Search Results (311)

Maternal mental illness significantly impacts caregiving, influencing both mothers and their children. This narrative review examines the challenges faced by mothers with conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, which often disrupt caregiving routines, emotional stability, and social integration. These difficulties can hinder secure attachments and contribute to adverse developmental outcomes in children, including heightened risks of anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, and cognitive impairments. Children of mothers with mental illnesses are 1.8 times more likely to develop emotional or behavioral problems and face a 2.7 times higher risk of suicidal ideation during adolescence. Intergenerational transmission of mental illness is also prevalent, with affected children showing a 2.5 times greater likelihood of developing mental illnesses in adulthood. Effective interventions include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family-based approaches, and community programs integrating parenting education and mental health resources. These strategies have demonstrated improvements in maternal well-being and child resilience. The review highlights the need for comprehensive policies addressing maternal mental health, early intervention for children, and culturally sensitive support systems to break cycles of intergenerational mental illness. Future research should prioritize evaluating long-term intervention effectiveness and exploring innovative tools like digital mental illnesses solutions to support affected families. Full article

Based on attachment theory and the McMaster family functioning model, this study explores the protective role and mechanisms of a caring parenting style in protecting adolescents from bullying, from the perspective of the family environment. Study 1, conducted in Southwest China with middle school students (n = 4582), investigates the relationship between a caring parenting style and adolescent bullying victimization through a large-scale cross-sectional survey. The results show that both parents’ caring parenting styles are significantly negatively correlated with adolescent bullying victimization. Study 2, a two-wave study (n = 302), explores the protective mechanisms of a caring parenting style in adolescent bullying victimization. We not only observed again that a caring parenting style significantly negatively predicts bullying victimization but also found that family functioning and constructive conflict resolution play a chain-mediating role in this relationship. This finding not only supports the core hypothesis of attachment theory regarding the role of a secure base but also expands the theoretical model of bullying protection from a family ecological perspective by revealing a three-level transmission mechanism of parenting style–family system–individual capability, providing a theoretical anchor for the construction of a “family–school” collaborative intervention framework. Full article

Background: Few studies have investigated the impact of parental bonding on the quality of life and psychological health in kidney transplant recipients. Exploring these factors could provide valuable insights into the development of psychosocial interventions aimed at improving patients’ psychological adjustment and their overall quality of life. In this perspective, our study aimed to explore how dimensions of parental bonding, particularly maternal care and overprotection, may influence the quality of life and psychological well-being in kidney transplant recipients. By investigating these relationships, the study seeks to understand whether early maternal attachment experiences can predict psychological outcomes in adult transplant recipients. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving a sample of 99 kidney transplant recipients (69.7% males, mean age  =  52  ±  9.93 years) was conducted. Participants were recruited from the outpatient clinic of an Italian transplant center between May 2022 and July 2024. After an initial telephone interview, 1-2 interviews were performed in person to administer the questionnaires of the established protocol: the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to identify the type of parental bond and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey to evaluate the quality of life perceived by the patients. Results: Regression analyses revealed that higher perceived maternal care during childhood was positively associated with better psychological health during adulthood (β = 0.290; p < 0.05). Conversely, higher levels of perceived maternal overprotection were negatively associated with psychological health in this population (β = −0.286; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that maternal affection and support may serve as a protective factor, while excessive maternal protection could impair the development of emotional coping mechanisms necessary for dealing with the stresses of adult life. Full article

Background/Objectives: Emotional interactions between mothers and children are essential for later developmental outcomes such as children’s health, social competence, and language skills. However, an observational assessment of such interactions cannot reveal how mothers perceive their relationships with their children. Therefore, in this study, we translated and validated the Japanese version of the Emotional Availability Self-Report (EA-SR-J) and examined its factor structure, reliability, and validity. Methods: The participants were 739 Japanese mothers with children aged from 1 month to 5 years and 11 months. Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed 19 items and four factors (Affect Quality, Hostility, Mutual Attunement, and Child Involvement with Parent) for the EA-SR-J. However, Intrusiveness was removed, and some items were assigned to different factors compared with the original scale. Cronbach’s alpha of each subscale ranged from 0.81 to 0.88, indicating sufficient internal consistency. The convergent validity of the scale was confirmed with expected correlations with variables related to attachment and child-rearing style. Discriminant validity was confirmed by group differences in variables related to children’s autism spectrum disorder symptoms and mothers’ depression symptoms. Conclusions: Although the EA-SR-J contains fewer items than the original scale, with the Intrusiveness item removed, it remains a reliable and valid tool. Further studies using the Emotional Availability Scale based on observation are needed in the future. Full article

Discipline is a significant predictor of parent–child attachment and relationship quality across the lifespan. Yet, much of the research on Black families’ disciplinary strategies uses a deficit and myopic lens that focuses on punitive punishment styles (e.g., spanking or taking away privileges). In the current exploratory qualitative study, we used an intergenerational narrative lens and thematic analysis to explore semi-structured interview data from 31 Black mothers (25–60 years, M_age = 46) in the United States around their mothers’ disciplinary practices during their childhood. We explored the connections that Black adult daughters made between their childhood disciplinary practices and their current disciplinary practices with their children, as well as their current relationships with their mothers. Adult daughters varied widely in their retrospective accounts of their mothers’ disciplinary strategies, which we categorized into three themes: (a) punitive, (b) logical, and (c) natural. We also identified three themes around how their mothers’ practices informed their current disciplinary practices with their own children: namely, (d) continuity, (e) mix, and (f) shift. Finally, we identified three themes around the current nature of their mother–daughter relationships: (g) strained, (h) progressing, and (i) healthy. The results highlighted the personal and cultural factors that informed Black women’s disciplinary strategies across two generations of mothers and revealed that when adult daughters shifted away from what they experienced during childhood—it was often towards less punitive strategies. Our exploratory findings also pointed to patterns regarding the extent to which Black adult daughters felt connected, validated, and supported by their mothers. The findings lend insight into Black mother–daughter relationship dynamics, particularly around the importance of communication patterns and emotional connection in the culture of discipline within families. Full article

Objective: This cross-sectional study examined assumptions about the role of parenting qualities in predicting child problems. Background: Children with ADHD often experience distress, partially linked to less adaptive parenting practices. Our working assumptions are that: parental mindfulness, insecure parent attachment styles, and parental child rejection have a significant impact upon the severity of child problems and therefore should be addressed in parental training. Methods: A total of 122 Israeli parents (55 fathers (Mage = 43.8; SD = 4.01) and 67 mothers (Mage = 41.6; SD = 4.59)) of 75 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Mage = 8.4; SD = 1.56) completed self-report measures: the Experience of Close Relationships scale (ECR), the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ), and Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: The key finding was that a latent ‘parental rejection/non-warmth’ factor mediated the relationship between (a) parents’ anxious attachment and child behavior problems, and (b) parental mindfulness and child problems. Parental rejection emerged as the strongest predictor of child difficulties. Conclusions: Parental training for parents of children with ADHD should prioritize reducing rejection while also addressing mindfulness and anxious attachment style to promote child well-being. Clinical Trial Registration: Group training for parents whose children suffer from ADHD and comorbidity using a behavioral-dynamic approach (SPBT). Registered at Veeva Vault. Full article

Background/Objectives: School bullying is a significant issue that negatively impacts children’s well-being, emphasizing the need to identify family-related factors contributing to bullying victimization. This study explored the potential link between parental marital quality and school bullying victimization by employing a moderated mediation model. Methods: Parent–child attachment, measured separately as father–child and mother–child attachment, was tested as a mediator, with child gender included as a moderator. Data were collected from both children and their mothers, comprising 358 mother–child pairs recruited from three primary schools in suburban Beijing, China. Results: Results revealed that greater parental marital quality was associated with a lower risk of bullying victimization, with father–child attachment mediating this relationship. Furthermore, child gender moderated the mediating effect of father–child attachment, such that the indirect pathway from parental marital quality to bullying victimization through father–child attachment was statistically significant for girls but not for boys. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of father–child attachment in preventing bullying victimization and suggest that gender-sensitive implications may be necessary. Full article

As more families expand to include pets, it is important to explore how children interact and engage with them. While the past literature has focused on children’s involvement in animal-assisted therapy or their relationships with assistance animals, their everyday relationships with pets remain understudied. Following expert discussion and focus groups, a sample of 319 parents/guardians completed a questionnaire on their child’s relationship with their pet. Analysis of the data resulted in the development of a 38-item Child–Dog Engagement Scale (C-DES) and a 29-item Child–Cat Engagement Scale (C-CES). Each of these measures three factors: Emotional Attachment, Engagement, and Challenges. The development of parallel child–dog and child–cat scales offers a way to measure children’s relationships across these species, while accounting for the different needs of these animals and the unique ways that children may interact and care for them. The scales therefore provide a foundation for future research exploring how children’s relationships with both cats and dogs may contribute to their development. Full article

Recycling construction and demolition (C&D) waste into recycled aggregate (RA) and recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is conducive to natural resource conservation and industry decarbonization, which have been attracting much attention from the community. This paper aims to present a synthesis of recent scientific insights on RA and RAC by conducting a systematic review of the latest advances in their properties, test techniques, modeling, modification and improvement, as well as applications. Over 100 papers published in the past three years were examined, extracting enlightening information and recommendations for engineering. The review shows that consistent conclusions have been drawn about the physical properties in that RA can reduce the workability and the setting time of fresh RAC and increase the porosity of hardened RAC. Its impact on drying and autogenous shrinkage is governed by its size and the strength of the parent concrete. RA generally acts negatively on the durability and mechanical properties of concrete, but such effects remain controversial as many opposite observations have been reported. Apart from the commonly used multiscale test techniques, real-time monitoring also plays an important role in the investigation of deformation and fracture processes. Analytical models for RAC were usually modified from the existing models for NAC or established through regression analysis, while for numerical models, the distribution of attached mortar should be considered to improve their accuracy. Machine learning models are effective in predicting RAC properties. Modification of RA can be implemented by either removing or strengthening the attached mortar, while the modification of RAC is mainly achieved by improving its microstructure. Current exploration of RAC applications mainly focuses on the optimization of concrete design and mix procedures, structural components, as well as multifunctional construction materials, revealing the room for its further exploitation in the industry. Full article

This study aims to illustrate the impact of accumulated traumatic experiences in adolescence and to evaluate the potential of brief focal psychotherapy (BFP) as a treatment approach for complex trauma. We present the case of a 14-year-old boy who experienced vicarious gender-based violence, child abuse, early maternal separation without alternative secure attachment figures, and forced sudden migration. The patient exhibited symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma. The culturally sensitive intervention, delivered at a public child and adolescent mental health center, consisted of twenty weekly individual sessions of 45 min each, complemented by three 45 min psychoeducation sessions with the caregiver. The assessment was conducted using a multitrait and multi-informant approach, systematically gathering information across multiple domains of functioning (emotional–behavioral, physical, cognitive, self-perception, and relational) and from different sources (the adolescent, his mother, and the clinician) through clinical interviews, projective techniques, and parental feedback. The primary therapeutic focus was the establishment of a secure therapeutic alliance to facilitate emotional exploration and trauma processing. Following treatment, the patient demonstrated significant improvements in emotional regulation, family relationships, and school performance, as measured by both self-report and parental observations. This case highlights the potential of BFP in addressing complex trauma in adolescents, particularly during a developmental stage marked by increased vulnerability to the effects of chronic trauma exposure. The findings suggest that BFP can effectively reduce both acute symptomatology and broader psychosocial consequences associated with prolonged and cumulative trauma. Further research, particularly controlled studies and longitudinal follow-ups, is needed to refine and optimize the use of BFP by mental health professionals working with adolescents affected by complex trauma. Full article

Background and Clinical Significance: In stillbirth, bereaved parents must be promptly taken in by healthcare staff, and their requests to understand what happened must be fully explained and discussed. Empathic and open communication with the parents is fundamental in avoiding time-consuming lawsuits for investigating medical liability. Herein, we describe a case of stillbirth in which many elements exemplify potential concerns, either from a parental or judicial context. All these hypothetical questions will be addressed and discussed. Case presentation: A female stillbirth was vaginally delivered at 41 weeks of gestation after induction of labor. The baby was normally grown for gestational age, and the umbilical cord examination disclosed a length of 90 cm (75 cm attached to the placenta and 15 cm to the fetus), two tight knots, and a furcate insertion into the chorionic plate. Histologically, non-occlusive luminal thrombosis was found in the umbilical vein, extended to the cord insertion, and was in a few chorionic vessels. The knots showed myonecrosis in the vascular wall, widespread in the first one and more focal in the second, indicating prolonged contraction. Conclusions: The case we described, though fully diagnostically explained, raised many hypothetical questions that might have been brought up either in a judicial context or during communication with the parents of the autopsy results. Frequent questions may include what the cause of death was, when the baby died, if the death might have been avoidable, and, in the latter, potential medical liability. Full article

Background: During childhood and adolescence, personality development is continuous. Younger people—defined in this study as high-school students aged 14 to 18—are particularly receptive to change. The health behaviors formed during this period can significantly influence health in later life. Therefore, families and schools play a crucial role in promoting a healthy lifestyle. In our research, we examined the relationship between psychosocial resources (social support and school resources) and the regularity and intensity of physical activity. Methods: In this study, “appropriate physical activity” refers to the level and intensity of activity recommended by the World Health Organization—namely, at least 60 min per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for adolescents. We conducted our cross-sectional research in Hungary, Western Transdanubia, using convenience sampling among high-school students (n = 331). Data collected with a self-edited and standardized questionnaire (MSPSS, HBSC school resources and school social support) were analyzed using the SPSS Statistics 22 program with a t-test, ANOVA and χ² test (p < 0.05). Results: In the case of the time spent on physical activities per week, boys (p < 0.05) and younger people (p < 0.05) showed a much more favorable picture. Examining the intensity of regular physical activity among students who belonged to the appropriate range, the average values of family social support were significantly higher (p < 0.05), but this association was not observed for social support from friends or significant others (p > 0.05). The amount of movement was not differentiated by support from others (p > 0.05). The level of attitude towards their school was higher among students who performed physical activity of the appropriate quality and quantity (p < 0.05). Teachers’ assessment of school performance and the quality of the relationship with teachers showed a correlation with physical activity performed at the appropriate intensity (p < 0.05). Conclusions: We found a positive effect of family and school resources on the regularity and intensity of physical activity, which draws attention to strengthening the partnership between family and school, improving the school atmosphere and social support within the school, increasing students’ attachment to their institution. The combination of these resources can help children lead a more active and healthier life, which has a beneficial long-term impact on their physical and mental well-being. The cooperation between parents and schools is crucial in supporting young people in adopting a healthy lifestyle. Full article

In the current information era, even preschool children are unable to withstand the “digital flood”. However, excessive exposure to electronic screens not only negatively impacts various aspects of children’s health and adaptation, but also harms family relationships. Based on family systems theory, social–cognitive learning theory, and attachment theory, this study examines the relationships between co-parenting and preschoolers’ problematic media use, as well as the underlying mechanism—the mediating role of parental phubbing and the moderating effect of secure attachment. A sample of 610 parents of preschoolers from three kindergartens in central China completed validated scales, including the Co-Parenting Scale, Parental Phubbing Scale, Children’s Electronic Media Use Questionnaire, and Secure Attachment Dimension of the Waters Attachment Q-sort. A moderated mediation model was tested using the PROCESS macro with bootstrap procedures. The results showed that, after controlling for the subjective family socioeconomic status and parental education level, (1) co-parenting was negatively associated with preschoolers’ problematic media use; (2) parental phubbing significantly mediated the relationship between co-parenting and preschoolers’ problematic media use; (3) secure attachment significantly moderated both the direct relation between co-parenting and the preschoolers’ problematic media use and the mediating effect of parental phubbing (the relation between parental phubbing and children’s problematic media use); furthermore, both of these effects were more pronounced in children with lower levels of secure attachment. These findings extend family systems and attachment theories by elucidating mechanisms underlying early media behaviors. Practically, interventions should promote collaborative co-parenting and reduce parental phubbing to mitigate children’s problematic media use, while fostering secure attachment to buffer digital risks. Full article

This study discusses how cultural interpretations of the foster parent role might shape perceptions and practices related to the temporariness of care and reunification with biological families. Employing a contrastive-comparative approach, the study compares interviews with seven Japanese foster parents, with prevailing discourses surrounding the foster parent role in Norway. The findings suggest that the Japanese foster parents implicitly recognize the temporariness of their role. In contrast, the Norwegian foster parent role has typically been associated with an emphasis on the risks associated with separation from new attachment figures, which may be perceived as detrimental to children’s well-being. We argue that this conceptualization, which frames children as inherently vulnerable, may shape the foster parent’s role as one of protection, with a primary focus on shielding the child from disruption and fostering a secure attachment. This perspective, we suggest, could have implications for the temporariness of children’s care placements and the process of reunification. The study calls for a critical examination of the values underlying current child protection practices and encourages openness to alternative perspectives, including those informed by different cultural contexts. Full article

The international adoption of early institutionalized children offers the opportunity to examine the quality of mental representations of attachment and their possible revision post-adoption, thus contributing to the debate on the continuity/discontinuity of internal working models and the intergenerational transmission of attachment. The main aim of this study was to investigate how early institutionalization affects the IWMs of adopted children and whether there was a relation between the IWMs of adoptive parents and those of their children. Participating in the study were 39 young adults (male: 15; female: 24) and their adoptive parents (N = 72): adoptees’ IWMs were assessed with the SAT, while parents were administered the AAI. The percentage of insecure and especially disorganized attachments in adoptees differs significantly from the normative data of the reference population. The IWMs of adoptive parents only partially reflect the normative distribution of the non-clinical adult population, with dismissing models being overrepresented. There is no consistency between the IWMs of adoptees and those of adoptive parents. This study highlights the negative effects, even in the long term, of early experiences of emotional deprivation and the stabilization of insecure attachment patterns in the absence of caregivers who can act as a secure base that enables children to come to terms with their traumatic past. Full article