly gained ground in the field of education research, due to its potential for ameliorating inequalities. This article deals with the emergence of educational resilience, with particular attention to parental network structure, by employing a Bourdieusian social and cultural capital approach. While much of the…

  6. Families, Technology, and Literacy: Roles and Research Resources for School Library Media Specialists (Part II).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barron, Daniel D.

    1997-01-01

    Reviews 39 resources investigating issues such as the family/school connection; one and two parent families; loneliness in adolescent females; disabilities; parents as "schoolmates"; getting parents involved; the role of Spanish-speaking parents; art therapy; enhancing prosocial behavior; school-community networks; language, cultural,…

  7. Unpacking Parent Involvement: Korean American Parents' Collective Networking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Minjung

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the ways in which a group of Korean American parents perceived and responded to institutional inequalities in a family-school partnership. In their school, which had a growing Asian population, the dominant group's middle-class perspective on parent involvement became normal and operated as an overarching structure. Drawing…

  8. Parental social support and the physical activity-related behaviors of youth: a review.

    PubMed

    Beets, Michael W; Cardinal, Bradley J; Alderman, Brandon L

    2010-10-01

    Social support from parents serves as one of the primary influences of youth physical activity-related behaviors. A systematic review was conducted on the relationship of parental social support to the physical activity-related behaviors of youth. Four categories of social support were identified, falling under two distinct mechanisms-tangible and intangible. Tangible social support is divided into two categories: instrumental-purchasing equipment/payment of fees and transportation-and conditional-doing activity with and watching/supervision. Intangible social support is divided into the two categories of motivational- encouragement and praise-and informational-discussing benefits of. The majority of studies demonstrated positive associations among selected measures of parental tangible and intangible social support and youth activity. Overall, parental social support demonstrated positive effects. Many studies, however, combine social support categories and/or respondents into composite measures, making it difficult to disentangle the specific effects of parents and the type of support provided.

  9. Residential Instability, Family Support, and Parent-Child Relationships Among Ethnically Diverse Urban Families.

    PubMed

    Riina, Elizabeth M; Lippert, Adam; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

    2016-08-01

    From a social disorganization standpoint, neighborhood residential instability potentially brings negative consequences to parent-child relationship qualities, but family social support and racial/ethnic identity may modify this association. Using data (n = 3,116) from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, this study examines associations between neighborhood residential instability and parent-child warmth and conflict, whether family social support moderates associations between residential instability and parent-child relationships, and variation by race/ethnicity. Multilevel models reveal that residential instability undermines parent-child relationship qualities, particularly for non-White individuals. Family support is a protective factor for families in less stable neighborhoods, and specifically buffers the association between neighborhood residential instability and reduced parent-child warmth. Among Hispanics, family support mitigates the association between residential instability and heightened parent-child conflict. Findings highlight residential instability as a detriment to parent-child relationships; families in unstable neighborhoods may benefit from family social support.

  10. Antecedents of Chinese parents' autonomy support and psychological control: the interplay between parents' self-development socialization goals and adolescents' school performance.

    PubMed

    Wang, Qian; Chan, Hoi-Wing; Lin, Li

    2012-11-01

    Despite ample evidence for the benefits of parental autonomy support and the harms of parental psychological control to Chinese adolescents' well-being, little is known about what foreshadows these parenting behaviors among Chinese parents. The current research addressed this gap in the literature. It tested the hypothesis that parents' endorsement of self-development socialization goals (i.e., regarding a positive sense of self in terms of holding optimistic attitudes toward oneself, feeling autonomous in one's actions, and establishing one's independence from others, as important for adolescents to develop) and adolescents' school performance may interact to predict parental autonomy support and psychological control in urban China. Three hundred and forty-one Chinese seventh graders (mean age = 13.30 years, 58 % female) and their parents (186 mothers and 155 fathers) participated. Parents reported on their own and their spouses' endorsement of self-development socialization goals; adolescents reported on parental autonomy support and psychological control; and adolescents' grades were obtained from school records. Significant interactions were found between parents' socialization goals and adolescents' grades in predicting parenting behaviors. When adolescents were doing well at school, the stronger parents' endorsement of self-development socialization goals, the greater their autonomy support and the lesser their psychological control; when adolescents were doing poorly at school, regardless of parents' socialization goals, their autonomy support was relatively low and their psychological control was relatively high. These findings highlight a tension between parental concerns over adolescents' self-development and academic success, which needs to be resolved to promote autonomy support and prevent psychological control among urban Chinese parents.

  11. Families that fire together smile together: Resting state connectome similarity and daily emotional synchrony in parent-child dyads

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Tae-Ho; Miernicki, Michelle E.; Telzer, Eva H.

    2017-01-01

    Despite emerging evidence suggesting a biological basis to our social tiles, our understanding of the neural processes which link two minds is unknown. We implemented a novel approach, which included connectome similarity analysis using resting state intrinsic networks of parent-child dyads as well as daily diaries measured across 14 days. Intrinsic resting-state networks for both parents and their adolescent child were identified using independent component analysis (ICA). Results indicate that parents and children who had more similar RSN connectome also had more similar day-to-day emotional synchrony. Furthermore, dyadic RSN connectome similarity was associated with children’s emotional competence, suggesting that being neurally in-tune with their parents confers emotional benefits. We provide the first evidence that dyadic RSN similarity is associated with emotional synchrony in what is often our first and most essential social bond, the parent-child relationship. PMID:28254510

  12. Understanding Factors Associated with Singaporean Adolescents' Intention to Adopt Privacy Protection Behavior Using an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior.

    PubMed

    Ho, Shirley S; Lwin, May O; Yee, Andrew Z H; Lee, Edmund W J

    2017-09-01

    Using an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study explores how the original TPB variables (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), personality traits, privacy concern, past privacy protection behaviors (PPBs), as well as parental mediation strategies relate to adolescents' intention to engage in privacy protection measures. We administered a cross-sectional survey to a nationally representative sample of adolescents (N = 4,920) in Singapore. The sample comprised 50.5 percent females and 49.5 percent males with age ranging from 13 to 21 years (M = 14.73). Results from the hierarchical regression analysis showed that the proposed extended TPB model received partial support. Subjective norms, among the TPB and other factors, have the strongest relationship with adolescents' intention to engage in PPBs on social network sites. Adolescents' privacy concern and their past PPBs are more important in influencing their future PPB compared with personality traits such as neuroticism and extraversion. Adolescents whose parents have engaged in regulated parental mediation are more likely to protect their privacy on SNSs compared with adolescents whose parents have adopted active mediation style.

  13. Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and exposure to violence: parents' opinion1

    PubMed Central

    Stefanini, Jaqueline Rodrigues; Scherer, Zeyne Alves Pires; Scherer, Edson Arthur; Cavalin, Luciana Aparecida; Guazzelli, Mariana Santos

    2015-01-01

    Objective: to identify the opinion of parents or guardians of adolescents diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) about their children's exposure as perpetrators or victims of violence situations in family life or outside. Method: qualitative study with use of thematic oral history. Nine parents of 07 adolescents with ADHD participated. Data were collected from April to September of 2013 using thematic interview. The interviews were recorded at scheduled times at the participants' home, with an average duration of 30 minutes. The findings were submitted to inductive thematic analysis. Results: data analysis allowed the identification of the occurrence of "Conflicts in family life" and "Conflicts in the context of school and community". Parents reported the involvement of their children as victims, perpetrators and witnesses of physical and psychological violence, and the difficulty of them and the school to understand and handle these situations. Conclusion: violence occurs in ADHD adolescents' interpersonal relationships. Communication between health professionals, school and families is precarious. Through the systematization of nursing care, nurses can plan strategies that articulate support networks and interpersonal relationships of adolescents with the disorder (family and school). PMID:26626000

  14. Who participates in support groups for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders? The role of beliefs and coping style.

    PubMed

    Clifford, Tessen; Minnes, Patricia

    2013-01-01

    One hundred forty-nine parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) completed online questionnaires measuring their beliefs about support groups and ASD, coping style, social support, mood, and use of support groups. Those currently using parent support groups (PSGs) reported using more adaptive coping strategies than both parents who had never used PSGs and parents who had used PSGs in the past. Past PSG users reported that they did not find the groups as beneficial as current users, and parents who had never participated in PSGs reported difficulties with the accessibility of PSGs. Based on the current results, interventions for parents of children with ASD that are focused on meeting the needs identified by participating parents may be most effective.

  15. An Enriched Unified Medical Language System Semantic Network with a Multiple Subsumption Hierarchy

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Li; Perl, Yehoshua; Halper, Michael; Geller, James; Cimino, James J.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: The Unified Medical Language System's (UMLS's) Semantic Network's (SN's) two-tree structure is restrictive because it does not allow a semantic type to be a specialization of several other semantic types. In this article, the SN is expanded into a multiple subsumption structure with a directed acyclic graph (DAG) IS-A hierarchy, allowing a semantic type to have multiple parents. New viable IS-A links are added as warranted. Design: Two methodologies are presented to identify and add new viable IS-A links. The first methodology is based on imposing the characteristic of connectivity on a previously presented partition of the SN. Four transformations are provided to find viable IS-A links in the process of converting the partition's disconnected groups into connected ones. The second methodology identifies new IS-A links through a string matching process involving names and definitions of various semantic types in the SN. A domain expert is needed to review all the results to determine the validity of the new IS-A links. Results: Nineteen new IS-A links are added to the SN, and four new semantic types are also created to support the multiple subsumption framework. The resulting network, called the Enriched Semantic Network (ESN), exhibits a DAG-structured hierarchy. A partition of the ESN containing 19 connected groups is also derived. Conclusion: The ESN is an expanded abstraction of the UMLS compared with the original SN. Its multiple subsumption hierarchy can accommodate semantic types with multiple parents. Its representation thus provides direct access to a broader range of subsumption knowledge. PMID:14764611

  16. EARLY PARENTING SUPPORT AND INFORMATION: A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE.

    PubMed

    Morawska, Alina; Weston, Kate; Bowd, Courtney

    2018-03-01

    The transition to parenthood is a period of both joy and challenge for most parents. There is a recognized need to support parents during this period, yet existing interventions have shown limited evidence of efficacy. This study takes a consumer-focused approach to examine the needs and preferences of parents both prenatally (n = 77) and postnatally (n = 123) for parenting support. The study used a cross-sectional design with a purpose-built online survey. Parents were recruited via online forums, Facebook and parenting blogs, childcare centers, and playgroups. In general, all parents were satisfied with their current levels of both formal and informal support, and about one fourth of parents had accessed a parenting intervention. Parents expressed a moderate level of interest in additional parenting information, and parents expecting their first baby indicated preferences for information about basic baby care needs whereas postnatally, parents expressed more interest in topics around self-care and behavior management. The implications for developing interventions and engaging families are discussed. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  17. Parenting Practices and Perceived Social Support: Longitudinal Relations with the Social Competence of Mexican-origin Children.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Zoe E; Conger, Rand D; Robins, Richard W; Widaman, Keith F

    2015-11-01

    Social bonds and supportive relationships are widely recognized as being indispensable to healthy psychological functioning and well-being. Social support is a psychological resource that is expected to also contribute positively to parenting practices. The present study longitudinally examined the relations between mothers' ( N = 674) and fathers' ( N = 430) perceived social support and parenting behaviors, and their relations with children's social competence during early adolescence in Mexican-origin single and two-parent families. Our constructs of interest (warm parenting, monitoring, perceived social support, and children's social competence) were significantly correlated at T1, and demonstrated significant stability across time for both parental models. Parental warmth (as reported by the child, and opposite parent) and parental monitoring (self-reported by mothers and fathers) were correlated and also showed bidirectional associations across time. Parental monitoring at T2 positively predicted change in children's social competence at T3 (controlling for T1 social competence) for mothers. Parental warmth at T2 positively predicted change in children's social competence at T3 (controlling for T1 social competence) for fathers. For mothers, the indirect effect of social support at T1 on children's social competence at T3 via parental monitoring at T2 (and controlling for prior levels) was significant. Findings suggest that maternal perceived social support contributes to children's social competence due to its positive relation to maternal monitoring. Results may also suggest that mothers' and fathers' parenting behaviors differentially relate to children's social competence in Latino families, although additional work focused on comparing parenting behaviors in two-parent families is needed.

  18. Child Characteristics, Parent Education and Depressive Symptoms, and Marital Conflict Predicting Trajectories of Parenting Behavior from Childhood Through Early Adolescence in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hsieh, Yi-Ping; Dopkins Stright, Anne; Yen, Lee-Lan

    2017-09-01

    The study examined how child and parent characteristics, and contextual sources of stress, such as marital conflict predict initial status and trajectories of parent involvement, support, and harsh control, over a 4-year period in families in Taiwan (n = 4,754). Based on Belsky's (1984) ecological model of parenting, three domains predicting parenting were tested, child characteristics (age cohort and gender), father and mother characteristics (education and depressive symptoms), and contextual sources of stress (marital conflict). The study followed two cohorts of children; the younger cohort was followed from first to fourth grade and the older cohort from fourth to seventh grade. Initially, fourth graders reported more parental involvement, support, and harsh control than first graders. However, involvement, support, and harsh control decreased across the 4 years for the older cohort as they transitioned to early adolescence. In the first year, girls reported more parental involvement and support and less harsh control than boys. Across the 4 years, involvement and support increased, and harsh control decreased for boys; whereas involvement stayed the same, support slightly decreased, and harsh control slightly increased for girls. Children whose parents were more educated reported more parent involvement, support, and harsh control in the first year. Children whose fathers were chronically depressed and whose parents were experiencing marital conflict reported decreasing parent involvement and support over the years. © 2016 Family Process Institute.

  19. Social support, family functioning and parenting competence in adolescent parents.

    PubMed

    Angley, Meghan; Divney, Anna; Magriples, Urania; Kershaw, Trace

    2015-01-01

    Depression is known to mediate the association between low social support and parenting competence in adult mothers, but this relationship is rarely assessed in adolescent mothers and fathers. The primary aim of this study was to identify the association between social support, family functioning and social capital on parenting competence, including self-efficacy and satisfaction in adolescent mothers and their partners. Secondary aims included identifying potential partner effects (e.g. whether a partner's social support influenced the respondent's parenting efficacy). Data was obtained from a subset of participants from a longitudinal study of pregnant adolescent females and their partners. Couples completed individual structured interviews via audio computer-assisted self-interview during pregnancy and at 6 months postpartum. To measure the influence of support on parenting outcomes, multi-level modeling was used to assess the Actor-Partner Interdependence model, which examines responses from both members of a dyad in a single analysis. Greater social support was associated with increased parenting self-efficacy (B = 0.062, p = 0.006) and parenting satisfaction (B = 0.111, p < 0.001). Higher family functioning was also associated with greater parenting satisfaction (B = 0.05, p = 0.035). Greater partner family functioning was associated with higher parenting satisfaction (B = 0.047, p = 0.026). This study found the importance of a strong support structure during pregnancy on perceived parenting competence in the early postpartum period for young mothers and fathers. Both social support and family functioning during pregnancy were associated with a greater sense of parenting competence, and these associations were mediated by parental depression. The results of this study underscore the importance of providing social support for young expectant fathers as well as mothers.

  20. Associations among Child Perceptions of Parenting Support, Maternal Parenting Efficacy and Maternal Depressive Symptoms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnett, Melissa A.; de Baca, Tomas Cabeza; Jordan, Ashley; Tilley, Elizabeth; Ellis, Bruce J.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Children and parents often rely on the support provided by non-parental adults such as extended family members. Expanding conceptualizations of social support beyond traditional nuclear family paradigms to include non-parental adults may be particularly relevant to identifying family strengths among economically disadvantaged and…

  1. 20 CFR 404.750 - Evidence of a parent's support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Evidence Evidence for Child's and Parent's Benefits § 404.750 Evidence of a parent's support. If you apply for parent's benefits, we will ask you for evidence to show that you... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Evidence of a parent's support. 404.750...

  2. 20 CFR 404.750 - Evidence of a parent's support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Evidence Evidence for Child's and Parent's Benefits § 404.750 Evidence of a parent's support. If you apply for parent's benefits, we will ask you for evidence to show that you... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Evidence of a parent's support. 404.750...

  3. 20 CFR 404.750 - Evidence of a parent's support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Evidence Evidence for Child's and Parent's Benefits § 404.750 Evidence of a parent's support. If you apply for parent's benefits, we will ask you for evidence to show that you... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Evidence of a parent's support. 404.750...

  4. 20 CFR 404.750 - Evidence of a parent's support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Evidence Evidence for Child's and Parent's Benefits § 404.750 Evidence of a parent's support. If you apply for parent's benefits, we will ask you for evidence to show that you... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Evidence of a parent's support. 404.750...

  5. 20 CFR 219.57 - Evidence of a parent's support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Evidence of a parent's support. 219.57... EVIDENCE REQUIRED FOR PAYMENT Other Evidence Requirements § 219.57 Evidence of a parent's support. (a) The Board will require the parent's signed statement showing his or her income, any other sources of support...

  6. Effectiveness of a Technology-Based Supportive Educational Parenting Program on Parental Outcomes in Singapore: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

    PubMed

    Shorey, Shefaly; Ng, Yvonne Peng Mei; Siew, An Ling; Yoong, Joanne; Mörelius, Evalotte

    2018-01-10

    Supportive educational programs during the perinatal period are scarce in Singapore. There is no continuity of care available in terms of support from community care nurses in Singapore. Parents are left on their own most of the time, which results in a stressful transition to parenthood. There is a need for easily accessible technology-based educational programs that can support parents during this crucial perinatal period. The aim of this study was to describe the study protocol of a randomized controlled trial on a technology-based supportive educational parenting program. A randomized controlled two-group pretest and repeated posttest experimental design will be used. The study will recruit 118 parents (59 couples) from the antenatal clinics of a tertiary public hospital in Singapore. Eligible parents will be randomly allocated to receive either the supportive educational parenting program or routine perinatal care from the hospital. Outcome measures include parenting self-efficacy, parental bonding, postnatal depression, social support, parenting satisfaction, and cost evaluation. Data will be collected at the antenatal period, immediate postnatal period, and at 1 month and 3 months post childbirth. Recruitment of the study participants commenced in December 2016 and is still ongoing. Data collection is projected to finish within 12 months, by December 2017. This study will identify a potentially clinically useful, effective, and cost-effective supportive educational parenting program to improve parental self-efficacy and bonding in newborn care, which will then improve parents' social support-seeking behaviors, emotional well-being, and satisfaction with parenting. It is hoped that better supported and satisfied parents will consider having more children, which may in turn influence Singapore's ailing birth rate. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 48536064; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN48536064 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6wMuEysiO). ©Shefaly Shorey, Yvonne Peng Mei Ng, An Ling Siew, Joanne Yoong, Evalotte Mörelius. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 10.01.2018.

  7. A realist synthesis of social connectivity interventions during transition to parenthood: The value of relationships.

    PubMed

    Bennett, Claudine T; Buchan, Judy L; Letourneau, Nicole; Shanker, Stuart G; Fenwick, Anne; Smith-Chant, Brenda; Gilmer, Cyndi

    2017-04-01

    Social connections are important during the transition to parenthood. A wide body of literature suggests that these connections enhance health and contribute to wellbeing. In the case of parents and families, social connections can influence child development. Nurses and public health agencies are in a unique position to advocate for resources and approaches to enhance social connectivity for parents during this important life transition. The aim of this review was to identify the universal social connectivity interventions that work, and the conditions that foster social connections for parents and enhance child development. The review was undertaken as part of a larger research project to inform the question: What are the population-level interventions that public health can implement to promote social, emotional and cognitive development from the prenatal period to the end of the first year of life? Social connectivity is one of three domains that were explored in the full study. Realist synthesis. Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, SocAbs, PsychINFO, grey literature. A literature search was conducted using relevant key words and MeSH headings. Nearly 2000 papers were reviewed by title and sorted based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extraction aided quality appraisal and analysis and informed the development of an explanatory mechanism. Twenty-seven papers were included in the synthesis, with findings described in four theme areas: (a) connections in the community, (b) internet connections, (c) prenatal connections, and (d) connections for fathers. The literature available to answer the research question is scant and of varying quality. Community development, family-systems intervention practices, principles of father inclusive practice and group prenatal care models have been demonstrated to foster social connectivity for parents. Online social networking provides valuable informational support. Changing social structures and technology have influenced the way in which new parents access support. Social connections fostered in the parenting environment have the potential to enhance wellbeing for parents and thus contribute to children's positive development. Nurses are in a position to advocate for the use of evidence-informed approaches when planning programs and services for parents. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. When a mother has cancer: strains and resources of affected families from the mother's and father's perspective - a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Inhestern, Laura; Bergelt, Corinna

    2018-05-25

    When a mother has cancer, families with minor children are confronted with major challenges for all family members. According to the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) Model, the (im) balance between strains and resources of families affected by cancer can be an important indicator on the families' adjustment to the situation. Hence, this study aims to explore the strains and resources of families of mothers with cancer from the mother's and father's perspective. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 29 mothers diagnosed with cancer and ten fathers. The data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. Both, mothers and fathers, reported a general impact of the disease regarding social and practical changes as well as strong emotional reactions. Parents reported specific strains and stressors regarding their parental role e.g. changes in the self-concept as a parent or fears and concerns about the children. Many mothers additionally experienced feelings of guilt. All fathers reported an increase of responsibilities and pressure. Both, the ill and healthy parent, reported strains and stressors for their children, e.g. parents observed behavioral changes and strong emotional reactions in their children. Families used a variety of resources and coping strategies on external, family and intrapersonal levels to encounter the challenges of the disease. They reported that e.g. support networks, flexible working hours and competent medical staff were helpful. Moreover, on the family level e.g. family time, open communication and the children themselves were considered to be important resources. On the intrapersonal level, parents reported resources such as setting small aims for the future and taking time for oneself. Our findings indicate a high amount and diversity of stressors and strains for the ill and healthy parent and for their children. At the same time, parents use diverse resources and coping strategies on external, family or intrapersonal level. The assessment of strains and resources may be an important indicator for the support needs of families when a mother has cancer. Enhancing and activating resources and coping strategies may help the families to manage the situation better and may prevent maladjustment in the family members.

  9. Predicting Preschoolers' Attachment Security from Parenting Behaviours, Parents' Attachment Relationships and Their Use of Social Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coyl, Diana D.; Newland, Lisa A.; Freeman, Harry

    2010-01-01

    Associations between preschoolers' attachment security, parenting behaviours (i.e. parent-child involvement, parenting consistency and co-parenting consistency) and parenting context (i.e. parents' internal working models (IWMs) and use of social support) were examined in a sample of 235 culturally diverse families. The authors predicted that…

  10. Authoritative Parenting Among Immigrant Chinese Mothers of Preschoolers

    PubMed Central

    Cheah, Charissa S. L.; Leung, Christy Y. Y.; Tahseen, Madiha; Schultz, David

    2013-01-01

    The goals of this study were: (a) to examine authoritative parenting style among Chinese immigrant mothers of young children, (b) to test the mediational mechanism between authoritative parenting style and children’s outcomes; and (c) to evaluate 3 predictors of authoritative parenting style (psychological well-being, perceived support in the parenting role, parenting stress). Participants included 85 Chinese immigrant mothers and their preschool children. Mothers reported on their parenting style, psychological well-being, perceived parenting support and stress, and children’s hyperactivity/attention. Teacher ratings of child adjustment were also obtained. Results revealed that Chinese immigrant mothers of preschoolers strongly endorsed the authoritative parenting style. Moreover, authoritative parenting predicted increased children’s behavioral/attention regulation abilities (lower hyperactivity/inattention), which then predicted decreased teacher rated child difficulties. Finally, mothers with greater psychological well-being or parenting support engaged in more authoritative parenting, but only under conditions of low parenting stress. Neither well-being nor parenting support predicted authoritative parenting when parenting hassles were high. Findings were discussed in light of cultural- and immigration-related issues facing immigrant Chinese mothers of young children. PMID:19586194

  11. Authoritative parenting among immigrant Chinese mothers of preschoolers.

    PubMed

    Cheah, Charissa S L; Leung, Christy Y Y; Tahseen, Madiha; Schultz, David

    2009-06-01

    The goals of this study were: (a) to examine authoritative parenting style among Chinese immigrant mothers of young children, (b) to test the mediational mechanism between authoritative parenting style and children's outcomes; and (c) to evaluate 3 predictors of authoritative parenting style (psychological well-being, perceived support in the parenting role, parenting stress). Participants included 85 Chinese immigrant mothers and their preschool children. Mothers reported on their parenting style, psychological well-being, perceived parenting support and stress, and children's hyperactivity/attention. Teacher ratings of child adjustment were also obtained. Results revealed that Chinese immigrant mothers of preschoolers strongly endorsed the authoritative parenting style. Moreover, authoritative parenting predicted increased children's behavioral/attention regulation abilities (lower hyperactivity/inattention), which then predicted decreased teacher rated child difficulties. Finally, mothers with greater psychological well-being or parenting support engaged in more authoritative parenting, but only under conditions of low parenting stress. Neither well-being nor parenting support predicted authoritative parenting when parenting hassles were high. Findings were discussed in light of cultural- and immigration-related issues facing immigrant Chinese mothers of young children. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  12. Parental responses to child experiences of trauma following presentation at emergency departments: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Williamson, Victoria; Creswell, Cathy; Butler, Ian; Christie, Hope; Halligan, Sarah L

    2016-11-07

    Parents are often children's main source of support following fear-inducing traumatic events, yet little is known about how parents provide that support. The aim of this study was to examine parents' experiences of supporting their child following child trauma exposure and presentation at an emergency department (ED). Semistructured qualitative interviews analysed using thematic analysis. The setting for this study was two National Health Service EDs in England. 20 parents whose child experienced a traumatic event and attended an ED between August 2014 and October 2015. Parents were sensitive to their child's distress and offered reassurance and support for their child to resume normal activities. However, parental beliefs often inhibited children's reinstatement of pretrauma routines. Support often focused on preventing future illness or injury, reflective of parents' concerns for their child's physical well-being. In a minority of parents, appraisals of problematic care from EDs contributed to parents' anxiety and perceptions of their child as vulnerable post-trauma. Forgetting the trauma and avoidance of discussion were encouraged as coping strategies to prevent further distress. Parents highlighted their need for further guidance and support regarding their child's physical and emotional recovery. This study provides insight into the experiences of and challenges faced by parents in supporting their child following trauma exposure. Perceptions of their child's physical vulnerability and treatment influenced parents' responses and the supportive strategies employed. These findings may enable clinicians to generate meaningful advice for parents following child attendance at EDs post-trauma. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  13. Parents' perceptions of support when a child has cancer: a longitudinal perspective.

    PubMed

    Norberg, Annika Lindahl; Boman, Krister K

    2007-01-01

    Previous research has shown perceived social support to be important for maintaining psychological well-being. However, severe stress may influence a person's perception of the availability and value of support from others. In this prospective study, we investigated changes in subjectively perceived social support among parents of children with cancer. Furthermore, we examined the role of parent gender and emotional distress (anxiety and depression) in predicting change in perceived support. Fifty-one parents (29 mothers and 22 fathers) participated. Perceived support, anxiety, and depression were assessed with self-report questionnaires. Parents were examined on 2 occasions. The initial assessment was completed within the first 6 months of the child's cancer treatment. At the time of the follow-up assessment 12 to 24 months later, cancer treatment was completed for all patients. On a group level, parents reported significantly poorer perceived support at the second assessment. However, further examination showed that for one fourth of the group, perceived support was improved. Depressive symptoms during the child's treatment predicted decline in perceived support. Anxiety and gender were not predictive of a change in perceived support.A comprehensive pediatric care model should pay particular attention to parents with a tottering perception of social support. Furthermore, the findings underscore the importance of early psychosocial attention to avoid negative long-term consequences of depression. Being in the frontline of patient care, the pediatric oncology nurse plays an important role in identifying early parents at risk and in shaping parents' perception of support.

  14. Individual and group based parenting programmes for improving psychosocial outcomes for teenage parents and their children

    PubMed Central

    Barlow, Jane; Smailagic, Nadja; Bennett, Cathy; Huband, Nick; Jones, Hannah; Coren, Esther

    2014-01-01

    Background Parenting programmes are a potentially important means of supporting teenage parents and improving outcomes for their children, and parenting support is a priority across most Western countries. This review updates the previous version published in 2001. Objectives To examine the effectiveness of parenting programmes in improving psychosocial outcomes for teenage parents and developmental outcomes in their children. Search methods We searched to find new studies for this updated review in January 2008 and May 2010 in CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ASSIA, CINAHL, DARE, ERIC, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts and Social Science Citation Index. The National Research Register (NRR) was last searched in May 2005 and UK Clinical Research Network Portfolio Database in May 2010. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials assessing short-term parenting interventions aimed specifically at teenage parents and a control group (no-treatment, waiting list or treatment-as-usual). Data collection and analysis We assessed the risk of bias in each study. We standardised the treatment effect for each outcome in each study by dividing the mean difference in post-intervention scores between the intervention and control groups by the pooled standard deviation. Main results We included eight studies with 513 participants, providing a total of 47 comparisons of outcome between intervention and control conditions. Nineteen comparisons were statistically significant, all favouring the intervention group. We conducted nine meta-analyses using data from four studies in total (each meta-analysis included data from two studies). Four meta-analyses showed statistically significant findings favouring the intervention group for the following outcomes: parent responsiveness to the child post-intervention (SMD −0.91, 95% CI −1.52 to −0.30, P = 0.04); infant responsiveness to mother at follow-up (SMD −0.65, 95% CI −1.25 to −0.06, P = 0.03); and an overall measure of parent-child interactions post-intervention (SMD −0.71, 95% CI −1.31 to −0.11, P = 0.02), and at follow-up (SMD −0.90, 95% CI −1.51 to −0.30, P = 0.004). The results of the remaining five meta-analyses were inconclusive. Authors’ conclusions Variation in the measures used, the included populations and interventions, and the risk of bias within the included studies limit the conclusions that can be reached. The findings provide some evidence to suggest that parenting programmes may be effective in improving a number of aspects of parent-child interaction both in the short- and long-term, but further research is now needed. PMID:21412881

  15. The Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG): Child-reported Physical Activity Parenting in African American and Non-Hispanic White Families.

    PubMed

    Lampard, Amy M; Nishi, Akihiro; Baskin, Monica L; Carson, Tiffany L; Davison, Kirsten K

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a child-report, multidimensional measure of physical activity (PA) parenting, the Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG), in African American and non-Hispanic white families. The ACTS-MG was administered to children aged 5 to 12 years. A three factor model of PA parenting (Modeling of PA, Logistic Support, and Restricting Access to Screen-based Activities) was tested separately for mother's and fathers' PA parenting. The proposed three-factor structure was supported in both racial groups for mothers' PA parenting and in the African American sample for fathers' PA parenting. Factorial invariance between racial groups was demonstrated for mother's PA parenting. Building on a previous study examining the ACTS-MG parent-report, this study supports the use of the ACTS-MG child-report for mothers' PA parenting. However, further research is required to investigate the measurement of fathers' PA parenting across racial groups.

  16. The role of parents in public views of strategies to address childhood obesity in the United States.

    PubMed

    Wolfson, Julia A; Gollust, Sarah E; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Barry, Colleen L

    2015-03-01

    POLICY POINTS: The American public--both men and women and those with and without children in the household--holds parents highly responsible and largely to blame for childhood obesity. High attributions of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity did not universally undermine support for broader policy action. School-based obesity prevention policies were strongly supported, even among those viewing parents as mostly to blame for childhood obesity. Americans who viewed sectors outside the family (such as the food and beverage industry, schools, and the government) as helping address childhood obesity were more willing to support a wider range of population-based obesity prevention policies. The public's views of parents' behaviors and choices--and the attitudes held by parents themselves--are likely to influence the success of efforts to reverse obesity rates. We analyzed data from 2 US national public opinion surveys fielded in 2011 and 2012 to examine attributions of blame and responsibility to parents for obesity, both among the general public and parents themselves, and we also explored the relationship between views of parents and support for obesity prevention policies. We found that attribution of blame and responsibility to parents was consistently high, regardless of parental status or gender. Support for policies to curb childhood obesity also did not differ notably by parental status or gender. Multivariable analyses revealed consistent patterns in the association between public attitudes toward parents' responsibility and support for policies to curb childhood obesity. High parental responsibility was linked to higher support for school-targeted policies but generally was not associated with policies outside the school setting. Attribution of greater responsibility to entities external to children and their parents (schools, the food and beverage industry, and the government) was associated with greater support for both school-targeted and population-based obesity prevention policies. Our findings suggest that the high attribution of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity does not universally undermine support for broader policy action. But appealing to parents to rally support for preventing obesity in the same way as for other parent-initiated social movements (eg, drunk driving) may be challenging outside the school setting. © 2015 Milbank Memorial Fund.

  17. Parents' early healthcare transition experiences with preterm and acutely ill infants: a scoping review.

    PubMed

    Ballantyne, M; Orava, T; Bernardo, S; McPherson, A C; Church, P; Fehlings, D

    2017-11-01

    Parents undergo multiple transitions following the birth of an ill infant: their infant's illness-health trajectory, neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization and transfers from one healthcare setting to another, while also transitioning to parenthood. The objective of this review was to map and synthesize evidence on the experiences and needs of parents of preterm or ill infants as they transition within and between healthcare settings following birth. The scoping review followed Arskey and O'Malley's () framework, enhanced by Levac et al. (). Relevant studies were identified through a comprehensive search strategy of scientific and grey literature databases, online networks, Web of Science and citation lists of relevant articles. Inclusion criteria encompassed a focus on infants undergoing a healthcare transition, and the experiences and needs of parents during transition. Studies were appraised for design quality, and data relevant to parent experiences were extracted and underwent thematic analysis. A total of 7773 records were retrieved, 90 full texts reviewed and 11 articles synthesized that represented a total sample of 435 parents of preterm or ill infants. Parents reported on their experiences in response to their infant's transition within and between hospitals and across levels of neonatal intensive care unit, intermediate and community hospital care. Ten studies used qualitative research methods, while one employed quantitative survey methods. Four key themes were identified: that of parent distress throughout transition, parenting at a distance, sources of stress and sources of support. Parents' stress resulted from not being informed or involved in the transition decision, inadequate communication and perceived differences in cultures of care across healthcare settings. Opportunities to improve parents' early transition experiences include enhanced engagement, communication, information-sharing and shared decision-making between health care providers and parents. Future areas of research should focus on early transition interventions to advance parent capacity, confidence and closeness as the primary nurturer. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Associations between perceived parent behaviors and middle school student fruit and vegetable consumption.

    PubMed

    Young, Elizabeth M; Fors, Stuart W; Hayes, David M

    2004-01-01

    To examine whether (1) student perceptions of parent behaviors explain variations in fruit and vegetable consumption, (2) self-efficacy mediates this relationship, and (3) perceived home fruit and vegetable availability moderates this relationship. A cross-sectional survey. Classrooms in 3 middle schools in 2 northeast Georgia counties. 366 middle school students. The response and participation rates were 59% and 56%, respectively. Perceived authoritative parenting, perceived parent control, perceived parent modeling, perceived parent support, self-efficacy, perceived fruit and vegetable availability, and fruit and vegetable consumption. Hierarchical multiple regression; P <.05. Perceived parent modeling, perceived parent support, self-efficacy, and perceived fruit and vegetable availability were significant predictors of fruit and vegetable consumption. The relationship between perceived parent support and fruit and vegetable consumption was mediated by self-efficacy. The relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and both perceived parent modeling and support was moderated by perceived fruit and vegetable availability. Parents appear to moderately influence middle school student fruit and vegetable consumption. Educators might focus on improving home fruit and vegetable availability and student self-efficacy, as well as parent support and modeling. The level of availability might indicate where efforts should focus for enhancing parent behaviors.

  19. The Nature of Parent Support Provided by Parent Mentors for Families with Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Children: Voices from the Start

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedman Narr, Rachel; Kemmery, Megan

    2015-01-01

    This study used a qualitative design to explore parent mentors' summaries of conversations with more than 1,000 individual families of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children receiving parent-to-parent support as part of an existing family support project. Approximately 35% of the families were Spanish speaking. Five parent mentors who have…

  20. Parental Depression, Overreactive Parenting, and Early Childhood Externalizing Problems: Moderation by Social Support.

    PubMed

    Taraban, Lindsay; Shaw, Daniel S; Leve, Leslie D; Natsuaki, Misaki N; Ganiban, Jody M; Reiss, David; Neiderhiser, Jenae M

    2018-02-20

    This study used a large (N = 519), longitudinal sample of adoptive families to test overreactive parenting as a mediator of associations between parental depressive symptoms and early childhood externalizing, and parents' social support satisfaction as a moderator. Maternal parenting (18 months) mediated the association between maternal depressive symptoms (9 months) and child externalizing problems (27 months). Paternal parenting was not a significant mediator. Unexpectedly, we found a cross-over effect for the moderating role of social support satisfaction, such that partners' social support satisfaction reduced the strength of the association between each parent's own depressive symptoms and overreactive parenting. Results point to the importance of accounting for broader family context in predicting early childhood parenting and child outcomes. © 2018 The Authors. Child Development © 2018 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  1. Parent Support Conference Papers. Ara Whakamana Pathways to Empowerment (Wellington, New Zealand, November 3-4, 1992).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Early Childhood Development Unit, Wellington (New Zealand).

    This collection of conference papers from New Zealand's Early Childhood Development Unit's November 1992 Parent Support Conference and the Parenting Promotion Launch presents a wide range of views on parenting and shows the support available for parents from numerous organizations. The conference began 2 weeks of activities throughout New Zealand…

  2. Detachment from Parents, Problem Behaviors, and the Moderating Role of Parental Support among Italian Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pace, Ugo; Zappulla, Carla

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the relationship of emotional detachment from parents, parental support, and problem behaviors and focused on the unique and common contribution that detachment and parental support made to internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. A total of 461 young adolescents, 13 to 14 years old ("M" = 13.4;…

  3. Neural responses to maternal criticism in healthy youth

    PubMed Central

    Siegle, Greg J.; Dahl, Ronald E.; Hooley, Jill M.; Silk, Jennifer S.

    2015-01-01

    Parental criticism can have positive and negative effects on children’s and adolescents’ behavior; yet, it is unclear how youth react to, understand and process parental criticism. We proposed that youth would engage three sets of neural processes in response to parental criticism including the following: (i) activating emotional reactions, (ii) regulating those reactions and (iii) social cognitive processing (e.g. understanding the parent’s mental state). To examine neural processes associated with both emotional and social processing of parental criticism in personally relevant and ecologically valid social contexts, typically developing youth were scanned while they listened to their mother providing critical, praising and neutral statements. In response to maternal criticism, youth showed increased brain activity in affective networks (e.g. subcortical–limbic regions including lentiform nucleus and posterior insula), but decreased activity in cognitive control networks (e.g. dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and caudal anterior cingulate cortex) and social cognitive networks (e.g. temporoparietal junction and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus). These results suggest that youth may respond to maternal criticism with increased emotional reactivity but decreased cognitive control and social cognitive processing. A better understanding of children’s responses to parental criticism may provide insights into the ways that parental feedback can be modified to be more helpful to behavior and development in youth. PMID:25338632

  4. Parents and Infants: An Interactive Network. I. Introduction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yarrow, Leon J.

    This symposium introduction outlines the first phase of an investigation of the mother-father-infant triad as an interactive system, influencing both parent attitudes and behaviors and child development. The focus of the research was on the early determinants of parental behavior. Subjects were 67 middle class, white parents and their first-born…

  5. Does Problem Behavior Elicit Poor Parenting?: A Prospective Study of Adolescent Girls

    PubMed Central

    Huh, David; Tristan, Jennifer; Wade, Emily; Stice, Eric

    2006-01-01

    This study tested the hypothesis that perceived parenting would show reciprocal relations with adolescents' problem behavior using longitudinal data from 496 adolescent girls. Results provided support for the assertion that female problem behavior has an adverse effect on parenting; elevated externalizing symptoms and substance abuse symptoms predicted future decreases in perceived parental support and control. There was less support for the assertion that parenting deficits foster adolescent problem behaviors; initially low parental control predicted future increases in substance abuse, but not externalizing symptoms, and low parental support did not predict future increases in externalizing or substance abuse symptoms. Results suggest that problem behavior is a more consistent predictor of parenting than parenting is of problem behavior, at least for girls during middle adolescence. PMID:16528407

  6. Types of social support and parental acceptance among transfemale youth and their impact on mental health, sexual debut, history of sex work and condomless anal intercourse.

    PubMed

    Le, Victory; Arayasirikul, Sean; Chen, Yea-Hung; Jin, Harry; Wilson, Erin C

    2016-01-01

    Transfemale youth (TFY) are an underserved and understudied population at risk for numerous poor physical and mental health outcomes, most notably HIV. Research suggests that parental acceptance and social support may serve as protective factors against HIV and other risks for TFY; however, it is unclear whether TFY receive primary social support from parents with or without parental acceptance of their gender identity. This study examines differences in parental acceptance, mental health and the HIV risk factors of history of sex work, age at sexual debut and engagement in condomless anal intercourse between TFY with two types of primary social support - non-parental primary social support (NPPSS) and parental primary social support (PPSS). Cross-sectional data collected from 301 TFY from 2012 to 2014 in the San Francisco Bay Area were analyzed to determine differences in parental acceptance, mental health and HIV risk factors between youth with and without PPSS. Univariate statistics and chi-squared tests were conducted to determine if parental acceptance and health outcomes were correlated with type of social support. Two-hundred fifty-one participants (83.7%) reported having NPPSS, and 49 (16.3%) reported PPSS. Significantly more youth with PPSS reported affirmative responses on parental acceptance items than their NPPSS counterparts. For example, 87.8% of youth with PPSS reported that their parents believed they could have a happy future as a trans adult, compared with 51.6% of youth with NPPSS (p<0.001). Fewer participants with PPSS reported symptoms of psychological distress (2.0% vs. 12.5%, p=0.057), though this finding was not statistically significant; no significant associations were found between primary social support type and HIV risk factors. These results suggest that TFY with parental acceptance of their gender identity may be more likely to reach out to their parents as their primary source of social support. Interventions focused on parental acceptance of their child's gender identity may have the most promise for creating parental social support systems in the lives of TFY.

  7. Types of social support and parental acceptance among transfemale youth and their impact on mental health, sexual debut, history of sex work and condomless anal intercourse

    PubMed Central

    Le, Victory; Arayasirikul, Sean; Chen, Yea-Hung; Jin, Harry; Wilson, Erin C

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Transfemale youth (TFY) are an underserved and understudied population at risk for numerous poor physical and mental health outcomes, most notably HIV. Research suggests that parental acceptance and social support may serve as protective factors against HIV and other risks for TFY; however, it is unclear whether TFY receive primary social support from parents with or without parental acceptance of their gender identity. This study examines differences in parental acceptance, mental health and the HIV risk factors of history of sex work, age at sexual debut and engagement in condomless anal intercourse between TFY with two types of primary social support – non-parental primary social support (NPPSS) and parental primary social support (PPSS). Methods Cross-sectional data collected from 301 TFY from 2012 to 2014 in the San Francisco Bay Area were analyzed to determine differences in parental acceptance, mental health and HIV risk factors between youth with and without PPSS. Univariate statistics and chi-squared tests were conducted to determine if parental acceptance and health outcomes were correlated with type of social support. Results Two-hundred fifty-one participants (83.7%) reported having NPPSS, and 49 (16.3%) reported PPSS. Significantly more youth with PPSS reported affirmative responses on parental acceptance items than their NPPSS counterparts. For example, 87.8% of youth with PPSS reported that their parents believed they could have a happy future as a trans adult, compared with 51.6% of youth with NPPSS (p<0.001). Fewer participants with PPSS reported symptoms of psychological distress (2.0% vs. 12.5%, p=0.057), though this finding was not statistically significant; no significant associations were found between primary social support type and HIV risk factors. Conclusions These results suggest that TFY with parental acceptance of their gender identity may be more likely to reach out to their parents as their primary source of social support. Interventions focused on parental acceptance of their child's gender identity may have the most promise for creating parental social support systems in the lives of TFY. PMID:27431467

  8. Kin investment in wage-labor economies : Effects on child and marriage market outcomes.

    PubMed

    Shenk, Mary K

    2005-03-01

    Various human groups, from food foragers to inner-city urban Americans, have used widespread sharing of resources through kin networks as a means of buffering themselves against fluctuations in resource availability in their environments. This paper addresses the effects of progressive incorporation into a wage-labor economy on the benefits of traditional kin networks for two social classes in urban South India. Predictions regarding the effects of kin network wealth, education, and size on child and spouse characteristics and methods of financing marriages are tested using various regression techniques. Despite the rapid growth of participation in a wage-labor economy, it is found that kin network characteristics still have an important impact on investment behavior among families in Bangalore in both social classes. Network wealth is found to have a positive effect on child and spouse characteristics, and large networks are found to act as significant drains on family resources. However, the results for education are broadly consistent with an interpretation of increasing family autonomy as parents' education has a far stronger influence on child and spouse characteristics across categories than network education does. Finally, professional-class parents are found to prefer financing marriages using formal mechanisms such as savings and bank loans while working-class parents preferentially finance marriages using credit from relatives and friends.

  9. The Role of Unconditional Parental Regard in Autonomy-Supportive Parenting.

    PubMed

    Roth, Guy; Kanat-Maymon, Yaniv; Assor, Avi

    2016-12-01

    Two studies explored the role of parents' unconditional positive regard (UCPR) as perceived by adolescents and young adults in promoting the effectiveness of specific parenting practices that may support offspring's academic autonomous motivation. Study 1 tested the hypothesis that UCPR predicts rationale-giving and choice-provision practices and, at the same time, moderates their relations with adolescents' autonomous motivation. Study 2 replicated the association between UCPR and the parental practices, and further explored the role of parents' authenticity as an antecedent of UCPR and parental autonomy support. Study 1 included 125 adolescents and Study 2 considered 128 college-students and their mothers. The offspring reported on their perceptions of their mothers and on their autonomous motivation, and the mothers reported on their sense of authenticity. Both studies found consistent associations between UCPR and parenting practices that may support autonomous motivation. Moreover, Study 1 demonstrated that the rationale giving and choice provision were more strongly related to adolescents' autonomous motivation when adolescents perceived mothers as high on UCPR. Finally, Study 2 demonstrated that mothers' authenticity predicted UCPR, which in turn was related to autonomy-supportive parenting. Findings support the assumption that parents' autonomy-supportive practices are more effective when accompanied by UCPR. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Barriers and facilitators to parents seeking and accessing professional support for anxiety disorders in children: qualitative interview study.

    PubMed

    Reardon, Tessa; Harvey, Kate; Young, Bridget; O'Brien, Doireann; Creswell, Cathy

    2018-01-25

    Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders experienced by children, but only a minority of these children access professional help. Understanding the difficulties parents face seeking support for child anxiety disorders could inform targeted interventions to improve treatment access. The aims of the study were to identify barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing professional support for child anxiety disorders, and ways to minimise these barriers. A qualitative interview study was conducted with parents of 16 children (aged 7-11 years) with anxiety disorders identified through screening in schools. Barriers and facilitators were identified in relation to four distinct stages in the help-seeking process: parents recognising the anxiety difficulty, parents recognising the need for professional support, parents contacting professionals, and families receiving professional support. Barriers and facilitators at each stage related to the child's difficulties, the role of the parent, and parent perceptions of professionals and services. Findings illustrate the need (1) for readily available tools to help parents and professionals identify clinically significant anxiety in children, (2) to ensure that families and professionals can easily access guidance on the help-seeking process and available support, and (3) to ensure existing services offer sufficient provision for less severe difficulties that incorporates direct support for parents.

  11. Examining preferences for website support to parents of adolescents with diabetes.

    PubMed

    Nicholas, David B; Gutwin, Carl; Paterson, Barbara

    2013-01-01

    Diabetes can be stressful as parents seek optimal outcomes for their adolescent with type 1 diabetes. This study examined parents' interest and perspectives related to online diabetes resources. Based on a qualitative description approach, 14 qualitative group interviews were conducted with (i) parents of adolescents with diabetes (n = 29), and (ii) pediatric health care providers (n = 31). Participants were recruited, through a purposive sampling approach, at pediatric centers in three Canadian cities. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis comprising data coding, categorization, and ultimate theme generation. Participants described parental care for adolescents with diabetes as complex and reflective of difficult and nuanced tasks. They recommended the development of a comprehensive parent-based information and support website, and identified crucial elements of the website. Overarching themes comprised the following: complex parenting processes in diabetes care, parents' need for information and support, challenges and benefits of online support, key elements of an online resource, and caution regarding online resources. Based on these findings, website information and support emerged as a viable and desired resource for augmenting pediatric care within clinical settings. Caution was also offered in addressing potential challenges inherent in online support. Findings offer guidance for online support to parents.

  12. Parent-to-parent peer support for parents of children with a disability: A mixed method study.

    PubMed

    Bray, Lucy; Carter, Bernie; Sanders, Caroline; Blake, Lucy; Keegan, Kimberley

    2017-08-01

    This paper will report on the findings of a study which investigated the influence of a befriending (parent-to-parent peer support) scheme on parents whose children have a disability or additional need. The scheme operated from an acute children's tertiary setting in the UK. A prospective concurrent mixed method design collected interview (n=70) and questionnaire (n=68) data at two time-points from befrienders (n=13) and befriendees (n=26). The main qualitative findings of the study relate to the different degrees parents (befriendees and befrienders) moved from being lost, to finding and being a guide and getting to a better place. The quantitative findings demonstrate that parent-to-parent peer support has a positive influence on parents' levels of psychological distress and their ability to cope with being a parent of a child with a disability. The befriending scheme acted as a catalyst for many parents to move towards a place where they could grow and begin to flourish and thrive. Professionals should inform parents who have a child with a disability that peer-to-peer parenting support schemes are a valuable and appropriate source of support and help. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Modifying the 'Positive Parenting Program' for parents with intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Glazemakers, I; Deboutte, D

    2013-07-01

    Many parents with intellectual disabilities (ID) want and/or need professional guidance and support to learn skills and strategies to prevent and manage child behaviour problems. However, the available support is rarely suitable, and suitable support is rarely available. The aim of this study was to determine whether a popular mainstream parenting training programme, known as 'Group Triple P' (Positive Parenting Program), could be successfully modified for this parent group. A pilot study was undertaken to determine whether a modified version of Group Triple P would engage and retain parents with ID. A non-experimental, pre-test post-test study, involving a total of 30 parents with ID, was then undertaken to obtain preliminary efficacy data. Parent engagement and participation levels were high. No parent 'dropped out' of the programme. After completing the modified Group Triple P programme, parents reported a decrease in psychological distress, maladaptive parenting and child conduct problems. Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the information and support they received. Research-informed adaptation of mainstream behavioural family interventions, such as Group Triple P, could make 'suitable support' more readily available, and more engaging for parents with ID. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

  14. The influence of self-esteem and social support on the relationship between stigma and depressive symptomology in parents caring for children with intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Cantwell, J; Muldoon, O; Gallagher, S

    2015-10-01

    This study explored the synergistic relationship between stigma, self-esteem and social support, as predictors of depressive symptomology in parents of children with disabilities (e.g. Autism and Down syndrome). One hundred and seventy-three parents (115 parents of children with disabilities and 58 control parents) completed measures of perceived stigma, self-esteem, social support and depressive symptoms. Parents of children with disabilities reported more depressive symptomology; additionally, stigma, self-esteem and social support were associated with depressive symptomology. Moreover, the association between stigma and depressive symptomology was mediated by self-esteem, i.e. parents who reported higher stigma were lower on self-esteem and more depressed. Further, this path varied as a function of emotional support. Results highlight the need for tailored interventions that offer parents effective strategies in dealing with stigma through social support and self-esteem. © 2015 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Supportive Coparenting Relationships as a Haven of Psychological Safety at the Transition to Parenthood

    PubMed Central

    Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah J.; Settle, Theresa; Lee, Jin-kyung; Kamp Dush, Claire M.

    2016-01-01

    Guided by research on psychological safety, we used longitudinal survey data from a sample of 182 dual-earner male-female couples to examine the role of supportive coparenting in mediating relations between adult attachment orientations and parenting stress/satisfaction, and further considered whether parenting self-efficacy moderated relations between supportive coparenting and parenting stress/satisfaction. Path analyses using IBM SPSS AMOS 22 and bootstrapping techniques indicated that fathers’ (but not mothers’) perceptions of supportive coparenting at 3 months postpartum mediated the associations between their attachment anxiety in the third trimester of pregnancy and their parenting stress and satisfaction at 9 months postpartum. Additional tests of moderation revealed that mothers’ perceptions of greater supportive coparenting were associated with lower parenting stress only when their parenting self-efficacy was low, but fathers’ perceptions of greater supportive coparenting were associated with greater parenting satisfaction only when their parenting self-efficacy was high. Implications and limitations are discussed. PMID:29056880

  16. Supporting parents and parenting: An overview of data-based papers recently published in Contemporary Nurse.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Debra; Power, Tamara; Dean, Sue; Potgieter, Ingrid; Cleary, Michelle

    2013-10-02

    Abstract Nurses have a crucial role in play in supporting parents and in delivering and referring parents to family-support services. In this editorial, we reflect on papers recently published in Contemporary Nurse. We sought to consider data-based papers on parenting published between 2008 and 2012 and elucidate the role/s and potential roles of nurses in enhancing and supporting parenting. Parenting is recognised as a crucial variable for achieving positive outcomes for children (Dawson et al 2012). Poor, inconsistent or abusive parenting is linked to poor outcomes (Griffin et al. 2000, Holt et al.2008, Patterson et al.1989), while consistent and effective parenting is associated with enhanced child outcomes (Lamb 2012, Landry et al.2001). In addition to being important to outcomes for children, perceived parenting quality is also important to parents themselves. Disrupted relationships between parents and their children have been identified as distressing and potentially damaging to both parties (Jackson 2000; East 2006, 2007; Power 2012).

  17. Inner-city African American parental involvement in children's schooling: racial socialization and social support from the parent community.

    PubMed

    McKay, Mary McKernan; Atkins, Marc S; Hawkins, Tracie; Brown, Catherine; Lynn, Cynthia J

    2003-09-01

    Parents (n = 161) and teachers (n = 18) from an urban elementary school serving primarily African American children completed questionnaires regarding racial socialization, social support, and involvement in activities that support youth educational achievement at home and school. Parental reports of racism awareness, and contact with school staff were significantly correlated with parent reports of at-home involvement and at-school involvement. Parent reports of social support from the parent community were significantly related to at-home involvement only. Relative to teacher reports, parents reported more formal contacts with school staff, and higher levels of racism awareness, religiosity, and African American cultural pride. Teachers and parents agreed on school climate and parental levels of at-home and at-school involvement. The results suggest that racial socialization processes are related to parent involvement in children's schooling and that increased efforts are needed to bridge a cultural gap between parents and teachers in inner-city communities.

  18. Parents of Children with Asperger Syndrome or with Learning Disabilities: Family Environment and Social Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heiman, Tali; Berger, Ornit

    2008-01-01

    The study examined the family environment and perceived social support of 33 parents with a child diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and 43 parents with a child with learning disability, which were compared to 45 parents of children without disabilities as a control group. Parents completed the Family Environment Scale and Social Support Scale…

  19. Supportive Dyadic Coping and Psychological Adaptation in Couples Parenting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Relationship Satisfaction.

    PubMed

    García-López, Cristina; Sarriá, Encarnación; Pozo, Pilar; Recio, Patricia

    2016-11-01

    In couples parenting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the partner becomes a primary source of support for addressing the additional parenting demands. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between supportive dyadic coping and parental adaptation, and to assess the mediating role of relationship satisfaction between them. Seventy-six couples parenting children with ASD participated. Data were gathered through self-report questionnaires and an Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model was used. Mothers' and fathers' supportive dyadic coping was related to both their own and partner's relationship satisfaction and parental adaptation. Findings also revealed the mediation role of relationship satisfaction, in the association between supportive dyadic coping and parental adaptation. The implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

  20. Mexican-American Adolescents’ Emotional Support to the Family in Response to Parental Stress

    PubMed Central

    Tsai, Kim M.; Gonzales, Nancy A.; Fuligni, Andrew J.

    2017-01-01

    In this two-wave longitudinal, daily diary study that followed up with 421 Mexican-American parent-adolescent dyads (adolescents: Mage = 15 years, 50% males) after one year, we investigated the contingency between parental stressors and adolescents’ emotional support to family members. Adolescents provided support to their parents and other family members at similar rates, but adolescents were more likely to provide support to other family members than to their parents on days when parents experienced a family stressor. This pattern was especially pronounced in families with parents who reported physical symptoms and adolescents with a strong sense of family obligation. Adolescents’ provision of emotional support was associated with same-day feelings of role fulfillment, but not to their concurrent or long-term psychological distress. PMID:28453218

  1. Disorders of sex development: Mothers' experiences of support.

    PubMed

    Chivers, Clare; Burns, Jan; Deiros Collado, Martha

    2017-10-01

    An increasing body of research has sought to determine the impact of Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) on the family of the affected child. Little is currently understood about the support needs of the family and how well these needs are met. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse semi-structured interviews with eight mothers of children with DSD about their experiences of support. Four master themes emerged which encapsulated (a) the stages in their child's development when mothers most needed support, (b) the importance of developing an understanding of the child's condition, (c) the lack of acknowledgement of the emotional needs of the parent and (d) the importance of having close and trusted networks for support. Continuity and availability of support were considered important and while all participants prioritised maintaining privacy about the condition, a minority felt that this impacted the level of support they received. Key time points for support were identified and while some felt that they were well supported others felt that the support available did not meet their emotional needs. Clinical implications and directions for future research were considered.

  2. Parental Writing Support and Preschoolers' Early Literacy, Language, and Fine Motor Skills

    PubMed Central

    Bindman, Samantha W.; Skibbe, Lori E.; Hindman, Annemarie H.; Aram, Dorit; Morrison, Frederick J.

    2014-01-01

    The current study examines the nature and variability of parents' aid to preschoolers in the context of a shared writing task, as well as the relations between this support and children's literacy, vocabulary, and fine motor skills. In total, 135 preschool children (72 girls) and their parents (primarily mothers) in an ethnically diverse, middle-income community were observed while writing a semi-structured invitation for a pretend birthday party together. Children's phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, word decoding, vocabulary, and fine motor skills were also assessed. Results revealed that parents provided variable, but generally low–level, support for children's approximation of sound-symbol correspondence in their writing (i.e., graphophonemic support), as well as for their production of letter forms (i.e., print support). Parents frequently accepted errors rather than asking for corrections (i.e., demand for precision). Further analysis of the parent-child dyads (n = 103) who wrote the child's name on the invitation showed that parents provided higher graphophonemic, but not print, support when writing the child's name than other words. Overall parental graphophonemic support was positively linked to children's decoding and fine motor skills, whereas print support and demand for precision were not related to any of the child outcomes. In sum, this study indicates that while parental support for preschoolers' writing may be minimal, it is uniquely linked to key literacy-related outcomes in preschool. PMID:25284957

  3. Parental Writing Support and Preschoolers' Early Literacy, Language, and Fine Motor Skills.

    PubMed

    Bindman, Samantha W; Skibbe, Lori E; Hindman, Annemarie H; Aram, Dorit; Morrison, Frederick J

    2014-01-01

    The current study examines the nature and variability of parents' aid to preschoolers in the context of a shared writing task, as well as the relations between this support and children's literacy, vocabulary, and fine motor skills. In total, 135 preschool children (72 girls) and their parents (primarily mothers) in an ethnically diverse, middle-income community were observed while writing a semi-structured invitation for a pretend birthday party together. Children's phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, word decoding, vocabulary, and fine motor skills were also assessed. Results revealed that parents provided variable, but generally low-level, support for children's approximation of sound-symbol correspondence in their writing (i.e., graphophonemic support), as well as for their production of letter forms (i.e., print support). Parents frequently accepted errors rather than asking for corrections (i.e., demand for precision). Further analysis of the parent-child dyads ( n = 103) who wrote the child's name on the invitation showed that parents provided higher graphophonemic, but not print, support when writing the child's name than other words. Overall parental graphophonemic support was positively linked to children's decoding and fine motor skills, whereas print support and demand for precision were not related to any of the child outcomes. In sum, this study indicates that while parental support for preschoolers' writing may be minimal, it is uniquely linked to key literacy-related outcomes in preschool.

  4. Parental Involvement with College Students in Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, and the United States

    PubMed Central

    Fingerman, Karen L.; Cheng, Yen-Pi; Kim, Kyungmin; Fung, Helene H.; Han, Gyounghae; Lang, Frieder R.; Lee, Wonkyung; Wagner, Jenny

    2014-01-01

    Rates of college attendance have increased throughout the world. This study asked whether students across nations experience high involvement with parents (frequent contact and support) and how satisfied they are with parental involvement. College students from four major Western and Asian economies participated: Germany (n = 458), Hong Kong (n = 276), Korea (n = 257), and the United States (n = 310). Consistent with solidarity theory, students across nations reported frequent contact with parents and receiving several forms of social support (e.g., practical, emotional, and advice) every month. Multilevel models revealed Asian students received more frequent parental support than German or US students, but were less satisfied with that support. Students in Hong Kong resided with parents more often and gave more support to parents than students in other cultures. Discussion focuses on cultural (i.e., filial obligation) and structural (i.e., coresidence) factors explaining parental involvement. PMID:27594722

  5. The determinants of parenting: a process model.

    PubMed

    Belsky, J

    1984-02-01

    This essay is based on the assumption that a long-neglected topic of socialization, the determinants of individual differences in parental functioning, is illuminated by research on the etiology of child maltreatment. Three domains of determinants are identified (personal psychological resources of parents, characteristics of the child, and contextual sources of stress and support), and a process model of competent parental functioning is offered on the basis of the analysis. The model presumes that parental functioning is multiply determined, that sources of contextual stress and support can directly affect parenting or indirectly affect parenting by first influencing individual psychological well-being, that personality influences contextual support/stress, which feeds back to shape parenting, and that, in order of importance, the personal psychological resources of the parent are more effective in buffering the parent-child relation from stress than are contextual sources of support, which are themselves more effective than characteristics of the child.

  6. Parent Support for Children's Physical Activity: A Qualitative Investigation of Barriers and Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bassett-Gunter, Rebecca; Rhodes, Ryan; Sweet, Shane; Tristani, Lauren; Soltani, Yasaman

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: Parents play an important role in supporting children's physical activity (PA) behavior. Parent PA support is a behavior unto itself that has been examined within the framework of an adapted theory of planned behavior (TPB). The primary purpose of this research was to identify key barriers to parent PA support to understand perceptions of…

  7. 45 CFR 302.75 - Procedures for the imposition of late payment fees on noncustodial parents who owe overdue support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... on noncustodial parents who owe overdue support. 302.75 Section 302.75 Public Welfare Regulations....75 Procedures for the imposition of late payment fees on noncustodial parents who owe overdue support... noncustodial parents who owe overdue support. (b) If a State opts to impose late payment fees— (1) The late...

  8. Early Parental Positive Behavior Support and Childhood Adjustment: Addressing Enduring Questions with New Methods.

    PubMed

    Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Dishion, Thomas; Sitnick, Stephanie L; Shaw, Daniel S; Winter, Charlotte E; Wilson, Melvin

    2015-05-01

    A large literature provides strong empirical support for the influence of parenting on child outcomes. The current study addresses enduring research questions testing the importance of early parenting behavior to children's adjustment. Specifically, we developed and tested a novel multi-method observational measure of parental positive behavior support at age 2. Next, we tested whether early parental positive behavior support was related to child adjustment at school age, within a multi-agent and multi-method measurement approach and design. Observational and parent-reported data from mother-child dyads (N = 731; 49 percent female) were collected from a high-risk sample at age 2. Follow-up data were collected via teacher report and child assessment at age 7.5. The results supported combining three different observational methods to assess positive behavior support at age 2 within a latent factor. Further, parents' observed positive behavior support at age 2 predicted multiple types of teacher-reported and child-assessed problem behavior and competencies at 7.5 years old. Results supported the validity and predictive capability of a multi-method observational measure of parenting and the importance of a continued focus on the early years within preventive interventions.

  9. Autonomy-Supportive Parenting and Autonomy-Supportive Sibling Interactions: The Role of Mothers' and Siblings' Psychological Need Satisfaction.

    PubMed

    van der Kaap-Deeder, Jolene; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Soenens, Bart; Loeys, Tom; Mabbe, Elien; Gargurevich, Rafael

    2015-11-01

    Autonomy-supportive parenting yields manifold benefits. To gain more insight into the family-level dynamics involved in autonomy-supportive parenting, the present study addressed three issues. First, on the basis of self-determination theory, we examined whether mothers' satisfaction of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness related to autonomy-supportive parenting. Second, we investigated maternal autonomy support as an intervening variable in the mother-child similarity in psychological need satisfaction. Third, we examined associations between autonomy-supportive parenting and autonomy-supportive sibling interactions. Participants were 154 mothers (M age = 39.45, SD = 3.96) and their two elementary school-age children (M age = 8.54, SD = 0.89 and M age = 10.38, SD = 0.87). Although mothers' psychological need satisfaction related only to maternal autonomy support in the younger siblings, autonomy-supportive parenting related to psychological need satisfaction in both siblings and to an autonomy-supportive interaction style between siblings. We discuss the importance of maternal autonomy support for family-level dynamics. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  10. Puntos Basicos para Padres: Apoyo Padre a Padre (Basics for Parents: Parent to Parent Support).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santelli, Betsy

    This Spanish language information brief describes the Parent to Parent Program, which provides information and one-to-one emotional support to parents of children with special needs. The program trains experienced parents in the program and matches them with similar parents new to the program. Benefits of the program include: (1) providing parents…

  11. Understanding Adolescent Parenting: The Dimensions and Functions of Social Support.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nath, Pamela S.; And Others

    1991-01-01

    Presents model of adolescent parenting, emphasizing multiple influences that social support has on maternal personality, health and nutritional status, cognitive readiness for parenting, and actual parenting behavior and child development. Concludes life span perspective is useful in evaluating teenage mother's social support needs and individual…

  12. Practical approaches to family-friendly medical studies.

    PubMed

    Liebhardt, Hubert; Niehues, Johanna; Fegert, Jörg M

    2012-01-01

    Based on the pilot study carried out by the Office of the Dean of the Medical University of Ulm on the family-friendliness of the organisation of medical education in Ulm, this paper describes concrete measures that were designed at the university or have been partly implemented already. More flexibility and customization are essential characteristics and prerequisites of a family-friendly medical school as part of university education structures. Flexibility and customization can be achieved by designing lesson plans and study regulations so that both childcare is assured and that in emergencies, help can be quickly offered with a minimum of bureaucracy. More flexibility includes, amongst other things, adequate means for the individual to compensate for missed compulsory attendances and examination dates. The necessary shift in thinking and the willingness to cooperate on behalf of the management and teaching staff can be supported through the audit for family-friendliness "berufundfamilie" (job and family) or "familiengerechte hochschule" (family-friendly university), as well as strategic management tools of family-friendly corporate policies. Supporting mechanisms such as effectively networked advice services, course progression monitoring based on data, providing a parents' passport with a cross-semester training contract, creating more interaction between student-parents or other students through a parent community or by study pairings and finally, reliable information on and compliance with the maternity leave rules for pregnant and breastfeeding medical students can help safeguard successful studying with children.

  13. Mexican-Origin Parents' Stress and Satisfaction: The Role of Emotional Support.

    PubMed

    Popp, Tierney K; Delgado, Melissa Y; Wheeler, Lorey A

    2018-01-24

    Guided by a process model of parenting and the integrative model, this study examined sources of emotional support (i.e., partner, maternal, paternal) as related to stress and satisfaction resulting from the parenting role in a sample of Mexican-origin young adult parents who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) during Wave IV. Participants were male and female parents (26-35 years of age; 59% female; N = 737) who had children and a partner. Results from structural equation modeling revealed support from mothers as salient; high levels of maternal support were associated with high levels of parenting satisfaction. Tests of indirect effects suggested that parenting satisfaction played an intervening role in the link between maternal support and parenting stress. The pattern of results held across levels of linguistic acculturation but varied by gender. Understanding the mechanisms that predict parenting stress and satisfaction within the Mexican-origin population may help in the identification of culturally sensitive intervention strategies. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

  14. Psychosocial intervention for children with narcolepsy: Parents' expectations and perceived support.

    PubMed

    Kippola-Pääkkönen, Anu; Härkäpää, Kristiina; Valkonen, Jukka; Tuulio-Henriksson, Annamari; Autti-Rämö, Ilona

    2016-04-18

    The study focuses on the parents of children who were affected by narcolepsy after a pandemic influenza and vaccination campaign in Finland. The main aim of the study was to clarify parents' expectations and perceived support from the intervention and to assess their need for additional support. The data were gathered using questionnaires. Fifty-eight parents answered the baseline questionnaire and 40 parents the final questionnaire. Parents' expectations of and perceived support from the intervention mainly related to peer support. The intervention offered an arena for sharing information and experiences and provided encouragement for coping in everyday life. Many expectations were not met, especially those concerning information about needed services, financial benefits and availability of local support. The results highlight that for persons with rare disorders and their families, an inpatient psychosocial intervention can offer an important arena to receive both informal and professionally led peer support. Comprehensive psychosocial and other support services are also needed in the community. Listening to parents' perspectives on the intervention and perceived support can help to establish multiform family-centred support for families with children affected by a rare chronic disabling condition. © The Author(s) 2016.

  15. Supporting Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Parents Through Social Media.

    PubMed

    Dzubaty, Dolores R

    2016-01-01

    Parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit may often find themselves seeking healthcare information from online and social media sources. Social media applications are available to healthcare consumers and their families, as well as healthcare providers, in a variety of formats. Information that parents gather on their own, and information that is explained by providers, is then used when parents make healthcare decisions regarding their infants. Parents also seek support from peers and family while making healthcare decisions. The combination of knowledge obtained and social support given may empower the parent to feel more confident in their decision making. Healthcare professionals can guide parents to credible resources. The exchange of information between providers and parents can occur using a variety of communication methods. Misperceptions can be corrected, support given, open sharing of information occurs, and parent empowerment may result.

  16. Communication and support from health-care professionals to families, with dependent children, following the diagnosis of parental life-limiting illness: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Fearnley, Rachel; Boland, Jason W

    2017-03-01

    Communication between parents and their children about parental life-limiting illness is stressful. Parents want support from health-care professionals; however, the extent of this support is not known. Awareness of family's needs would help ensure appropriate support. To find the current literature exploring (1) how parents with a life-limiting illness, who have dependent children, perceive health-care professionals' communication with them about the illness, diagnosis and treatments, including how social, practical and emotional support is offered to them and (2) how this contributes to the parents' feelings of supporting their children. A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ASSIA ProQuest were searched in November 2015 for studies assessing communication between health-care professionals and parents about how to talk with their children about the parent's illness. There were 1342 records identified, five qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria (55 ill parents, 11 spouses/carers, 26 children and 16 health-care professionals). Parents wanted information from health-care professionals about how to talk to their children about the illness; this was not routinely offered. Children also want to talk with a health-care professional about their parents' illness. Health-care professionals are concerned that conversations with parents and their children will be too difficult and time-consuming. Parents with a life-limiting illness want support from their health-care professionals about how to communicate with their children about the illness. Their children look to health-care professionals for information about their parent's illness. Health-care professionals, have an important role but appear reluctant to address these concerns because of fears of insufficient time and expertise.

  17. The support needs of parents having a child with a chronic kidney disease: a focus group study.

    PubMed

    Geense, W W; van Gaal, B G I; Knoll, J L; Cornelissen, E A M; van Achterberg, T

    2017-11-01

    Parents of children with a chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a crucial role in the management of their child's disease. The burden on parents is high: they are often exhausted, depressed and experience high levels of stress and a low quality of life, which could have a negative impact on their child's health outcomes. Support aiming at preventing and reducing parental stress is essential. Therefore, it is necessary to have insight in the problems and support needs among these parents. Our aim is to describe parents' support needs regarding the problems they experience in having a child with CKD. Five focus group interviews were conducted with parents of children: (i) with hereditary kidney disease, (ii) with nephrotic syndrome, (iii) with chronic kidney failure, (iv) using dialysis and (v) after renal transplantation. The children were treated at a paediatric nephrology unit in one university hospital in the Netherlands. The data were thematically analysed. Twenty-one parents participated in the focus groups. Parents need more information about their child's CKD and treatment options, and managing their own hobbies and work. Furthermore, parents need emotional support from their partner, family, friends, peers and healthcare professionals to help them cope with the disease of their child. Additionally, parents need practical support to hand over their care and support in transport, financial management and regarding their child at school. Needs regarding balancing their personal life are seldom prioritized by parents as the child's needs are considered more important. Therefore, it is important that healthcare professionals should not only attend to the abilities of parents concerning their child's disease management, but also focus on the parents' abilities in balancing their responsibilities as a caregiver with their own personal life. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. A Neural Network Architecture For Rapid Model Indexing In Computer Vision Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pawlicki, Ted

    1988-03-01

    Models of objects stored in memory have been shown to be useful for guiding the processing of computer vision systems. A major consideration in such systems, however, is how stored models are initially accessed and indexed by the system. As the number of stored models increases, the time required to search memory for the correct model becomes high. Parallel distributed, connectionist, neural networks' have been shown to have appealing content addressable memory properties. This paper discusses an architecture for efficient storage and reference of model memories stored as stable patterns of activity in a parallel, distributed, connectionist, neural network. The emergent properties of content addressability and resistance to noise are exploited to perform indexing of the appropriate object centered model from image centered primitives. The system consists of three network modules each of which represent information relative to a different frame of reference. The model memory network is a large state space vector where fields in the vector correspond to ordered component objects and relative, object based spatial relationships between the component objects. The component assertion network represents evidence about the existence of object primitives in the input image. It establishes local frames of reference for object primitives relative to the image based frame of reference. The spatial relationship constraint network is an intermediate representation which enables the association between the object based and the image based frames of reference. This intermediate level represents information about possible object orderings and establishes relative spatial relationships from the image based information in the component assertion network below. It is also constrained by the lawful object orderings in the model memory network above. The system design is consistent with current psychological theories of recognition by component. It also seems to support Marr's notions of hierarchical indexing. (i.e. the specificity, adjunct, and parent indices) It supports the notion that multiple canonical views of an object may have to be stored in memory to enable its efficient identification. The use of variable fields in the state space vectors appears to keep the number of required nodes in the network down to a tractable number while imposing a semantic value on different areas of the state space. This semantic imposition supports an interface between the analogical aspects of neural networks and the propositional paradigms of symbolic processing.

  19. The Role of Parents in Public Views of Strategies to Address Childhood Obesity in the United States

    PubMed Central

    WOLFSON, JULIA A; GOLLUST, SARAH E; NIEDERDEPPE, JEFF; BARRY, COLLEEN L

    2015-01-01

    Policy Points The American public—both men and women and those with and without children in the household—holds parents highly responsible and largely to blame for childhood obesity. High attributions of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity did not universally undermine support for broader policy action. School-based obesity prevention policies were strongly supported, even among those viewing parents as mostly to blame for childhood obesity. Americans who viewed sectors outside the family (such as the food and beverage industry, schools, and the government) as helping address childhood obesity were more willing to support a wider range of population-based obesity prevention policies. Context The public's views of parents’ behaviors and choices—and the attitudes held by parents themselves—are likely to influence the success of efforts to reverse obesity rates. Methods We analyzed data from 2 US national public opinion surveys fielded in 2011 and 2012 to examine attributions of blame and responsibility to parents for obesity, both among the general public and parents themselves, and we also explored the relationship between views of parents and support for obesity prevention policies. Findings We found that attribution of blame and responsibility to parents was consistently high, regardless of parental status or gender. Support for policies to curb childhood obesity also did not differ notably by parental status or gender. Multivariable analyses revealed consistent patterns in the association between public attitudes toward parents’ responsibility and support for policies to curb childhood obesity. High parental responsibility was linked to higher support for school-targeted policies but generally was not associated with policies outside the school setting. Attribution of greater responsibility to entities external to children and their parents (schools, the food and beverage industry, and the government) was associated with greater support for both school-targeted and population-based obesity prevention policies. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the high attribution of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity does not universally undermine support for broader policy action. But appealing to parents to rally support for preventing obesity in the same way as for other parent-initiated social movements (eg, drunk driving) may be challenging outside the school setting. PMID:25752351

  20. Exploring the role of parents and peers in young adolescents' risk taking on social networking sites.

    PubMed

    Shin, Wonsun; Ismail, Nurzali

    2014-09-01

    This study investigated the role of parental and peer mediation in young adolescents' engagement in risk-taking in social networking sites (SNSs). A survey conducted in Malaysia with 469 SNS users aged 13-14 revealed that control-based parental mediation can cause boomerang effects, making young adolescents more inclined to taking risks in SNSs. While discussion-based parental mediation was found to be negatively related to young adolescents' befriending strangers in SNSs, it did not reduce privacy risks. Findings also suggested that peer influence could result in undesirable outcomes. In particular, the more young adolescents talked about Internet-related issues with peers, the more likely they were to disclose personally identifiable information on SNSs.

  1. What parents find important in the support of a child with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

    PubMed

    Jansen, S L G; van der Putten, A A J; Vlaskamp, C

    2013-05-01

    The importance of a partnership between parents and professionals in the support of children with disabilities is widely acknowledged and is one of the key elements of 'family-centred care'. To what extent family-centred principles are also applied to the support of persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) is not yet known. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine what parents with a child with PIMD find important in the support of their child. In addition, we examined which child or parent characteristics influence these parental opinions. In total, 100 parents completed an adapted version of the Measure of Processes of Care. Mean unweighted and weighted scale scores were computed. Non-parametric tests were used to examine differences in ratings due to child (gender, age, type and number of additional disabilities, type of services used and duration of service use) and parent characteristics (gender, involvement with support and educational level). Parents rated situations related to 'Respectful and Supportive Care' and 'Enabling and Partnership' with averages of 7.07 and 6.87 respectively on a scale from 1 to 10. They were generally satisfied with the services provided, expressed in a mean score of 6.88 overall. The age of the child significantly affected the scores for 'Providing Specific Information about the Child'. Parents of children in the '6-12 years' age group gave significantly higher scores on this scale than did parents of children in the '≥17 years' age group (U = 288, r = -0.34). This study shows that parents with children with PIMD find family-centred principles in the professional support of their children important. Although the majority of parents are satisfied with the support provided for their children, a substantial minority of the parents indicated that they did not receive the support they find important. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  2. A qualitative study of parents' experiences using family support services: applying the concept of surface and depth.

    PubMed

    Whittaker, Karen A; Cox, Pat; Thomas, Nigel; Cocker, Karen

    2014-09-01

    United Kingdom policy and practice endorses family support for child well-being. Achieving such support requires multi-agency approaches that consider all aspects of parents' and children's lives and which offer practical, social and emotional help. The potential for services to make a positive impact on parents and their families will depend in part on the level and nature of engagement. In this paper, a case is made for the application of the two-part surface and depth concept for understanding how practitioners engage with families and how they might improve the chances of supporting sustainable differences for parents and families. To illustrate, qualitative data from a review of family centre support provided by a north of England local authority are presented. The review was commissioned to explore why families often need to re-engage with intensive support services. Data were drawn from interviews with parents (n = 18, recruited following a survey of all those registered with the service during April-May 2009) and discussions with family centre support workers (n = 4), and following thematic analysis, three dominant themes emerged--resources available, staff approach and real life--which were appraised in the light of the surface and depth concept. Much of the work with parents effectively dealt with pressing needs. This felt gratifying for both parent and worker and supported immediate service engagement. However, each noted that the more complex issues in parents' lives went unchallenged and thus the sustainability of progress in terms of parenting practice was questionable. A strengths focused approach by staff that understood needs in the context of parents' real-life circumstances was important to parent engagement. Thus, longer term benefits from family support require practitioners to work with parents to problem solve immediate issues while also digging deeper to acknowledge and seek to resolve the more complex challenges parents face in their real lives. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Migration, Social Networks, and Child Health in Mexican Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donato, Katharine M.; Duncan, Ebony M.

    2011-01-01

    This paper examines the consequences of parental migratory strategies for children in three types of Mexican families: those living with their migrant parents in the United States, those living with parents who migrated and returned to Mexico, and those living in Mexico with parents who have never migrated. Using data on 804 children from the…

  4. Perceptions of Services and Resources as Mediators of Depression among Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herman, Sandra E.; Marcenko, Maureen O.

    1997-01-01

    This study examined effects of resource perceptions and respite use in a theoretical model of adaptation with 72 parents of children with developmental disabilities. Amount and quality of respite services indirectly affected parental depression. Both quality and respite use were related to helpfulness of the parent's social network. The strongest…

  5. Parental Trigger Laws and the Power of Framing in Educational Politics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feuerstein, Abe

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the discursive strategies employed by advocates of Parent Trigger laws in the United States which allow parents of children in "failing" schools, in some states, to call for interventions in the operation of the schools via petition. The paper reviews the genesis of Parent Trigger laws, the network of conservative…

  6. 20 CFR 404.750 - Evidence of a parent's support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Evidence of a parent's support. 404.750 Section 404.750 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND... parent's support. If you apply for parent's benefits, we will ask you for evidence to show that you...

  7. Bidirectional Associations between Sibling Relationships and Parental Support during Adolescence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derkman, Marleen M. S.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.; Kuntsche, Emmanuel; van der Vorst, Haske; Scholte, Ron H. J.

    2011-01-01

    Sibling relationships and parental support are important for adolescents' development and well-being, yet both are likely to change during adolescence. Since adolescents participate in both the sibling relationship and the parent-child relationship, we can expect sibling relationships and parental support to be associated with each other.…

  8. ParentLink: A Model of Integration and Support for Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mertensmeyer, Carol; Fine, Mark

    2000-01-01

    Discusses ParentLink, a collective of Missouri organizations and agencies striving to simplify parents' access to research-based information, services, and problem-solving support pertaining to parenting. It is based on systems theory, specifically the ecology of human development. A comprehensive array of technologies augments ParentLink…

  9. Evaluation of a Faith-Based Socioemotional Support Program for Parents of African American Youth with Antisocial Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Francis-Williams, Nicole

    2005-01-01

    Due to many of the stresses and societal challenges that African American parents face, parents who have children with antisocial behaviors need guidance and support to assist them with their children in the areas of parenting, academics, and social support. This study proposed a program that focuses on the parents and caregivers as vital persons…

  10. Social Support and Parental Stress among Parents of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An International Comparison of United States and China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Wen-Chi

    2016-01-01

    Parents of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to experience high parental stress compared to other parents, and social support has been identified in previous research as an effective buffer against stress. However, limited research has evaluated the associations between different types of social support and stress…

  11. Risk and protective factors for psychological distress among adolescents: a family study in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study.

    PubMed

    Myklestad, Ingri; Røysamb, Espen; Tambs, Kristian

    2012-05-01

    The study aimed to investigate potential adolescent and parental psychosocial risk and protective factors for psychological distress among adolescents and, in addition, to examine potential gender and age differences in the effects of risk factors on adolescent psychological distress. Data were collected among 8,984 Norwegian adolescents (13-19 years) and their parents in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). The outcome measure was psychological distress (SCL-5). Bivariate regression analysis with generalized estimating equation (GEE) model showed that all parental self-reported variables (mental distress, substance use, social network, economic problems, unemployment and family structure) and adolescents' self-reported variables (leisure activities, social support from friends, school-related problems and substance use) were significantly associated with psychological distress among adolescents. Results revealed that in a multiple regression analysis with a GEE model, adolescent psychosocial variables, specifically academic-related problems and being bullied at school, emerged as the strongest predictors of psychological distress among adolescents after controlling for age, gender, and all parental and adolescent variables. The following psychosocial risk factors were significantly more important for girl's psychological distress compared to boys: problems with academic achievement, conduct problems in school, frequency of being drunk, smoking, dissatisfaction in school, living alone and seen parents being drunk. Academic achievement and being bullied at school were the psychosocial factors most strongly associated with psychological distress among adolescents. Parental factors had an indirect effect on adolescent psychological distress, through adolescents' psychosocial factors.

  12. Open pre-schools at integrated health services-A program theory.

    PubMed

    Abrahamsson, Agneta; Samarasinghe, Kerstin

    2013-04-01

    Family centres in Sweden are integrated services that reach all prospective parents and parents with children up to their sixth year, because of the co-location of the health service with the social service and the open pre-school. The personnel on the multi-professional site work together to meet the needs of the target group. The article explores a program theory focused on the open pre-schools at family centres. A multi-case design is used and the sample consists of open pre-schools at six family centres. The hypothesis is based on previous research and evaluation data. It guides the data collection which is collected and analysed stepwise. Both parents and personnel are interviewed individually and in groups at each centre. The hypothesis was expanded to a program theory. The compliance of the professionals was the most significant element that explained why the open access service facilitated positive parenting. The professionals act in a compliant manner to meet the needs of the children and parents as well as in creating good conditions for social networking and learning amongst the parents. The compliance of the professionals in this program theory of open pre-schools at family centres can be a standard in integrated and open access services, whereas the organisation form can vary. The best way of increasing the number of integrative services is to support and encourage professionals that prefer to work in a compliant manner.

  13. Use of Commonly Available Technologies for Diabetes Information and Self-Management Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Parents: A Web-Based Survey Study.

    PubMed

    Vaala, Sarah E; Hood, Korey K; Laffel, Lori; Kumah-Crystal, Yaa A; Lybarger, Cindy K; Mulvaney, Shelagh A

    2015-12-29

    For individuals with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), following a complicated daily medical regimen is critical to maintaining optimal health. Adolescents in particular struggle with regimen adherence. Commonly available technologies (eg, diabetes websites, apps) can provide diabetes-related support, yet little is known about how many adolescents with T1D use them, why they are used, or relationships between use and self-management. This study examined adolescent and parent use of 5 commonly available technologies for diabetes, including proportions who use each technology, frequency of use, and number of different technologies used for diabetes. Analyses also investigated the reasons adolescents reported for using or not using technologies for diabetes, and factors correlated with adolescents' technology use. Finally, this study examined relationships between the type and number of technologies adolescents use for diabetes and their self-management and glycemic control. Adolescents (12-17 years) and their parents (N=174 pairs), recruited from a pediatric diabetes clinic (n=134) and the Children with Diabetes community website (n=40), participated in this Web-based survey study. Glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) values were obtained from medical records for pediatric clinic patients. Adolescents reported their use of 5 commonly available technologies for diabetes (ie, social networking, diabetes websites, mobile diabetes apps, text messaging, and glucometer/insulin pump software), reasons for use, and self-management behavior (Self-Care Inventory-Revised, SCI-R). Most adolescents and parents used at least one of the 5 technologies for diabetes. Among adolescents, the most commonly used technology for diabetes was text messaging (53%), and the least commonly used was diabetes websites (25%). Most adolescents who used diabetes apps, text messaging, or pump/glucometer software did so more frequently (≥2 times per week), compared to social networking and website use (≤1 time per week). The demographic, clinical, and parent-technology use factors related to adolescents' technology use varied by technology. Adolescents who used social networking, websites, or pump/glucometer software for diabetes had better self-management behavior (SCI-R scores: beta=.18, P=.02; beta=.15, P=.046; beta=.15, P=.04, respectively), as did those who used several technologies for diabetes (beta=.23, P=.003). However, use of diabetes websites was related to poorer glycemic control (A1C: beta=.18, P=.01). Adolescents with T1D may be drawn to different technologies for different purposes, as individual technologies likely offer differing forms of support for diabetes self-management (eg, tracking blood glucose or aiding problem solving). Findings suggest that technologies that are especially useful for adolescents' diabetes problem solving may be particularly beneficial for their self-management. Additional research should examine relationships between the nature of technology use and adolescents' T1D self-management over time.

  14. Use of Commonly Available Technologies for Diabetes Information and Self-Management Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Parents: A Web-Based Survey Study

    PubMed Central

    Vaala, Sarah E; Hood, Korey K; Laffel, Lori; Kumah-Crystal, Yaa A; Lybarger, Cindy K

    2015-01-01

    Background For individuals with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), following a complicated daily medical regimen is critical to maintaining optimal health. Adolescents in particular struggle with regimen adherence. Commonly available technologies (eg, diabetes websites, apps) can provide diabetes-related support, yet little is known about how many adolescents with T1D use them, why they are used, or relationships between use and self-management. Objective This study examined adolescent and parent use of 5 commonly available technologies for diabetes, including proportions who use each technology, frequency of use, and number of different technologies used for diabetes. Analyses also investigated the reasons adolescents reported for using or not using technologies for diabetes, and factors correlated with adolescents’ technology use. Finally, this study examined relationships between the type and number of technologies adolescents use for diabetes and their self-management and glycemic control. Methods Adolescents (12-17 years) and their parents (N=174 pairs), recruited from a pediatric diabetes clinic (n=134) and the Children with Diabetes community website (n=40), participated in this Web-based survey study. Glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) values were obtained from medical records for pediatric clinic patients. Adolescents reported their use of 5 commonly available technologies for diabetes (ie, social networking, diabetes websites, mobile diabetes apps, text messaging, and glucometer/insulin pump software), reasons for use, and self-management behavior (Self-Care Inventory-Revised, SCI-R). Results Most adolescents and parents used at least one of the 5 technologies for diabetes. Among adolescents, the most commonly used technology for diabetes was text messaging (53%), and the least commonly used was diabetes websites (25%). Most adolescents who used diabetes apps, text messaging, or pump/glucometer software did so more frequently (≥2 times per week), compared to social networking and website use (≤1 time per week). The demographic, clinical, and parent-technology use factors related to adolescents’ technology use varied by technology. Adolescents who used social networking, websites, or pump/glucometer software for diabetes had better self-management behavior (SCI-R scores: beta=.18, P=.02; beta=.15, P=.046; beta=.15, P=.04, respectively), as did those who used several technologies for diabetes (beta=.23, P=.003). However, use of diabetes websites was related to poorer glycemic control (A1C: beta=.18, P=.01). Conclusions Adolescents with T1D may be drawn to different technologies for different purposes, as individual technologies likely offer differing forms of support for diabetes self-management (eg, tracking blood glucose or aiding problem solving). Findings suggest that technologies that are especially useful for adolescents’ diabetes problem solving may be particularly beneficial for their self-management. Additional research should examine relationships between the nature of technology use and adolescents’ T1D self-management over time. PMID:26715191

  15. Intergenerational Exchanges of Middle-Aged Adults With Their Parents and Parents-In-Law in Korea

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Kyungmin; Zarit, Steven H.; Fingerman, Karen L.; Han, Gyounghae

    2015-01-01

    The authors investigated patterns of support exchanges between Korean adult children and their parents and parents-in-law, gender differences in these patterns, and implications of children’s marital quality for exchange patterns. Data were from a nationally representative sample of married adults (N = 920, age 30–59 years) with at least 1 living parent and 1 living parent-in-law. Latent class analysis was applied to 12 indicators of exchanges (financial, instrumental, emotional support given to and received from parents and parents-in-law). Five classes of exchanges were identified, 3 showing balanced patterns of exchanges with parents and parents-in-law across three types of support and 2 classes with unbalanced patterns (e.g., giving instrumental and financial, but not emotional support). The findings revealed variability in intergenerational exchange patterns, with a mix of patrilineal traditional and balanced patterns. Significant associations of exchange patterns with adult children’s marital quality suggest the importance of balanced exchanges with parents for marriage. PMID:25937670

  16. Parental pressure and support toward Asian Americans' self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and interests in stereotypical occupations: Living up to parental expectations and internalized stereotyping as mediators.

    PubMed

    Shen, Frances C; Liao, Kelly Yu-Hsin; Abraham, W Todd; Weng, Chih-Yuan

    2014-04-01

    This study examined whether living up to parental expectations and internalized stereotyping (i.e., internalizing Asian American stereotypes) mediated the impact of parental pressure and support on occupational outcomes (i.e., self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and interests in stereotypical occupations) among 229 Asian American students from universities nationwide. Results indicated that living up to parental expectations and internalized stereotyping partially mediated the associations between parental pressure and these 3 occupational outcomes. In addition, living up to parental expectations fully mediated the associations between parental support and the 3 occupational outcomes, but internalized stereotyping did not. The results demonstrated the differential role of parental pressure and parental support as well as the mediating role of living up to parental expectations and internalized stereotyping in Asian Americans' occupational outcomes. Future research directions and clinical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. Relationship Supportiveness during the Transition to Parenting among Married and Unmarried Parents

    PubMed Central

    Howard, Kimberly S.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

    2010-01-01

    Synopsis Objective The present study examined trajectories of mothers' and fathers' ratings of the other parent's supportiveness over the first five years after the birth of a child in order to capture the ways in which relationship quality changes for married and unmarried couples during the transition to parenthood. Design The sample consisted of 2172 mothers and fathers, at least one of whom was experiencing a first birth. Parents were assessed at birth and again when their child was 1, 3, and 5 years old. At each assessment they reported on the emotional supportiveness they received from the other parent as well as their relationship status. Results Latent growth curve models revealed that for both mothers and fathers, supportiveness tended to be high at birth and decreased steadily thereafter. Furthermore, perceived supportiveness at one year was a better predictor than the same measure at birth in terms of predicting changes in supportiveness over time and whether or not the couple would break up by the child's fifth birthday. Married couples had the most positive trajectories, with higher levels of supportiveness than dating or non-romantic parents and less decline over time than cohabiting couples. Relationship supportiveness also varied by key demographic variables including parental race. Conclusion Reports of partner supportiveness at birth may not be a good indicator of later support or stability. However, by one year postpartum, supportiveness ratings may be more representative of the overall relationship. Family structure is also important in understanding the nature of the transition to parenting among first time parents. PMID:20234849

  18. Career-related parental support of adolescents with hearing loss: relationships with parents' expectations and occupational status.

    PubMed

    Michael, Rinat; Cinamon, Rachel Gali; Most, Tova

    2015-01-01

    The study examined the contribution of parents' occupational status and expectations regarding persons with hearing loss to career-related support they provide their deaf and hard of hearing (dhh) adolescent children. Thirty-eight parents completed the Evaluation of Occupational Competence Scale (Weisel & Cinamon, 2005), the Evaluation of Family Competence Scale (Caprara, Regalia, Scabini, Barbaranelli, & Bandura, 2004), the Career-Related Parent Support Scale (Turner, Alliman-Brissett, Lapan, Udipi, & Ergun, 2003), and a background questionnaire. Parents' occupational expectations were positively correlated with their family expectations regarding deaf persons. Parents' occupational status contributed to expectations of success for deaf persons in prestigious occupations with high communication demands. Different types of expectations contributed to career-related parental support. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

  19. The Online Parent Information and Support project, meeting parents' information and support needs for home-based management of childhood chronic kidney disease: research protocol.

    PubMed

    Swallow, Veronica; Knafl, Kathleen; Sanatacroce, Sheila; Hall, Andrew; Smith, Trish; Campbell, Malcolm; Webb, Nicholas J A

    2012-09-01

    This article is a report of a protocol for studying the development and evaluation of an online parent information and support package for home-based care of children with chronic kidney disease stages 3-5. The study is funded by a National Institute of Health Research, Research for Patient Benefit Grant awarded (December 2010). Approval to undetake the study was obtained from the Department of Health National Research Ethics Service (June 2011). Children with chronic kidney disease require skilled, home-based care by parents, supported by professionals. Parents have identified a need for continuously available online resources to supplement professional support, and structured resources tailored to parents' needs are highlighted by policy makers as key to optimizing care; yet, online resource provision is patchy with little evidence base. Using mixed methods, we will (i) conduct parent/child/young person/professional/patient and parent volunteer focus groups to explore views on existing resources, (ii) collaboratively define gaps in provision, identify desirable components, develop/test resources and conduct a feasibility randomized controlled trial, and (iii) of usual professional support versus usual support supplemented by the package. Eighty parents of children with chronic kidney disease will be randomized. Primary outcomes will assess parents' self-efficacy and views of resources, using standardized measures at entry and 24 weeks, and semi-structured interviews at 24 weeks. We will finalize trial components for a later definitive trial. By working collaboratively, we will derive a detailed insight into parents' information and support needs and experiences of using the package, and should see improved parental self-efficacy. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  20. The mediating effect of self-evaluation bias of competence on the relationship between parental emotional support and children's academic functioning.

    PubMed

    Côté, Sébastien; Bouffard, Thérèse; Vezeau, Carole

    2014-09-01

    It is well established that children's self-evaluation bias of competence is related to the quality of parent-child emotional relationship. Such biases are linked to children's academic functioning and achievement. Links have also been established between the quality of parent-child emotional relationship and children's academic functioning. No study has yet explored how the effects of children's emotional relationship with their parents and children's self-evaluation bias combine to explain their academic functioning. The first goal was to examine whether the quality of parental emotional support reported by both children and parents was related to the children's self-evaluation bias of competence. The second goal was to examine the relationships between children's and parents' reports of emotional support, and children's academic functioning as measured by teachers' report of their motivation, self-regulation of school activities, and academic achievement. The third goal was to determine whether a children's self-evaluation bias mediated the relationship between parental emotional support and academic functioning. In a 2-year longitudinal design, participants were 524 elementary pupils (grades 4 and 5), one of their parents, and their teachers. Our results indicated that a bias in self-evaluation in the first year of the study mediated the relationship between the quality of parental emotional support assessed at the first year and their school functioning evaluated by their teacher 1 year later. The mediational model received clear support when it refers to the emotional support reported by children, but mixed support when reported by parents. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  1. The neural basis of responsive caregiving behaviour: Investigating temporal dynamics within the parental brain.

    PubMed

    Young, Katherine S; Parsons, Christine E; Stein, Alan; Vuust, Peter; Craske, Michelle G; Kringelbach, Morten L

    2017-05-15

    Whether it is the sound of a distressed cry or the image of a cute face, infants capture our attention. Parents and other adults alike are drawn into interactions to engage in play, nurturance and provide care. Responsive caregiving behaviour is a key feature of the parent-infant relationship, forming the foundation upon which attachment is built. Infant cues are considered to be 'innate releasers' or 'motivational entities' eliciting responses in nearby adults (Lorenz 1943; Murray, 1979) [42,43]. Through the advent of modern neuroimaging, we are beginning to understand the initiation of this motivational state at the neurobiological level. In this review, we first describe a current model of the 'parental brain', based on functional MRI studies assessing neural responses to infant cues. Next, we discuss recent findings from temporally sensitive techniques (magneto- and electroencephalography) that illuminate the temporal dynamics of this neural network. We focus on converging evidence highlighting a specific role for the orbitofrontal cortex in supporting rapid orienting responses to infant cues. In addition, we consider to what extent these neural processes are tied to parenthood, or whether they might be present universally in all adults. We highlight important avenues for future research, including utilizing multiple levels of analysis for a comprehensive understanding of adaptive caregiving behaviour. Finally, we discuss how this research can help us understand disrupted parent-infant relationships, such as in situations where parents' contingent responding to infant cues is disrupted; for example, in parental depression or anxiety where cognitive attentional processes are disrupted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. The relationship between parent mental health and intimate partner violence on adolescent behavior, stigma and school attendance in families in rural Democratic Republic of Congo.

    PubMed

    Glass, Nancy; Kohli, Anjalee; Surkan, Pamela J; Remy, Mitma Mpanano; Perrin, Nancy

    2018-01-01

    Prolonged conflict and economic instability challenge the existing support networks in families and society places significant stress on both adults and adolescents. Exploring individual, family and social factors that increase the likelihood of or protect adolescents from negative outcomes are important to the development of evidence-based prevention and response programing in global settings. Examine the relationship between parent mental health and experience/perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) and adolescent behaviors, stigma, and school attendance. The relationship is further examined for differences by gender. Secondary analysis of data from an ongoing comparative effectiveness trial of a productive asset transfer program in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Three hundred and eighty-eight adolescent and parent dyads were included in the analysis. The analysis demonstrated that parent mental health and IPV can have a negative impact their children's well-being and the impact is different for boys and girls, likely linked to gender roles and responsibilities in the home and community. Social relationships of adolescents, as reported through experienced stigma, were negatively impacted for both boys and girls. Parent report of symptoms of PTSD and depression had a stronger negative effect on girls' outcomes, including experienced stigma, externalizing behaviors, and missed days of school than boys. For adolescent boys, their parent's report of IPV victimization/perpetration was associated with more negative behaviors at the 8-month follow-up assessment. The findings reinforce the critical importance of interventions that engage parents and their children in activities that advance health and improve relationships within the family.

  3. Help With “Strings Attached”: Offspring Perceptions That Middle-Aged Parents Offer Conflicted Support

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. Middle-aged adults often provide beneficial support to grown children. Yet, in some relationships, grown children may feel beholden or intruded upon when they receive parental help. The purpose of this study was to examine such conflicted support in relationships between middle-aged parents and young adults. Methods. Middle-aged parents (aged 40–60, n = 399) and their grown children (n = 592) participated. Parents rated perceptions of providing support and relationship quality with each child. Grown children indicated whether their mothers and fathers provided conflicted support and rated their perceptions of parental support, relationship quality, and other factors. Results. Multilevel models revealed that offspring’s perceptions of conflicted support were associated with (a) parents’ evaluations about providing support (e.g., greater stress and beliefs that grown children should be autonomous), (b) poorer quality relationships, and (c) offspring having more problems. Discussion. Findings suggest that perceptions of conflicted support are embedded in a larger constellation of relationship problems and underlying distress for parents and children. These patterns may reflect lifelong difficulties in the tie or that arise in adulthood. Researchers might seek to understand how dyads experiencing such conflicted support differ from more normative relationships characterized by warmth and well-received support. PMID:23707999

  4. Support Group for Parents Coping with Children with Type 1 Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Pate, Tanja; Rutar, Miha; Battelino, Tadej; Drobnič Radobuljac, Maja; Bratina, Nataša

    2015-06-01

    Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Active parental involvement, parental support in the diabetes management and family functioning are associated with optimal diabetes management and glycemic control. The purpose of this study was to assess parental satisfaction with participation in the group and their perceptions of the impact of the intervention on living and coping with childrens T1D. A sample of 34 parents of children with T1D participated in this trend study. The participants' experience and satisfaction with support group was measured by a self- evaluation questionnaire, designed for the purpose of the present study. Quantitative data show that parents were overall satisfied with almost all measured items of the evaluation questionnaire (wellbeing in the group, feeling secure, experiencing new things, being able to talk and feeling being heard) during the 4-year period. However, parents from the second and third season, on average, found that the support group has better fulfilled their expectations than the parents from the first season (p = 0,010). The qualitative analysis of the participants' responses to the open-ended questions was underpinned by four themes: support when confronting the diagnosis, transformation of the family dynamics, me as a parent, exchange of experience and good practice and facing the world outside the family. The presented parent support group showed to be a promising supportive, therapeutic and psychoeducative space where parents could strengthen their role in the upbringing of their child with T1D.

  5. Hippocampal Network Modularity Is Associated With Relational Memory Dysfunction in Schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Avery, Suzanne N; Rogers, Baxter P; Heckers, Stephan

    2018-05-01

    Functional dysconnectivity has been proposed as a major pathophysiological mechanism for cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. The hippocampus is a focal point of dysconnectivity in schizophrenia, with decreased hippocampal functional connectivity contributing to the marked memory deficits observed in patients. Normal memory function relies on the interaction of complex corticohippocampal networks. However, only recent technological advances have enabled the large-scale exploration of functional networks with accuracy and precision. We investigated the modularity of hippocampal resting-state functional networks in a sample of 45 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 38 healthy control subjects. Modularity was calculated for two distinct functional networks: a core hippocampal-medial temporal lobe cortex network and an extended hippocampal-cortical network. As hippocampal function differs along its longitudinal axis, follow-up analyses examined anterior and posterior networks separately. To explore effects of resting network function on behavior, we tested associations between modularity and relational memory ability. Age, sex, handedness, and parental education were similar between groups. Network modularity was lower in schizophrenia patients, especially in the posterior hippocampal network. Schizophrenia patients also showed markedly lower relational memory ability compared with control subjects. We found a distinct brain-behavior relationship in schizophrenia that differed from control subjects by network and anterior/posterior division-while relational memory in control subjects was associated with anterior hippocampal-cortical modularity, schizophrenia patients showed an association with posterior hippocampal-medial temporal lobe cortex network modularity. Our findings support a model of abnormal resting-state corticohippocampal network coherence in schizophrenia, which may contribute to relational memory deficits. Copyright © 2018 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Neuroanatomical Characterization of Child Offspring of Bipolar Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Manpreet K.; Delbello, Melissa; Adler, Caleb M.; Stanford, Kevin E.; Strakowski, Stephen M.

    2008-01-01

    A study was conducted to examine the neuroanatomical abnormalities in at-risk children and adolescents of parents with bipolar disorder, and compare them with children of healthy parents. It was found that at-risk children exhibited volumetric abnormalities in portions of the anterior limbic network.

  7. Families that fire together smile together: Resting state connectome similarity and daily emotional synchrony in parent-child dyads.

    PubMed

    Lee, Tae-Ho; Miernicki, Michelle E; Telzer, Eva H

    2017-05-15

    Despite emerging evidence suggesting a biological basis to our social tiles, our understanding of the neural processes which link two minds is unknown. We implemented a novel approach, which included connectome similarity analysis using resting state intrinsic networks of parent-child dyads as well as daily diaries measured across 14 days. Intrinsic resting-state networks for both parents and their adolescent child were identified using independent component analysis (ICA). Results indicate that parents and children who had more similar RSN connectome also had more similar day-to-day emotional synchrony. Furthermore, dyadic RSN connectome similarity was associated with children's emotional competence, suggesting that being neurally in-tune with their parents confers emotional benefits. We provide the first evidence that dyadic RSN similarity is associated with emotional synchrony in what is often our first and most essential social bond, the parent-child relationship. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. [Parenting skills situation and need assessment among parents of primary school pupils].

    PubMed

    Ma, Ya-ting; Chen, Jing-qi; Wang, Fu-man; Xiao, Wan-qing; Zhang, Man; Zhang, Wen-jing; Duan, Gui-qin; Li, Jing-yi; Luo, Xiao-ling

    2012-06-18

    To investigate parenting skills and need among parents of primary school pupils and to explore influencing factors. A total of 1 394 parents of rural and urban primary school pupils were recruited by multistage stratified random clustered sampling method. They were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire regarding demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, parenting scale, parenting need assessment, parent-to-child interaction attitudes, social support, physical/mental maltreatment experiences in childhood and so forth. Apart from TV/film/broadcasting, rural parents' utilization of other parenting deliveries was less than that of urban parents. Urban and rural parents both had high needs for parenting skills. Parents' physical/mental maltreatment experiences in childhood were risk factors for dysfunctional parenting. Positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes and high social support were protective factors against dysfunctional parenting. Mothers, parents of boys, middle/low family incomes, and parents with positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes had higher demands for parenting skills. We should make full use of mass media, interpersonal communication to meet the needs of parenting for parents, especially rural parents. More attention should be paid to parents with childhood maltreatment experiences, low social support and less positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes.

  9. Time burden of caring and depression among parents of individuals with cerebral palsy.

    PubMed

    Park, Eun-Young; Nam, Su-Jung

    2018-01-30

    The presence of an individual with disability in a family affects the whole family. Families of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) experience increased psychological anxiety and financial problems; specifically, parents tend to feel time pressure and struggle to maintain their social and cultural activities. t-Tests and ANOVA with post hoc Tukey tests were used to compare caregiving time, time pressure, and depression between parents. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effect of caregiving time and time pressure on depression in parents. Regarding depression, 58 (38.2%) respondents scored ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression scale. Respondents supporting a preschool child spent more time than those supporting adults did; those supporting adults reported less time pressure than those supporting individuals of other ages. Caregiving time's effect on depression was not supported, whereas increased time pressure raised the risk of depression. The frequency of depression among parents supporting individuals with CP exceeded preceding findings. Time pressure due to support appears to directly predict depression. Total time spent caring appears unrelated to depression. Implications for Rehabilitation It is necessary to prepare various community and family support systems in order to relieve parental caregivers' burden and exhaustion. Interventions should focus on parents with higher time pressure than parents with high caregiving time. Physical and psychological difficulties experienced by parents supporting a child with a disability vary with the child's life stage, meaning that families' care burden partly depends on the age of the individual with disabilities.

  10. Parenting stress in mothers of children with an intellectual disability: the effects of parental cognitions in relation to child characteristics and family support.

    PubMed

    Hassall, R; Rose, J; McDonald, J

    2005-06-01

    Recent theories of stress and coping in parents of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) emphasize the importance of cognitive appraisals in influencing parents' levels of stress and their adaptations to difficulties presented by the children. This study investigated the relationships between parental cognitions, child characteristics, family support and parenting stress. The aspects of cognitions studied were: parenting self-esteem (including efficacy and satisfaction) and parental locus of control. The group studied consisted of 46 mothers of children with ID. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales and Maladaptive Behavior Domain were administered by interview. Mothers also completed four questionnaires: the Family Support Scale, the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, a shortened form of the Parental Locus of Control Scale and the Parenting Stress Index (Short Form). Data were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficients, partial correlations and a regression analysis. The results indicated that most of the variance in parenting stress was explained by parental locus of control, parenting satisfaction and child behaviour difficulties. Whilst there was also a strong correlation between family support and parenting stress, this was mediated by parental locus of control. The results demonstrate the potential importance of parental cognitions in influencing parental stress levels. It is argued that these results have implications for clinical interventions for promoting parents' coping strategies in managing children with ID and behavioural difficulties.

  11. Antecedents of Chinese Parents' Autonomy Support and Psychological Control: The Interplay between Parents' Self-Development Socialization Goals and Adolescents' School Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Qian; Chan, Hoi-Wing; Lin, Li

    2012-01-01

    Despite ample evidence for the benefits of parental autonomy support and the harms of parental psychological control to Chinese adolescents' well-being, little is known about what foreshadows these parenting behaviors among Chinese parents. The current research addressed this gap in the literature. It tested the hypothesis that parents'…

  12. A Parent Guide: About Making It through the Teen Years. A Sharing of Information, Ideas, and Experiences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crane, Jessie; And Others

    This document presents a guide for parents to help them understand and effectively parent their adolescent children. Section I focuses on Parent Haven, a weekly parent support group run by parents, volunteers, and staff of the Family Enhancement Program in Madison, Wisconsin, which provides on-the-job training and support for parents of preteens…

  13. Parental divorce and adolescent drunkenness: role of socioeconomic position, psychological well-being and social support.

    PubMed

    Tomcikova, Z; Madarasova Geckova, A; Orosova, O; van Dijk, J P; Reijneveld, S A

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the association between parental divorce and adolescent drunkenness in the last 4 weeks and the contribution of socioeconomic position, family structure, social support from family and well-being to this association. We obtained data on 3,694 elementary school students from several cities in Slovakia (mean age 14.3, 49.0% males; response rate 93%). Respondents completed questionnaires on how often they had been drunk in the last 4 weeks, whether their parents were divorced, their socioeconomic position (education of parents, family affluence), the composition of the household (one or two parents/step-parents), social support from the family and their own well-being. Parental divorce was found to have an effect on adolescent drunkenness in the last 4 weeks, as well as high socioeconomic position, low social support from the family and high depression/anxiety. The effect of divorce on drunkenness decreased only slightly after adding social support into the model. Our findings indicate that parental divorce has a persistent influence on risk behavior independent of the influence of socioeconomic position and well-being. Parental divorce may increase the likelihood of drunkenness more than other factors such as low parental support and poor socioeconomic position. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. Parental Social Support as a Moderator of Self-Medication in Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Reimuller, Alison; Shadur, Julia; Hussong, Andrea M.

    2010-01-01

    Objective We examined the moderating effects of parenting on the temporal relationship between negative affect and subsequent alcohol use in adolescents as an indicator of self-medication. Specifically, we tested whether youth are more likely to self-medicate if they receive less parental social support. Method We used a multi-method, multi-reporter strategy and an experience sampling paradigm to examine these mechanisms in an elevated risk sample preparing for the transition to high school. Seventy-one adolescents and their parents completed home-based interviews and adolescents completed a 21-day experience sampling protocol in which they reported their alcohol use daily and their affect thrice daily. Results Parent-reported family communication, though no other parental support indicators, moderated the relation between daily negative affect and alcohol use. Plotting of interactions showed a greater likelihood of drinking on days characterized by greater negative affect only in adolescents with higher levels of parent-reported family communication. Conclusions This study offers tentative support for parental support as a moderator of the relation between daily negative affect and alcohol use. Parental support may be a response to alcohol use and self-medication in teens such that parents become more involved and open in talking with their teens when they notice these patterns of behavior. PMID:21146938

  15. The Relation between Parental Values and Parenting Behavior: A Test of the Kohn Hypothesis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luster, Tom; And Others

    1989-01-01

    Used data on 65 mother-infant dyads to test Kohn's hypothesis concerning the relation between values and parenting behavior. Findings support Kohn's hypothesis that parents who value self-direction would emphasize supportive function of parenting and parents who value conformity would emphasize their obligations to impose restraints. (Author/NB)

  16. Supporting Parents of Youths with Intellectual Disabilities and Psychopathology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Douma, J. C. H.; Dekker, M. C.; Koot, H. M.

    2006-01-01

    Background: Parents of children and adolescents with both intellectual disabilities (ID) and psychopathology often experience high levels of parenting stress. To support these parents, information is required regarding the types of support they need and whether their needs are met. Method: In a sample of 745 youths (aged 10-24 years) with moderate…

  17. Peer influence processes for youth delinquency and depression.

    PubMed

    Reynolds, Andrew D; Crea, Thomas M

    2015-08-01

    This study explores the multiple factors that account for peer influence processes of adolescent delinquency and depression using data from Waves I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Random-effects longitudinal negative binomial models were used to predict depression and delinquency, controlling for social connection variables to account for selection bias. Findings suggest peer depression and delinquency are both predictive of youth delinquency, while peer influences of depression are much more modest. Youth who are more connected to parents and communities and who are more popular within their networks are more susceptible to peer influence, while self-regulating youth are less susceptible. We find support for theories of popularity-socialization as well as weak-ties in explaining social network factors that amplify or constrain peer influence. We argue that practitioners working with youth should consider network-informed interventions to improve program efficacy and avoid iatrogenic effects. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Parent-perceived isolation and barriers to psychosocial support: a qualitative study to investigate how peer support might help parents of burn-injured children

    PubMed Central

    Williamson, Heidi; Williams, Lisa; Harcourt, Diana

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: Burn injuries can be traumatic and distressing for the affected child and family, with a prolonged period of recovery. This research explores parents’ experiences of support following their child’s injury and their thoughts on peer support specifically. Methods: Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents/caregivers, a mean of three years after their child’s injury, either face-to-face or remotely. Responses were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Analysis produced four themes and 11 sub-themes. These described parents’ experiences of loss, change, isolation and access to psychosocial support. This paper focuses on themes of isolation and parents’ access to psychosocial support. Discussion: Findings indicate that parents access psychosocial support following their child’s injury and often find it helpful; however, there is a prevailing sense of isolation. Parents often seek information online and find that this is lacking. Many parents reported that peer support would be valuable to them, particularly the sharing of experiential knowledge. Conclusion: An online resource may be beneficial for parents, but further research is needed to confirm the exploratory data gained to date, ensuring that any resource developed would meet the identified needs of parents. PMID:29873333

  19. Motivating parent support for physical activity: the role of framed persuasive messages.

    PubMed

    Bassett-Gunter, Rebecca; Stone, Rachael; Jarvis, Jocelyn; Latimer-Cheung, Amy

    2017-10-01

    Parent support for physical activity (PA) is a behavior unto itself that requires motivation. Persuasive messages may be one method for motivating parent support for their children's PA. Message framing is one strategy for optimizing the impact of messages. The current study examined the relative effectiveness of gain- versus loss-framed messages for encouraging parent support for children's PA. Regardless of message frame, parents had an increase in social cognitive antecedents (e.g. perceived behavioral control, intentions) and support for children's PA following message exposure. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Intergenerational transfers in the era of HIV/AIDS: Evidence from rural Malawi

    PubMed Central

    Kohler, Iliana V.; Kohler, Hans-Peter; Anglewicz, Philip; Behrman, Jere R.

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND Intergenerational transfer patterns in sub-Saharan Africa are poorly understood, despite the alleged importance of support networks to ameliorate the complex implications of the HIV/AIDS epidemic for families. OBJECTIVE There is a considerable need for research on intergenerational support networks and transfers to better understand the mechanisms through which extended families cope with the HIV/AIDS epidemic and potentially alleviate some of its consequences in sub-Saharan Africa, and to comprehend how transfers respond—or not—to perceptions about own and other family members' health. METHODS Using the 2008 round of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH), we estimate the age patterns and the multiple directions of financial and non-financial transfer flows in rural Malawi—from prime-aged respondents to their elderly parents and adult children age 15 and up. We also estimate the social, demographic and economic correlates of financial and non-financial transfers of financial intergenerational transfers in this context. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Our findings are that: (1) intergenerational financial and non-financial transfers are widespread and a key characteristic of family relationships in rural Malawi; (2) downward and upward transfers are importantly constrained and determined by the availability of transfer partners (parents or adult children); (3) financial net transfers are strongly age-patterned and the middle generations are net-providers of transfers; (4) non-financial transfers are based on mutual assistance rather than reallocation of resources; and (5) intergenerational transfers are generally not related to health status, including HIV positive status. PMID:23606809

  1. The Canadian Preterm Birth Network: a study protocol for improving outcomes for preterm infants and their families

    PubMed Central

    Shah, Prakesh S.; McDonald, Sarah D.; Barrett, Jon; Synnes, Anne; Robson, Kate; Foster, Jonathan; Pasquier, Jean-Charles; Joseph, K.S.; Piedboeuf, Bruno; Lacaze-Masmonteil, Thierry; O'Brien, Karel; Shivananda, Sandesh; Chaillet, Nils; Pechlivanoglou, Petros

    2018-01-01

    Background: Preterm birth (birth before 37 wk of gestation) occurs in about 8% of pregnancies in Canada and is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates that substantially affect infants, their families and the health care system. Our overall goal is to create a transdisciplinary platform, the Canadian Preterm Birth Network (CPTBN), where investigators, stakeholders and families will work together to improve childhood outcomes of preterm neonates. Methods: Our national cohort will include 24 maternal-fetal/obstetrical units, 31 neonatal intensive care units and 26 neonatal follow-up programs across Canada with planned linkages to provincial health information systems. Three broad clusters of projects will be undertaken. Cluster 1 will focus on quality-improvement efforts that use the Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality method to evaluate information from the CPTBN database and review the current literature, then identify potentially better health care practices and implement identified strategies. Cluster 2 will assess the impact of current practices and practice changes in maternal, perinatal and neonatal care on maternal, neonatal and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Cluster 3 will evaluate the effect of preterm birth on babies, their families and the health care system by integrating CPTBN data, parent feedback, and national and provincial database information in order to identify areas where more parental support is needed, and also generate robust estimates of resource use, cost and cost-effectiveness around preterm neonatal care. Interpretation: These collaborative efforts will create a flexible, transdisciplinary, evaluable and informative research and quality-improvement platform that supports programs, projects and partnerships focused on improving outcomes of preterm neonates. PMID:29348260

  2. Understanding decisions Latino students make regarding persistence in the science and math pipeline

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Munro, Janet Lynn

    This qualitative study focused on the knowledge and perceptions of Latino high school students, as well those of their parents and school personnel, at a southwestern, suburban high school regarding persistence in the math/science pipeline. In the context of the unique school and community setting these students experience, the decision-making process was examined with particular focus on characterizing the relationships that influence the process. While the theoretical framework that informs this study was that of social capital, its primary purpose was to inform the school's processes and policy in support of increased Latino participation in the math and science pipeline. Since course selection may be the most powerful factor affecting school achievement and college-preparedness, and since course selection is influenced by school policy, school personnel, students, parents, and teachers alike, it is important to understand the beliefs and perceptions that characterize the relationships among them. The qualitative research design involved a phenomenological study of nine Latino students, their parents, their teachers and counselors, and certain support personnel from the high school. The school's and community's environment in support of academic intensity served as context for the portrait that developed. Given rapidly changing demographics that bring more and more Latino students to suburban high schools, the persistent achievement gap experienced by Latino students, and the growing dependence of the world economy on a citizenry versed in the math- and science-related fields, a deeper understanding of the decision-making processes Latino 12 students experience can inform school policy as educators struggle to influence those decisions. This study revealed a striking lack of knowledge concerning the college-entrance ramifications of continued course work in math and science beyond that required for graduation, relationships among peers, parents, and school personnel that were markedly lacking in influence over the decision a student makes to continue, or not, course work beyond that required for graduation, and a general dismissal of the value of math- and science-related careers. Also lacking was any evidence of social capital within parental networks that reflected intergenerational closure.

  3. The contribution of perceived parental support to the career self-efficacy of deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing adolescents.

    PubMed

    Michael, Rinat; Most, Tova; Cinamon, Rachel Gali

    2013-01-01

    The current study examined the contribution of different types of parental support to career self-efficacy among 11th and 12th grade students (N = 160): 66 students with hearing loss (23 hard of hearing and 43 deaf) and 94 hearing students. Participants completed the Career-Related Parent Support Scale, the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Self-Efficacy for the Management of Work-Family Conflict questionnaire. Different aspects of parental support predicted different types of career self-efficacies across the 3 groups. Differences among groups were also found when levels of parental support were compared. The deaf group perceived lower levels of parental career-related modeling and verbal encouragement in comparison with the hard-of-hearing students and higher levels of parental emotional support compared with the hearing participants. No significant differences were found among the research groups in career decision-making self-efficacy and self-efficacy in managing work-family conflict. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

  4. Parent News Offline, 2000.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robertson, Anne S., Ed.

    2000-01-01

    This document is comprised of the two issues in volume 2 of "Parent News Offline," a publication of the National Parent Information Network (NPIN) designed to introduce those without Internet access to the activities and information available through NPIN. The Spring 2000 issue contains the following articles: (1) "'Zero Tolerance':…

  5. After the Wall: Parental Attitudes to Child Rearing in East and West Germany

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uhlendorff, Harald

    2004-01-01

    In the years following German reunification, East and West German parents (282 mothers and 207 fathers) were interviewed about attitudes to the rearing of their 7- to 13-year-old children and about their social networks. Path analyses show that East German parents engage in more protective and less permissive parenting, and that East German…

  6. Social support and anxiety levels of parents with disabled children.

    PubMed

    Özyazıcıoğlu, Nurcan; Buran, Gonca

    2014-01-01

    This is a descriptive study carried out to determine the state-trait anxiety and social support perceptions of parents with disabled children. This study has been carried out on 75 parents whose children attended the Private Rehabilitation Center. The data included the personal information form composed by the investigators, the state-trait anxiety inventory, and the multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support. The disabilities of the children were mental in 26.7%, physical in 25.3%, and physical/mental in 12%. As the degree of disability increased and the income levels decreased, the trait anxiety scores of the parents increased. There was a significant negative correlation between parental age and social support. Among the parents, 37.3% experienced problems with their spouses after having a child with a disability. The development and implementation of alternative support systems for of parents with disabled children would be beneficial. © 2014 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

  7. The affective structure of supportive parenting: depressive symptoms, immediate emotions, and child-oriented motivation.

    PubMed

    Dix, Theodore; Gershoff, Elizabeth T; Meunier, Leah N; Miller, Pamela C

    2004-11-01

    This study investigated the maternal concerns and emotions that may regulate one form of sensitive parenting, support for children's immediate desires or intentions. While reviewing a videotape of interactions with their 1-year-olds, mothers who varied on depressive symptoms reported concerns and emotions they had during the interaction. Emotions reflected outcomes either to children (child-oriented concerns) or to mothers themselves (parent-oriented concerns). Child-oriented concerns were associated with fewer negative emotions and more supportive behavior. Supportive parenting was high among mothers who experienced high joy and worry and low anger, sadness, and guilt. However, relations depended on whether emotions were child or parent oriented: Supportive behavior occurred more when emotions were child oriented. In addition, as depressive symptoms increased, mothers reported fewer child-oriented concerns, fewer child-oriented positive emotions, and more parent-oriented negative emotions. They also displayed less supportive behavior. Findings suggest that support for children's immediate intentions may be regulated by parents' concerns, immediate emotions, and depressive symptoms. (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved

  8. Fostering supportive community connections through mothers' groups and playgroups.

    PubMed

    Strange, Cecily; Fisher, Colleen; Howat, Peter; Wood, Lisa

    2014-12-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the ways that mothers' groups and playgroups support families with children aged 0-5 years and foster community connectedness in newer residential communities in Perth, Western Australia. The transition to parenthood is a time of increased support need. Changing community demography has resulted in a loss of traditional support structures and an increased need for local community initiatives to support families with young children. A qualitative descriptive design was used for this initial phase of a mixed methods sequential exploratory study. Data were collected between December 2011-August 2012. Interviews and focus groups conducted with 39 mothers provided insights from 16 mothers' groups and 13 playgroups. In addition, interviews were undertaken with three child health nurses and four local government early childhood staff. For the participants in this study, mothers' groups and playgroups provided opportunities to learn about parenting, to build a supportive network, to forge friendships and a connectedness to the local community. The families who relocated often experienced isolation until new groups and social networks were found. In general, where participation in mothers' groups and playgroups facilitated relationships with others from the local community, connectedness to that community was reported by participants to be enhanced. Mothers' groups and playgroups provide important community development opportunities and appear to help reduce potential isolation for mothers with young children. The findings are of interest to nurses and other health professionals working with families with young children. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. For Parents and Children Access is Key-- To Curriculum, to Services, and to Each Other

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crace, Jodee S.; Ronco, Jennifer; Hossler, Tami

    2013-01-01

    Parent-to-parent support is vital for parents of all children, but, of course, it is especially vital for parents who have deaf or hard of hearing children. Without the support of other parents, those with deaf and hard of hearing children can easily feel isolated, confused, and alone. Once they meet each other, however, those same parents feel…

  10. Parents' Executive Functioning and Involvement in Their Child's Education: An Integrated Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Damali M; Gross, Deborah

    2018-04-01

    Parents' involvement in their children's education is integral to academic success. Several education-based organizations have identified recommendations for how parents can best support their children's learning. However, executive functioning (EF), a high-ordered cognitive skill set, contributes to the extent to which parents can follow through with these recommendations. This integrative review of the literature describes how executive function can affect parents' ability to facilitate and actively participate in their child's education and provides strategies for all school staff to strengthen parent-school partnerships when parents have limitations in EF. EF skills are fluid and influenced by several factors, including parental age, sleep, stress, and mood/affect. Despite possible limitations in parental EF, there are strategies school personnel can employ to strengthen partnership with parents to support their children's academic success. As reforms in education call for increased customization and collaboration with families, parental EF is an important consideration for school personnel. Awareness and understanding of how parents' EF affects children's learning will help schools better support parents in supporting their children's academic success. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of School Health published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American School Health Association.

  11. Sexual orientation, parental support, and health during the transition to young adulthood.

    PubMed

    Needham, Belinda L; Austin, Erika L

    2010-10-01

    Some recent studies suggest that sexual minorities may have worse health-related outcomes during adolescence because they report lower levels of family connectedness, a key protective resource. Using data from wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 11,153; 50.6% female; mean age = 21.8 years), this study extends prior research on adolescents to young adults. We examine whether lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults report lower levels of parental support than their heterosexual peers and whether differences in parental support help explain why LGB young adults tend to have worse health-related outcomes. We find that lesbian and bisexual women report lower levels of parental support than heterosexual women and that gay men report lower levels of parental support than bisexual and heterosexual men. Compared to heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual women have higher odds of suicidal thoughts and recent drug use; bisexual women also have higher odds of elevated depressive symptomatology and heavy drinking. Gay men have higher odds of suicidal thoughts than heterosexual men. With the exception of heavy drinking, parental support either partially or fully mediates each of the observed associations. Even though the transition from adolescence to young adulthood is characterized by increased independence from parents, parental support remains an important correlate of health-related outcomes during this stage of life. Sexual minorities report lower levels of parental support during young adulthood, which helps explain why they have worse health-related outcomes. Interventions designed to strengthen relationships between LGB young adults and their parents could lead to a reduction in health disparities related to sexual orientation.

  12. The Joint Influence of Mother and Father Parenting on Child Cognitive Outcomes at Age 5

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Anne; Ryan, Rebecca M.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

    2007-01-01

    Few studies of parenting have considered the possibility that the association between one parent's supportive parenting and a child's early cognition is moderated by the other parent's supportiveness. We test this proposition using a low-income sample of coresident couples. In addition, we cross-classify parents within couples according to their…

  13. The Training and Support Programme for Parents of Children with Ataxia: Parents' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powell, L. A.; Barlow, J. H.

    2007-01-01

    The aim of the study was to assess the Training and Support Programme (TSP) among parents of children with ataxia. Twenty-seven parents and their children completed the TSP. Data were collected by home record sheets and observation sheets completed by parents and therapists, respectively, and telephone interviews with 10 parents. Benefits reported…

  14. Supporting Head Start Parents: Impact of a Text Message Intervention on Parent-Child Activity Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurwitz, Lisa B.; Lauricella, Alexis R.; Hanson, Ann; Raden, Anthony; Wartella, Ellen

    2015-01-01

    Head Start emphasises parent engagement as a critical strategy in promoting children's long-term learning. Parents can support children's positive development by engaging them in stimulating activities. The following study assessed whether a service that delivered parenting tips via text message could prompt parents of children enrolled in Head…

  15. Family Support Programs and Incarcerated Parents: Overview of Family Support Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Family Resource Coalition, Chicago, IL.

    This fact sheet begins with an overview of family support programs, which includes a discussion of the premises of family support programs and a list of typical program components. The remainder of the fact sheet focuses on support programs for incarcerated parents. The children of incarcerated parents, though innocent of any crime, are often…

  16. What's Really Going On? Parents' Views of Parent Support in Three Australian Supported Playgroups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Dianne

    2011-01-01

    Supported playgroups are a dual-focus service model used widely in Australia to provide stimulating early childhood environments for children and support for their parents. This article discusses some of the findings from a recent qualitative doctoral study that explored three supported playgroups in western Sydney. In particular, it articulates…

  17. Early Parental Positive Behavior Support and Childhood Adjustment: Addressing Enduring Questions with New Methods

    PubMed Central

    Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Dishion, Thomas; Sitnick, Stephanie L.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Winter, Charlotte E.; Wilson, Melvin

    2016-01-01

    A large literature provides strong empirical support for the influence of parenting on child outcomes. The current study addresses enduring research questions testing the importance of early parenting behavior to children’s adjustment. Specifically, we developed and tested a novel multi-method observational measure of parental positive behavior support at age 2. Next, we tested whether early parental positive behavior support was related to child adjustment at school age, within a multi-agent and multi-method measurement approach and design. Observational and parent-reported data from mother–child dyads (N = 731; 49 percent female) were collected from a high-risk sample at age 2. Follow-up data were collected via teacher report and child assessment at age 7.5. The results supported combining three different observational methods to assess positive behavior support at age 2 within a latent factor. Further, parents’ observed positive behavior support at age 2 predicted multiple types of teacher-reported and child-assessed problem behavior and competencies at 7.5 years old. Results supported the validity and predictive capability of a multi-method observational measure of parenting and the importance of a continued focus on the early years within preventive interventions. PMID:26997757

  18. Parents' Experiences of Support: Co-Constructing Their Stories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherwood, Gina; Nind, Melanie A.

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to present a way of supporting parents that can lead to positive outcomes for families. The findings and processes from a study in England of six parents' experiences of support services for their young children with special needs are discussed in making the case that co-constructing the stories of parent and researcher…

  19. Internalizing Mental Health Disorders: Examining the Connection between Children's Symptoms and Parent Involvement and Autonomy Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walsh, Anne

    2010-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study is to examine the connection between parent involvement and autonomy support, as well as the combined construct of autonomy supportive parent involvement, with internalized mental health symptoms. A secondary purpose of this study is to determine how certain parent demographics relate to attitudes and behaviors…

  20. Conceptualizing Parental Autonomy Support: Adolescent Perceptions of Promotion of Independence versus Promotion of Volitional Functioning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soenens, Bart; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Lens, Willy; Luyckx, Koen; Goossens, Luc; Beyers, Wim; Ryan, Richard M.

    2007-01-01

    In current research on parenting, 2 ways of conceptualizing perceived parental autonomy support can be distinguished. Parental autonomy support can be defined in terms of promotion of independence (PI) or in terms of promotion of volitional functioning (PVF). This study aimed to establish the empirical distinctiveness of both conceptualizations…

  1. Logging On: Evaluating an Online Support Group for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clifford, Tessen; Minnes, Patricia

    2013-01-01

    Twenty mothers participated in an online support group for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Twenty-five unrelated parents participated in a no-treatment control group. The participants completed online questionnaires prior to and following the 4-month support group, to evaluate changes in mood, anxiety, parenting stress, and…

  2. #CleftProud: A Content Analysis and Online Survey of 2 Cleft Lip and Palate Facebook Groups.

    PubMed

    Stock, Nicola Marie; Martindale, Anna; Cunniffe, Claire

    2018-01-01

    More than 2 billion people worldwide now use social networking sites, with an increasing number of users accessing these sites to obtain health information and engage in emotional support. Yet, investigation of social networking sites in the context of cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) has been scarce. Real-time data posted during 2 weeks in April 2017 were collected from 2 existing private Facebook groups (hosted by the Cleft Lip and Palate Association United Kingdom) using video screen capture software. The number of posts, comments, unique contributors, and post "likes" was recorded, as well as the type and theme of each post. Data relating to the benefits and challenges of participation in the 2 groups were also collected via an online survey. A content analysis of real-time data identified perioperative care, associated syndromes, and dental health to be particular areas of concern for parents/caregivers. Expectations, experiences, and outcomes of further treatment were key topics of discussion for adults with CL/P. Common benefits of the groups included the ability to connect with others, learn about local events, give and receive emotional support, and obtain quick responses to queries in a semi-anonymous environment. Disadvantages of the groups included a reliance upon opinion rather than medical fact and the frequent use of inappropriate terminology. Social networking sites appear to be a helpful source of health-related information and peer support for the CL/P population, yet closer monitoring of these groups may be required.

  3. Social Support to Empower Parents (STEP): an intervention for parents of young children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Sullivan-Bolyai, Susan; Bova, Carol; Leung, Katherine; Trudeau, Allison; Lee, Mary; Gruppuso, Philip

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a social support intervention with parents of children <13 years old newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). For this randomized, controlled clinical trial, 10 parent mentors of children diagnosed with T1DM >or=1 year and 60 parent participants were recruited from 2 pediatric diabetes centers. Mentors were trained to provide social support (home visits and phone calls) for 12 months to families in the experimental arm (32 mothers). Control group parents (28 mothers) received the phone number of an experienced parent (not trained to give social support) to call as needed. Findings Mothers in the experimental and control arms differed at baseline only in birth order of the child with T1DM. The 2 groups did not differ significantly at 3, 6, or 12 months in parent concern, confidence, worry, impact on the family, or perceived social support. Mothers in the experimental arm identified the parent mentor as someone they would seek for advice and issues regarding growth and development, sleep, eating habits, and identification of community agencies. Parent mentors consistently referred mothers to health care providers for advice on medications and treatments but helped them incorporate this advice into day-to-day management. Mothers in the experimental arm valued the mentors' help in adjusting to the diagnosis, but this value was not measured by the study instruments. Focus group research is under way to clarify the concept of parent mentor social support and to develop a social support measurement tool.

  4. Support Group for Parents Coping with Children with Type 1 Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    PATE, Tanja; RUTAR, Miha; BATTELINO, Tadej; DROBNIČ RADOBULJAC, Maja; BRATINA, Nataša

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Active parental involvement, parental support in the diabetes management and family functioning are associated with optimal diabetes management and glycemic control. The purpose of this study was to assess parental satisfaction with participation in the group and their perceptions of the impact of the intervention on living and coping with childrens T1D. Methods A sample of 34 parents of children with T1D participated in this trend study. The participants’ experience and satisfaction with support group was measured by a self- evaluation questionnaire, designed for the purpose of the present study. Results Quantitative data show that parents were overall satisfied with almost all measured items of the evaluation questionnaire (wellbeing in the group, feeling secure, experiencing new things, being able to talk and feeling being heard) during the 4-year period. However, parents from the second and third season, on average, found that the support group has better fulfilled their expectations than the parents from the first season (p = 0,010). The qualitative analysis of the participants’ responses to the open-ended questions was underpinned by four themes: support when confronting the diagnosis, transformation of the family dynamics, me as a parent, exchange of experience and good practice and facing the world outside the family. Discussion The presented parent support group showed to be a promising supportive, therapeutic and psychoeducative space where parents could strengthen their role in the upbringing of their child with T1D. PMID:27646912

  5. Associations between maternal negative affect and adolescent's neural response to peer evaluation.

    PubMed

    Tan, Patricia Z; Lee, Kyung Hwa; Dahl, Ronald E; Nelson, Eric E; Stroud, Laura J; Siegle, Greg J; Morgan, Judith K; Silk, Jennifer S

    2014-04-01

    Parenting is often implicated as a potential source of individual differences in youths' emotional information processing. The present study examined whether parental affect is related to an important aspect of adolescent emotional development, response to peer evaluation. Specifically, we examined relations between maternal negative affect, observed during parent-adolescent discussion of an adolescent-nominated concern with which s/he wants parental support, and adolescent neural responses to peer evaluation in 40 emotionally healthy and depressed adolescents. We focused on a network of ventral brain regions involved in affective processing of social information: the amygdala, anterior insula, nucleus accumbens, and subgenual anterior cingulate, as well as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Maternal negative affect was not associated with adolescent neural response to peer rejection. However, longer durations of maternal negative affect were associated with decreased responsivity to peer acceptance in the amygdala, left anterior insula, subgenual anterior cingulate, and left nucleus accumbens. These findings provide some of the first evidence that maternal negative affect is associated with adolescents' neural processing of social rewards. Findings also suggest that maternal negative affect could contribute to alterations in affective processing, specifically, dampening the saliency and/or reward of peer interactions during adolescence. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  6. Social Support for Divorced Fathers' Parenting: Testing a Stress-Buffering Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeGarmo, David S.; Patras, Joshua; Eap, Sopagna

    2008-01-01

    A stress-buffering hypothesis for parenting was tested in a county-representative sample of 218 divorced fathers. Social support for parenting (emergency and nonemergency child care, practical support, financial support) was hypothesized to moderate effects of stress (role overload, coparental conflict, and daily hassles) on fathers' quality…

  7. Parent Scaffolding of Young Children When Engaged with Mobile Technology.

    PubMed

    Wood, Eileen; Petkovski, Marjan; De Pasquale, Domenica; Gottardo, Alexandra; Evans, Mary Ann; Savage, Robert S

    2016-01-01

    Shared parent-child experiences while engaged with an iPad(TM) were examined to determine if and then how parents interact with their children when using mobile digital devices. In total, 104 parent-child dyads participated in an observation session where parent-child interactions using the touchscreen tablet device were video recorded in order to observe first-hand the supports and exchanges between parent and child (age range 46.21-75.9 months). Results indicate that parents provide a great deal of support to their children while interacting with the touchscreen tablet device including verbal, emotional-verbal, physical and emotional-physical supports. The types of support offered did not differ as a function of parent gender or experience with mobile devices (users versus non-users). Overall, parents rated their own experience engaging with the touchscreen tablet and that of their child's positively. Additional survey measures assessed parents' perceptions of their child's technology use and attitudes regarding optimal ages and conditions for introducing and using technology. Most parents indicated a preference for very early introduction to mobile technologies. Implications of these findings are discussed.

  8. DYADIC PARENTING AND CHILDREN’S EXTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS

    PubMed Central

    Meteyer, Karen B.; Perry-Jenkins, Maureen

    2010-01-01

    We explore dyadic parenting styles and their association with first-grade children’s externalizing behavior symptoms in a sample of 85 working-class, dual-earner families. Cluster analysis is used to create a typology of parenting types, reflecting the parental warmth, overreactivity, and laxness of both mothers and fathers in two-parent families. Three distinct groups emerged: Supportive Parents, Mixed-Support Parents and Unsupportive Parents. Results indicate that dyadic parenting styles were related to teacher-reported externalizing symptoms for boys but not for girls. PMID:20221305

  9. DYADIC PARENTING AND CHILDREN'S EXTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS.

    PubMed

    Meteyer, Karen B; Perry-Jenkins, Maureen

    2009-07-01

    We explore dyadic parenting styles and their association with first-grade children's externalizing behavior symptoms in a sample of 85 working-class, dual-earner families. Cluster analysis is used to create a typology of parenting types, reflecting the parental warmth, overreactivity, and laxness of both mothers and fathers in two-parent families. Three distinct groups emerged: Supportive Parents, Mixed-Support Parents and Unsupportive Parents. Results indicate that dyadic parenting styles were related to teacher-reported externalizing symptoms for boys but not for girls.

  10. Family ecology of young children with cerebral palsy.

    PubMed

    LaForme Fiss, A; Chiarello, L A; Bartlett, D; Palisano, R J; Jeffries, L; Almasri, N; Chang, H-J

    2014-07-01

    Family ecology in early childhood may influence children's activity and participation in daily life. The aim of this study was to describe family functioning, family expectations of their children, family support to their children, and supports for families of young children with cerebral palsy (CP) based on children's gross motor function level. Participants were 398 children with CP (mean age = 44.9 months) and their parents residing in the USA and Canada. Parents completed four measures of family ecology, the Family Environment Scale (FES), Family Expectations of Child (FEC), Family Support to Child (FSC) and Family Support Scale (FSS). The median scores on the FES indicated average to high family functioning and the median score on the FSS indicated that families had helpful family supports. On average, parents reported high expectations of their children on the FEC and strong support to their children on the FSC. On the FES, higher levels of achievement orientation were reported by parents of children in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level II than parents of children in level I, and higher levels of control were reported by parents of children in level I than parents of children in level IV. On the FEC, parents of children with limited gross motor function (level V) reported lower expectations than parents of children at all other levels. Family ecology, including family strengths, expectations, interests, supports and resources, should be discussed when providing interventions and supports for young children with CP and their families. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Shutting Out Child-Snatchers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trotter, Andrew

    1993-01-01

    Parental kidnapping could lead to a lawsuit against the school or principal. After general building security, schools need to check on custody status, network with the courts, and convince both custodial and noncustodial parents that schools are on the children's side. A summary provides 14 steps to safeguard against parental kidnapping. (MLF)

  12. Parent Social Networks and Parent Responsibility: Implications for School Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curry, Katherine A.; Adams, Curt M.

    2014-01-01

    Family-school partnerships are difficult to initiate and sustain in ways that actually promote student learning, especially in high-poverty communities. This quantitative study was designed to better understand how social forces shape parent responsibility in education. Based on social cognitive theory as the conceptual framework, the…

  13. Population-Wide Parenting Intervention Training: Initial Feasibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shapiro, Cheri J.; Prinz, Ronald J.; Sanders, Matthew R.

    2008-01-01

    A population-level approach to deliver parenting and family support is a necessary but neglected approach needed to reduce the high prevalence of emotional/behavioral problems in children, decrease inadequate and potentially abusive parenting practices, and to provide improved parenting support to all parents within a specified population. We…

  14. The Role of Parental Involvement in Youth Sport Participation and Performance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leff, Stephen S.; Hoyle, Rick H.

    1997-01-01

    Examined the association of parental support and parental pressure with enjoyment, performance, self-esteem, and other characteristics of young tournament tennis players. Results indicate that parental support was significantly associated with enjoyment and with the importance players ascribed to their tennis game. Parental pressure failed to…

  15. Parental Support Exceeds Parenting Style for Promoting Active Play in Preschool Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schary, David P.; Cardinal, Bradley J.; Loprinzi, Paul D.

    2012-01-01

    Emerging evidence suggests that parenting style may directly or indirectly influence school-aged children's activity behaviour. Given that relatively fewer studies have been conducted among preschool-aged children, this study's primary purpose was to examine the direct relationships between parental support and parenting style on preschool…

  16. Impacts of a Support Intervention for Zimbabwean and Sudanese Refugee Parents: "I Am Not Alone".

    PubMed

    Stewart, Miriam; Makwarimba, Edward; Letourneau, Nicole L; Kushner, Kaysi Eastlick; Spitzer, Denise L; Dennis, Cindy-Lee; Shizha, Edward

    2015-12-01

    Knowledge about the beneficial effects of social support has not been used to systematically develop and evaluate interventions to help refugee new parents cope. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate a social support intervention for refugee new parents. A multi-method research design was used and participatory research strategies were employed. Qualitative and quantitative measures were used to understand experiences of participants and to assess the perceived psychosocial and health-related outcomes of the intervention. Mentored support groups, matched by gender and ethnicity, met biweekly over 7 months. The participants were 48 Sudanese and 37 Zimbabwean refugee parents in 2 Canadian provinces. Increases were found in informational support, spousal support, community engagement, coping, and support-seeking. Decreases were found in parenting stress, loneliness, and isolation. The authors conclude that there is a need for culturally appropriate nursing practices and programs for refugee new parents from diverse cultures. Copyright© by Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University.

  17. Parental reactions to children's negative emotions: relationships with emotion regulation in children with an anxiety disorder.

    PubMed

    Hurrell, Katherine E; Hudson, Jennifer L; Schniering, Carolyn A

    2015-01-01

    Research has demonstrated that parental reactions to children's emotions play a significant role in the development of children's emotion regulation (ER) and adjustment. This study compared parent reactions to children's negative emotions between families of anxious and non-anxious children (aged 7-12) and examined associations between parent reactions and children's ER. Results indicated that children diagnosed with an anxiety disorder had significantly greater difficulty regulating a range of negative emotions and were regarded as more emotionally negative and labile by their parents. Results also suggested that mothers of anxious children espoused less supportive parental emotional styles when responding to their children's negative emotions. Supportive and non-supportive parenting reactions to children's negative emotions related to children's emotion regulation skills, with father's non-supportive parenting showing a unique relationship to children's negativity/lability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. [Supporting the parental function in the case of child placement].

    PubMed

    Prat, Annie

    When a child is placed in care, it is important that the parents' access visit can take place in an environment which helps to support the parental function. Time remains a major component which professionals must understand in order to support the children and their parents along this long pathway. This article presents the experience of the Diapason service, a meeting place for parents of children in care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. The neonatal nurses' view of their role in emotional support of parents and its complexities.

    PubMed

    Turner, Melanie; Chur-Hansen, Anna; Winefield, Helen

    2014-11-01

    To explore the nurses' views of their role both in the neonatal intensive care unit and in the provision of interacting with, and emotionally supporting, families. The neonatal intensive care nurse has a large and complex clinical role and also a role of emotional supporter for parents in the neonatal intensive care unit. Identifying components of their role and recognising the elements within the nursery that obstruct or encourage this role can allow for modification of nurse education and peer support. Qualitative study based on semistructured interviews. Nine neonatal nurses from a single neonatal intensive care unit were interviewed and the data analysed thematically using NVIVO version 10. Participants viewed their role as an enjoyable yet difficult one, requiring seniority, training and experience. They provided support to parents by communicating, listening, providing individualised support and by encouraging parental involvement with their baby. Constructive elements that contributed to the provision of support included a positive neonatal intensive care unit environment and providing a parent support group. More obstructive elements were a lack of physical neonatal intensive care unit space, little time available for nurse-to-parent conversation and language and cultural barriers between nurses and parents. The role of the neonatal nurse in providing emotional support is complex and requires a high level of ongoing support and education for staff, and minimisation of physical and staff-related obstructions. The modern neonatal intensive care unit offers complex medical and nursing services and with this care comes higher needs from both babies and their parents. Neonatal intensive care unit nurses should be supported in their roles by having peer support available in the neonatal intensive care unit and education and training in emotional support and counselling skills. The nursing staff also require a comfortable and practical physical working space in which to assist parents to be with their baby. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Does self-directed and web-based support for parents enhance the effects of viewing a reality television series based on the Triple P-Positive Parenting Programme?

    PubMed

    Sanders, Matthew; Calam, Rachel; Durand, Marianne; Liversidge, Tom; Carmont, Sue Ann

    2008-09-01

    This study investigated whether providing self-directed and web-based support for parents enhanced the effects of viewing a reality television series based on the Triple P - Positive Parenting Programme. Parents with a child aged 2 to 9 (N = 454) were randomly assigned to either a standard or enhanced intervention condition. In the standard television alone viewing condition, parents watched the six-episode weekly television series, 'Driving Mum and Dad Mad'. Parents in the enhanced television viewing condition received a self-help workbook, extra web support involving downloadable parenting tip sheets, audio and video streaming of positive parenting messages and email support, in addition to viewing the television series. Parents in both conditions reported significant improvements in their child's disruptive behaviour and improvements in dysfunctional parenting practices. Effects were greater for the enhanced condition as seen on the ECBI, two of the three parenting indicators and overall programme satisfaction. However, no significant differences were seen on other measures, including parent affect indicators. The level of improvement was related to number of episodes watched, with greatest changes occurring in families who watched each episode. Improvements achieved at post-intervention by parents in both groups were maintained at six-month follow-up. Online tip sheets were frequently accessed; uptake of web-based resources was highest early in the series. The value of combining self-help approaches, technology and media as part of a comprehensive public health approach to providing parenting support is discussed.

  1. The relationship between sources and functions of social support and dimensions of child- and parent-related stress.

    PubMed

    Guralnick, M J; Hammond, M A; Neville, B; Connor, R T

    2008-12-01

    In this longitudinal study, we examined the relationship between the sources and functions of social support and dimensions of child- and parent-related stress for mothers of young children with mild developmental delays. Sixty-three mothers completed assessments of stress and support at two time points. Multiple regression analyses revealed that parenting support during the early childhood period (i.e. advice on problems specific to their child and assistance with child care responsibilities), irrespective of source, consistently predicted most dimensions of parent stress assessed during the early elementary years and contributed unique variance. General support (i.e. primarily emotional support and validation) from various sources had other, less widespread effects on parental stress. The multidimensional perspective of the construct of social support that emerged suggested mechanisms mediating the relationship between support and stress and provided a framework for intervention.

  2. Recommendations for enhancing psychosocial support of NICU parents through staff education and support

    PubMed Central

    Hall, S L; Cross, J; Selix, N W; Patterson, C; Segre, L; Chuffo-Siewert, R; Geller, P A; Martin, M L

    2015-01-01

    Providing psychosocial support to parents whose infants are hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can improve parents' functioning as well as their relationships with their babies. Yet, few NICUs offer staff education that teaches optimal methods of communication with parents in distress. Limited staff education in how to best provide psychosocial support to families is one factor that may render those who work in the NICU at risk for burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress syndrome. Staff who develop burnout may have further reduced ability to provide effective support to parents and babies. Recommendations for providing NICU staff with education and support are discussed. The goal is to deliver care that exemplifies the belief that providing psychosocial care and support to the family is equal in importance to providing medical care and developmental support to the baby. PMID:26597803

  3. Comparing sexual-minority and heterosexual young women's friends and parents as sources of support for sexual issues.

    PubMed

    Friedman, Carly K; Morgan, Elizabeth M

    2009-08-01

    The present study provides a comparative analysis of sexual-minority and heterosexual emerging adult women's experiences seeking support for sexual issues from parents and friends. Participants included 229 college women (88 sexual-minority women; 141 heterosexual women), ranging from 18 to 25 years of age, who provided written responses to an inquiry about a time they went to friends and parents for support for a issue related to their sexuality. Responses indicated that the majority of participants had sought support from either a parent or a friend and that mothers and female friends were more likely involved than fathers or male friends, respectively. Sexual issues that participants reported discussing with parents and friends were inductively grouped into five categories: dating and romantic relationships, sexual behavior, sexual health, identity negotiation, and discrimination and violence. Issues that were discussed differed based on sexual orientation identity and the source of support (parent or friend); they did not differ by age. Participants generally perceived parents and friends' responses as helpful, though sexual-minority participants perceived both parents and friends' responses as less helpful than did heterosexual participants. Overall, results suggest both similarities and differences between sexual-minority and heterosexual young women's experiences seeking support for sexual issues from parents and friends.

  4. A life enriching togetherness--meanings of informal support when being a parent of a child with disability.

    PubMed

    Lindblad, Britt-Marie; Holritz-Rasmussen, Birgit; Sandman, Per-Olof

    2007-06-01

    The majority of children affected by disability are cared for at home by their parents. It is well documented in research literature that the parents are in need of professional support. In the striving to improve the professional caring, it is also important to deepen our understanding about the meaning of informal support from the perspective of parents' life world. The aim of this study was to illuminate the meanings of lived experience of informal support, when being a parent of a child affected by disability. Thirteen parents, eight mothers and five fathers within eight families, participated in narrative interviews, which were analysed by using a phenomenological-hermeneutic method. The meanings resulted in three themes: 'being gratified by experiences of the child as having a natural place in relation with others', 'being provided a room for sorrow and joy' and 'being enabled to live an eased and spontaneous daily life'. These themes emanated from the experiences of other persons' being and doing in relation to the parents, the child affected by disability and the siblings. According to our interpretation, informal support means a life enriching togetherness, the core of which is natural human caring. The findings also showed that parents highly valued professional support concerning informal supporters.

  5. Parental fatigue and parenting practices during early childhood: an Australian community survey.

    PubMed

    Cooklin, A R; Giallo, R; Rose, N

    2012-09-01

    Parenting behaviours are influenced by a range of factors, including parental functioning. Although common, the influence of parental fatigue on parenting practices is not known. The first aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fatigue and parenting practices. The second aim was to identify parental psychosocial factors significantly associated with fatigue. A sample of 1276 Australian parents, of at least one child aged 0-5 years, completed a survey. Demographic, psychosocial (social support, coping responses) and parental sleep and self-care information was collected. Hierarchical regression was performed to assess the contribution of fatigue (modified Fatigue Assessment Scale) to parental practices (warmth, irritability and involvement), and parenting experiences (Parenting Stress Index, Parenting Sense of Competence Scale). Hierarchical multiple regression assessed the contribution of a range of parental sleep, psychosocial (social support, coping responses) and self-care variables to fatigue when demographic characteristics were held constant. Higher fatigue was significantly associated with lower parental competence (β=-0.17, P < 0.005), greater parenting stress (β= 0.21, P < 0.005) and more irritability in parent-child interactions (β= 0.11, P < 0.005). Several psychosocial characteristics were associated with higher parental fatigue, including inadequate social support, poorer diet, poorer sleep quality and ineffective coping styles including self-blame and behaviour disengagement. Fatigue is common, and results suggest that fatigue contributes to adverse parental practices and experiences. However, possible risk factors for higher fatigue were identified in this study, indicating opportunities for intervention, management and support for parents. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  6. Can the school context moderate the protective effect of parental support on adolescents' alcohol trajectories in urban Chicago?

    PubMed

    Andrade, Fernando H

    2013-12-01

    Research explaining school effects on alcohol use is scare. This study examined the interactive effect between family support and school characteristics (size, poverty, and sector) on adolescents' alcohol use trajectories in Chicago. Longitudinal and multilevel data were from the Project of Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods and the Common Core of Data (National Center for Educational Statistics). The sample consisted of 2205 adolescents in 558 schools. A three-level hierarchical linear model was used to estimate multilevel growth curve models and school effects on alcohol trajectories. In addition to the strong relationship between parental support and alcohol trajectories; the results also found school effects on the average baseline of alcohol use and the rates of change across time. Interestingly, high levels of parental support were more effective in preventing alcohol use in public schools, while adolescents attending private schools with low levels of parental support were more likely to consume alcohol. Similarly, students attending public schools with higher rates of poverty who enjoy higher levels of parental support were less likely to consume alcohol compared to students with lower parental support attending lower rates of schools poverty. Key findings highlight the importance of the interaction between parental support and school characteristics meaning that protective factors provided by parents could be reinforced or diminished by the school context. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Can the school context moderate the protective effect of parental support on adolescents alcohol trajectories in urban Chicago?

    PubMed Central

    Andrade, Fernando H.

    2013-01-01

    Background Research explaining school effects on alcohol use is scare. This study examined the interactive effect between family support and school characteristics (size, poverty, and sector) on adolescents alcohol use trajectories in Chicago. Methods Longitudinal and multilevel data were from the Project of Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods and the Common Core of Data (National Center for Educational Statistics). The sample consisted of 2205 adolescents in 558 schools. A three-level hierarchical linear model was used to estimate multilevel growth curve models and school effects on alcohol trajectories. Results In addition to the strong relationship between parental support and alcohol trajectories; the results also found school effects on the average baseline of alcohol use and the rates of change across time. Interestingly, high levels of parental support were more effective in preventing alcohol use in public schools, while adolescents attending private schools with low levels of parental support were more likely to consume alcohol. Similarly, students attending public schools with higher rates of poverty who enjoy higher levels of parental support were less likely to consume alcohol compared to students with lower parental support attending lower rates of schools poverty. Conclusion Key findings highlight the importance of the interaction between parental support and school characteristics meaning that protective factors provided by parents could be reinforced or diminished by the school context. PMID:23891034

  8. Smoking in young adulthood among African Americans: Interconnected effects of supportive parenting in early adolescence, proinflammatory epitype, and young adult stress.

    PubMed

    Beach, Steven R H; Lei, Man Kit; Brody, Gene H; Miller, Gregory E; Chen, Edith; Mandara, Jelani; Philibert, Robert A

    2017-08-01

    We examined two potentially interacting, connected pathways by which parental supportiveness during early adolescence (ages 1-13) may come to be associated with later African American young adult smoking. The first pathway is between parental supportiveness and young adult stress (age 19), with stress, in turn, predicting increased smoking at age 20. The second pathway is between supportive parenting and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene methylation (i.e., TNFm), a proinflammatory epitype, with low levels indicating greater inflammatory potential and forecasting increased risk for smoking in response to young adult stress. In a sample of 382 African American youth residing in rural Georgia, followed from early adolescence (age 10-11) to young adulthood (age 20), supportive parenting indirectly predicted smoking via associations with young adult stress, IE = -0.071, 95% confidence interval [-0.132, -0.010]. In addition, supportive parenting was associated with TNFm measured at age 20 (r = .177, p = .001). Further, lower TNFm was associated with a significantly steeper slope (b = 0.583, p = .003) of increased smoking in response to young adult stress compared to those with higher TNFm (b = 0.155, p = .291), indicating an indirect, amplifying role for supportive parenting via TNFm. The results suggest that supportive parenting in early adolescence may play a role in understanding the emergence of smoking in young adulthood.

  9. A longitudinal analysis of the impact of family support on the morale of older parents in Japan: does the parent's normative belief in filial responsibilities make a difference?

    PubMed

    Takagi, Emiko; Saito, Yasuhiko

    2013-08-01

    Japan presents a unique social laboratory in which to examine how family support impacts on older adults' psychological wellbeing. This is because of its cultural climate where distinctively different expectations of old-age independence and the traditional norm of filial piety coexist. This study investigated how structural and functional dimensions of the family support of older Japanese parents influence their psychological morale, and whether the impacts of family support on parents' morale vary depending on the parents' belief in the traditional cultural norm of filial piety. Four waves of data from the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging (NUJLSOA) collected in 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2006 were analysed. Combining the two- or three-year span of longitudinal data between each wave (N=3,882), an ordered logistic regression analysis was undertaken. The results reveal that although parents who were widowed or received emotional support from a child tended to report a lower level of morale, the negative influences of such support tended to be mitigated if the parent agreed with the traditional cultural norm of filial responsibilities. These results imply that the meaning and benefit of family support may differ depending on the degree to which Japanese older parents support the traditional norm of filial responsibilities.

  10. Supporting Fathers to Engage with Their Children's Learning and Education: An Under-Developed Aspect of the Parent Support Adviser Pilot

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cullen, Stephen M.; Cullen, Mairi Ann; Band, Susan; Davis, Liz; Lindsay, Geoff

    2011-01-01

    The Parent Support Adviser (PSA) role, piloted in 2006-2008 in 20 local authorities (LAs) in England, offered preventative and early intervention support to families where there were concerns about children's school attendance or behaviour. Overall, this was a highly successful initiative in terms of supporting parental engagement with their…

  11. How Do Parents Make Adolescents Feel Loved? Perspectives on Supportive Parenting from Adolescents in 12 Cultures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNeely, Clea A.; Barber, Brian K.

    2010-01-01

    The conceptualization and measurement of parental support is predominately the work of adult researchers from the West. This mixed-method study reports the parental behaviors that adolescents themselves perceive as supportive. Data come from the Cross-National Adolescent Project, a survey of adolescents in 12 nations or ethnic groups in Africa,…

  12. Supportive Dyadic Coping and Psychological Adaptation in Couples Parenting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Relationship Satisfaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    García-López, Cristina; Sarriá, Encarnación; Pozo, Pilar; Recio, Patricia

    2016-01-01

    In couples parenting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the partner becomes a primary source of support for addressing the additional parenting demands. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between supportive dyadic coping and parental adaptation, and to assess the mediating role of relationship satisfaction between…

  13. Helicopter Parents and Landing Pad Kids: Intense Parental Support of Grown Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fingerman, Karen L.; Cheng, Yen-Pi; Wesselmann, Eric D.; Zarit, Steven; Furstenberg, Frank; Birditt, Kira S.

    2012-01-01

    Popular media describe adverse effects of helicopter parents who provide intense support to grown children, but few studies have examined implications of such intense support. Grown children (N = 592, M age = 23.82 years, 53% female, 35% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) and their parents (N = 399, M age = 50.67 years, 52% female; 34%…

  14. Parental Support for Chinese-English Bilingual Education: A Survey of Parents of Primary and Secondary Students in Shanghai

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wei, Rining

    2011-01-01

    While many studies conducted outside China attest to the importance of parental support in determining the extent of success in implementing a bilingual education (BE) programme, few empirical studies have been conducted into the strength of parental support for Chinese-English BE in mainland China. This paper reports upon a survey targeting…

  15. Helping military families through the deployment process: Strategies to support parenting

    PubMed Central

    Gewirtz, Abigail H.; Erbes, Christopher R.; Polusny, Melissa A.; Forgatch, Marion S.; DeGarmo, David S.

    2011-01-01

    Recent studies have highlighted the impact of deployment on military families and children and the corresponding need for interventions to support them. Historically, however, little emphasis has been placed on family-based interventions in general, and parenting interventions in particular, with returning service members. This paper provides an overview of research on the associations between combat deployment, parental adjustment of service members and spouses, parenting impairments, and children’s adjustment problems, and provides a social interaction learning framework for research and practice to support parenting among military families affected by a parent’s deployment. We then describe the Parent Management Training-Oregon model (PMTO™), a family of interventions that improves parenting practices and child adjustment in highly stressed families, and briefly present work on an adaptation of PMTO for use in military families (After Deployment: Adaptive Parenting Tools, or ADAPT). The article concludes with PMTO-based recommendations for clinicians providing parenting support to military families. PMID:21841889

  16. Understanding parenting concerns in cancer survivors with minor and young-adult children.

    PubMed

    Inhestern, Laura; Bultmann, Johanna Christine; Beierlein, Volker; Möller, Birgit; Romer, Georg; Koch, Uwe; Bergelt, Corinna

    2016-08-01

    Parents with cancer are concerned about the impact of their disease on their children. However, parenting concerns and associated factors in cancer survivors have not previously been analyzed. The purpose of this study is to examine parenting concerns and to test a path model for understanding parenting concerns in cancer survivors. In a cross-sectional study, a total of 1416 parents with cancer (mean age 47.5years, 74% women) having minor or young-adult children were recruited through two cancer registries. Parenting concerns were assessed using the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the associations between social support, parenting confidence, emotional distress, family functioning and parenting concerns. Mothers reported higher total parenting concerns than fathers (p<0.001). We observed strong effects of emotional distress and parenting confidence on parenting concerns. Family dysfunctioning was associated with lower concerns. An indirect association between social support and parenting concerns was identified. Parenting concerns in cancer survivors display the need for interventions and after care programs that focus on affected families with minor and young adult children. The results of the structural path model illustrate the associations between psychological and interactional factors. Supporting parents with cancer in their parenting confidence and strengthen social support and family functioning may not only reduce the long-term burden on the parents themselves but also the burden on the entire family. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Keeping the Spirits Up: The Effect of Teachers’ and Parents’ Emotional Support on Children’s Working Memory Performance

    PubMed Central

    Vandenbroucke, Loren; Spilt, Jantine; Verschueren, Karine; Baeyens, Dieter

    2017-01-01

    Working memory, used to temporarily store and mentally manipulate information, is important for children’s learning. It is therefore valuable to understand which (contextual) factors promote or hinder working memory performance. Recent research shows positive associations between positive parent–child and teacher–student interactions and working memory performance and development. However, no study has yet experimentally investigated how parents and teachers affect working memory performance. Based on attachment theory, the current study investigated the role of parent and teacher emotional support in promoting working memory performance by buffering the negative effect of social stress. Questionnaires and an experimental session were completed by 170 children from grade 1 to 2 (Mage = 7 years 6 months, SD = 7 months). Questionnaires were used to assess children’s perceptions of the teacher–student and parent–child relationship. During an experimental session, working memory was measured with the Corsi task backward (Milner, 1971) in a pre- and post-test design. In-between the tests stress was induced in the children using the Cyberball paradigm (Williams et al., 2000). Emotional support was manipulated (between-subjects) through an audio message (either a weather report, a supportive message of a stranger, a supportive message of a parent, or a supportive message of a teacher). Results of repeated measures ANOVA showed no clear effect of the stress induction. Nevertheless, an effect of parent and teacher support was found and depended on the quality of the parent–child relationship. When children had a positive relationship with their parent, support of parents and teachers had little effect on working memory performance. When children had a negative relationship with their parent, a supportive message of that parent decreased working memory performance, while a supportive message from the teacher increased performance. In sum, the current study suggests that parents and teachers can support working memory performance by being supportive for the child. Teacher support is most effective when the child has a negative relationship with the parent. These insights can give direction to specific measures aimed at preventing and resolving working memory problems and related issues. PMID:28421026

  18. Engaging children and parents in service design and delivery.

    PubMed

    Bedford Russell, A R; Passant, M; Kitt, H

    2014-12-01

    The involvement of all user groups, including children, young people (CYP) and their parents, encourages people to take responsibility for healthier lifestyle behaviours, improves treatment compliance and leads to more appropriate use of healthcare resources. Initiatives to engage CYP in the UK are gathering momentum, but significant improvements are still needed. There is a national drive from the department of health (DH) and NHS England, strategic clinical networks, operational delivery networks (including newborn networks), charities, parent groups and a number of other bodies to embed CYP involvement in service design and delivery. User engagement and patient choice, is underpinned by the NHS outcomes framework, and a myriad of other DH and NHS England policies and practice frameworks. It is now everybody's business. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  19. Association of Maltreatment With High-Risk Internet Behaviors and Offline Encounters

    PubMed Central

    Shenk, Chad E.; Barnes, Jaclyn E.; Haralson, Katherine J.

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: High-risk Internet behaviors, including viewing sexually explicit content, provocative social networking profiles, and entertaining online sexual solicitations, were examined in a sample of maltreated and nonmaltreated adolescent girls aged 14 to 17 years. The impact of Internet behaviors on subsequent offline meetings was observed over 12 to 16 months. This study tested 2 main hypotheses: (1) maltreatment would be a unique contributor to high-risk Internet behaviors and (2) high-quality parenting would dampen adolescents’ propensity to engage in high-risk Internet behaviors and to participate in offline meetings. METHODS: Online and offline behaviors and parenting quality were gleaned from 251 adolescent girls, 130 of whom experienced substantiated maltreatment and 121 of whom were demographically matched comparison girls. Parents reported on adolescent behaviors and on the level of Internet monitoring in the home. Social networking profiles were objectively coded for provocative self-presentations. Offline meetings with persons first met online were assessed 12 to 16 months later. RESULTS: Thirty percent of adolescents reported having offline meetings. Maltreatment, adolescent behavioral problems, and low cognitive ability were uniquely associated with high-risk Internet behaviors. Exposure to sexual content, creating high-risk social networking profiles, and receiving online sexual solicitations were independent predictors of subsequent offline meetings. High-quality parenting and parental monitoring moderated the associations between adolescent risk factors and Internet behaviors, whereas use of parental control software did not. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment modalities for maltreated adolescents should be enhanced to include Internet safety literacy. Adolescents and parents should be aware of how online self-presentations and other Internet behaviors can increase vulnerability for Internet-initiated victimization. PMID:23319522

  20. Association of maltreatment with high-risk internet behaviors and offline encounters.

    PubMed

    Noll, Jennie G; Shenk, Chad E; Barnes, Jaclyn E; Haralson, Katherine J

    2013-02-01

    High-risk Internet behaviors, including viewing sexually explicit content, provocative social networking profiles, and entertaining online sexual solicitations, were examined in a sample of maltreated and nonmaltreated adolescent girls aged 14 to 17 years. The impact of Internet behaviors on subsequent offline meetings was observed over 12 to 16 months. This study tested 2 main hypotheses: (1) maltreatment would be a unique contributor to high-risk Internet behaviors and (2) high-quality parenting would dampen adolescents' propensity to engage in high-risk Internet behaviors and to participate in offline meetings. Online and offline behaviors and parenting quality were gleaned from 251 adolescent girls, 130 of whom experienced substantiated maltreatment and 121 of whom were demographically matched comparison girls. Parents reported on adolescent behaviors and on the level of Internet monitoring in the home. Social networking profiles were objectively coded for provocative self-presentations. Offline meetings with persons first met online were assessed 12 to 16 months later. Thirty percent of adolescents reported having offline meetings. Maltreatment, adolescent behavioral problems, and low cognitive ability were uniquely associated with high-risk Internet behaviors. Exposure to sexual content, creating high-risk social networking profiles, and receiving online sexual solicitations were independent predictors of subsequent offline meetings. High-quality parenting and parental monitoring moderated the associations between adolescent risk factors and Internet behaviors, whereas use of parental control software did not. Treatment modalities for maltreated adolescents should be enhanced to include Internet safety literacy. Adolescents and parents should be aware of how online self-presentations and other Internet behaviors can increase vulnerability for Internet-initiated victimization.

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