Family Factors In Children Research Articles

Psychiatric comorbidity and familial factors in childhood epilepsy: Parental psychopathology, coping strategies, and family functioning

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the psychiatric diagnoses, parenting attitudes, family functioning among children and adolescents with epilepsy, coping styles of their mothers, and psychiatric symptoms of their mothers and fathers. MethodsForty children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18 with epilepsy and 40 healthy controls were included in the study. The clinical interview and other measurements were used to assess psychiatric disorders and familial factors. ResultsAt least one psychiatric disorder was diagnosed in 65% of children and adolescents with epilepsy. It was determined that the mothers and fathers in the epilepsy group had higher anxiety and depression scores than the control group, and the fathers' hostility scores were also higher. The Family Assessment Device (FAD) (problem-solving and affective responsiveness), Coping Strategies Scale (COPE) (mental disengagement and substance use), and Parent Attitude Scale (PAS) (strictness/supervision) subtest scores of the epilepsy group were higher than the control group. ConclusionPsychiatric comorbidities, especially depression, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are more common in children and adolescents with epilepsy. The mental health of parents, parent–child relationships, family functioning, and parental coping styles were adversely affected in families with children with epilepsy. It is essential to evaluate psychiatric comorbidity and family factors in children with epilepsy and to create a treatment plan for problem areas.

Disadvantage and neurocognitive comorbidities in childhood idiopathic epilepsies.

This study was undertaken to characterize the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and cognitive function as well as clinical, sociodemographic, and family factors in children with new onset idiopathic epilepsy and healthy controls. Research participants were 288 children aged 8-18 years with recent onset epilepsy (CWE; n = 182; mean age = 12.2 3.2 years), healthy first-degree cousin controls (HC; n = 106; mean age = 12.5 3.0), and one biological or adopted parent per child (n = 279). All participants were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological battery (reasoning, language, memory, executive function, motor function, and academic achievement). Family residential addresses were entered into the Neighborhood Atlas to determine each family's Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a metric used to quantify income, education, employment, and housing quality. A combination of parametric and nonparametric (χ2 ) tests examined the effect of ADI by group (epilepsy and controls) across cognitive, academic, clinical, and family factors. Disadvantage (ADI) was equally distributed between groups (p = .63). For CWE, high disadvantage was associated with lower overall intellectual quotient (IQ; p = .04), visual naming/expressive language (p = .03), phonemic (letter) fluency (p < .01), passive inattention (omission errors; p = .03), delayed verbal recall (p = .04), and dominant fine motor dexterity and speed (p < .01). Cognitive status of the HC group did not differ by level of disadvantage (p = .40). CWE exhibited greater academic difficulties in comparison to HC (p < .001), which were exacerbated by disadvantage in CWE (p = .02) but not HC (p < .05). High disadvantage was associated with a threefold risk for academic challenges prior to epilepsy onset (odds ratio = 3.31, p = .024). Socioeconomic hardship (increased neighborhood disadvantage) exerts a significant adverse impact on the cognitive and academic status of youth with new and recent onset epilepsies, an impact that needs to be incorporated into etiological models of the neurobehavioral comorbidities of epilepsy.

Family functioning and associated factors in families of children and adolescents with chronic illness at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (P. 275)

Family functioning and associated factors in families of children and adolescents with chronic illness at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (P. 275)

The Role of Family in Children with PTSD after Natural Disasters

Parents are the most important and reliable resource for their children to seeking for helps and support. Particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters, the role of family is considered to play an important and significant role in children with PTSD, either are risk factors or protective ones. In this paper, the literature in relation to the effects of family factors in children with PTSD are reviewed, with the aim of exploring both the risk and protective family factors associated with the PTSD symptoms in children. It is concluded that separation from families, parental psychopathology, and parent maladaptive coping strategies have been suggested o constitute risk factors, whereas positive parental emotionality, warm and open family environment have been found to be protective. Some critiques of PTSD concept, its cross-cultural validity, and assessment of children with PTSD are also revealed in this review.

Parental psychopathology and expectations for the futures of children with autism spectrum disorder.

The influence of parental psychopathology and parental expectations on child well-being is well documented among typically developing populations. However, to date little research has examined the relationship among these factors in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines an observed relationship between parental psychopathology and expectations in families with children with ASD in the light of research in other populations. Twenty-four parents of children diagnosed with ASD were assessed for symptoms of psychopathology. Parents completed measures of child ASD severity as well as their expectations for possible outcomes of their child. Two main effects were found: higher parental psychopathology and ASD severity were both related to lower expectations. Interaction of ASD severity and parental psychopathology in relation to parent expectations was not observed. These results emphasize the necessity of providing services not only to individuals diagnosed with ASD, but to caregivers as well.

Maternal well-being and child behavior in families with fragile X syndrome

The purpose of this study was to examine the bidirectional relationships relationship between maternal mental health status, maternal stress, family environment and behavioral functioning of children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability. Children with FXS commonly demonstrate challenging behavior related to anxiety, attention, and aggression, whereas mothers of children with FXS have been identified as susceptible to mental health challenges due to their status as genetic carriers of the FXS premutation, as well as the environmental stressors of raising children with special needs. The longitudinal design of this study builds upon prior work that established a concurrent relationship among these factors in families of children with other intellectual disorders. Findings indicated that maternal mental health status was not significantly related to changes in levels of child challenging behavior, heightened child challenging behavior was related to improvements in maternal depression over time, and heightened levels of child challenging behavior was related to increased feelings of maternal closeness toward the child over time. The unexpected nature of the results regarding maternal depression and closeness provides new and more complex hypotheses about how mothers of special needs children demonstrate adaptation and resilience. The findings have implications for maternal and familial mental health treatment as well as future research.

Comparing Activity Patterns, Biological, and Family Factors in Children with and Without Developmental Coordination Disorder

ABSTRACTThe association between motor proficiency and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) suggests children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) may be susceptible to inactivity-related conditions such as cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to compare children with and without DCD on physical activity patterns, activity types, body composition, strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Additionally, factors potentially influencing MVPA were also explored. Eighteen children (7–11 years) with and without DCD (n = 9/group) participated. Motor coordination, physical activity, strength, cardiovascular fitness, body mass index (BMI), and family factors were measured. Children with DCD participated in significantly less MVPA and had higher BMIs and decreased strength and cardiovascular fitness. Strength, activity type, and family factors correlated significantly with MVPA for children with DCD. The results suggest that strength, activity types, parent perception of their child's motor abilities, and parent activity participation should be considered to maximize health benefits associated with MVPA for children with DCD.

Clinician and Parent Perspectives on Parent and Family Contextual Factors that Impact Community Mental Health Services for Children with Behavior Problems.

The present study employed qualitative methods to examine multiple stakeholder perspectives regarding the role of parent and family contextual factors on community child mental health treatment for children with behavior problems. Findings suggest agreement between clinicians and parents on the number, types and importance of parent and family factors in children’s mental health services; however, stakeholders differed in reports of which factors were most salient. Specifically, clinicians endorsed most factors as being equally salient, while parents described a few salient factors, with parental stress and inadequate social support being the most frequently discussed. These qualitative data further elucidate the context of community services and have implications for evidence-based practice implementation and improving community care.

Preliminary Study on Language Characteristics and Related Family Factors in Children from Multicultural Family

배경 및 목적: 본 연구는 다문화가정 자녀들에게 적절한 언어평가의 프로토콜과 적절한 치료접근법을 마련하기 위한 기초연구로서 서울ㆍ경기지역 취학 전 다문화가정 아동의 언어발달특성을 분석하고 앞으로의 자료수집과 분석의 틀을 마련하는데 목적을 둔다. 이를 위해 언어발달 평가에 참여한 다문화가정 아동들의 언어검사 결과를 기술적, 통계적으로 분석하고, 가정환경 변인과 언어능력간의 상관관계를 고찰하고자 한다. 방법: 본 연구는 서울ㆍ경기 지역에 거주하는 취학 전 만1세 3개월에서 6세까지의 다문화가정 아동 47명(남 35명, 여 12명)과 그 부모들을 대상으로 하였다. 대상아동들은 (1) 다문화가정의 자녀로, (2) 모두 서울글로벌센터 다문화가정 아동 대상 언어발달 검사에 참여하였다. (3) 어머니의 출신국은 총 10개국으로 참여 아동수를 기준으로 베트남(28%), 중국(21%), 필리핀(17%), 일본(11%), 몽골(11%) 순으로 높은 비율을 차지하였다. 결과: 전반적인 검사결과를 볼 때 다문화가정 아동은 표준화된 언어검사에서 일반 한국아동들과 마찬가지로 연령 증가에 따라 향상된 수준의 언어수행을 보였다. 3-6세 아동을 대상으로 한 PRES 검사의 경우, 검사 참여아동의 20% 정도가 전반적인 언어이해나 표현에서 언어발달 지체 또는 장애를 보였다. SELSI 검사의 판단 기준으로 볼 때 언어발달 지체(정밀검사 의뢰) 판정을 받은 아동이 70%로 검사에 참여한 아동 상당수가 언어발달 지체로 평가되었다. 아동의 언어검사 결과와 가정내 관련변인간 상관 관계 분석결과 유의미한 상관관계를 보인 가정 내 변인은 어머니 연령과 거주년수, 어머니의 한국어 능숙도였다. 논의 및 결론: 상당수의 취학 전 다문화가정 아동들이 일반 한국아동 대상 표준화 검사에서 언어발달지체를 보이긴 하지만 검사절차와 문화적 차이 및 SES 등의 환경적인 요인으로 인하여 언어지체 여부의 판단에 어려움이 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서 아동의 언어능력과 유의한 상관관계가 있는 것으로 나타난 어머니의 출신국, 한국어 능숙도, 한국거주기간, 그리고 연령 등의 변인들을 고려한 검사결과의 해석이 필요하다고 할 수 있다.

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children Registry for Congenital Melanocytic Naevi: prospective study 1988-2007. Part 1-epidemiology, phenotype and outcomes

The aetiology of congenital melanocytic naevi (CMNs) is unknown. To identify potential aetiological factors in families of children with CMNs, and to relate these to long-term outcome measures. Three hundred and forty-nine CMN families completed questionnaires about pregnancy and parental factors, and yearly questionnaires on the health of their child and details of the CMN. Seventy-nine control families completed one set of questionnaires, excluding CMN details. The mean prospective follow-up of 301 CMN families was 9.2 years, median 8.9 years, total 2679 years. Forty per cent of patients had CMNs > 20 cm projected adult size (PAS) or multiple CMNs. Twenty per cent of patients had abnormal neurodevelopment and although this was positively associated with PAS it was seen across all size categories. The rate of malignant melanoma was 1.4%. This was strongly associated with PAS with all five cases in patients with CMNs > 60 cm PAS/multiple CMNs (rate in that group 14%). Twenty-five per cent of CMN patients had a positive family history of a CMN in a second-degree relative (FHCMN). This group had a significantly different gender ratio, suggesting a different underlying mutation. Maternal FHCMN was negatively associated with PAS and satellites at birth, and maternal freckling was negatively associated with PAS. Other factors found to be significantly increased in CMN families compared with controls were maternal smoking and ill health during pregnancy. Maternal smoking was positively associated with PAS. This study relies on data from families after they have had a child with a CMN, and therefore may be subject to recall bias. Despite this, it contributes significantly to the knowledge of epidemiology of CMNs, and provides some important clues to the genetic basis of the condition.

Guest Editor's Introduction: The Salience of Family Factors in Children's School Experiences

Guest Editor's Introduction: The Salience of Family Factors in Children's School Experiences

A cross-sectional study of self-reported back and neck pain among English schoolchildren and associated physical and psychological risk factors

This study set out to identify the associations between ergonomics and other factors with back and neck pain among schoolchildren. Self-reported questionnaires were used to record health outcomes and potential risk factors in state schools. Six hundred and seventy-nine schoolchildren from Surrey in the United Kingdom aged 11–14 years took part. Twenty-seven percent of children reported having neck pain, 18% reported having upper back pain, and 22% reported having low back pain. A forward stepwise logistic regression was performed with pain categories the dependent variables. Neck pain was significantly associated with school furniture features, emotional and conduct problems, family history of low back pain and previous treatment for musculoskeletal disorders. Upper back pain was associated with school bag weight (3.4–4.45 kg), school furniture features, emotional problems and previous treatment for musculoskeletal disorders. Low back pain was associated with school furniture features, emotional problems, family history and previous injury or accident. It is important to recognise the influence of physical, psychological and family factors in children's pain.