Close Family Relationships Research Articles

Investigation of the association of the MLPH gene with seasonal canine flank alopecia in Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs

BackgroundCanine flank alopecia (CFA) is a skin condition in dogs characterized by non-inflammatory, seasonally recurring episodes of localized hair loss and often hyperpigmentation of the affected skin. A genetic basis is suspected because of the predisposition in certain breeds, such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback (RR). This study investigated the possible role of the canine melanophylin (MLPH) gene in CFA among RRs through pedigree analysis and MLPH genotyping.ResultsWe included 24 CFA-affected and 12 non-CFA-affected control RRs. Pedigree analysis revealed inbreeding loops and close family relationships among the CFA-affected dogs, indicating the potential heritability of CFA. MLPH genotyping revealed 3/24 (12.5%) affected dogs and 1/12 (8.3%) control dogs to be heterozygous (Dd) for the dilute (d) allele, indicating no difference between these groups. None of the dogs were found to be homozygous (dd). Statistical analysis did not reveal an association between the MLPH-d allele and CFA.ConclusionsThe familial patterns among affected RRs observed through pedigree analysis suggest a potential genetic component in CFA. However, our findings from the MLPH genotyping did not reveal that the MLPH gene is involved in this skin condition in RRs. However, further genetic studies are needed to clarify the etiology of CFA in RR dogs.

Роль семейных взаимосвязей в формировании жизнеспособной и благополучной личности студента с инвалидностью и / или ограниченными возможностями здоровья

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective</strong><strong>.</strong> To analyze the role of family relationships in the formation of a prosperous and viable personality of a student with disabilities. <br><strong>Background. </strong>Moral responsibility, mutual support and care, teaching principles, norms and values remain at all times a historically significant function of the family. The appearance of a person with a disability in the family becomes a source of uncertainty, which is a threat on the one hand, and a chal­lenge on the other. Creating conditions for the effective and harmonious development of the family will make it possible to raise a prosperous and resilient citizen, through the support of not just a family, but the institution of a family resiliencе. <br><strong>Study design. </strong>The paper examines the features of the formation a well-being and resilient person­ality of students with disabilities, depending on the degree of family support and the presence of close family ties. The interrelation of family relations with psychological well-being, resilience, and assess­ment of the quality of life of students with disabilities is determined. <br><strong>Participants. </strong>The study involved students with disabilities (n = 98; 37,7% of boys, 62,3% of girls; average age 21,13 ± 2,68) from different faculties of FSUE IVO RSU Sotstech and conditionally healthy students (n = 116; 51,7% of the sample; 31,4% of boys, 68,6% of girls; average age 21,5 ± 2,9). <br><strong>Measurements. </strong>The research is based on the following methods: questionnaire “Psychological well-being” by C. Riff in adaptation by T.D. Shevelenkova, P.P. Fesenko; questionnaire SF — 36 “Assessment of quality of life”; test “Human resilience” by A.V. Makhnach; questionnaire “Human resilience” by E.A. Rylskaya; questionnaire allowing to establish the socio-psychological characteristics of students (gender, age, faculty, disability). The results were analyzed using the IBM SPSS 23.0 package. The presence of significant differences was revealed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test for two independent groups and the Kruskal-Wallis analysis for k-independent groups. The relationship of family relationships with the assessment of living standards, parameters of psychological well-being and resilience was established on the basis of Spearman’s p-criterion. The results were considered significant at p < 0,05. <br><strong>Results. </strong>Students with disabilities have a correlation relationship between family relationships and indicators of psychological well-being and resilience. The level of resilience of students in families with high support corresponds to a high level, in groups with weak family ties — to an average level. In families with high family support, girls and boys are statistically more capable of self-regulation and self-development. The state of psychological well-being is statistically significantly higher among students with disabilities in the group with close family relationships. The analysis of the assessment of the quality of life significantly differs in the parameter of vital activity among respondents with disabilities. <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>As a result of the study, it was found that a family with close emotional ties creates conditions for the effective use of available opportunities, self-regulation and self-development. Stu­dents with disabilities with high family support show higher life activity and adaptation in society. The results of the study serve as the basis for the development of a targeted trajectory of psychological and pedagogical support for students with disabilities and/or disabilities to maintain psychological well-being and resilience, improve the assessment of quality of life.</p>

From the United States to the United Kingdom: Hope, Blended Family Social Support, and Computer-Mediated Communication Amidst Chronic Illness

ABSTRACT This Defining Moments essay contributes to health communication scholarship regarding the role of religion/spirituality as a coping strategy during severe illness and the realities of providing social support in blended families. It also invites readers to reconsider the capacities and constraints of utilizing technology-mediated communication to provide support within close familial relationships. Finally, this narrative acknowledges the messiness of providing support in the evolving realities of family life and the complexity of “being there” for people we love when we cannot physically be present.

Resilience and mental health among perinatal women: a systematic review.

This review aimed to assess the current evidence on the relationship between resilience and mental health employed in response to the impacts of mental health. This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). The protocol of this review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42023470966). Three authors searched peer-reviewed articles using several electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Psych Info, EMBASE, and Web of Science, from September to October 2023 and included all the studies from any time until November 1, 2023. The review included all eligible quantitative observational and qualitative studies, irrespective of geographical boundaries. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders were found to be the most common, but not the only, mental health disorders during the perinatal period, and higher maternal resilience during perinatal periods was found to reduce mental health disorders. It was also found that pregnant women were more resilient to mental health disorders than postpartum women. Tolerance of uncertainty and a positive cognitive appraisal, women's self-behavior and family functioning, and protective psychosocial resources such as dispositional optimism, parental sense of mastery, self-esteem, gratitude, and forgiveness were found to be the most common mechanisms of resilience among perinatal women. Older age, having an adolescent partner, family income, and distress were found to affect resilience. Noting that women's resilience is an important tool to prevent perinatal mental health disorders, maternal healthcare providers need to counsel perinatal women on resilience-boosting mechanisms, such as applying self-behavior and having social support or close family relationships. It is recommended to counsel or provide psychosocial interventions for the woman's companion or partner to give strong support for the woman in each of the perinatal periods. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=470966, identifier CRD42023470966.

Family resilience of cancer patients: a concept analysis

Abstract Objective The concept of family resilience of cancer patients was discussed through literature review, which provided reference for nursing of cancer patients. Methods China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched, and the concept analysis method proposed by Walker and Avant was adopted. Results In this study, we defined the concept of family resilience, identified attributes, and analyzed the antecedents and consequences. The proposed operational definition of family resilience was: After a family member is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family can actively explore its own unique internal and external resources and advantages, strengthen self-regulation, jointly cope with the crisis by establishing close family relationships, providing mutual support to family members, and interacting with the outside world. Conclusions The definition of family resilience of cancer patients is conducive to the development of measurement tools and the improvement of family outcomes of adult cancer patients by intervening family resilience factors.

Exploring Shared Delusions among Three Sisters in Folie à Trois: A Case Report

In this case report we present the case of three sisters experiencing shared psychotic disorder (SPD), or folie à trois, characterized by the transmission of delusional beliefs within close familial relationships. The primary patient presented aggressive behaviors and paranoid delusions, leading to hospitalization, while the other two siblings displayed similar beliefs but with less severe symptoms. Treatment involved physical separation and pharmacological intervention, resulting in significant improvement, particularly in the induced siblings. The case underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach to managing SPD, combining pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions. Further research is needed to improve understanding and optimize treatment strategies for shared delusions. Documenting and sharing such cases can contribute to improved outcomes for patients and their families.

Family History in the Iberian Peninsula during Chalcolithic and Bronze Age: An Interpretation through the Genetic Analysis of Plural Burials

Throughout history, it has been observed that human populations have buried the deceased members of their communities following different patterns. During the Copper Age and the Bronze Age—periods on which this study focuses—in the northern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, we identified different patterns of multiple or collective burial. This work analyzes a total of 58 individuals buried in different multiple or collective graves, to investigate whether the practice of these burials implies a family or biological link between individuals buried together. With this aim, STR markers of nuclear DNA were analyzed, as well as the hypervariable regions I and II of mitochondrial DNA, establishing both close kinship relationships and relationships through maternal lineage. We observed different burial patterns, detecting certain maternal lines preserved in some common burials maintained over time. Close family relationships were observed to a lesser extent, with some occasional exceptions. The results of the analysis formed the basis for a discussion on the concepts of family and community.

Black adolescents' disclosure and advice‐seeking: Making choices between parents and adult relatives

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined Black adolescents' decision‐making processes around disclosure and advice‐seeking with their primary caregivers and nonparental adult relatives.BackgroundFew studies have examined youths' decision‐making in the support process or how multiple dyadic youth–adult familial relationships concurrently function to support youths' needs. Consideration of multiple dyadic relationships facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of how Black adolescents use familial resources to meet their support needs.MethodInterview data from 24 youth, their primary caregivers, and one nonparental adult relative with whom youth reported having a strong relational bond (n = 72 individuals) were analyzed to investigate who youth were deciding to confide in and what information youth were choosing to share with these adults.ResultsBlack adolescents often disclosed and sought advice from their primary caregivers either exclusively or in conjunction with nonparental adult relatives across most domains of disclosure and advice‐seeking. Family issues was one topic that youth would almost exclusively discuss with their nonparental adult relatives.ConclusionFindings suggest that youths' decision to confide may be topic dependent rather than based on a general disposition among youth for whom they share most of their concerns.ImplicationsUnderstanding youths' disclosure and advice‐seeking across multiple close family relationships may inform interventions aimed to promote Black adolescents' support seeking.

Natural clines and human management impact the genetic structure of Algerian honey bee populations

BackgroundThe Algerian honey bee population is composed of two described subspecies A. m. intermissa and A. m. sahariensis, of which little is known regarding population genomics, both in terms of genetic differentiation and of possible contamination by exogenous stock. Moreover, the phenotypic differences between the two subspecies are expected to translate into genetic differences and possible adaptation to heat and drought in A. m. sahariensis. To shed light on the structure of this population and to integrate these two subspecies in the growing dataset of available haploid drone sequences, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 151 haploid drones.ResultsIntegrated analysis of our drone sequences with a similar dataset of European reference populations did not detect any significant admixture in the Algerian honey bees. Interestingly, most of the genetic variation was not found between the A. m. intermissa and A. m. sahariensis subspecies; instead, two main genetic clusters were found along an East–West axis. We found that the correlation between genetic and geographic distances was higher in the Western cluster and that close-family relationships were mostly detected in the Eastern cluster, sometimes at long distances. In addition, we selected a panel of 96 ancestry-informative markers to decide whether a sampled bee is Algerian or not, and tested this panel in simulated cases of admixture.ConclusionsThe differences between the two main genetic clusters suggest differential breeding management between eastern and western Algeria, with greater exchange of genetic material over long distances in the east. The lack of detected admixture events suggests that, unlike what is seen in many places worldwide, imports of queens from foreign countries do not seem to have occurred on a large scale in Algeria, a finding that is relevant for conservation purposes. In addition, the proposed panel of 96 markers was found effective to distinguish Algerian from European honey bees. Therefore, we conclude that applying this approach to other taxa is promising, in particular when genetic differentiation is difficult to capture.

Young adult outcomes following premature birth: A Western Australian experience

BackgroundChildhood outcomes following preterm birth are widely published, however long-term adult outcomes are less well described. We aimed to determine the quality of life and burden of co-morbidities experienced by preterm-born young adults in Western Australia. MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted. Participants born at 23–33 weeks gestation cared for at King Edward Memorial Hospital during 1990 and 1991 were recruited from a historical birth cohort. Participants completed general, medical and reproductive health questionnaires. Results were compared with contemporaneous cohort data and/or population statistics. ResultsQuestionnaires were received from 73 young adults aged 28 to 30 years. The majority of respondents completed high school (94.5 %), were employed fulltime (74.0 %) and had close friends and family relationships. Almost all the participants considered their health to be good (94.0 %) and participated in light exercise (90.0 %). Increased hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, asthma, neuropsychiatric conditions and visual impairment were reported. Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) scoring identified increased mild anxiety. Increased consultation with healthcare workers and use of prescription medications were reported. ConclusionThe group of preterm-born adults surveyed reported a good quality of life, supportive interpersonal relationships and they provided significant contributions to society. They did report increased medical and psychological conditions than the general population.

PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S FEARS AND POSSIBILITIES REDUCING THEM

The article discusses the problem of fears experienced by 3-4-year-old children. Theoretical analysis of fears and anxieties is presented on purpose to find out the possibilities to solve the problem of fears in children; recommendations to educators and families raising 3-4-year-old children who face the problem of fears are presented. The article raises a problematic question: what are common fears of preschoolers and what are possibilities to reduce fears? Research aim: to reveal the fears experienced by preschoolers and possibilities to reduce them. Research objectives: to substantiate the phenomenon of the fear in a preschool age, to determine the opinion of parents raising preschoolers, and the opinion of children about the fears they have experienced, to reveal possibilities to reduce preschoolers’ fears. Applied methods: analysis of scientific literature, written survey, oral survey, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the obtained data. Research results: preschoolers experience various fears: fear of strangers, unfamiliar places, things, phenomena. Fears of preschool children are specific and related to a child’s age and experience. Many fears go away with the time by themselves. Fearful children become anxious, angry and it is harder for them to concentrate. Children’s fears are related to separation from parents, unfamiliar environments and individuals, animals, supernatural things. Parents acknowledge that their children face a variety of fears and they try to help their children to overcome these fears. Interviews with children revealed that children are most often afraid of other children, animals, imaginary creatures, unknown situations or individuals. Children associate the overcoming of their fears with the help of people close to them (parents and teachers). Close family relationship, opportunity to talk, joint activities with other children, pedagogical help and keeping to the rhythm of the day help to overcome fears. In this process it is important cooperation between family and educational institution, development of teachers’ competencies and attention to individual needs of a child. Overcoming fears is related to joint efforts of parents and teachers, preparation of educational environment, proper presentation of educational materials.

Tobacco Vendors' Perceptions and Compliance with Tobacco Control Laws in Nigeria.

Tobacco vendors are critical stakeholders in the tobacco supply chain. This study examined their perception, compliance, and potential economic impact of Nigeria's tobacco control laws related to the retail setting. This was a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews of 24 purposively selected tobacco vendors. The face-to-face interviews were aided by a semi-structured interview guide, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis with NVivo version 12. Five themes emerged, encompassing reasons for selling tobacco, awareness, perception, compliance with tobacco sales laws, the potential economic impact of the laws, and law enforcement activities. Vendors commenced tobacco sales due to consumers' demand, profit motives, and advice from close family relatives. They were unaware and non-compliant with most of the retail-related laws. Most participants had positive perceptions about the ban on sales to and by minors, were indifferent about the ban on Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorships (TAPS) and product display, and had negative perceptions about the ban on sales of single sticks. Most vendors stated quitting tobacco sales would not have a serious economic impact on their business. In conclusion, the vendors demonstrated limited awareness and non-compliance with various retail-oriented tobacco control laws in Nigeria. Addressing these gaps requires targeted educational campaigns and effective law enforcement strategies to enhance vendors' compliance.

Elli Heesch, Heinrich Heesch and Hilbert’s eighteenth problem: collaborative research between philosophy, mathematics and application

This paper examines the hitherto unknown scientific collaboration between the siblings Elli Heesch (1904–1993) and Heinrich Heesch (1906–1995). Heinrich Heesch, a well-known mathematician, was spearheading the early development of the computer-aided proof of the four-colour theorem. Much less is known about his sister Elli Heesch, a philosopher and logician. Together with her brother she investigated tiling problems and worked out a solution of Hilbert’s 18th problem. In 1944, Elli and Heinrich Heesch wrote a joint treatise on the industrial application of the tessellation method, which was of great interest to the German war and armaments industry. The collaboration of the Heesch siblings illustrates individual, disciplinary, cultural, and political aspects of knowledge production. The common interplay of close family relations and socio-political conditions that we find here underlines the fact that women’s contributions to solving mathematical problems often remained invisible.

Review of “Madness in the Family: Women, Care, and Illness in Japan”

Madness in the Family (2022) shows that the burden of caring for those afflicted by mental illness in Meiji Japan (after 1868) primarily fell on women in their roles as wives, mothers, sisters, in-laws, and other close family relations, even as those roles were themselves rapidly changing. This book contributes to our understanding of gender, work, and family in an evolving non-Western context. Kim examines how Western psychological concepts were adopted during the late nineteenth century, demonstrating how more conventional terms and beliefs coexisted with these models. Kim uses the term “madness” to describe a wide range of scientific, quasi-scientific, religious, and folkloric ways of understanding aberrant behavior. Prominent explanations for women’s mental issues include animal spirits, blocked energy (ki) channels, and menstrual cycles. She avoids framing change during this period as a progression from superstition to science, and makes few claims regarding the efficacy of particular forms of treatment.

Abstract P6-02-10: Prevalence of breast cancer predisposing variants in patients with breast carcinoma in situ

Abstract Background. Carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the breast is a non-obligatory pre-malignant breast lesion and a highly suspected precursor of invasive cancer. Although the selection criteria for referral to genetic testing are well established for patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, these are not clear for patients diagnosed with CIS. Our goal is to assess the prevalence of predisposing pathogenic variants in key genes, as well as to describe factors in patients with CIS that might be associated with genetic predisposition. Methods. A total of 267 patients solely diagnosed with CIS (mean age 43.65 years, range 18-74) through years 2010-2022, were referred for genetic testing and were analyzed, following their informed consent, implementing a 42-gene panel. Of these, 81.5%, 12.4% and 5.8% were ductal, lobular and mixed CIS, respectively. Patients having a synchronous invasive breast cancer diagnosis were not included in the study. Of patients with known grade, 52.28%, 28.9% and 18.8% were grade 3, 2 and 1, respectively. Strong family history for breast cancer (>2 close family relatives) was positive in 28% (75/267) of patients, while 67.8% of CIS were hormone receptor positive. Results. A total of 12.7% (34/267) of patients carried pathogenic variants in seven clinically actionable genes, i.e. CHEK2 (10), BRCA2 (9), BRCA1 (5), ATM (5), PALB2 (2), MSH6 (2) and TP53 (1). Mean age at diagnosis of carriers was 42.1 years (range 29-61 years, p=0.26), 60% of patients had a grade 3 CIS diagnosis (OR 1.1, 95% 0.589-2.1, p=0.73), 96% had a hormone positive diagnosis (OR 1.4, 95% 0.78-2.50, p=0.24), while 73.5% (25/34) reported as having at least two close family relatives with breast cancer (OR 2.9, 95% 1.6-5.1, p=0.0001). The vast majority of carriers had a ductal CIS (DCIS) diagnosis, i.e. 91.2% (31/34) although this did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.087, 95% 0.64-1.82, p=0.72), probably due to small numbers. Notably, carriers were more likely to have a diagnosis with comedo characteristics, although this parameter has not been monitored closely for the whole cohort. Conclusion. Herein, an important fraction of patients with breast CIS carried pathogenic variants in clinically actionable genes, with the most frequent being CHEK2, BRCA2, BRCA1 and ATM. Notably, the prevalence is comparable to that of patients with invasive breast cancer. Strong family history for breast cancer was strongly associated with the identification of predisposing variants. Other factors, such as high grade, hormone positivity, age at diagnosis and others might also be associated with predisposition to CIS, but larger, prospective, studies are needed to confirm these. This is one of the few studies evaluating the inherited predisposition associated with both high and moderate penetrant breast cancer genes, highlighting that individuals with CIS diagnosis and strong family history for breast cancer should be offered the option to genetic testing via multigene panel. Citation Format: Florentia Fostira, Dimitrios Nasikas, Paraskevi Apostolou, Vassiliki Dellatola, Anna Fokianou, Panagiota Kontogianni, Romina Alevizou, Sofia Filippidou, Dimitrios Maniatis, Lazaros Papadopoulos, Emmanouil Pavlakis, Panagiota Ntasiou, Sofia Karageorgopoulou, Grigorios Xepapadakis. Prevalence of breast cancer predisposing variants in patients with breast carcinoma in situ [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-02-10.

An Analysis of the Causes and Impacts of Internet Gaming Disorder

With the acceleration of the pace of life and the intensification of competitive pressure, an increasing number of patients have psychological and behavioral abnormalities and mental disorders. In addition to common mental diseases, such as depression, anxiety, Internet game addiction is also a kind of mental illness. This article will discuss Internet Gaming Disorder from three aspects: cause, impact and therapy. Firstly, the causes of IGD are mainly composed of individual factors and social support factors. Genes and emotional states, as well as the quality of close family relationships and the number of friends, all play an important role in the formation of IGD. In addition, IGD will not only cause great harm to people's health, but also affect people's study and work performance, as well as life satisfaction. Finally, Treatment will also be the focus of subsequent research in this paper.

Principal’s Strategy in Improving Educational Quality

This qualitative study investigates the principal’s strategy in improving educational quality at SD Negeri 19 Gelumbang by using observations, interviews, and documentation. The results showed that the principal’s strategy includes empowering teachers’ competencies, and complete learning resource centers, working together to develop learning models, attempting to foster good cooperation with teachers and staff, and improving teachers’ discipline, including requiring teachers to participate in every school. The school environment at SD Negeri 19 Gelumbang is supportive of teaching and learning activities. The main source of strength is students’ eagerness to learn. Close family relationships among students are also practiced in the school environment.

Reshaping Social Capital During the Pandemic Crisis: Age Group Differences in Face‐to‐Face Contact Network Structures

This article presents findings about the impact of the first Covid‐related lockdown on the face‐to‐face (FTF) interpersonal contact networks of the Hungarian adult population. Our primary objective is to understand how the size, composition, and quality of such networks have changed. We base our analysis on the contact‐diary method. Our data were collected from two representative surveys of the Hungarian adult population: one in 2015 (N = 372) and one in May 2020 (N = 1001) during the first wave of the Covid‐19 epidemic. No decline in the overall bonding social capital can be detected; however, social isolation has increased. A restructuring has occurred: a considerable increase manifests in the proportion of kin ties, especially children, and a decrease in the importance of non‐kin ties, with a particularly sharp decline in friendships. FTF contacts indicate an increased emotional intensity (except for non‐kin, non‐household members) and an increase in the length of conversations, but there is a decrease in the frequency of meeting alters. The changes wrought different effects on different age groups, with the restrictions most negatively affecting the size of FTF contact networks for respondents aged 60 years or older. Our findings point to the stability and resilience of close family relations, yet the doubling of social isolation as early as May 2020 underlines fears about the pandemic’s potentially detrimental effects on social connectedness. The decline in friendship ties (and most probably in other weak ties) may lead to a reduction not only in the amount and scope of accessible social capital but also to a weakening social integration.

Pathways to the first contact with mental health services among patients with schizophrenia: A cross-sectional observational study.

Schizophrenia is a mental illness with a profound impact on patient and their caregivers. There is increasing evidence that delay in the commencement of treatment following the onset of illness may be related to the pathways; patients navigate before accessing mental health services. The aim of this study is to assess the pathways of care to the first contact with mental health services among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 150 diagnosed schizophrenia patients aged 12-60 years were recruited as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. The sociodemographic details were gathered using semistructured sociodemographic data sheets; semistructured pathways to care questionnaire and positive and negative syndrome scale for schizophrenia were administered. The most common first pathway to care was faith healers. The education of the head of family, socioeconomic status, rural background, and occupational status of patients have a significant impact on the first pathway of psychiatric care. The findings suggest that while planning mental health services, emphasis should be made on collaboration between psychiatric and nonpsychiatric services. The pathways patient choose depend on a number of factors like their socio-cultural background, belief about the supernatural causation of psychiatric illness, stigma associated with psychiatric illness, lack of knowledge about the mental illness, and influence of close family relatives on the choice of treatment.

Sibling estrangement in adulthood

Whereas interest in adult sibling relationships has been growing, we are not aware of any quantitative studies focusing on sibling estrangement (that is, lack of contact or emotional closeness). This gap in the literature seems unfortunate, because estrangement in close family relationships has been suggested to be momentous for family functioning and individuals’ well-being. Drawing on four waves of the German Family Panel (pairfam; n = 5,729), covering a 6-year observation period, we therefore assess respondents’ estrangement from up to four siblings in adulthood, focusing on the predictive role of core structural parameters of sibling dyads (especially genetic relatedness) and disruptive family events (particularly parental separation/divorce or death). Whereas 28% of respondents in our sample experienced at least one episode of estrangement from any sibling, estrangement occurred multiple times in only 14% of sibling dyads. Moreover, results derived from discrete-time event history models indicate (a) that genetic relatedness is the single most important risk factor, albeit strongly mediated by childhood co-residence, and (b) that sibling relations tend to become more “vulnerable” over the life course, when adverse family events accumulate.