Effectiveness of Family Coping Interventions in Improving Problem-Solving Skills in the Care of Children and Adolescent Cancer Survivors during and after Treatment: A Scoping Review

PROTOCOL: Cognitive‐Behavioural Therapies for Young People in Outpatient Treatment for Non‐Opioid Drug Use

Caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a challenging and stressful task, especially in countries with limited resources. Additional research is necessary, considering the increasing prevalence of children with ASD, to gain increased knowledge of the complex difficulties faced by caregivers of ASD children and to offer insights into the coping strategies and support networks that parents utilise. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences and coping mechanisms of caregivers of children with ASD in Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, North West province, South Africa. Qualitative explorative, contextual and descriptive design with purposive sampling technique and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were analysed following the six steps of reflexive thematic analysis. Two themes were identified: Caregivers' experiences in raising a child with autism, and caregivers' coping in raising a child with autism. The research established caregivers' experiences and coping mechanisms in raising a child with ASD and the effects on different aspects of their lives including emotional, social and financial aspects, which contribute negatively to their holistic well-being. These impediments warrant the establishment of emotional support groups, empowerment of caregivers and awareness-raising through campaigns to educate the family and the community on the diverse challenges.Contribution:The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted challenges faced by caregivers of children with ASD and provide insights into the support systems and coping mechanisms employed by these caregivers within the socio-ecological context.

IntroductionChildren with Orofacial cleft (OFC) require specific support that can be challenging for their caregivers due to the various challenges associated with OFC. The use of photovoice in cleft research is scant. Thus, we used the photovoice approach to investigate the challenges and coping mechanisms of caregivers of children with OFC.MethodsWe conducted community-based participatory research using the photovoice approach and focus group discussion to investigate the challenges and coping mechanisms of caregivers (36 females and two males) of children with OFC at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Cleft Clinic, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria. Three semi-structured group discussions and one focus group discussion with 10 caregivers across the three groups. Through a day exhibition, the caregivers created awareness about OFC, shared their challenges and coping strategies with caring for a child with OFC to key stakeholders.ResultsThe caregivers highlighted the difficulty of caring for children with OFC, particularly feeding and financial constraints. Nasal regurgitation and the inability of children to latch on to the breast made feeding difficult. Most caregivers adopted baby formulas, but they lamented their high cost, exacerbated by either losing their businesses or resigning from work to care for the children. The major coping mechanism was resilience through faith and spirituality.ConclusionBurden of care was a major challenge for caregivers of children with OFC. Feeding and financial challenges were major burdens, leading the caregivers to hold on to faith and spirituality for succor. Health providers must educate caregivers on sustainable feeding techniques and management of their ward's feeding to meet the required feeding expectations regarding the children's weight.

Background: The caregivers are vulnerable to develop depression and anxiety due to increased workload and multiple stressors associated with care giving role. The understanding of coping strategies among caregivers of children with autism and normal would offer a comprehensive understanding of mental health of caregivers and coping strategies can offer protective and remedial mechanism. Objective: The present study investigated the differences in Mental Well Being and Coping Strategies of caregivers of children with Autism and Normal children. Sample: The sample size comprised of thirty caregivers of children with Autism and thirty caregivers of normal children. Tools Used: The tools used for data collection was Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) the Coping Strategies scale. Result: Results indicated the significant differences in Approach Behavioural coping strategy among Caregivers of Autistic children group and Caregivers of Normal Group. However, no significant differences between Mental Well Being and Approach Cognitive Coping Strategies of Caregivers of children with Autism and Caregiver group of Normal children.

Background: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a maladaptive behavior mostly found in youth. This study examines problem-solving skills (PSS), coping strategies, and cognitive distortion in youth who engage in DSH. Objectives: The study investigated the association of coping strategies, problem-solving skills, and personality with self-harm behaviors and the severity of anxiety and depression. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. Seventy-five participants of both genders, aged 15-29 years, were selected. Socio-demographic details, PSI, coping strategies, dichotomous thinking (DTI), and personality traits were assessed using appropriate psychological tools. Anxiety and depression were measured with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating (HAM-A) and Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) scales. Results: The mean age of the 75 participants was 22.7 years. Gender analysis showed minimal differences in problem-solving and coping strategies. Positive correlations emerged between problem-solving and coping skills (r=0.347, p=0.002) and problem-solving and independence (r=0.238, p=0.040). Anxiety was associated with self-control (r=0.283, p=0.014) and tough-mindedness (r=-0.565, p<0.001). Conclusions: The study showed how thinking patterns, emotions, and personality traits affect self-harm in young people, highlighting the need for tailored therapies like cognitive behavior therapy and DBT.

This study investigated the extent to which male and female, victims and perpetrators of domestic violence in a Ugandan urban sample engage different coping strategies. One hundred and twenty males (n = 60) and females (n = 60) participants from Kampala, Uganda, were recruited for the study from two agencies.: A two by two MANCOVA was conducted to explore the impact of role and gender on sub-scales of coping strategies (lie was controlled). The independent variables were role and gender. The results show statistically significant differences between victims and perpetrators on problem-solving and social support coping strategies (dependent variables). No differences were reported in results for males and females and there was no gender interaction. For role F = .4.986, p= .003; Pillai Trace = .117; partial eta squared = .117. For gender F = .199, p= .897; Pillai Trace = .005; partial eta squared = .005 . When the results for dependent variables were considered separately, differences of statistical significance were problem-solving strategy (F = 462.664, p= .041, partial eta squared = .036) and social support coping strategy (F = 4.261, p= .000, partial eta squared = .112). Post-hoc tests only showed significant differences between victims and perpetrators. Thus, although results revealed statistical significant role differences between victims and perpetrators in engaging coping strategies, the results revealed no gender differences in engaging coping strategies. This implies that males and females equally engaged in social, problem-solving and avoidant coping strategies at more or less the same rate. Thus, this study’s findings reveal appropriate coping strategies which will aid counsellors offering counselling services to victims and rehabilitation services to perpetrators to be gender-inclusive counsellors.

Background Adolescent refugees may be uniquely impacted by potential traumatic experiences due to their incomplete bio-psychosocial and cognitive development, dependence, and underdeveloped coping skills. Despite this vulnerability, there is a lack of clarity in the literature on the coping strategies adolescent refugees employ following trauma exposure and how these strategies are associated with their adjustment. The objective of this scoping review was to systematically identify the types of coping strategies used by adolescent refugees and examine the associations between trauma exposure and coping mechanisms. Methods A comprehensive search of four electronic databases (Ebsco Host, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) was conducted to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles. Inclusion criteria for studies were: 1) focused on the relationship between trauma and coping strategies was explicitly examined and discussed; 2) trauma was the primary predictor variable and the main focus of the study; 3) coping strategies were analyzed as outcome variables; 4) focused on adolescent refugees or asylum seekers aged 12–18 years as participants, including all genders; 5) articles were published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1, 2001, and June 20, 2021; 6) articles were written in English. Results A total of 389 articles were identified as potentially relevant for the study, 6 articles were included in this scoping review. In total, 1694 participants were included across the included studies. Five included studies utilised a cross-sectional research design, and one study employed a case study. The review found that adolescent refugees mostly employed emotion-focused, avoidant and social support/ support-seeking coping strategies among the participants of the included studies. The majority of the included studies showed that traumatic experiences are more strongly associated with emotion-focused, avoidant and social support coping strategies than active and problem-focused strategies across diverse adolescent refugee populations. Avoidant-coping strategy was associated with maladjustment in young refugees. Conclusions This scoping review suggests that future efforts should focus on equipping adolescent refugees with problem-solving and active coping strategies while addressing their psychosocial, cultural, and educational challenges to foster resilience and positive adjustment.

Objectives This scoping review aims to map out the coping strategies among Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment (PwMCI) and Persons with Mild Dementia (PwMD), identifying the facilitators and the barriers to the use of the strategies. Method We conducted a systematic search of peer-reviewed studies in PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Under the guidance of the Coping Circumflex Model, we identified coping strategies and then conducted thematic synthesis. Results Our review of 17 studies revealed 13 themes for coping strategies among PwMCI and PwMD, categorized into problem-solving, positive emotional, problem avoidance, and negative emotional strategies. The strategies included utilization of reminders, active engagement in daily tasks, acceptance, and concealing memory problems. The themes for facilitators and barriers encompassed social interactions, assistance from informal care partners, support from professionals, and the influence of emotion. Conclusion The review revealed the practical types of coping strategies and the influence of context on their use and development, highlighting the need for personalized coping strategies. These insights are crucial for developing tailored interventions to improve quality of life in PwMCI and PwMD. Future research should focus on how PwMCI and PwMD develop their effective coping strategies, considering their trajectory of cognitive decline.

The present study was conducted to draw out the causes of stress, anxiety and depression among the teachers as these issues are now very common in government school teachers. The main motivation behind the study was to evaluate the current practice and Strategies used by a teacher to cope with these issues, to cure the impact of school management on mental health and to know coping strategies. A questionnaire was developed to investigate the general perception of teachers About the causes of stress,anxiety and depression in school and coping strategies to overcome these issues in Punjab. The questionnaire was based on sources of stress, anxiety and depression and coping strategies subdivided into sections i.e.emotional coping strategies and problem-solving coping strategies keeping in view of all domains of anxiety,depression and stress. The study was focused on exploring what are school sources cause stress, how school management cause stress and what are coping strategies a teacher can use to increase mental peacefulness.The present research study was conducted in 9 division Punjab schools involving 100 teachers from the education department as participants. This research study was quantitative in nature. Questionnaires were developed and approved by experts in the field of special education. The participant’ responses were analyzed to infer conclusions. The results of the study support our claims school management is the main reason for creating anxiety, stress and depression while improving mental health and bringing emotional stability emotional and problem-solving strategies are beneficial for them. The research suggests that building good mental health of the teachers must be aware of these strategies so, they can achieve good social and academics outs in a better way.

Taking care of a child with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to emotional problems. However, using effective coping strategies positively impact the mental health of caregivers for children with ADHD. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ADHD caregivers’ coping strategies and their mental health. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 84 caregivers of ADHD children. The Coping Response Inventory and the General Health Questionnaire were completed by them. In the caregivers studied, emotion-focused coping’s score was positively correlated with somatic symptoms ( r = .45, p < .001), anxiety and insomnia ( r = .52, p < .001), social dysfunction ( r = .27, p < .05), and depression ( r = .49, p < .001). Similarly, physical inhibition or somatization of problem’s score was positively correlated with somatic symptoms ( r = .66, p < .001), anxiety and insomnia ( r = .54, p < .001), social dysfunction ( r = .32, p < .01), and depression ( r = .36, p < .001). Our findings indicate that ineffective coping strategies can potentially increase mental health problems in caregivers of children with ADHD.

BackgroundParents of children with chronic illness have reported decreased psychological and physical quality of life (QoL) relative to parents of children without such illness, which may be associated with the extent of complexity involved in the caregiving role. Given that coping strategies have been reported to influence QoL, our goal was to synthesize existing research about the association between coping strategies and QoL in caregivers of children with chronic illness. We were particularly interested in whether coping strategies may mediate the association between caregiving complexity and QoL, or may modify the association.MethodsWe developed an electronic search strategy to identify relevant citations in Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Two reviewers independently assessed retrieved citations against pre-specified inclusion criteria in two stages of screening. One reviewer abstracted data on study characteristics, methods to address confounding, measurement tools, risk of bias, and results with respect to associations of interest. A second reviewer validated extracted data. We summarized results narratively.Results2602 citations were screened and 185 full-text articles reviewed. The 11 articles that met inclusion criteria addressed 5 diseases and included a total of 2155 caregivers. Ten of the 11 included studies were cross-sectional. We identified some evidence that coping was associated with QoL: in three studies, coping strategies considered to be adaptive were positively associated with psychological QoL while in one study, maladaptive strategies were negatively associated with psychological QoL. Only two studies considered coping as a potential mediating variable in the association between caregiving complexity and parental QoL, with inconsistent findings and challenges in interpreting cross-sectional associations. No studies considered coping as a moderating variable. The variability among instruments used to measure key constructs, particularly coping strategies, made it difficult to synthesize results.ConclusionsWe found that coping strategies may be associated with psychological QoL among parents of children with chronic illness. We also identified important research gaps related to the consistent and clear measurement of coping strategies and their prospective association with QoL. Understanding how coping strategies are associated with QoL is important to inform the development of interventions to support families of children with chronic illness.

Strategies to Support Physical Activity for Parents and Caregivers of Young Children

Caregivers and families of autistic people have experienced stress and increase in demands due to the COVID‐19 pandemic that may have long‐term negative consequences for both their own and their children's mental health. A scoping review was conducted to identify pandemic related demands experienced by caregivers and families of autistic children and youth. The review also consolidated information on coping strategies and parenting‐related guidelines that have emerged to help parents meet these demands. Search strategies were approved by a research librarian and were conducted in peer‐reviewed and gray literature databases between May 2020 and February 2021. Additional resources were solicited through author networks and social media. All articles were published between December 2019 and February 2021. Article summaries were charted, and a thematic analysis was conducted with confirmation of findings with our knowledge users. Twenty‐three published articles and 14 pieces of gray literature were included in the review. The majority of articles characterized and highlighted the increase in demands on caregivers of autistic children and youth during the pandemic globally. Both quantitative and qualitative studies suggest that parents have experienced an increase in stress and mental health‐related symptoms during lockdown measures. Findings suggest that families are employing coping strategies, but there no evidence‐based supports were identified. The review highlighted the potential long‐term impact of prolonged exposure to increasing demands on the mental health and wellbeing of caregivers and families of autistic people, and pointed to a need for the rapid development and evaluation of flexible and timely support programs.Lay SummaryCaregivers and families of autistic children and youth have faced increased demands due to pandemic‐related lockdown measures. We reviewed the literature to outline sources of stress, links to their influence on caregiver mental health, and if support programs have emerged to help them. Our findings suggest a number of demands have increased caregivers' risk to mental health challenges, and their potential impact on family wellbeing. Ongoing development of evidence‐based supports of all families of autistic children and youth are needed.

BackgroundThe evidence is mixed as to whether individuals’ coping strategies may mitigate the adverse mental health effects of post-displacement stressors in refugee populations, with some indications that the buffering effects of coping strategies are context dependent. The present study examined if problem-solving and acceptance coping strategies were effect modifiers between post-migration stressors and mental health in adult refugees from Syria resettled in Sweden.MethodsStudy aims were investigated using cross-sectional survey data from a nationwide, randomly sampled group of adult refugees from Syria granted permanent residency in Sweden between 2011 and 2013 (Nsample = 4000, nrespondents = 1215, response rate 30.4%). Post-migration stressors examined included: financial strain, social strain, host-country competency strain and discrimination. Two mental health outcomes were used: anxiety/depression, measured with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25; and well-being, measured with the WHO-5 Well-being Index. Both outcomes were modelled continuously. Coping strategies were measured using the BRIEF Cope scale. Interactions between coping strategies and post-migration stressors were tested in fully adjusted linear regression models using Wald test for interaction, corrected for multiple testing using the Benjamini–Hochberg procedure.ResultsBoth problem-solving and acceptance coping strategies buffered the adverse association between financial strain and symptoms of anxiety/depression, and problem-solving coping strategies buffered the adverse association between host-country competency strain and anxiety/depression.ConclusionsThe study suggests that individuals’ coping strategies may to some degree buffer the adverse mental health effects of financial strain and host-country competency strain experienced by refugees in the resettlement phase. Although this pattern was only found in regard to anxiety/depression and not subjective well-being, the findings show that individual-level coping skills among refugees may contribute to adaptation in the face of post-settlement adversities. Notwithstanding the importance of attending to refugees’ psychosocial conditions, refugees residing in refugee camps and newly resettled refugees might benefit from interventions aiming at enhancing individual coping resources and skills. The potential effect of increased controllability and decreased conflict-proximity also warrants further exploration in future studies.

The Caregiver Status was legally recognized in Portugal in 2019. Portuguese aging index and elderly dependency index increased in the last three decades, which has developed burden on caregivers. The empowerment of caregivers is an essential strategy to promote health gains, which is an indicator of rehabilitation nursing care. However, the multicultural nature of Portuguese society represents a significant challenge in this process. This theoretical-reflective article aims to analyze the empowerment process of the Caregiver in a community context, their health gains and the multicultural challenges for Rehabilitation Nursing. Caregiver empowerment is carried out by a reference Nurse, preferentially at home. The intervention of the Rehabilitation Nurse Specialist is essential to provide the Caregiver with the knowledge and skills needed to ensure performance of the activities of daily living, tools for the management of chronic disease, the prevention of complications and coping strategies. The empowerment process results in health gains for the Caregiver (for example, reduction of emotional overload and improvement in quality of life) and for the Person Cared For (for example, improvement in functional capacity and less exacerbation of chronic disease). Empowerment is efficient when it is structured, continuous and culturally sensitive, combined with appropriate monitoring by a Rehabilitation Nurse Specialist, with specific competencies on cultural diversity and training methods. It’s suggested that health policies and multicultural community programs be created that facilitate the empowerment of Informal Caregivers and contribute to the sustainability of health systems.