Psychosocial Well-being Of Children Research Articles

Risks and opportunities for children's well-being in resource-constrained multigenerational households during COVID-19: Implications for school psychology interventions.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had a global impact on family social and economic well-being. Individuals and families sought alternative living arrangements as a result of the financial crisis, health implications, and housing insecurity, with many joining multigenerational households. However, it is unknown how multigenerational family life affects children's well-being. Therefore, this qualitative study explored risks and resilience-building opportunities for children's psychological and social well-being in resource-constrained multigenerational households during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. Five multigenerational families were selected through snowball sampling and case design. The three generations of participants were grandparents (n = 5), parents (n = 7), and children (n = 4). Data were gathered through a questionnaire and interviews. The study received institutional ethics approval. After thematic analysis, two themes and six sub-themes were identified. Risks were related to interpersonal conflict, family collective fear of COVID-19, and children's multiple other fears. Opportunities were identified as academic support, shared responsibilities, life skills and values acquisition, and family cohesion. Results demonstrated the potential risks and resilience-building opportunities multigenerational households present for children's psychosocial well-being. Multisystemic influences in a multigenerational household contribute to children's adjustment. These outcomes necessitate systemic school psychology interventions. Longitudinal studies are recommended to explore child well-being trends in multigenerational households in varying socioeconomic contexts.

Assessing children's psychosocial well-being: Norwegian early childhood education and care teachers’ challenges when completing a global screening tool

In this article, the authors illustrate some of the challenges and dilemmas that Norwegian early childhood education and care teachers experienced when completing a global screening tool (UPSI-5: Universal Psychosocial Indicator for 5 Year Old Boys and Girls) concerning the psychosocial well-being of five-year-olds as part of an international research project. Based on interviews with 31 teachers, the authors present in-depth analysis of the critical reflections of 19 teachers concerning the assessment forms. While previous research has criticized standardized testing and screening in early childhood education and care, there is a need for the critical voices of practitioners to be heard. The aim of this article is to illustrate which aspects teachers find challenging and how they respond when in doubt. The authors found that teachers’ assessments are inextricably linked to the early childhood education and care context, and the values, ideas and norms that are prevalent in Nordic early childhood education and care settings.

An Internet-Based Parent Training With Telephone Coaching on Managing Disruptive Behavior in Children at Special Family Counseling Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Feasibility Study.

There is growing concern about the short- and long-term impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children and families. There are no existing studies about feasibility and outcomes using internet-based parent training programs with telephone coaching for disruptive behavioral problems in childhood during the COVID-19 pandemic in clinical settings. This study explored how the Strongest Families Smart Website (SFSW) parent training program, with telephone coaching, provided support during the COVID-19 pandemic at specialist family counseling centers in Helsinki, Finland, when restrictions made face-to-face counseling impossible. This study followed the success of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and its implementation study of the SFSW parent training program by primary care child health clinics. The aim was to improve parenting skills, so that parents could tackle disruptive behavior by developing positive parent-child relationships. It started in May 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its height in Finland. In total, 8 family counseling centers in Helsinki identified 50 referrals aged 3-8 years with high levels of parent-reported disruptive behavioral problems. Child psychopathology and functioning and parental skills and well-being were measured at baseline, posttreatment, and 6 months later using a range of tools. The data were extracted from questionnaires completed by the parents. We found that 44 (88%) of the 50 families completed the whole 11-session parent training program. Most of the children (n=48, 96%) had definitive or severe behavioral problems when they were initially screened by the centers, but with those assessed at the 6-month follow-up (n=45, 90%), this dropped to 58% (n=26). There were significant changes from baseline to 6-month follow-up in most of the child psychopathology measures, including the Child Behavior Checklist-Parent Report Form (CBCL) total score (mean change 16.3, SE 3.0, 95% CI 10.2-22.3; P<.001) and externalizing score (mean change 7.0, SE 1.0, 95% CI 4.9-9.0; P<.001). When parenting skills were measured with the Parenting Scale (PS), they showed significant changes from baseline to 6-month follow-up in total scores (mean change 0.5, SE 0.1, 95% CI 0.4-0.7; P<.001). Parents showed significant change in the stress subscore (mean change 3.9, SE 0.8, 95% CI 2.2-5.6; P<.001). Of the parents who filled in the satisfaction questionnaire (n=45, 90%), 42 (93%) reported high satisfaction in the skills and 44 (98%) in the professionalism of the family coaches. The program proved to be an effective method for improving parenting skills and child psychopathology and functioning. The parents were satisfied with the program, and the dropout rate was exceptionally low. The study shows that the training program could be implemented in specialist clinical settings and during crisis conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children of Single Fathers Created by Surrogacy: Psychosocial Adjustment Considerations and Implications for Research and Practice.

The existence of single-father families formed by surrogacy is becoming a more visible reality, even though this type of family organization is still perceived with stigma and negative attitudes by more traditional sectors of society, because it raises some concerns regarding the psychosocial well-being of children who are born into single-fathers' families via surrogacy, and in many cases, to gay single men who wish to become fathers. On the other hand, available research on the psychosocial well-being of these children is still very scarce and limited to a handful of Western countries. Hence, it is of utmost importance to examine studies that explore the psychosocial adjustment of these children. In this mini review, I show that all the studies revised demonstrate the good psychosocial adjustment of these children, and that they are as likely to flourish as children born into traditional families, even if they may find themselves exposed to prejudice and stigma. In conclusion, single fatherhood and surrogacy do not contribute to any adverse consequences to the children's psychosocial development and adjustment, and there is no observed evidence to why single men, irrespective of their sexual orientation, should not be fathers via surrogacy. Finally, implications for future research and interventions are also discussed.

Reflections on a Scholarly Career in Sport and Exercise Psychology: The Influence of Significant Others on the Psychosocial Well-Being of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

This paper is based on a Senior Scholar presentation delivered at the 2020 annual meeting of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. The paper begins with a summary of the research work completed by the author and coinvestigators in regard to the influences that significant others (parents, peers, and coaches) exert on the psychosocial well-being of individuals in sport and physical activity. In each of these three areas, illustrative research studies are summarized in a predominantly chronological order with a commentary at the end of each section that identifies unanswered questions and suggests future research directions. In the second section, four particular lessons learned by the author over the course of a scholarly career are identified and explained.

The burden of food allergy on children and teens: A systematic review.

Over the last two decades, researchers have placed increasing attention on understanding how food allergy affects the health-related quality of life (HRQL) and psychosocial well-being of children and teens. In response, a number of reviews have been published that aim at synthesizing the literature. However, many of these papers focus narrowly on HRQL or suffer from methodological limitations. The current review aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive overview of the burden of pediatric food allergy by synthesizing the quantitative and qualitative literature. Findings from the present review provide evidence of reduced HRQL among children and teens with food allergy, particularly older children and those with more severe manifestations of the condition. In comparison to HRQL, the link between food allergy and psychosocial functioning is less clear; however, some evidence can be cited linking food allergy to greater levels of psychological distress. Qualitative evidence suggests that the burden of pediatric food allergy largely stems from worries surrounding exposures outside of the home and the social consequences of the condition. The current review also highlights several gaps in the literature, including a paucity of longitudinal research, research focused on predictors of psychological distress among children and teens with food allergy as well as a dearth of studies comparing rates of bullying in food-allergic and non-food-allergic samples. More emphasis should be placed on not only alleviating the social and psychological consequences of food allergy, but also on identifying and assisting those most acutely burdened by the condition.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING AND SUPERVISION OF CHILD AND YOUTH CARE WORKERS IN CHILD AND YOUTH CARE CENTRES

Children who are placed in residential care have been severely traumatised, and the implication is that it has a direct impact on the psychosocial well-being of the child and youth care workers who work with the vulnerable children daily. How the care workers perform their daily tasks are impacted upon and can even lead to emotional burnout. The aim of the study was to quantitatively investigate the relationship between supervision and the psychosocial well-being of child and youth care workers. Seventy-seven child and youth care workers (CYCW) were purposefully sampled for this study. Three questionnaires were used to collect data. The IBM SPSS version 25 software was used to analyze the data. In some cases, there was a small effect size, yet it seems that ethnicity, gender, marital status, and income influence the psychosocial well-being of CYCW. The study also shows a connection between CYCW who received supervision and those who did not receive supervision. Keywords: emotional burnout, child and youth care workers, psychosocial well-being, residential care, supervision, vulnerable children

Child Friendly Space Interventions for Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Children in a Humanitarian Setting in Uganda; Study Protocol for a Multi-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)

Child Friendly Space Interventions for Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Children in a Humanitarian Setting in Uganda; Study Protocol for a Multi-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)

How Cognitive and Psychosocial Difficulties Affect Learning Outcomes: A Study of Primary School Children in Syria

Meeting the education needs of children is increasingly recognized as a necessary part of humanitarian response in emergencies. Experiences of war, dislocation, and trauma are known to affect children's psychosocial wellbeing. Less is known about how mental health and psychosocial wellbeing affect children's learning in emergencies. In this article, we examine this effect among children experiencing the crisis in Syria. The data we use are from children (N=7,191) who received educational support in northwest Syria from November 2018 to May 2019. We used the literacy levels reported by teachers to measure student learning, and the Washington Group Questions to measure cognitive or psychosocial difficulties. The average length of time between moving up a literacy level was 64 days. We fit mixed ordinal models to assess the associations between having one, every, or multiple cognitive and psychosocial difficulties. Having a single cognitive or psychosocial difficulty was associated with poorer learning progress. Children with two or more cognitive or psychosocial difficulties were less likely to progress as far as those without any such difficulties. The findings suggest that psychosocial and cognitive support for children in emergencies is needed, not just for their wellbeing but to enable them to learn effectively.

The impact of caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms and family functioning on child quality of life during pediatric cancer treatment: From diagnosis to 6 months

Objectives: A pediatric cancer diagnosis can have a significant impact on the quality of life (QOL) of the child. Diagnosis and treatment impact caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms and family functioning, and these in turn may influence child QOL. However, there has been limited longitudinal examination of the impact of both caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms and family functioning on youth QOL at specific points during the early diagnosis and treatment period. Methods: Ninety-six caregivers of youth (diagnosed with leukemia/lymphoma or a solid tumor) reported on their own anxiety/depression symptoms, family functioning, demographic and medical factors, and on their child’s generic and cancer-specific QOL shortly after diagnosis (T1) and 6 months later (T2). Results: Caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms were associated with poorer cancer-specific and generic child QOL within and across time points. Family conflict was associated with youth cancer-related QOL at T1. Conclusions: Attendance to caregiver anxiety/depression symptoms and family functioning, beginning early in the cancer trajectory, is an important aspect of family-centered care. Routine psychosocial screening and triage may help identify and intervene to support both caregiver and child psychosocial well-being.

Psychosocial wellbeing among children and adults with arthrogryposis: a scoping review

BackgroundArthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is a group of congenital conditions characterized by joint contractures in two or more body areas. Management of AMC starts early in life and focuses on improving mobility and function through intensive rehabilitation and surgical interventions. Psychosocial wellbeing is an important determinant of health and the psychosocial experience of individuals with AMC should be considered in the management of this condition. The aim of this scoping review was to explore what is known about the psychosocial wellbeing of children and adults with AMC, to identify the outcome measures used and to explore the factors associated with psychosocial outcomes in this population.MethodsA comprehensive search in four databases was conducted. Articles discussing psychosocial outcomes and outcome measures used with children or adults with AMC were included. Data on the measures used, psychosocial outcomes, and factors associated with psychosocial outcomes, were extracted and analyzed descriptively and synthesized narratively.ResultsSeventeen articles were included in this scoping review, ten including the pediatric population, six including adults and one article including both children and adults with AMC. The most commonly used outcome measures were the PODCI in the pediatric studies, and the SF-36 in studies on adults. In the pediatric studies, psychosocial outcomes were often secondary, compared to the studies on adults. Results showed that in both children and adults, psychosocial outcomes are comparable with the levels of the general population. Qualitative studies reflected the affective needs of this population and issues with emotional wellbeing. Factors such as fatigue and pain were associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes in adults with an impact on social relationships, intimacy and family planning.ConclusionValidated outcome measures, qualitative approaches and longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the psychosocial outcomes in AMC over time. Psychosocial support should be part of the multidisciplinary management of AMC throughout the lifespan.

Be a Little Rude, but not too Much: Exploring Classroom Incivility and Social Network Position in Adolescents

Classroom incivility is a critical concept relating to the academic and psychosocial well-being of children and youth. However, there has yet to be research investigating whether there are social benefits to this behavior in early adolescence. Therefore, the goal of this study was to explore the relationship between classroom incivility and measures of social network position, including incoming and mutual friendships, two forms of centrality, and social network prestige. We investigated network position of 488 students between the ages of 9 and 14 ( M = 11.48; SD = 1.14). Our findings highlight a general negative curvilinear association between classroom incivility and social network position. Specifically, children and youth who engage in moderate levels of classroom incivility have more friends and are leaders in the group (higher network prestige). In contrast, those who engage in higher or lower levels of classroom incivility have fewer friends and are less prestigious.

Parental detention and psychosocial wellbeing of migrant children in Japan.

Immigration policies in Japan and elsewhere have been toughened in recent years. To investigate the potential effects of parental detention on migrant children, psychosocial wellbeing of children from migrant families with and without parental detention was compared. In this cross-sectional study, adult asylum seekers and migrant workers with children staying in Japan were invited through non-governmental organizations to answer a self-administered anonymous questionnaire in June and July 2020. Children's psychosocial wellbeing was assessed based on the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. In the 49 participating families, including 28 where either parent had ever been detained in Japan, there were 85 children aged 4-17 years who were subject to the analyses. Psychosocial wellbeing of children in families with parental detention appeared to be worse than that of their counterparts, especially on the dimension of emotional problems. More attention should be paid to the wellbeing of migrant children in Japans immigration policy.

X-linked Malformation Deafness: Neurodevelopmental Symptoms Are Common in Children With IP3 Malformation and Mutation in POU3F4.

Incomplete partition type 3 (IP3) malformation deafness is a rare hereditary cause of congenital or rapid progressive hearing loss. The children present with a severe to profound mixed hearing loss and temporal bone imaging show a typical inner ear malformation classified as IP3. Cochlear implantation is one option of hearing restoration in severe cases. Little is known about other specific difficulties these children might exhibit, for instance possible neurodevelopmental symptoms. Ten 2; 0 to 9; 6-year-old children with IP3 malformation deafness (nine boys and one girl) with cochlear implants were evaluated with a retrospective chart review in combination with an additional extensive multidisciplinary assessment day. Hearing, language, cognition, and mental ill-health were compared with a control group of ten 1; 6 to 14; 5-year-old children with cochlear implants (seven boys and three girls) with another genetic cause of deafness, mutations in the GJB2 gene. Mutations in POU3F4 were found in nine of the 10 children with IP3 malformation. Children with IP3 malformation deafness had an atypical outcome with low level of speech recognition (especially in noise), executive functioning deficits, delayed or impaired speech as well as atypical lexical-semantic and pragmatic abilities, and exhibited mental ill-health issues. Parents of children with IP3 malformation were more likely to report that they were worried about their child's psychosocial wellbeing. Controls, however, had more age-typical results in all these domains. Eight of 10 children in the experimental group had high nonverbal cognitive ability despite their broad range of neurodevelopmental symptoms. While cochlear implantation is a feasible alternative for children with IP3 malformation deafness, co-occurring neurodevelopmental anomalies, such as attention deficit hyperactivity or developmental language disorder, and mental ill-health issues require an extensive and consistent multidisciplinary team approach during childhood to support their overall habilitation.

Marital Conflicts as Perceived by Mothers of a Child with Cancer in Korea

This study explored marital conflicts as reported by mothers of a child with cancer in Korea. In-depth, semi structured interviews were conducted with 20 mothers, and transcripts of their interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two major themes emerged: conflict escalation (becoming physically and emotionally distant, having financial challenges, feeling resentful, feeling not understood, husbands not behaving reliably) and repercussions of conflict (exploding, focusing on the child, making an effort to communicate better, husbands making an effort). Overall, the mothers perceived that their relationship with their spouse was significantly affected by their child’s illness, and they described how they tried to resolve conflicts with their husband. These findings demonstrate the need for interventions that help mothers manage the emotional burdens resulting from marital conflicts. Such interventions can ultimately promote child–parent relationships and the psychosocial well-being of children with cancer. Future research should examine the impact of external stressors and child characteristics on marital relationships amid childhood cancer survivorship.

Language measurement in childhood epilepsy: A review

The psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents with epilepsy is affected by comorbid language deficits. Little is known about the focus of current research in language and epilepsy. A systematic review of research was conducted to identify gaps in knowledge regarding language and epilepsy. In total, 83 published articles were eligible for inclusion. More studies included samples presenting with focal seizures (k = 39) compared to generalized seizures (k = 10), few included measures of morphology (k = 4). Most studies (k = 66) included samples of participants across a wide age range. Our review indicated t-hat future research should include a greater focus on participants with more diversity in epilepsy etiology (e.g., symptomatic epilepsy), and seizure type (e.g., generalized seizures), assessment of additional areas of language (e.g., morphology), increased focus on early childhood, focused examination of specific developmental stages, and greater use of comparison groups with an alternate epilepsy diagnosis.

Child labor and psychosocial wellbeing: Findings from India.

Mental health is a neglected health issue in developing countries. We test if mental health issues are particularly likely to occur among some of the most vulnerable children in developing countries: those that work. Despite falling in recent decades, child labor still engages 168 million children across the world. While the negative impacts of child labor on physical health are well documented, the effect of child labor on a child's psychosocial wellbeing has been neglected. We investigate this issue with a new dataset of 947 children aged 12-18 years from 750 households in 20 villages across five districts of Tamil Nadu, India. Our purpose-built survey allows for a holistic approach to the analysis of child wellbeing by accounting for levels of happiness, hope, emotional wellbeing, self-efficacy, fear and stress. We use a variety of econometric approaches, some of which utilize household-level fixed effects and account for differences between working and nonworking siblings. We document a robust, large and negative association between child labor and most measures of psychosocial wellbeing. The results are robust to a battery of exercises, including tests for selection on unobservables, randomization inference, instrumental variable techniques, and falsification exercises.

A model to understand HIV-related stigma and the psychosocial well-being of children orphaned by AIDS: a theory generative approach

ABSTRACT HIV-related stigma has negatively impacted the psychosocial well-being of children who have been orphaned by AIDS-related causes. Response to reducing stigma and ensuring child well-being is hindered by the limited understanding of HIV-related stigma and how it affects the psychosocial well-being of children. Due to the call for a comprehensive understanding of HIV-related stigma, this study aimed to develop a model to understand the manner in which HIV-related stigma affects the psychosocial well-being of children orphaned by AIDS. The study implemented a mixed method, exploratory, sequential design within a theory generative approach that included concept development, statement development, model description, and model evaluation. The developed model indicated that HIV-related stigma is embedded in social interaction and mediated by children orphaned by AIDS response to stigma. HIV-related stigma and maladaptive coping strategies collectively affect several domains of child psychosocial well-being and elevate psychosocial distress. This is the first model to provide a child-centred understanding of HIV-related stigma and its consequences for psychosocial well-being. The model may be used to guide future research and inform the development of appropriate interventions.

School-Based Mental Health Programs for Improving Psychosocial Well-Being in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review

School-Based Mental Health Programs for Improving Psychosocial Well-Being in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review

How Children Perceive COVID-19? Kids Drawings and Perceptions of Parents

COVID-19 affected many lives, number of children become stressful and socially isolated. School closure also has great impact on children’s social-emotional development and overall wellbeing. The aim of current study was to identify children’s reactions to COVID-19 and its impact on academic and social life. Qualitative participatory research design was used to assess children perception about COVID-19. Data were collected from parent’s interview and Children drawing. Three major themes include: Fear of the drastic changes, increased sense of responsibility, and gratitude for being at home with family was reported by the parents however children drawings revealed that most of the children felt unhappy and sad because of lock down they were missing things they were missing enjoyed earlier such as school, fiends and outdoor activities and games. This is astonished that most of the children drawn the COVID-19 virus and represented as giant and ugly. Few children also draw mask and other protective measures. Public awareness program on COVID-19 protection and mental health promotion of will be window of opportunity for children psychosocial wellbeing.