The relationship between premarital counselling and marital harmony among families in Lugari,Kakamega County,Kenya

Marriage is the most respected institution in the world, and it contributes to the foundations of procreation, leadership and peace and is the hub of economic stability. Currently, there are marital disharmony cases which have led to marriage being viewed with a negative perception. This trend is common in Lugari, Kakamega County, Kenya, resulting in psychological torture, issues with child development in terms of learning and discipline, and a long‐term effect on their behaviour as adults. Premarital counselling was conceived for the purpose of helping families to re‐evaluate their feelings about marriage and its values in order to experience marital harmony. This study sought to determine the relationship between premarital counselling and marital harmony among families. It was guided by solution‐focused theory (SFT). The target population for the study was married couples and premarital counsellors. Purposive and simple random techniques were used to select a representative sample of 20 men, 20 women and 10 premarital counsellors in Lugari, Kakamega County. There was a statistically significant relationship between premarital counselling services and marital harmony among families with a correlation of .893. Therefore, there should be awareness of the existing services, and couples intending to marry should seek premarital counselling interventions and continue to attend counselling after formalising their marriage to keep up with the changing times.     

Actor–Partner Interdependence of Compassion toward Others with Qualities of Marital Relationship and Parent–Child Relationships in Chinese Families

Considering the nature of compassion and cultural and times characteristics of Chinese families, individuals' general dispositional compassion toward others may have potential benefits for relationship qualities in Chinese families. In this study, we explored how men's and women's compassion related to their own (actor effects) and the partners' (partner effects) marital relationship and parent–child relationships, respectively, using the Actor–Partner Interdependent Model. Participants were from a cross-sectional sample of 534 Chinese heterosexual married couples (females' mean age = 37.20, SD = 4.28; males' mean age = 40.29, SD = 5.39) whose biological children were pupils (mean age = 9.28, SD = 1.11). Results revealed that: (a) within marital relationships, couple members' actor effects and partner effects were found both significant; but (b) within parent–child relationships, couple members' actor effects were significant, whereas only mothers' partner effect of compassion on father–child relationship was significant. These findings support the benefits of couple members' individual compassion with respect to family relationship quality in contemporary China. Limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.     

An Exploratory Study of Predictors of Relationship Commitment for Cisgender Female Partners of Transgender Individuals

The current exploratory study investigates which variables predict commitment among cisgender women currently in a relationship with a transgender-identified partner. This study includes variables specific to gender diverse couples such as years in the relationship, amount of prior knowledge about transgender identity, and gender role beliefs. Also included are the general relationship factors of satisfaction, quality of alternatives, investment size, and the outcome variable of commitment, as described in the Investment Model of Commitment. Using convenience sampling from online support groups, the sample was n = 138 cisgender female partners. The findings of the regression analyses indicate one's personal resilience and the number of years in the relationship prior to transition are significantly related to partner commitment, with satisfaction mediating both associations. The longer a participant was in the relationship at the time of a gender transition of a partner, the less satisfaction they report, thus reducing commitment to the relationship. Additionally the more personal resilience a partner endorses, the higher the relationship satisfaction, and in turn, more commitment is reported. The results offer information about the important factors related to staying in relationships during and after a gender transition.     

The Relationship Between Social Support and Family Relationships Among Low-Income Couples Attending Relationship Education

Results are mixed for relationship education (RE) interventions with low-income couples. For couples who experienced positive changes, it is not clear what aspects of program models contributed to change. Many low-income couples attend government-funded RE with limited access to social and community resources. Program models often provide related resources complimentary to RE skill-building. We examined the relationship between income, social support, and family functioning for low-income, ethnically diverse couples (N = 856) who attended RE, as well as the mediating effects of social support on family functioning outcomes. Analyses included three separate dyadic models that examined associations among constructs at baseline and immediately following the RE intervention. Results demonstrated relationships between participants’ reported social support and family functioning such that (a) social support was associated with baseline family functioning for both men and women; (b) men’s baseline social support was influenced by women’s baseline family functioning; and (c) men’s and women’s social support change score had a positive influence on their own family functioning change score. However, social support was not a significant mediator of change in family functioning. Implications for RE practice and research are also discussed.     

A Review of Childrearing in African American Single Mother Families: The Relevance of a Coparenting Framework

Clinical research on African American single mother families has focused largely on mother-child dyads, with relatively less empirical attention to the roles of other adults or family members who often assist with childrearing. This narrow definition of “family” fails to take into account the extended family networks which often provide support for African American single mother families and the influence of these other adults on maternal parenting and youth adjustment. Our review integrates the literature on the role of extended family members, highlights the strengths and limitations of this work, and proposes the use of theory and methods from the coparenting literature to guide future study in this area. The relevance of the study of coparenting for family-based intervention efforts targeting African American youth from single mother homes is addressed.     

Replication and extension of the military family stress model: The after deployment adaptive parenting tools ADAPT4U study

The military family stress (MFS) model conceptualizes that wartime deployments and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with couple, parenting, and child adjustment difficulties. The aim of this study was to replicate and extend the military family stress model by examining the associations among deployment length, PTSD symptoms, marital functioning, parenting practices, and child adjustment in a replication sample of both National Guard and Reserve (NG/R) as well as active-duty service member families. The MFS model is extended to test whether these relationships vary between mothers and fathers. The sample included 208 families enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a parenting program for military families (94.4% of fathers and 21.6% of mothers were deployed). Replicating the MFS model, we specified parenting, marital quality, and child adjustment as latent variables and conducted multi-group structural equation models. Parenting practices were positively associated with marital quality and child adjustment. PTSD symptoms were negatively associated with marital quality. The indirect effect from PTSD symptoms to parenting practices through marital quality was marginally significant. The indirect effect from marital quality to child adjustment through parenting practices was significant. There were no significant gender differences between the two structural models. This study provides empirical support for the MFS model. Results demonstrate that deployment-related stressors are significantly associated with parent and family functioning. Parenting programs for military families might effectively target similar risk processes among both mothers and fathers.     

Living with a Rare Chronic Illness: A Phenomenological,Systemic Examination of Hemophilia Complicated by an Inhibitor

Abstract

Up to 20% of individuals with hemophilia experience the added complication of an inhibitor. An inhibitor results in severe bleeds, joint damage, impaired mobility, and even death. We conducted a focus group with eight individuals affected by inhibitors (three patients and five caregivers). Data were analyzed using the immersion/crystallization method. The following themes emerged: (a) fear and anxiety within the family, (b) social isolation of the patient, (c) unique impacts on caregivers and siblings, and (d) desired changes in treatment. Similar experiences may be common across comparable disorders that are incapacitating, acute, and relapsing in nature.     

Latino immigrant parents’ experiences raising young children in the absence of extended family networks in Canada: Implications for counselling

Latinos account for 10% of newcomers to Canada, and most are families with young children under the age of 10. In their homelands, Latinos are supported in the parenting process by extended family networks due to the cultural value of familism. Migration to Canada disrupts extended family care-giving, as only one’s spouse and dependent children are allowed to accompany the principal immigration applicant. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Latino immigrant parents of young children’s experiences of parenting in Canada in the absence of their extended families, and how they adjust to this new lived reality. An ethnically mixed sample of 10 parents (5 mothers and 5 fathers) participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed via thematic analysis. Emerging themes suggested a perceived “uploading” of parental responsibility after migration, producing fear, worry, sadness, loneliness and burnout. These experiences resulted in the negotiation of new parenting partnerships with unanticipated positive outcomes: increased nuclear family cohesion and increased father involvement in childrearing. Parents also described how new support networks were established in surprising ways, such as through interfaces with the health care system. Interventions for facilitating the successful adaptation of Latino parents in a similar predicament are discussed.     

Research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A call to action for psychological science

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents the greatest international biopsychosocial emergency the world has faced for a century, and psychological science has an integral role to offer in helping societies recover. The aim of this paper is to set out the shorter- and longer-term priorities for research in psychological science that will (a) frame the breadth and scope of potential contributions from across the discipline; (b) enable researchers to focus their resources on gaps in knowledge; and (c) help funders and policymakers make informed decisions about future research priorities in order to best meet the needs of societies as they emerge from the acute phase of the pandemic. The research priorities were informed by an expert panel convened by the British Psychological Society that reflects the breadth of the discipline; a wider advisory panel with international input; and a survey of 539 psychological scientists conducted early in May 2020. The most pressing need is to research the negative biopsychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate immediate and longer-term recovery, not only in relation to mental health, but also in relation to behaviour change and adherence, work, education, children and families, physical health and the brain, and social cohesion and connectedness. We call on psychological scientists to work collaboratively with other scientists and stakeholders, establish consortia, and develop innovative research methods while maintaining high-quality, open, and rigorous research standards.