Are you tired? Spillover and crossover effects of emotional exhaustion on the family domain

This paper examines the spillover and crossover effects of emotional exhaustion on marital satisfaction for both employees and partners as well as on employee work–family conflict and partner family–work conflict. It investigates how the transmission of psychological strain from the workplace to the family domain mediates these relationships. In a sample of 226 employee–partner dyads from manufacturing, electronics, banking, service industries and public organizations, the results support the notion that employees' emotional exhaustion spawns negative strain in the home. More specifically, the results of spillover mediation analyses show the relationships between emotional exhaustion and employee marital satisfaction/work–family conflict in the home. In a crossover model, the results indicate that employee psychological strain mediates the relationships between emotional exhaustion and the marital satisfaction of partners/family–work conflict in partners. These findings provide supports for spillover and crossover models to investigate a direction for the effectiveness of emotional exhaustion on family issues. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed, and directions for future research are offered.     

Intimate Partner Violence among West African Immigrants

Although the number of African immigrants arriving to the United States has increased significantly, there has been little investigation regarding their experiences of intimate partner violence or coping strategies. This study used focus groups and individual interviews to explore intimate partner violence among 32 heterosexual West African immigrants. Results suggest that although cultural expectations influence their coping strategies, West African–born men and women face different realities, with women reporting multiple instances of abuse and a sense of frustration with the existing options for assistance. Although participants discussed multilevel support structures within the immediate West African community to address intimate partner violence, all of these options maintained a gender hierarchy, leaving women dissatisfied. Challenges and barriers to partner violence resolution and coping strategies are identified. Results are examined in terms of their implications for addressing the needs of this underserved population. Implications for future research and services are discussed and highlighted.     

The Medical Offset Effect: Patterns in Outpatient Services Reduction for High Utilizers of Health Care

Psychosocial intervention has been found to be related to subsequent reductions in health care use. Studies generally measure this “offset effect” by combining medical use categories into one outcome variable, such as outpatient doctor visits. However, using a general outcome variable may obscure more specific patterns of reduction. In an effort to identify potential “targets” for mental health intervention, outpatient care for health screening, illness visits, laboratory/X-ray, and urgent care were considered. Health care use reductions were most prominent for high utilizers and were found across a number of different types of outpatient care. With high utilizers, those who participated in MFT showed significant reductions of 68% for health screening visits, 38% for illness visits, 56% for laboratory/X-ray visits, and 78% for urgent care visits.     

因满足而幸福：婚姻期待研究回顾与展望

婚姻期待指在婚姻关系中, 个体对配偶和关系本身所期望达到、并认为可以达到的标准。婚姻期待的满足程度影响婚姻质量评价和婚姻满意度, 但受到期待弹性、夫妻沟通及归因风格等因素的调节。个体应对婚姻期待受挫的方式包括改变对方以及对现实进行理想化歪曲等。未来可从开发适用于中国文化的测量工具、深化影响婚姻期待的家庭因素研究、探索婚姻期待受挫的其它应对方式及开展婚姻期待的夫妻匹配研究等方向进行考察。     

父母的婚姻满意度对父亲教养投入的影响：父母协同教养的中介作用

在全国多个省市选取364对幼儿父母,采用父亲教养投入问卷、婚姻满意度问卷和协同教养问卷分别测查父亲教养投入、父母婚姻满意度及协同教养状况,通过结构方程模型检验父母的婚姻满意度、协同教养和父亲教养投入三者间的溢出、补偿和交叉效应及协同教养在父母婚姻满意度与父亲教养投入间的中介作用。结果发现：（1）溢出、补偿和交叉效应同时存在于婚姻满意度、协同教养与父亲教养投入三者之间;（2）以协同教养的团结或一致维度为中介变量时,父亲的协同教养行为可完全或部分中介父亲婚姻满意度对父亲教养投入的影响,母亲的婚姻满意度和母亲的协同教养行为对父亲教养投入均没有影响;以协同教养的冲突或贬低维度为中介变量时,父母的婚姻满意度直接对父亲教养投入产生影响,父母的协同教养行为不存在中介作用。     

Resisting Abuse at What Cost? The Impact of Mandated Reporting Laws on the Process and Content of Therapy

Child abuse reporting is mandatory for family therapists. Little is written regarding the impact of mandated reporting and its impact on the family therapy systemic processes. This paper reviews literature on the impact on therapy of mandated reporting, and shares the results of a study designed to assess the impact of mandated reporting on family therapist's attention to systemic issues. The study demonstrates that MFTs shift their focus when the question of a mandated report arises to the detriment of systemic considerations. The institutional split between investigation and treatment of child abuse is discussed.     

Affiliative and Instrumental Marital Discord, Mother's Negative Affect, and Children's Negative Interactions with Unfamiliar Peers

Indices of marital discord and mother-child affective processes were used to predict levels of negativity children displayed with unfamiliar peers. Thirty-nine mothers and their 5-year-olds were observed with 5–7 other mother-child dyads during a 30-minute free play session. Mother and child negativity were coded and two types of marital discord were assessed via mother self-report: affiliative discord (e.g., distress due to the lack of affiliative behaviors in the marriage) and instrumental discord (e.g., disagreements about the accomplishment of marital tasks, such as finances, time management, and goal setting). Affiliative discord was found to relate to the child's negativity with unfamiliar peers, but instrumental discord was not. Furthermore, maternal negativity moderated the link between marital discord and child's negativity with peers, such that high levels of affiliative discord combined with heightened maternal negativity was associated with child negativity. Practical implications are discussed.     

Theory of Change Projects in MFT Programs

Taibbi (1996) suggests that therapists who have clear ideas of their personal models of therapy will be better therapists. This study attempted to learn more about how marriage and family therapy (MFT) programs use theory of change projects to assist students' development of their personal models. Questionnaires were sent to MFT master's, doctoral, and post-degree programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy. Nearly 60% of responding programs indicated that they do include theory of change projects in their programs. Data were analyzed for similarities and differences in both the contents and processes of the projects.