Psychological experiences of parents of adolescent patients with non-suicidal self-injury: a qualitative study based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory

An early childhood child is an individual who actively interacts with individuals around them. From these direct interactions, children learn social norms and ethics that shape and develop their character. This study focused on the process of early childhood learning from the environment in developing their character from Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems theory framework. Eleven interviewees participated in this qualitative research. The findings revealed that at the mesosytem level, a learning environment in the community that is safe and supportive of children's growth and development will develop children's positive character. These results corroborated that positive interactions within the environmental layers in Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory will contribute positively to children's development. Parents and RuPin Coordinators unanimously stated that education contributes positively to children's growth and development. Even the smallest knowledge gained by children will affect their mindset and behavior, so a commitment to providing a safe and positively stimulating learning environment is important. From the perspective of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, an adequate learning environment for young children should involve positive interactions between various environmental systems: family, school, peers and community.

School readiness has been identified as one of the major determinants of an individual’s later academic success (Cappelloni, 2011; Kim, 2008; Lunenburg, 2011). School readiness encapsulates academic readiness and socio-emotional development, and is impacted not only by the child, but also by the child’s family, the early environment, the school, and the community (Cavanaugh, Lippitt, & Moyo, 2000; Huffman, Mehlinger, & Kerivan, 2000; Maxwell & Clifford, 2004; National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2000; Peth-Pierce, 2000; Raver, 2002). Despite a plethora of studies in school readiness, there has been a lack of examination of school readiness through the lens of teachers. As parents and teachers vary in their expectations regarding the academic tasks children should be able to perform before entering school (Hains et al., 1989; O’Donnell, 2008; Piotrkowski et al., 2000; Wesley & Buysse, 2003), exploring the phenomenon of school readiness through teacher reports is warranted. The current study will be well grounded in Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory since this theory provides a framework for the impact of immediate family and school contexts on child outcomes (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 2005). School readiness involves children, families, early environments, schools, and communities (Maxwell & Clifford, 2004). Each aspect is housed in the systems within Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Since the three contexts of child, family, and community are critical factors for young children academically and socio-emotionally, Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory can explain the variations in children’s academic and socioemotional readiness. The sample for this study included 13,383 first time kindergarteners from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study- Kindergarten Cohort of 2011-11 (ECLS-K 2011). This nationally representative dataset was used to examine child factors and family backgrounds effects on school readiness based on teacher report. This study found that the interaction between both high literacy and low self-control had significant outcomes on academic readiness. Those children with high literacy and low self-control had lower scores on academic readiness. In addition, low literacy and high self-control also had significant effects on academic readiness. Children with low literacy and high self-control had higher scores on academic readiness. These findings suggest that both literacy and self-control have significant effects on child academic readiness.

The importance of resilience in young children is paramount as it helps them adjust to their life difficulties. Whilst extensive empirical studies have focused on students and adults’ resilience, there has been relatively little attention to the development of children’s resilience during their early years. Although the concept of resilience and most of the protective and risk factors have primarily been investigated in Western literature, little is known about the understanding of resilience in non-Western cultures. Ungar (2008, 2012) has constantly emphasised the important influence of cultures and contexts on resilience research. There has also been a lack of knowledge surrounding the concept of developing resilience in theory and practice in Taiwan. This study sought to narrow these gaps in the knowledge of resilience. This study focuses on the power of storytelling as an effective preschool pedagogy in order to facilitate the development of children’s resilience. The purpose of this narrative study is to explore preschoolers’ lived experience of resilience in the public preschools in Taiwan, through the engagement of teachers’ storytelling in relation to resilience-orientated stories. In order to fully understand these lived experiences, this study uses Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory as a theoretical framework to analyse the potentially reflexive influence of social and contextual elements on individual preschoolers’ experiences of developing resilience. This study was undertaken in a narrative approach as a methodology to capture preschoolers’ lived experiences in relation to resilience. There were five preschoolers selected from three public preschools in Taiwan. Two analytical frameworks were adopted to analyse the multiple methods of data collection that included classroom observations; children, teachers and parents’ interviews; children’s documents; and my own research field notes. Firstly, to explore preschoolers’ narratives of resilience, the analytical framework was developed from Riessman’s dialogical/performance narrative analysis (2008). Secondly, to explore influential elements and the children’s interactions with these on the development of their resilience in the five ecological systems, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory provided a theoretically thematic framework. The findings of this study were presented in accordance with these two analytical frameworks. In children’s narratives of resilience, there were four themes identified: 1. The process of children’s resonance with, and teachers’ storytelling in relation to, the resilience-orientated story as the premise of promoting children’s resilience. 2. A collaborative narrative as a resilience facilitator. 3. The complementary relationship between children’s resilience and emergent identities shaped by the daily interactions with some unique social and cultural elements in the Taiwanese context. 4. Multimodality of preschoolers’ narratives as a means of obtaining insight into children’s lived experiences of resilience. The findings surrounding sources of resilience provided insights into the understandings of an emerging construct of resilience, and of influential elements and their interactions with individual children on their resilience in the Taiwanese social and cultural context. These influential elements and interactions encompass the values of extended families as an element of a cultural heritage, cram schools playing a unique educational culture, and multiple religious traditions as the Taiwanese way of practicing their folk beliefs and religions. This study also contributes to the resilience literature from the Taiwanese social and cultural perspective, and also demonstrates the limitation of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory in understanding the importance of cultural influences on an individual’s development of resilience. Findings recommend and reinforce the effective use of storytelling pedagogy for professional practice in early childhood education for promoting the development of children’s resilience in the early years. The findings also provide evidence to education policy makers in Taiwan by minimizing the influence of uncertain education reform on children’s resilience, and by recognizing and prioritizing the importance of children’s resilience development in early childhood education.

While the significance of continuity in the learning environment of longitudinal integrated clerkships (LIC) is widely acknowledged, most studies have focused on continuity of the learner-preceptor relationship and learner-patient relationship. Yet learning environments contain a myriad of wider social dimensions, such as personal relationships, interactions with members of the multidisciplinary team and the broader social context of rural communities; learning is situated within a broad social system. This study aimed to understand how learners experience learning during a LIC. Qualitative interviews involving learners in a final year LIC in Western Canada were analyzed inductively, informed by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and team reflexivity. Of the LIC cohort of 22, 18 consented to be interviewed. The participants were mature, had previous careers and most had families with them. Beyond the continuity of relationships with preceptors and patients, the study uncovered other factors that influenced the learning of the LIC students. Apart from students' interactions in the clinical settings (patients, preceptors and other multi-disciplinary teams), factors such as personal relationships, community connections, learning in a resource-strained environment, geographical isolation, and other socio-political dynamics, impacted the LIC learner experiences of continuity and community integration. The results showed that LIC students were self-directed in their learning and the LIC experience shaped their professional development and facilitated their readiness for future residency. The relationship between learner and primary preceptor is central but the overall experience of the learning environment is much broader and more complex. Much of the richness of the LIC experience is embedded in the complexity of the learning environment. The use of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as a framework for understanding the complexity of the learning environment will be of interest to LIC leaders. The authors recommend potential action points at multiple system levels for medical schools to support the experiences of continuity and integration in the LIC environment and enhance students' professional journey. These will also provide supports for the ongoing active advocacy work regarding achieving a sustainable rural health workforce now and into the future.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Healthcare education is complex and multifaceted, requiring study from different angles and with different lenses. We propose that the use of a meta-framework can help those teaching and researching postgraduate health professions education make holistic sense of their practice and findings from different projects. We discuss how we have employed Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST) as an overarching theoretical framework for the scholarship of learning and teaching in the context of postgraduate health professions education. Taking a structured approach to pedagogical thinking and research through the use of a meta-framework opens up useful ways of framing findings and further questions, locating research projects within a bigger picture, and communicating to others the focus of a research programme. We address the problem of the under-theorizing of educational research in postgraduate health professions education, advocating both theoretical frameworks for individual research projects, and an overarching theoretical "meta-framework" to interrogate and draw together multiple studies. In doing so we build on, critique and further develop Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory.

A living being enters this world in a tabula rasa state (i.e., a clear mind without any information). It is the society that fills human nature with information, which later turns into behaviour, pattern, personality, habit, values, culture. This concept portrays in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. This theory explains how the environment is affecting a person's development, which is of five levels. Can the environment show discrimination in the process of information filling? This question is answered by the Thomson Reuters Foundation survey, which showed India as the most unsafe place for women. How India has surpassed all other countries in this genre is shown in Bollywood films. Matrubhoomi, Padmaavat, Bandit Queen, Begum Jaan, and the like have depicted various forms of violence and injustice committed against women. We cannot ignore the fact that many films listed above are real history. This chapter critically reflects women's state in Bollywood films by using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory.

Purpose This study investigates the early leadership experiences of novice school principals within Türkiye's centralized and bureaucratic education system. Using an ecological perspective, it explores how first-year principals interpret and enact their roles amid institutional complexity, relational tensions, and evolving leadership identities. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative, phenomenological research design was adopted to capture the lived experiences of 13 newly appointed public school principals serving in public schools located in the central districts of Ankara, Türkiye. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically using a six-phase thematic analysis framework. The analysis was guided by Wildy and Clarke's Place–People–System–Self framework, aligned with Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Findings Four inter-related themes define novice principals’ early experiences: contextual disorientation, inter-personal authority struggles, bureaucratic overload, and emotional strain. These themes correspond respectively to school culture, social relations, systemic constraints, and self-construction, illustrating the ecological complexity of early-career leadership. Participants reported uncertainty about unspoken norms, challenges in establishing legitimacy, and emotional fatigue resulting from centralized bureaucracy. The findings highlight the need for multi-level leadership development frameworks that address not only technical competence but also the relational, emotional, and ethical dimensions of leadership. Originality/value This study contributes an ecological interpretation of novice principalship by bridging micro-level leadership experiences with macro-level systemic structures. By integrating the Place–People–System–Self framework with Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, it provides a holistic and context-sensitive understanding of leadership identity formation within centralized education systems. The study offers theoretical and practical insights for leadership preparation, mentoring, and induction policies in bureaucratic and policy-driven contexts.

The purpose of this study is to compare how Swedish school principals understand basic values that are important in fulfilling the Swedish national curriculum, Curriculum 1994 (a new curriculum, Curriculum 2011, which came into operation in autumn 2011, has only minor differences compared to the common text in Curriculum 1994), considering Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Two rounds (in 1998 and 2009) of somewhat different interview questions were conducted in the southern part of Sweden, and the data analysis technique of content analysis was chosen. The main results show a need to add levels into the original Bronfenbrenner ecological systems theory regarding basic values in the Swedish compulsory school system.

The influx of multicultural and multiethnic immigrants to the United States following the liberalization of immigration law in 1965 has resulted in a high representation of children who reside with immigrant families. As these children are approaching early adulthood, their encounter with various ecological systems is likely to be shaped by their cultural differences and the diversity of family settings. Drawing on the insights of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, this article highlights the critical function that family social ecology plays in how children of immigrants will fare over their adolescent life course. By providing a comprehensive picture of how immigrant family process takes place, this article suggests how understanding the ecology of immigrant families can help strengthen social work service delivery.

The number of street children is increasing at alarming rate in the country. The several composite factors drive these children to the street life where they are confronted with the numerous threats. This study proposed to explore the root causes alongside the risks connected with street life. A qualitative study design was used to interview 50 street children from 5 hotspot sites of Peshawar, which includes Haji Camp Adda, Gulbahar, Karhano Market, University Town and Firdous Bazaar. This study is based on Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory focusing on the quality and context of the child's environment. There are two types of street children available, on and off the Street children. The determinants included strict parenting style, orphan by father, large family size and backing family. The negative attitude of society, physical and sexual abuse, weather conditions, health and hygiene and long working hours are the high rank factors. Such the challenges and exposure adversely affect child personality and development. Constitution guaranteed basic rights of free and compulsory education and a dire need to provide a safe and protected environment with a comprehensive social rehabilitation and reintegration program for street children

Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, a multisystem framework, was used to identify risk and protective factors associated with adolescent mental and physical health (AMPH) in the English-speaking Caribbean. A structured literature review, using the online databases of Medline, PsychInfo, and Scopus, was conducted to identify peer-reviewed studies published between January 1998 and July 2011 focused on adolescents ages 10-19 years. Sixty-eight articles were examined: 40 on adolescent mental health (AMH), 27 on adolescent physical health (APH), and 1 on both topics. Key individual factors included gender and age. Religiosity and engagement in other risk behaviors were associated with AMH, while the presence of other chronic illnesses affected APH. Significant determinants of AMH in the microsystem included family and school connectedness, family structure, and socioeconomic status. Maternal obesity, parental education, and school environment influenced APH. Studies that investigated macrosystem factors reported few consistent findings related to AMPH. A history of family mental health problems and physical and sexual abuse was significantly associated with AMH in the chronosystem, while a family history of diabetes and low birth weight were associated with APH. Studies did not examine the exosystem or the mesosystem. AMPH in the English-speaking Caribbean is affected by a variety factors in developing adolescents and their surroundings. Gender, family, and early exposure to negative environments are salient factors influencing AMPH and present potential avenues for prevention and intervention. A fuller understanding of AMPH in this region, however, requires scientifically rigorous studies that incorporate a multisystem approach.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the deliberate harm to one's body without suicidal intent. Although individuals engaging in NSSI do not intend to die, repetitive self-injury may increase the risk of future suicidal behaviour through reduced fear of death and increased pain tolerance. Global lifetime prevalence estimates of NSSI range from 4.2% in adults to 15.4% in adolescents, with an observed increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Iran, the reported prevalence of NSSI among adolescents and young adults is approximately 22%; however, comprehensive and culturally contextualised evidence remains limited. Psychosocial, interpersonal and ecological factors contribute to NSSI, yet no prior study has systematically mapped these determinants within an integrated, multilevel framework in the Iranian context. This scoping review aims to identify and map intrapersonal, interpersonal and ecological psychosocial factors associated with NSSI among Iranian adolescents and young adults, summarising quantitative and qualitative evidence and highlighting gaps for future research and intervention planning. Following Arksey and O'Malley's six-stage framework, with enhancements from the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across international (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase) and national (SID, Magiran, Noormags) databases. Two reviewers will independently conduct screening, data extraction and thematic coding. A third reviewer will resolve any discrepancies. Findings will be synthesised using a directed narrative synthesis combined with integrative thematic analysis. Psychosocial factors will be mapped to an integrated framework combining Nock's functional model and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Methodological quality will be appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. This scoping review will be conducted based on published and publicly available literature; therefore, no individual informed consent is required. Ethical approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (Approval code: IR.UM.REC.1404.282). The findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal, conference presentations and academic workshops to inform researchers, clinicians and policymakers about the factors associated with NSSI among Iranian adolescents and young adults.

To explore Taiwanese adolescents' experiences with asthma. Exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured face-to-face interviews, framed within Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory. Data were collected until saturation was reached. The interviews focused on adolescents who experienced asthma during their developmental stages. Data were managed using NVivo V12 program. This study was conducted at an outpatient paediatric clinic located within a tertiary teaching hospital (anonymised for review) in Taiwan. Seventeen Taiwanese adolescents with asthma were interviewed, resulting in the emergence of eight main themes: 'asthma exacerbation and its impacts', 'maintaining physical comfort', 'increased compliance with medication or treatment regimes', 'peer interactions', 'available resources at school', 'uncertainty', 'changes in social participation to manage symptoms', and 'conflicts in asthma care across different generations of family caregivers'. Taiwanese adolescents with asthma experience regular disruptions to their social participation and school attendance. As a result, maintaining peer relationships may be challenging. Understanding the experiences of adolescents with asthma provides insights in optimising asthma care at home and school settings. Our findings highlight the importance of enabling teachers to respond appropriately to the needs of adolescents with asthma. A lack of understanding among teachers can aggravate adolescents' fear of embarrassment when using an inhaler in the presence of their peers. This may lead to reduced social interactions and feelings of isolation. To create a supportive environment, it is crucial to equip teachers and peers to recognise and respond to asthma symptoms. This study addressed the lack of understanding of the developmental needs of Taiwanese adolescents with asthma. Adolescents' home and school environments impact asthma management. Families, teachers and healthcare professionals must consider the developmental experiences of adolescents living with asthma in order to provide appropriate care. COREQ was used. The data consists of answers given that comprise responses provided by patients during interviews.

The objective of the review is to identify factors related to how East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth aged 12-24 and their families access mental health and substance use (MHSU) services. To address how East and Southeast Asian youth and their families access mental health and substance use services, a scoping review was conducted to identify studies in these databases: PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Sociology Collection. Qualitative content analysis was used to deductively identify themes and was guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the process-person-context-time (PPCT) model, and the five dimensions of care accessibility (approachability, acceptability, availability and accommodation, appropriateness, affordability). Seventy-three studies met the inclusion criteria. The dimensions of healthcare accessibility shaped the following themes: 1) Acceptability; 2) Appropriateness; 3) Approachability; 4) Availability and Accommodation. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory and the PPCT model informed the development of the following themes: 1) Immediate Environment/Proximal Processes (Familial Factors, Relationships with Peers; 2) Context (School-Based Services/Community Resources, Discrimination, Prevention, Virtual Care); 3) Person (Engagement in Services/Treatment/Research, Self-management); 4) Time (Immigration Status). The study suggests that there is a growing body of research (21 studies) focused on identifying acceptability factors, including Asian cultural values and the model minority stereotype impacting how East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth access MHSU services. This review also highlighted familial factors (16 studies), including family conflict, lack of MHSU literacy, reliance on family as support, and family-based interventions, as factors affecting how East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth access MHSU care. However, the study also highlighted a dearth of research examining how East and Southeast Asian youth with diverse identities access MHSU services. This review emphasizes the factors related to the access to MHSU services by East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth and families while providing insights that will improve cultural safety.

Protective and Risk Factors Associated with Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in the English-speaking Caribbean: A Literature Review