Foster Parents’ Perceptions of Factors Needed for Successful Foster Placements

The purpose of the study was to describe the needs of foster parents for placement success. Sixty-three foster parents from a central Canadian province were asked the following question: “What do you need for a successful foster placement”? Foster parents grouped together all responses, which were analyzed using multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis procedures. Foster parents indicated that they needed the right personality and skills, information about the foster child, a good relationship with the fostering agency, individualized services, community support, linkages to other foster families, supportive immediate and extended families, as well as self-care skills. There were some differences between the existing literature and the needs identified by study participants. Differences included the need for information about policies and procedures, their treatment by professionals, and the need for formal foster parent organizations.     

Parents’ Experiences of Their Child’s Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse

A child’s disclosure of sexual victimization is a difficult experience for parents and has been associated with traumatization, disbelief, denial, self-blame, and clinical difficulties. To date, most studies on parents’ responses have been quantitative assessments of the psychological impact of disclosure on parents. A paucity of research has qualitatively explored mothers’ experiences of their child’s disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) and fathers’ experiences have been even further neglected. The current study seeks to characterize parents’ experiences of their child’s disclosure of CSA and to uncover the process-oriented nature of parental responses. This qualitative study, using a grounded theory approach to analysis, involved interviews with 10 mothers and four fathers whose children (3–18 years) had experienced sexual abuse. Three themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme—making sense of the abuse in retrospect—captured the process through which parents sought to make sense of their child’s disclosure, focusing on why their child had not disclosed the abuse to them earlier, and how they had noticed something was wrong but misattributed their child’s behavior to other factors. The second theme—negotiating parental identity as protector—reflected how parents’ identity as a protector was challenged, their perception of their world had been forever altered, and they now experienced themselves as hypervigilant and overprotective. The final theme—navigating the services—pertained to parents’ struggle in navigating child protection and police services, and feelings of being isolated and alone. These findings highlight the need for empathy and parental support following child disclosure of sexual victimization.     

An Exploratory Study of HIV+ Adolescents’ Spirituality: Will You Pray with Me?

The aims of the study were (1) to determine whether adolescents find it acceptable to have physicians explore their spiritual beliefs as part of their medical care, (2) to characterize the role of spirituality and religious beliefs in adolescents with and without HIV, and (3) to examine associations between spirituality/religion and quality of life. Adolescents receiving their medical care at an urban Adolescent Health Clinic completed a study-specific questionnaire about spiritual inquiry by their physician, the Brief Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0. Chi-squared analysis, Fischer’s exact test, and t tests were used to assess associations. A total of 45 participants enrolled: 19 HIV+ (53% vertical transmission) and 26 HIV?; mean age 17.2 years; 80% African American. Four out of 45 (9%) had ever been asked by their doctor about their spiritual/religious beliefs, and only 8 (18%) had ever shared these beliefs with their healthcare provider. Most teens wanted their provider to ask them about their spiritual beliefs during some visits, especially when dealing with death/dying or chronic illness (67%). Those with HIV were more likely to endorse wanting their doctors to pray with them (42% vs. 15%), feeling “God’s presence” (Mean = 3.95 vs. 2.83), being “part of a larger force” (Mean = 2.58 vs. 1.69), and feeling “God had abandoned them” (Mean = 1.63 vs. 1.15). There are certain circumstances in which healthcare providers should include a spiritual history with teenage patients. Few differences emerged in the teens studied with and without HIV.     

Ambiguous Loss in Transnational Families’ Adolescents: An Exploratory Study in Ecuador

In psychosocial migration literature, the perspective of ambiguous loss has been relevant to articulate personal and relational experiences in the context of transnational families and ongoing separation. Most studies have focused on adult members’ experiences of transnational families, but research exploring ambiguous loss in adolescents whose parents have migrated is still lacking. The present study aimed to explore adolescents’ lived experiences of parental migration. In a pilot explorative study, 14 adolescents with at least one parent who migrated were interviewed about their lived experiences of transnational parent-child relationships and ongoing parent-child separation. Data analysis identified four themes in participants’ accounts: practices of separation creating confusion; current relationship with migrant parents permeated by ambiguity; distrustful representations of migrant parents; and family and social dynamics reactivating the pain of loss. The findings reveal how in the context of parental migration, patterns of separation and ongoing relational processes, compounded by the uncertainty of reunification and an exclusionary social fabric, constitute core elements that shape adolescents’ lived experiences of parent-child relationships characterized by ambiguity.     

Parent–Child Relationships and the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Qualitative Study with Parents in Early,Middle, and Late Adulthood

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families is currently unknown. Parents and children have experienced a variety of changes as public health interventions have been implemented to slow the spread of the virus. The current exploratory qualitative study recruited parents (n?=?365) in early (ages 20–34), middle (ages 35–64), and late (ages 65 and older) adulthood to understand how the early weeks of the pandemic influenced their parent–child relationships. Participants completed an online survey between March 21 and 31, 2020. Three themes emerged through qualitative content analysis: (1) relational steadiness, (2) navigating COVID-19 challenges in relationships, and (3) relational enhancement.

     

Asian Parents’ Perception of Child Weight Status: A Systematic Review

Parental perception of a child’s weight is important in determining parenting and feeding styles, which relate to childhood obesity. Evidence suggests this perception can vary by ethnicity. The purpose of this review was to explore Asian parents’ child weight perception and examine factors related to Asian parents’ child weight misperception. A systematic literature review was conducted on eight studies between 2000 and 2016 through the databases of CINAHL, Cochrane Reviews, PsycINFO, Medline, and PubMed. Searching key words were Asians, Asian-Americans, weight perception, and parents. The review revealed that all eight studies identified child weight misperception, but with highly varying results (ranging from 29.7 to 89.2%). Factors that influenced the accuracy of a parent’s child weight perception included maternal BMI, parental gender and age, child’s BMI, child’s own weight perception, child’s gender and age, and child’s birth order and birth weight. Misperception about their children’s weight is prevalent among Asian parents. Anthropometric measurement of a child, rather than a parent’s reporting of a child’s weight, should be used to educate Asian parents regarding childhood obesity. Health care professionals should be aware of misperceptions when developing and providing a culturally appropriate intervention to address overweight/obesity among Asian children, which might include improving weight perception.     

An Exploratory Study of Employers’ Attitudes Towards a Clinical Doctorate in Genetic Counseling

Creation of an advanced degree in genetic counseling has been considered since the early 1980s. The Genetic Counseling Advanced Degree Task Force (GCADTF) was convened in 2012 to formally explore the potential suitability of a clinical doctorate (ClinD), though employer perspectives of advanced training were not part of the discussion. The conclusion of this group was that the field was not ready to move to an entry-level clinical doctorate at this time but that further education and research among other stakeholders was necessary (Nagy et al. 2014). In this study, we describe employers’ perspectives on developing a clinical doctorate in genetic counseling based upon thirty audio-recorded semi-structured phone interviews that were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed. Overall, employers expressed concerns regarding the economic viability of ClinD training but envisioned expanded roles for genetic counselors (especially in areas of education and research) and enhanced credibility. While some employers reported that they would provide flexibility and tuition assistance for acquisition of a ClinD, for many employers, support was contingent on perceived value of the degree. Some employers were not clear about the difference between a ClinD and a PhD, suggesting that there is a need for educating employers about advanced degree options for the genetic counseling field. Future research could include investigating employer attitudes about market needs, envisioned roles, and compensation formulas for counselors with a ClinD or other forms of advanced training.     

English Language Learners’ Transitional Needs from High School to University: An Exploratory Study

In this study, various measures of educational achievement of English language learners (ELLs) are compared to those of native English speakers (NS) who graduated high school in Calgary and were admitted into first year studies at the University of Calgary (U of C); and the literacy demands of university manifested in the readability levels of first year textbooks are analyzed. Findings suggest ELLs are academically competent, as reflected in the achievement outcomes of provincial high school diploma examinations in mathematics. The vast majority, however, are inadequately prepared for the literacy demands of university and are at immediate academic risk. Suggestions are made for policy, transitional programming, and the provision of services that may support academic achievement at university for this growing profile of learners on campus.     

Perspectives on Factors Impacting Youth’s Reentry into Residential Care: An Exploratory Study

Multiple placements in therapeutic residential care is expensive, and is associated with poor outcomes; thus, identifying barriers to successful reintegration into the home and community school settings is essential for developing appropriate post-discharge supports, and reducing societal costs. Participants were seven youth (four female; three White/Caucasian, one Black/African American, one Hispanic/Latino, two multi-racial) recently readmitted to a therapeutic residential care program and five of their primary caregivers (four female; four White/Caucasian, one Black/African American). Through semi-structured interviews with caregivers and youth, this exploratory study investigated (1) the perceptions of preparedness for the youth’s successful transition from therapeutic residential care to the home setting, (2) the post-discharge factors that contributed to the youth’s return to care, and (3) the lessons learned about the youth’s transition from therapeutic residential care to home. The results of this exploratory, qualitative study revealed rich information about youth and their caregivers’ perspectives about their experiences prior to returning to care, such as the importance of healthy relationships (family and peers), transition planning, and post-discharge supports at the individual, family, and school levels.     

Parents’ Intelligence Mindsets Relate to Child Internalizing Problems: Moderation Through Child Gender

Parental belief systems can strongly influence children’s affect, behavior, and mental health. However, associations between specific kinds of parental beliefs and children’s mental health have not been thoroughly explored. One relevant belief system is parental intelligence mindset: beliefs about the malleability of intelligence. Children of parents who view intelligence as static (known as a fixed intelligence mindset), rather than malleable through effort (known as a growth intelligence mindset), experience more academic, self-regulatory, and motivational difficulty. However, associations between parental intelligence mindset and child mental health problems are unclear. Accordingly, we tested whether parents’ intelligence mindsets related to internalizing problems in their children (N?=?131, ages 5–8). Overall, parents with stronger fixed intelligence mindsets had children with greater internalizing problems, particularly social anxiety (characterized by fear of negative evaluation). Results further revealed that parents’ fixed intelligence mindsets were associated with overall internalizing problems and depressive symptoms in boys, but not girls. Results are the first to suggest and parse direct links between parents’ intelligence mindsets and youth internalizing problems.     

Parents’ View of Child Care Quality: Values, Evaluations, and Satisfaction

Parents’ view of the quality of early childhood education and care services has mostly been addressed from the perspective of customer satisfaction. This study investigated parents’ view within a more comprehensive framework in which parents’ values of child care, their evaluations of their child’s experience at the service and overall satisfaction with the service were considered. In particular, the study explored how values and evaluations are related and how they affect overall satisfaction. A questionnaire including a total of 96 items was filled in by 2,936 parents of children attending infant-toddler day-care centres in Rome, Italy. Parents were asked to express their values regarding child care quality and evaluate specific aspects of their experience. Parents’ perspectives of both their child’s and their own experience of childcare services were addressed separately. Two principal component analyses were performed in order to identify latent dimensions underlying parents’ values about child care quality and their evaluations of the service attended by their child. The relationships between the different dimensions of value, evaluation, and overall satisfaction with their child’s and their own experience were explained through two path models, in which values predict evaluations and these, in turn, predict overall satisfaction. Results showed that parents have a multi-faceted view of child care quality and confirm the relevance of taking into account their point of view in an analysis of the quality of early childhood education services.     

Special People? An Exploratory Study into Re-entering Missionaries’ Identity and Resilience

Home country re-entry from cross-cultural missionary work abroad may be associated with psychological distress. Re-entrants experience multiple losses including loss of identity which may be associated with personal/relational identity gaps and depersonalization/dehumanization. However, research suggests that some re-entrants are resilient with good mental health, while others are fragile with poor mental health. The aims of this paper are to explore the nature and frequency of re-entering missionaries’ identity gaps and their depersonalization/dehumanization in resilient and fragile re-entrants. Fifteen re-entering adult Australian cross-cultural missionary workers from four interdenominational Australian mission organizations completed semi-structured interviews. Results were analysed using modified Consensual Qualitative Research methods. Links were established between personal/relational identity gaps, depersonalization/dehumanization and resilience on re-entry. Implications for re-entrants’ care are discussed with suggestions for further research.     

The Association of Externalizing Behavior and Parent–Child Relationships: An Intergenerational Study

We investigated the influence of the child’s behavior on the quality of the mutual parent–child attachment relationships across three generations. We did so using a prospective longitudinal study which spanned 20 years from adolescence through adulthood. Study participants completed in-class questionnaires as students in the East Harlem area of New York City at the first wave and provided follow-up data at 4 additional points in time. 390 participants were included in these analyses; 59% female, 45% African American, and 55% Puerto Rican. Using structural equation modeling, we determined that externalizing behavior in the child was negatively related to the mutual parent–child attachment relationship for two generations of children. We also found continuity in externalizing behavior for the participant over time and from the participant to his/her child. Additionally, we found continuity in the quality of the mutual attachment relationship from the participant’s relationship with his/her parents to the participant’s relationship with his/her child. Finally, the mutual attachment relationship of the participant with his/her parents had a negative association with the participant’s externalizing behavior in adulthood. Based on these results, we propose that family interventions should focus on the role of the child’s externalizing behavior in the context of the parent–child attachment relationship. Furthermore, we suggest that prevention programs should address externalizing behavior as early as possible, as the effects of externalizing behavior in adolescence can persist into adulthood and extend to the next generation.     

Parents’ Grief in the Context of Adult Child Mental Illness: A Qualitative Review

Research indicates that parents and other family members often grieve their child or relative’s mental illness. This grief appears resultant from a profound sense of loss, which has been described as complicated and nonfinite (e.g., Atkinson in Am J Psychiatry 151(8):1137–1139, 1994; Davis and Schultz in Soc Sci Med 46(3):369–379, 1998; Jones in Br J Soc Work 34:961–979, 2004; MacGregor in Soc Work 39(2):160–166, 1994; Osborne and Coyle in Couns Psychol Q 15(4):307–323, 2002; Ozgul in Aust N Z J Fam Ther 25(4):183–187, 2004; Tuck et al. in Arch Psychiatric Nurs 11(3):118–125, 1997). This paper reviews existent research in this emerging field, with a focus on parents’ grief experience in relation to their adult child’s mental disorder. Studies that explore parents’ and family members’ grief, using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, are considered. Research evidence for the association between parents’ and family members’ grief and other outcomes are discussed. Findings concerning the prediction of grief in parents and family members who have a child or relative with a mental disorder will be reviewed. Finally, this paper considers methodological and theoretical issues associated with existent research and presents options for further study.     

Parents’ Marital Status and Child Physical Abuse Potential: The Mediation of Depression Symptoms

Informed by a social interactional framework of stress and parenting, the aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of depression symptoms on the association between parents’ marital status (married and divorced parents) and child physical abuse potential, in a Portuguese community sample. It was hypothesized that the possible observed differences between divorced and married parents in the child physical abuse potential would be explained by their depression symptoms. Parents (N?=?892) were assessed in their marital status, severity of depression symptoms and child physical abuse potential. Results showed that, when compared with married parents, divorced parents had higher child physical abuse potential. However, parents’ depression symptomatology was found as a mediator of the effect of marital status differences on child physical abuse potential. The influence of the status of divorced parents on the increase of child physical abuse potential was explained by the increase of the parents’ depression symptoms. This finding suggested that parents’ divorced status had no longer an effect on child physical abuse potential when parents’ depression symptomatology was tested as a mediator variable. The present mediation model explained 47?% of the variability in the child physical abuse potential score. Practical implications of these findings for prevention and psychological intervention are also discussed.