The influence of family context on life,educational and occupational ideal among middle school students in China

This study examined the relationship between family context of middle school students on their educational and occupational ideals. Middle school students (N = 2000) responded to questions assessing family location, family structure, parental educational level and family economic status, as well as to the Middle School Students' Ideals Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that life, educational and occupational ideals of female students and students in lower grades were higher than that of male students and students in higher grades. Regression analysis indicated that paternal education level have a positive association with educational and occupational ideals, but not life ideals, and family economic status have a positive relation to life ideals, but not educational and occupational ideals. Moreover, the interaction between family economic status and family location has a negative association with students' life, educational and occupational ideals. These results suggest that different factors predicted different ideals of adolescents, and that family economic status had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between family location and ideals of students.     

Sibling relationships and civic engagement: A longitudinal study of Chinese young adults

This study examined the longitudinal associations of sibling intimacy and conflict with civic attitudes and behaviours among Chinese young adults. At two time points separated by about 12 months, questionnaire data were collected from 272 Chinese college students (mean age at Time 1 = 19.68 years; 69% female), students who studied in Hong Kong and had at least one sibling. Students rated their intimacy and conflict with their siblings and their parents at Time 1, and their civic attitudes and behaviours at both time points. Hierarchical regression revealed that, controlling for demographic characteristics and parent–child intimacy and conflict, sibling intimacy predicted increases in both civic attitudes and behaviours. Sibling conflict was a non-significant predictor, however. Findings highlighted the roles of siblings in understanding civic development in young adulthood and the utility of targeting sibling intimacy as means to foster young adults' positive attitudes to and active participation in civic activities.     

A Systematic Review of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL)

In this systematic review, the authors analyzed 336 published articles and dissertations that used the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL) to determine the reliability and validity of scores on 3 different versions: PCL–Specific, PCL–Military, and PCL–Civilian. Results confirmed Weathers, Litz, Herman, Huska, and Keane's ( 1993 ) claim that the PCL has adequate psychometric properties and appears to support the construction of a new version, the PCL‐5, as a population‐nonspecific instrument.     

Trauma Symptoms,Communication, and Relationship Satisfaction in Military Couples

Trauma symptoms are negatively correlated with couple relationship satisfaction, which is of particular importance in the relationships of military personnel who are often exposed to trauma whilst on overseas deployment. This study tested a model in which communication mediated an association between trauma symptoms and low relationship satisfaction. Thirty‐one Australian military couples were observationally assessed during a communication task, and assessed on their relationship satisfaction and individual functioning. As expected, trauma symptoms in the male military spouse were associated with low satisfaction in both spouses. Females’ low positive communication fully mediated the relationship between males’ trauma symptoms and low female satisfaction, but not male relationship satisfaction. Unexpectedly, males’ negative communication behaviors were associated with high male relationship satisfaction, and partially mediated the association between trauma symptoms and male satisfaction. Discussion focused on how some communication usually thought of as negative might be associated with relationship satisfaction in military couples.     

Communication of Information about Genetic Risks: Putting Families at the Center

Genetic information is a family affair. With the expansion of genomic technologies, many new causal genes and variants have been established and the potential for molecular diagnoses increased, with implications not only for patients but also their relatives. The need for genetic counseling and intrafamilial circulation of information on genetic risks grew accordingly. Also, the amount and, particularly, the complexity of the information to convey multiplied. Sharing information about genetic risks with family members, however, has never been an easy matter and often becomes a source of personal and familial conflicts and distress. Ethical requisites generally prevent healthcare professionals from directly contacting their consultands' relatives (affected or still at risk), who often feel unsupported throughout that process. We discuss here the communication of genetic risks to family members. We first consider genomic testing as a basis for family‐centered health care, as opposed to a predominant focus on the individual. We reviewed the literature on sharing genetic risk information with family members, and the associated ethical issues for professionals. Some clinical cases are presented and discussed, and key issues for meeting the needs of individuals and families are addressed. We argue that genetic information is inextricably linked to the family and that communicating about genetic risks is a process grounded within the broader milieu of family relationships and functioning. We conclude for the need for a more family‐centered approach and interventions that can promote sensitive attitudes to the provision of genetic information to and within the family, as well as its inclusion in educational and training programmes for genetic healthcare professionals.     

Multiple Levels of Family Factors and Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms Among Chinese Children

Family factors are closely associated with child developmental outcomes. This study examined the relationship of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms and factors at whole family, dyadic, and individual levels in Chinese children. Participants, who were recruited from 14 primary schools in north, east, and south‐west China, included 80 father‐child dyads and 169 mother‐child dyads. Children in the participating dyads were previously diagnosed with ODD. Results revealed that family cohesion/adaptability was indirectly associated with ODD symptoms via parent–child relationship and child emotion regulation. Parent–child relationship affected ODD symptoms directly and indirectly through child emotion regulation. In addition, the effects of family cohesion/adaptability on parent emotion regulation and child emotion regulation were mediated by the parent–child relationship. The tested model provides a comprehensive framework of how family factors at multiple levels are related to child ODD symptoms and highlights the importance of understanding child emotional and behavioral problems within the family context, more specifically within the multiple levels of family relationships.     

Explorer l’expérience subjective du confinement lié à l’épidémie de la Covid-19 par les familles : une analyse interprétative et phénoménologique (IPA) du discours de parents

IntroductionThe COVID-19 containment measures had many effects on parents and children (stress, concerns), and the functioning of the whole family has been disrupted (lifestyle, habits, relationships).ObjectiveThe objective of this work is to highlight the idiosyncratic nature of the experience of confinement, its psychological consequences, and the changes it has induced within families.MethodInterested in the experiences of parents who had been confined within their families, we conducted interviews with parents and analyzed their discourse using the IPA method. We interviewed five parents (38–44 years old) with at least two children each (3–13 years old). Three of the interviewees were women.ResultsWe have identified seven major axes that illustrate the confinement experience of these families: accompanied by extracts from participants’ interviews (verbatims). The subjects lived this experience in confinement as a unique opportunity to spend time with their family and recalibrate what matters to them fundamentally in life.ConclusionThe experience of confinement has brought changes in the daily lives of these parents as well as in their way of understanding their existence. A form of positive revaluation emanates from their discourse.     

Measurement Error-Corrected Estimation of Clinically Significant Change Trajectories for Interventions Targeting Comorbid PTSD and Substance Use Disorders in OEF/OIF Veterans

In randomized control trials (RCTs), a focus on average differences between treatment arms often limits our understanding of whether individuals show clinically significant improvement or deterioration. The present study examined differences in individual-level clinical significance trajectories between Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE) and Relapse Prevention (RP). Eighty-one treatment-seeking veterans with a comorbid PTSD/SUD diagnosis were randomized to COPE or RP; data from an additional n = 48 patients who did not meet criteria for both disorders was used to establish a normative threshold. A newly developed, modernized approach to the Jacobson and Truax (1991) clinically significant change framework, using (a) moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA) scale scoring and (b) measurement error-corrected multilevel modeling (MEC-MLM) was used; this approach was compared to other approaches using conventional total scores and/or assuming no measurement error. Using a conventional approach to estimating the Reliable Change Index (RCI) yielded no differences between COPE and RP in the percentage of patients achieving statistically significant improvement (SSI; 88.9% for both groups). However, under MNLFA/MEC-MLM, higher percentages of patients receiving COPE (75.0%) achieved SSI compared to RP (40.7%). Findings suggest that, even though COPE and RP appear to reduce the same number of PTSD symptoms, MNLFA scoring of outcome measures gives greater weight to interventions that target and reduce “hallmark” PTSD symptoms.     

Coparenting Interventions for Fragile Families: What Do We Know and Where Do We Need To Go Next?

With a large and growing share of American families now forming outside of marriage, triangular infant–mother–father relationship systems in “fragile families” have begun to attract the interest of family scholars and clinicians. A relatively novel conceptualization has concerned the feasibility of intervening to support the development of a sustained and positive coparenting alliance between mothers and fathers who have not made an enduring relationship commitment to one another. At this point in time, there are very few published outcome studies of programs explicitly conceived to help build coparenting alliances in such families. This article reviews what we currently know from this evolving field of study, and from those related responsible fatherhood and marriage and relationship enhancement (MRE) initiatives that included any explicit targeting, strengthening, and assessment of fragile family coparenting in their designs. We summarize lessons learned thus far from Access and Visitation (AV) programs for non‐residential fathers, from MRE programs for low‐income, unmarried couples, and from newer programs for fragile families directly designed to target and support coparenting per se. We close with recommendations for charting this important new family process terrain.