Family Networks Research Articles

An aftercare intervention programme for employees returning from substance use rehabilitation in South Africa

PurposeEmployee assistance programmes (EAPs) and wellness practitioners (WPs) are the first line of support for employees returning from substance use rehabilitation. However, many workplaces need more guidance and support provisions to address these needs effectively. The purpose of this paper is to present a 10-week aftercare intervention programme that EAPs and WPs can use to support employees returning to work after a period of substance use rehabilitation.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative methodological approach involved two distinct stages of data collection and consensus search activities. Stage 1 involved three data collection activities with three stakeholder groups, and Stage 2 consisted of two consensus-seeking engagements with the intended audience of the intervention programme.FindingsParticipants in the consensus-seeking activities endorsed the inclusion of content in the proposed intervention programme and structural and organisational arrangements. Specific recommendations were made, namely, increased reliance on faith-based and spiritual support, the need to include community support structures and ensuring that workplace interventions include counselling, skills training and motivational speakers.Practical implicationsThose working in the EAP environment are offered a systematic and holistic plan for managing and supporting employees recovering from substance abuse disorders (SUDs) to maintain their recovery and return to productive work.Originality/valueImplementing the intervention programmes can reduce the ad hoc nature of current approaches to workplace aftercare. The WPs are placed in a central role while stressing the valuable input of other key role players within the workplace or part of the family and community networks of the employee.

Transactive Memory in Caregiver Networks Using Artificial Intelligence

As the population ages and an increasing number of adults want to age in place in their homes, they will rely on a network of family, friends, and other caregivers to provide various forms of assistance. Coordination across this loosely connected network is a common challenge, requiring information sharing, schedule alignment and task coordination. Here, we propose that artificial intelligence (AI) may be used to develop tools to help loosely connected care networks develop better collective cognition. Specifically, we focus on helping members of care networks develop a transactive memory system, or a shared system for storing and retrieving knowledge that expands the capacity of a group to effectively use information. In this paper, we describe the motivation for our study, and our planned research program based on the use of an online experimental platform facilitating human-AI collaboration to develop and test tools to enhance collective cognition in care networks.

Segregation in the Reserves: The Winter Family in Sekhukhuneland 1913–1948

ABSTRACT The role of the reserve areas in both the genesis and implementation of segregation and apartheid is an especially well-worn topic in South African historiography. But much less attention has been given to the impact of the implementation of racial segregation in society in the areas set aside as rural locations and reserves in the ninteeenth and early twentieth centuries. The experiences of the Winter family of the Sekhukhuneland area provides an illuminating case study of the processes at work in the interregnum between the 1913 and 1936 Land Acts. Their family history highlights the emergence in reserve areas of networks of interconnected families spanning both old and new elites and the racial boundaries a segregationist ideology sought to entrench. It also shows how rapidly, profoundly, and painfully these emergent social forms were dismembered after 1936, long before the enforcement of apartheid policies after 1948.

Exploring risk and resilience in school environments for students in kinship care

ABSTRACT Kinship care is provided by members of a child’s extended family or friend network when they can no longer live with their parents. This study explores risk and resilience in UK school environments for students in kinship care. Eight professionals experienced in working with students in kinship care and their schools took part in individual, semi-structured interviews. Interviews focussed on kinship students’ needs and how professionals perceive schools respond to those needs. Reflexive thematic analysis generated over-arching themes indicating that: children in kinship care have multiple needs and are looked after by kinship carers who find themselves “between a rock and a hard place”; in some schools kinship care is “under the radar”; other schools respond to kinship families with the attitude of “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”; and in some schools kinship care is “on the agenda”. A model is presented that integrates risk and protective factors within schools, generated from this study, with risk and protective factors for kinship students within families, identified by previous literature. Implications for educational psychology (EP) practice are presented, and further research needs discussed.

Excessive consumption behavior of young people under the wave of digital payment: an analysis from the perspective of behavioral economics

With the popularization of digital payment, the excessive consumption of young people is increasingly serious, which harms personal finance and social and economic stability. This paper employs behavioral economics theory to analyze the internal mechanism of excessive consumption among young people within the background of digital payment. It considers individual-level reference dependence, payment isolation, hyperbolic discounting psychology, and external framing effects and decoy effects. Moreover, suggestions are given based on these analyses to help young people form rational consumption attitudes through educational initiatives, guidance from family and social networks, the dissemination of information, policy encouragement, regulatory enhancement, and legal safeguards. This initiative aims to promote the well-being of the consumer market and the economic growth of the nation by fostering a healthy consumer environment and the development of healthy and sustainable consumer habits among young people.

Determinants of Prostate Cancer Screening in Korean Men: A Nationwide Study Using the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey 2023.

Research on the prevalence of prostate cancer (PCa) screening and reasons for undergoing screening is limited. We aimed to identify the factors influencing PCa screening behavior and explore the underlying motivations among Korean men. This cross-sectional study used data from the 2023 Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, which employs a nationally representative random sampling method. This study included 1,784 men aged 40-74 years. The respondents reported their experiences with PCa screening. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors associated with participation in PCa screening. The lifetime PCa screening rate was 18.6%. Among screening modalities, transrectal ultrasonography was the most frequently used (31.9%), followed by prostate-specific antigen tests (25.6%) and digital rectal examinations (21.5%). The multivariable analysis identified several factors that significantly increased the likelihood of screening participation, including older age, living with a spouse, poor self-reported health, and abstinence from alcohol consumption in the previous 12 months. Men who had undergone colorectal cancer screening were more likely to participate in PCa screening (adjusted odds ratio, 4.01; 95% confidence interval, 2.03-7.93) than those who had not. The primary motivations for screening were recommendations from family or social networks (31.9%) and inclusion in health examination packages (24.3%), whereas healthcare provider recommendations (18%) and symptomatic concerns (5.7%) were the least influential. Our findings highlight the importance of providing evidence-based information for PCa screening recommendations and the need for improved communication and implementation of a shared decision-making approach for PCa screening in Korea.

Older Adults’ Descendants and Family Networks in the Context of Global Educational Expansion

AbstractFamily networks are key to understanding the well‐being of older adults because kin provide instrumental and financial support, help manage health and disability, and encourage social integration. Two momentous societal changes have shaped the families of contemporary older adults: the first and second demographic transitions and global educational expansion. The intersection of these two processes raises questions about how older adults are faring in terms of their kin availability. This paper examines the socioeconomic bifurcation of adults in midlife and beyond in terms of the existence of descendants and other kin. Disparities in kin availability may vary across socioeconomic status and contexts, and so we examine this phenomenon worldwide, analyzing data on two thirds of the world's population of adults aged 50 and above. Our results highlight different kin structures by socioeconomic status. High socioeconomic status adults have fewer descendants but a higher likelihood of having at least one child with tertiary education, a partner, and living parents. Low socioeconomic status older adults have larger families with more younger kin. Our results shed new light on potential mismatches between the contemporary family networks of older adults and longstanding social norms and assumptions about caregiving, family, and health policies.

Genome-Wide Analysis and Expression Profiling of Glyoxalase Gene Families Under Abiotic Stresses in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

The glyoxalase pathway, consisting of glyoxalase I (GLYI) and glyoxalase II (GLYII), is an enzymatic system that converts cytotoxic methylglyoxal to non-toxic S-D-lactoylglutathione. Although the GLY gene family has been analyzed in Arabidopsis, rice, grape, cabbage, and soybean, cucumber studies are lacking. Here, we analyzed the cucumber GLY gene family, identifying 13 CsGLYI and 2 CsGLYII genes. Furthermore, we investigated the physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal localization and colinearity, gene structure, conserved motifs, cis-regulatory elements, and protein–protein interaction networks of the CsGLY family. They were primarily localized in the cytoplasm, chloroplasts, and mitochondria, with a minor presence in the nucleus. The classification of CsGLYI and CsGLYII genes into five classes closely resembled the homologous genes in Arabidopsis and soybean. Additionally, hormone-responsive elements dominated the promoter region of GLY genes, alongside light- and stress-responsive elements. The predicted interaction proteins of CsGLYIs and CsGLYIIs exerted a significant role in cellular respiration, amino acid synthesis, and metabolism, as well as methylglyoxal catabolism. In addition, the expression profiles of GLY genes were distinct in different tissues of cucumber as well as under diverse abiotic stresses. This study is conducive to the further exploration of the functional diversity among glyoxalase genes and the mechanisms of stress responses in cucumber.

Beyond papers: understanding the making of citizenship in the Foreigners’ Tribunals of Assam

ABSTRACT This paper questions the hyper fixation on papers in producing citizens or proving citizenship, arguing that not papers but the agglomeration of legal, bureaucratic and social processes produce citizenship in Assam’s Foreigners’ Tribunals (FTs). Based on ethnographic fieldwork with members (presiding over cases), lawyers, border police officials and victims of citizenship examination processes, this paper shows that citizenship cannot be easily proved or disproved based on the possession or absence of papers, as the ‘truth’ about one’s citizenship is produced equally outside these courts. One’s citizenship status inside the court depends on a series of procedural, documentary and certificatory correlations accompanied by social performances (testimonies from family and community members). This is contingent on the truth produced outside through the suspicion of being a ‘foreigner’, easily cast in terms of one’s physical appearance, social class, religion and language. Community structures outside courts also enable certain groups to be documented easily, aiding the production of the legal truth required inside for establishing citizenship status. Therefore, the way suspicion is informed and legal technicalities are deployed to generate information and knowledge along with the role of family and community social networks all contribute towards establishing one as a citizen or a ‘foreigner’.

More Than Just Treats? Effects of Grandparental Support for Children Growing up in Adversity.

This study examined whether grandparental support is a protective factor for children's socio-emotional development in the context of adversity. Using longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study, we investigated the effects of grandparental support across development in children with and without adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Socio-emotional development was assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire when children were aged 3 years (N=10,186), 5 years (N=10,412) and 7 years (N=10,551). Parent-reported grandparental childcare, coresidence and financial help were assessed and parents reported on the occurrence of five ACEs: physical and emotional abuse assessed with the Straus' Conflict Tactics Scale, parental mental illness assessed with the Kessler scale, domestic violence and parental separation. We found that children with relatively higher levels of ACEs showed more prosocial behaviour and less externalizing problems when they received grandparental care compared to non-grandparental (in)formal care, but only at age 3. By age 7, children with higher levels of ACEs receiving grandparental care showed less prosocial behaviour and more externalizing problems. In addition, grandparental financial support at age 3 was related to more externalizing problems. Post-hoc analyses showed that internalizing and externalizing behaviours at age 5 were related to an increased probability of grandparental childcare at age 7, indicating that children's socio-emotional problems trigger grandparental support. Our findings point to a protective effect of grandparental care on children's socio-emotional development at age 3. Our results highlight the importance of going beyond the nuclear family towards the impact of the wider family network when examining children's socio-emotional development. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Three-year-old children with high levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) show more prosocial behaviour and less externalizing behaviour when they receive grandparental care. Grandparental care has therefore protective effects on young children's socio-emotional development in the context of family adversity. Grandparents respond to children's socio-emotional problems and family adversity by increasing financial support and involvement in care. These findings underscore the importance of going beyond the nuclear family towards the impact of the wider family network when examining children's socio-emotional development.

‘The Advice of a Gent Who Died from Neglecting it’: The Gentlemanly Pursuit of Knowledge Regarding Domestic Medicine in Kent c.1630–1800

Summary English gentlemen in the early modern period held ultimate responsibility for the health of their households. Building on previous studies which have revealed how both men and women of the gentry participated in remedy-collecting and some forms of caring duties as necessity demanded, this article situates gentlemanly interest in domestic medicine within familial, social and professional networks of knowledge and reading practices. Employing a micro-historical approach, this study explores the interests of Sir Henry Oxinden of Barham and his great-grandson, Lee Warly of Canterbury, who developed their medical knowledge by consulting female relatives, local acquaintances and medical texts. They assessed the value of physicians’ advice and the appeal of new ingredients. This article thus contributes a significant case study to the historiography of domestic medicine, presenting the gentlemanly pursuit of medical knowledge for practical and academic purposes as an activity which enhanced male status within the family and community.

A systematic review examining outcomes of children following permanency placements

Children in care have experienced adversities, including maltreatment prior to contact with the system, negatively impacting on their mental health outcomes. The type of placement and length of time in care are thought to be important and the child welfare system aim is to achieve a permanent decision for children that best supports their needs by establishing a stable familial network. Permanency decisions can include reunification, foster care, kinship care, adoption, and residential placements. This review aims to establish to what extent permanent placement type, maltreatment experienced, length of time in care and age at which permanency is achieved impacts child mental health outcomes. Following PRISMA guidelines, five databases (ASSIA, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and SocINDEX) and two registers (CENTRAL and TRoPHI) were systematically searched yielding six articles for inclusion in the study. Data were extracted and articles critically appraised utilising the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT). Papers reported mixed findings for permanent placement type and child mental health outcomes with little or no significant overall differences reported. Type of maltreatment experienced moderated the type of mental health symptomology reported. Difficulties in attachment and social relationships were reported for children placed older than two years, although confounding factors such as type of maltreatment likely reduce the strength of the association. Typically, children in permanent placements had better outcomes compared with peers in short-term or unstable placements. A lack of suitable validated and age-appropriate outcome measures and the existence of confounding factors impair our understanding of the interaction between pre-care adversities, the child welfare system itself and permanent placement outcomes.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and social professionals working with people with disabilities: A qualitative study.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, protection and isolation measures established by the Canadian and Quebec governments have directly affected the work of health and social professionals (HSPs). These measures have added pressure on HSPs, complexified their work and added tasks to their already busy workload. However, few studies have explored in depth the impacts of the pandemic on HSPs working with people with disabilities. The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences of HSPs working among people with disabilities in the province of Quebec, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic (January and February 2021), including the impact on their work, the relationships with their colleagues, and on their immediate social and familial environment. HSPs participated in a semi-structured interview. A mixed thematic analysis approach, combining inductive and deductive coding, was carried out using N'Vivo 12. Fifty-five HSPs participated in the interviews (mean [SD] age, 42 [9]). They mostly identified as women (91%). Three main themes representing the impacts of the pandemic were identified, including 1) Health and Well-being; 2) Family and social networks including the subthemes; 2.1) Fear of being a vector of contamination for their loved ones; 2.2) Work-family balance; 2.3) Social Network, and finally 3) Work, highlighting, including 3.1) Workload and adaptative strategies developed; 3.2) Relationship with colleagues; 3.3) Perceived support received at work, and 3.4) Services offered to patients. These findings highlight the importance of closely tracking and supporting the well-being of HSPs.

Examining the Psychosocial Factors of Mental Health Well-being Among Medical University Students: Gender-based Analyses

The mental health of university students is a major concern due to the various stressors they face, including academic pressures, social dynamics, and personal development challenges. Previous studies have shown that gender differences significantly impact how students perceive and express psychological distress. This study aimed to identify these differences in the context of academic stress, social support, self-esteem, academic motivation, and family functioning, and their association with psychological distress. The study involved 2206 medical students in a cross-sectional study at a medical university in Ningxia, western China. The data analysis revealed significant gender differences in scores for academic stress, social support, and academic motivation. Academic stress, social support, and family functioning were found to be significantly associated with psychological distress for both genders. However, academic motivation was found to significantly influence psychological distress only among male students, while self-esteem had an impact on female students. These findings highlight the need for tailored mental health services in universities to address gender-specific needs, such as providing counseling services that focus on coping with academic stress and strengthening social and familial support networks to improve student well-being.

Psychotherapy as a Determinant of Quality of Life among Older Persons

Purpose: This study delves into the experiences of elderly individuals undergoing psychotherapy, evaluating its effects on their quality of life and well-being, and identifying unique challenges and benefits in later life. Theoretical reference: The resilience theory, as explored in this study, highlights a multi-dimensional nature encompassing health, psychology, and social work, emphasizing the importance of examining adversity and outcomes and advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to understand and operationalise resilience across individuals, organizations, and communities. Method: A qualitative approach was utilized to gather deep insights into ten (10) participants’ experiences and the subjective impact of psychotherapy on their lives, highlighting the role of specific interventions in promoting psychological well-being. Results and Conclusion: Findings indicate that psychotherapy significantly enhances older individuals' psychological health, fostering positive self-evaluation, growth, meaningfulness, quality relationships, effective life management, and autonomy. The study further identifies critical challenges in accessing psychotherapy, such as financial, transportation, and mobility barriers. Implications of research: The research emphasizes the necessity for psychotherapeutic interventions that include family and social network support to positively influence older adults' well-being, addressing the identified access challenges. Originality/value: This study contributes unique insights into the psychotherapeutic experiences of the elderly, highlighting its crucial role in enhancing quality of life and addressing specific life stage challenges, thus adding valuable knowledge to geriatric psychotherapy literature.

Evaluation of the Level of Electrolytes in Children with Steroid Sensitive or Steroid Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome

Background: Childhood idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is one of the most common conditions pediatric nephrologists encounter globally. Nephrotic syndrome is characterized by proteinuria, hyperlipidemia, and edema. The degree and duration of proteinuria have an impact on serum electrolyte levels. However, local data is limited. Objectives: To assess and compare the degree of electrolyte imbalance and its relationship to kidney function indicators during relapse and remission in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. Methods: In this case-control study, blood samples were collected from 80 Iraqi children with an age range of (2-14) years. They were divided into three groups: Group I (20 individuals with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS)), Group II (20 individuals with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRSN)), and Group III (40 healthy individuals as the control group). Serum electrolyte levels (Na, Ca, Cl, and K) were measured by an ion-selective electrode (9180 electrolyte analyzer). Blood creatinine and urea were measured by a Cobas c311 autoanalyzer during the relapse and remission phase. The patients were clients of the pediatric nephrology consultation center at the Children's Teaching Hospital / Baghdad Medical City and Al-Batoul Teaching Hospital for Women and Children from 15 February to 20 August 2022. The controls were healthy children whose medical history was reviewed to eliminate a history of kidney disease and underwent a comprehensive physical examination. Controls were recruited from a network of family, friends, relatives, and the National Autism Center/ Child Protection Teaching Hospital affiliated with Medical City/Baghdad. Results: Serum Calcium levels showed a clear decrease in all SSNS and SRSN patients compared to the control group. The levels of Sodium and Chloride were significantly lower than the control group during the relapse phase. The results of the relapse phase of SRNS patients indicated higher serum potassium concentration compared with the control group and the SSNS patient group, with a statistically significant difference). Conclusion: All children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome had hypocalcemia in the relapse and remission phase. SRNS cases had hyperkalemia, Sodium, and chloride fluctuated between low levels during the relapse phase and normal levels during the remission phase.

Social Assistance and Forced Displacement: A New Solution to an Old Problem?

Social protection is a well-accepted means to tackle poverty. This article focuses on social assistance, one aspect of social protection primarily involving non-contributory transfers, in cash or in-kind. Forcibly displaced people, particularly those displaced across international borders, have typically been excluded from state-provided social assistance. This has begun to change. In addition, informal sources of social assistance—community organizations, neighbours, faith groups, and family networks—are particularly significant for displaced people. A more transformative understanding of social protection should encompass this wider array of sources. Interpreted in this way, social assistance offers a new way of bridging humanitarian and development responses to displacement.

Keeping Siblings in Care Connected: Improving Relationship Stability via the Mockingbird Family Model

ABSTRACT Children and young people in Australian foster or kinship care are separated from their siblings for a range of reasons. These may include issues that are behavioural, sibling-related, the capacity of carers to host multiple children, or policies that enforce a one-child-per-bedroom rule. This study investigated strategies enhancing stability and meaningful connections among siblings within the Mockingbird Family, a social network model of foster and kinship caring. Case examples, network mapping, and visualisation of the Mockingbird Family networks are presented alongside results from thematic analysis of qualitative data. The findings suggest that the Mockingbird Family facilitates meaningful contact and sibling connections, even when coplacement was not possible. Sibling coplacement and contact provide crucial benefits such as emotional support, stability, shared experiences, and a sense of belonging, contributing to children’s and young people’s development, healing from trauma, and overall wellbeing. IMPLICATIONS Keeping sibling groups connected and in contact can reduce placement breakdown and contribute to their overall wellbeing. The Mockingbird Family model of foster care provides a range of options for keeping siblings meaningfully connected through coplacement within the same constellation and opportunities for other siblings to join in Mockingbird Family activities.

THE VIRTUE OF DIVERSITY: PERCEPTIONS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA OF YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN CIVIL SOCIETY REGARDING SELF-IDENTIFICATION AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ACTORS IN THE CONTEXT OF EU ACCESSION

The military aggression of Russia against Ukraine has provoked collective anxiety within the population of the Republic of Moldova around a potential targeting of the country, while increasing collective efficacy and nationhood. The article explores the construction of identity among young Moldovans in civil society, particularly in the context of EU accession. Moldova, as a multiethnic state, has been grappling with identity disputes since its first multiparty elections in 1994. The authors investigate ethnic identification and positioning towards international actors, aiming to understand how internal and external loyalties overlap and can emerge in building a new civic identity beyond the post-Soviet legacy. The study shows a revaluation of ethnic components and the connection with geopolitics. Before the Ukrainian war, the prolonged economic and political crises in the country, as well as the great power politics, had prompted the younger generations to be disconnected from the political, economic, and social aspects of public life. As such, they maintain a sense of social integration within their familial and friendship networks, which contributes to their sense of belonging within Moldovan society. The article examines the connection between self-identification and the geopolitical structures within the Republic of Moldova. The empirical part of the research involves 18 semi-structured interviews with Moldovan youth involved in civil society organizations, focusing on patterns of self-identification, including Pan-Romanianism, Moldovianism, Transnistrian ideology, and Gagauzian regional identity. The study also highlights the importance of pluralistic identification in which economic development is crucial in building up a consistent identification narrative.

Why Are Children of Immigrants Less Geographically Mobile? Examining the Role of Economic Disadvantage and Family Networks

Previous work has found that adult children of international migrants in Western Europe have lower internal migration rates than individuals of native origin. This gap is important for differences in well-being, educational opportunities, and labor market outcomes. So far, however, little is known about the reasons for the greater geographical stability of migrant children. Theories suggest that structural differences such as economic resources as well as preferences for living near family may explain their lower internal migration rates. The current study tests these explanations by examining unique longitudinal register data from the Netherlands in which we follow the internal migration trajectories of people aged 18–50 in an observation window of 16 years between 2006 and 2022. We compare individuals of native origin with children of immigrants from Turkey and Morocco, two of the largest migrant populations in the country. Event history models confirmed that once socio-demographic characteristics were controlled for, children of migrants were less likely to migrate internally than individuals of native origin. Mediation analysis showed that economic resources did not explain the negative association; instead, the lower migration rates observed among children of migrants were mediated by geographical proximity to kin. Because migrant family networks are more geographically concentrated, children of migrants are more often discouraged from moving away. These findings highlight the pivotal role of family networks in explaining migrant-native differences in migration decision-making.