Search Results (4)

Background/Objectives: Family spirituality is an important concept in family nursing that reinforces the meaning of the family’s existence. However, no studies on specific family intervention methods have been conducted to date. The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of family interventions using the family life review (FLR) program on changes to family spirituality. Methods: An FLR was conducted on six families having older adult members and undergoing family spiritual suffering, with two sessions spaced one week apart. The FLR was conducted using the Plot of Family Story (PFS), a tool for reviewing family history based on the concentric sphere family environment theory (CSFET). Semi-structured interviews and scoring using the Family Spirituality Index were conducted based on CSFET at three points in time: first before, and then after, the FLR, then again one month later, and changes in family spirituality were analyzed using mixed methods. Results: The families encountered family spiritual suffering in the family internal environment system, family system unit, and chrono system according to the CSFET. The FLR, when used with the PFS, was able to maintain, enhance, confer, and actualize family spirituality corresponding to the spiritual suffering being experienced by the target families. Conclusions: Family intervention through an FLR using the PFS can improve family spirituality in families undergoing family spiritual suffering. In this study, the PFS became a legacy for the family and raised awareness of the value of their existence. Full article

Background and purpose: When a family becomes aware of family symptoms, family resilience is defined as its power to autonomously and actively improve its own family functions. A quantitative assessment of family resilience is essential in the practice of family nursing. The purpose of this study was to develop a self-assessment scale for family resilience based on the theoretical foundation of the Concentric Sphere Family Environment Theory (CSFET), and to examine the scale’s reliability and validity. Methods: Based on 23 categories obtained from previous studies clarifying family conditions demonstrating family resilience, the Assessment Scale for Insufficiencies in Family Resilience (IFR), consisting of 21 items, was developed through content validity examinations by an expert committee and through face validity examinations for family members. The reliability and validity of the IFR were examined for families with children or with family members requiring care. Results: Temporal stability over a 2-week interval, which was assessed in 26 subjects, was supported by a high and significant correlation coefficient. The following statistical analysis was performed based on the responses of 206 subjects. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient showed high internal consistency reliability. The total IFR score showed a moderately significant correlation with the family function score and the family support demands score, demonstrating acceptable criterion-related validity. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the fit of a five-factor model based on the five systems of CSFET, and construct validity was supported. Conclusions: The reliability and validity of the IFR, which is composed of five factors and 21 items based on the CSFET, were confirmed, making the IFR a viable self-assessment scale for determining the level of family resilience. Full article

Background/Objectives: When experiencing a variety of negative family events, families that, as a whole, have high family resilience maintain and improve family functioning. It is important, therefore, for nursing professionals to be able to assess families lacking in family resilience in order to prevent, reduce, or ameliorate family symptoms (such as family-perceived problems, issues, difficulties, or suffering). The purpose of this study was to clarify how family resilience works. Methods: Family resilience is defined based on the Concentric Sphere Family Environment Theory (CSFET) as when a family becomes aware of family symptoms on its own, and its power to autonomously and actively improve its own family functions. The contents of 22 family nursing cases from 16 qualitative studies on family resilience and the results of 28 semi-structured interviews with 28 parenting-age families in Japan were qualitatively categorized using the triangulation method, and then directed content analysis was conducted based on the CSFET. Results: A total of 157 labels, with a total of 23 categories and 47 subcategories, were found to relate to family resilience, such as “can utilize relatives”, “family members can communicate with members of other families”, “family members can share information”, “all family members can communicate with one another”, “all family members can cooperate with one another”, and “can share time with family”. Conclusions: From these, a variety of diverse aspects contributing to a family’s resilience, including family member interactions, entire family interactions, use of social resources, and religious and spiritual support, were indicated. Full article

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected not only individuals but also families. The purpose of this study was to clarify the temporal changes in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on entire families with older adults susceptible to infection living on small islands in Japan over the duration of the pandemic. Family ethnographic research was conducted from 2021 to 2023, using the Concentric Sphere Family Environment Theory as the theoretical framework. Formal interviews were conducted with 20 families. In addition, data from informal interviews, participant observation and other sources were compiled into field notes. All data on the impact on the entire family were extracted and content analysis was conducted. Six categories (family internal environmental system, family system unit, micro system, macro system, supra system, and family chrono-environment system) and a total of 85 subcategories were extracted. The results show that COVID-19 exerted not only negative but also positive impacts on the entire family, and their temporal changes are clarified. The impact on families is believed to have been influenced by the family external environment, such as increases and decreases of infection cases or events that occurred outside the family. The knowledge acquired from these studies will help healthcare professionals in providing appropriate family support. Full article