Family Adjustment Scales Research Articles

The Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales (PAFAS) questionnaire: psychometric qualities of the parenting scale in two large Brazilian birth cohorts.

Analyse the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the PAFAS (Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales) parenting scale, using data from two large Brazilian birth cohorts. The original PAFAS parenting scale, which consists of 18 items (parental inconsistency 5 items, coercive parenting 5 items, positive encouragement 3 items, and parent-child relationship 5 items) was applied in two Brazilian birth cohorts in Pelotas (ages 4 [n = 4010] and 6-7 [n = 3867]) and Rio Grande (age 3 [n = 992]). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and internal consistency assessed, as well as construct validity in relation to maternal depression measured on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The model with a structure of 4 subscales showed that the global scale of parenting on the PAFAS had a good fit, but certain items did not fit well on sub-scales and were removed (2 items from parental inconsistency, 1 from coercive parenting, and 1 from positive encouragement). The original form of the parent-child relationship sub-scale was maintained. Considering the total PAFAS parenting score, we found that mothers with maternal depression had a higher likelihood of more problematic parental practices than mothers without depression. A revised 14-item PAFAS parenting scale has good psychometric properties and we encourage its use in Brazilian populations.

Towards a better understanding of real-world home-visiting programs: a large-scale effectiveness study of parenting mechanisms in Brazil

BackgroundThe scale-up of parenting programmes to support early childhood development (ECD) is poorly understood. Little is known about how and when early interventions are most effective. Sustainability of ECD programming...

Escalas de Ajustamento Parental e Familiar: Adaptação cultural para o Brasil

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to perform the Brazilian cultural adaptation of the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales and to examine its construct validity. Method The sample comprised 315 mothers of 2- to- 5-year-old children. The process of cultural adaptation followed the following steps: translation of the instrument into Portuguese language; synthesis and completion of the first consensus draft of the Portuguese version; back-translation; evaluation by the committee of expert specialist judges; semantic evaluation of the items; calculation of content validity coefficient, and qualitative interview. Finally, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Results The results of confirmatory factor analysis revealed four latent parenting practices in the Brazilian contex, such ast: coercive parenting, encouragement, parental inconsistency, and parent-child relationship. Additionally, the analysis for the family adjustment revealed a two-factor model parental adjustment and family adjustment. Conclusion Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales presents a valid measurement for the Brazilian context, and can be used in future parenting studies.

Family UNited: piloting of a new universal UNODC family skills programme to improve child mental health, resilience and parenting skills in Indonesia and Bangladesh

BackgroundFamily is one of the most influential social institutions and caregivers act as the main protective factors for children’s mental health and resilience skills. Family skills programmes support caregivers to be better parents and strengthen positive age-specific and age-appropriate family functioning and interactions. We developed a universal, brief and light programme for implementation in low-resource settings, the Family UNited (FU) programme, and conducted a pilot study to show feasibility of implementation, replicability and effectiveness in improving family functioning, child behaviour and resilience.MethodsWe recruited caregivers with children aged 8–14 years through schools in East Java, Indonesia and Dhaka, Bangladesh to the FU programme. Demographic data, emotional and behavioural difficulties of children, child resilience and parental skills and family adjustment measures were collected from children and caregivers before, 2 and 6 weeks after the intervention. Outcome was assessed through the SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), PAFAS (Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales) and CYRM-R (Child and Youth Resilience Measure).ResultsWe enrolled 29 families in Bangladesh and allocated 37 families to the intervention and 33 to the control group in Indonesia. Overall, there was no effect over time in the control group on any of the PAFAS subscales, whereas significant reductions in scores were found on six of the seven subscales in either country in the intervention group, most prominently in caregivers with higher scores at baseline. We found highly significant reductions in total SDQ scores in the intervention group in both countries, whereas there was no effect over time in the control group in Indonesia. Boys in the intervention group in Indonesia and in Bangladesh seemed to have benefitted significantly on the SDQ as well as the total resilience scale. Overall, on the CYRM-R, particularly children below the 33rd percentile at pre-test benefitted substantially from the programme.ConclusionsThe implementation of a brief family skills programme was seemingly effective and feasible in resource-limited settings and positively improved child mental health, resilience and parenting practices and family adjustment skills. These results suggest the value of such a programme and call for further validation through other methods of impact assessment and outcome evaluation.Trial registration: Clinical Trial Registration: ISRCTN99645405, retrospectively registered, 22 September, 2022.

Intimate partner violence victimisation and its association with maternal parenting (the 2015 Pelotas [Brazil] Birth Cohort): a prospective cohort study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent in low-income and middle-income countries and has been a major obstacle towards reaching global health targets for women and children. We aimed to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between IPV victimisation and maternal parenting practices of young children in a population-based birth cohort study in Brazil. The 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort is an ongoing, prospective cohort, including all hospital births occurring between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2015, in the city of Pelotas, Brazil. When children were aged 4 years, mothers reported on emotional, physical, and sexual IPV victimisation in the past 12 months. Parenting outcomes were assessed through filming the mother and child in interactive tasks at age 4 years and maternal interviews at ages 4 years and 6-7 years. Interactive tasks were filmed at the Centre for Epidemiological Research facilities. Directly observed outcomes included negative (eg, coercive) and positive (eg, sensitivity and reciprocity) parenting interactions independently coded by a team of psychologists. Self-reported parenting was measured using the subscales on quality of parent-child relationship, positive encouragement, parental consistency, and coercive behaviour of the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales questionnaire. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression analyses were performed to assess the associations. Of the 4275 livebirths enrolled in the cohort, 3730 mother-child dyads were included in our analytical sample at age 4 years and 3292 at age 6-7 years. After adjusting for all potential confounders, emotional IPV and physical or sexual IPV were associated with the following self-reported parenting outcomes: poor parent-child relationship quality (emotional IPV: p=0·011), lower parental consistency (emotional IPV: p<0·001, physical or sexual IPV: p=0·0053), and more coercive behaviour (emotional IPV: p<0·001, physical or sexual IPV: p=0·0071) at age 4 years. Associations were not observed for self-reported positive encouragement and filmed parenting outcomes in fully adjusted models. Longitudinally, IPV at age 4 years predicted similar outcomes when children were aged 6-7 years. In this large cohort study, maternal IPV victimisation was consistently associated with poorer parent-child relationship, decreased parental consistency, and increased harsh parenting reported by mothers of young children. As well as initiatives to prevent IPV, parenting interventions focused on supporting the capacity of caregivers to provide nurturing care delivered at key stages early in the life course are crucial. Wellcome Trust. For the Portuguese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Validation in a Latin American context of the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale (PAFAS)

Objective: To explore the psychometric properties of the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale (pafas) and propose its validation in a Colombian context. Methods: Cultural adaptation and validation by experts were performed, and this version was applied to a sample of 151 caregivers of children and adolescents aged eight to thirteen years (m= 9.2; standard deviation= 3.41) to assess the language changes. Subsequently, the scales were administered to sample one (n=151) to explore the dimensionality of the scale and then confirm the proposed models in sample two (n= 130). Results: A moderate-to-high reliability was found (alpha= 0.734), which increased to 0.79 with the final version. Regarding content validity, there was good agreement among experts (Kappa index= 0.85-0.94 and Cohen’s Delta= 0.53-0.60). The final instrument consisted of 16 items in two components: parenting (57.53% of the variance), comprising the parent-child relationship and coercive parenting, and family adjustment (59.51% of the variance), comprising parental adjustment and family relationships. Correlations between these domains and the Zarit Scale were statistically significant, with correlations found between parent-child relationship (0.244), coercive parenting (0.21), and family adjustment (0.184), as well as with the phq-9, with parental adjustment (0.218) and family relationships (0.201)Conclusion: pafas is a reliable and easy-to-administer tool that can be used in family and community settings within the primary care level.

Mentalization-Based Parenting Program for Child Maltreatment Prevention: A Pre-Post Study of 12-Week Lighthouse Group Program.

The aim of this study was to assess the 12-week group version of the mentalization-based Lighthouse Parenting Program for child maltreatment prevention. Parents who might be facing mentalizing difficulties due to challenges in the parent-child relationship were invited to participate in the program. The aim of the program was to promote mentalizing-to encourage parents' curiosity about their children's minds and their willingness to reflect on their own feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Study participants were 101 parents (82 mothers, 19 fathers). Parenting practices and parental and family adjustment were assessed using the Parent and Family Adjustment Scale and mentalization was measured using Mentalization Scale at pre- and post-intervention assessments. Parents' feedback on the program was gathered after the program. Results revealed that mentalization, parental adjustment, and family functioning improved while coercive parenting practices decreased after the intervention. Study results provide preliminary indications of the benefits of the 12-week Lighthouse Parenting Program for parents referred or self-referred for mental health services due to their own or their child's difficulties.

Expected changes in parenting after an online parent training for ADHD

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents. Treatments for this population should be multidisciplinary and must be initiated as early as possible. Non-pharmacological interventions for ADHD include psychoeducation, parent behavioural training programs and school interventions and accommodations. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed an online version of a combined psychoeducation and behavioural training program to facilitate access to mental health treatment and ensure continuity of care. ObjectiveThe study assessed the acceptability of this online parent training program, among parents and caretakers of children and adolescents with ADHD. MethodsThe program consisted of ten online sessions over the course of two consecutive days (five sessions a day). Satisfaction, usefulness and general comments about the program were assessed with open-ended questions and visual-analogous scales. Parents/caretakers’ use of strategies to manage behavioural problems was assessed using the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales. ResultsA total of 206 parents participated in the online program 175 of whom completed the evaluation. Participants were satisfied with the content of the program. More than half of participants had already started using strategies included in the program. The engagement was high and no major obstacles were identified other than some internet connection issues. DiscussionIn our survey, online delivery was described as more convenient, and participants were satisfied with the content of the program finding it beneficial for their child. Despite this, some difficulties in implementing new strategies were observed. Online BTP increased access to the BTP programs while being effective on ADHD symptoms and behavioural disturbances. ConclusionsWith these measures, we hope to improve engagement in online psychoeducation and behavioural therapy programs. Future research evaluating online behavioural training programs should focus on ways to make them more accessible and adaptable to families’ obstacles.

Parenting and parenting resources among Chinese parents with children under three years of age: rural and urban differences

BackgroundParenting is essential for children’s development and preventing child abuse and neglect. Providing parenting services within the primary health care settings demonstrated effectiveness in improving parenting quality. However, little is known about the status of parenting and parenting resources in rural areas and whether they differ between rural and urban areas in Mainland China.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the rural–urban differences in parenting and availability of, utilization of, and need for parenting resources among Chinese parents with children under three years of age.Participants and settingA total of 425 parents of children under three years of age participated in an online survey between March and May 2020.MethodsThe Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale and Child Adjustment and Parenting Efficacy Scale were used to assess parenting, family adjustment, and parenting efficacy. The availability of, utilization of, and need for parenting resources were measured using self-developed questions based on literature. Chi-square tests, t tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to examine the differences in responses between parents in rural and urban areas.ResultsCompared with their urban counterparts, rural parents reported a higher level of negative parenting and more limited parenting resources. Both rural and urban parents reported low availability and utilization of parenting resources as well as a great need for parenting support services.ConclusionsRural parents faced more parenting challenges and limited parenting resources compared with urban parents. Both rural and urban parents with children under three years of age reported great needs for parenting resources. These findings highlight the potential of delivering accessible, sustainable, and cost-effective parenting programs via the primary health care system for public welfare in both urban and rural areas, with more attention paid to rural parents to help them improve their parenting.

Parental Adjustment Scale: Validation of a brief, five-item measure of parental adjustment for use with families of typically developing children and children with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities in Australia

BackgroundExplores the validity of the five-item parental adjustment scale, a subscale of the previously validated Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales. AimThe aim was to assess the factor structure and convergent validity of a measure of parental adjustment within parents of typically developing children and parents of childiren with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities. Methods and proceduresCross-sectional survey data was analysed from Australian parents of children aged 2-12 years who were typically developing children (N = 683) and had developmental and/or intellectual disabilities (N = 756). Confirmatory factor analyses and multi-group structural equation modelling examined if the factor structure performed similarly across the two populations. Convergent validity was assessed. Outcomes and resultsThe confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesised one-factor structure for the parental adjustment scale in both populations. Partial measurement invariance confirmed that the scale was structurally consistent within both parent groups. The convergent validity was supported by significant correlations with the DASS-21 in the disability population and the K10 in the typically developing population. Conclusions and implicationsThis brief, easily administered, five-item scale demonstrates strong potential in assessing parental adjustment, within both parents of typically developing children and parents of children with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities.

Interrelated changes in parental stress, parenting, and coparenting across the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parental stress is a known risk factor for coercive parenting and for lower coparenting quality. In the present study, we examined whether and how changes in parental stress of mothers and fathers from the pre-COVID-19 period (T1) into the height of the first lockdown in the Netherlands (T2) were linked to changes in coercive parenting of mothers and fathers and to changes in coparenting quality. A total of 96 families (46.9% lower or medium and 53.1% higher educational background), with mother, father, and child (53.1% girls; T1: M age = 3.44 years, SD = 0.32; T2: M age = 4.72 years, SD = 0.61) participated. To examine interrelations between parental stress (reported using the Parental Stress Scale), coparenting, and coercive parenting (both reported using the Parenting And Family Adjustment Scales), a multivariate Latent Change Score (LCS) model was employed. Higher initial levels of parental stress were associated with higher initial levels of coercive parenting and lower initial levels of coparenting quality. Similarly, stronger increases in parental stress were associated with stronger increases in coercive parenting and with stronger decreases in coparenting quality. Directions of associations and effect sizes were similar for mothers and fathers in all analyses. The results from the present study indicate the importance of a family systems perspective in prevention and intervention programs. Promotion of systematic family-based preventive and intervention activities by the government might support families during challenging times, as during the novel COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of a Brief Family Skills Training Programme ("Strong Families") on Parenting Skills, Child Psychosocial Functioning, and Resilience in Iran: A Multisite Controlled Trial.

Caregivers have a key role in protecting children’s wellbeing, and, with appropriate skills, can prevent a multitude of negative social outcomes, particularly in challenged or humanitarian settings. Accordingly, the Strong Families programme was designed as a light touch family skills programme, with a focus of supporting caregiving during stressful situations. To evaluate the short-term impact of the Strong Families programme, we performed a time-convenience, randomized, controlled trial in Iran. A total of 292 families (63% from Iranian decent, 39% from Afghan decent, and 1% other), with children aged eight to twelve years, were recruited through ten centers in Iran and allocated to an intervention (n = 199) or waitlist/control group (n = 93). The two groups did not differ demographically at baseline. We assessed families prospectively, through three scales, PAFAS (parenting and family adjustment scales), SDQ (strengths and difficulties questionnaire), and CYRM-R (child and youth resilience measure). Caregivers in the intervention group improved (highly) statistically significantly on all but one PAFAS subscales (parental consistency, coercive parenting, positive encouragement, parental adjustment, family relationships, and parental teamwork), which was not noted in the waitlist group. On the SDQ, there were (highly) significant positive changes in scores in the intervention group on all sub-scales and the “total difficulty scale“, whereas the waitlist/control group also improved on three (prosocial, conduct problems, and hyperactivity) of the five SDQ subscales. Children originating from Afghanistan improved significantly on the overall resilience scale of the CYRM-R in the intervention group, but not in the waitlist/control group. Overall, all our stratified results of the different scales reflect an accentuated improvement in families with higher levels of problems at baseline. Our comparative results indicated a strong alignment of the strong families programme with its intended short-term impact, per its logical frame on parenting practices and family management skills, children behaviour, caregivers and children mental health, and capacity to cope with stress. We postulate that the potential nudging or diffusion of knowledge (cross-contamination between intervention and waitlist/control group) at the community level could explain improvements in the waitlist/control group on some indicators, however, further research on this is recommend.

Interrelationships of caregiver mental health, parenting practices, and child development in rural China

BackgroundParenting practices are associated with early childhood development (ECD), and some evidences suggest that mental health might affect parenting practices. However, the interrelationships of mental health, parenting practices, and ECD outcomes have not yet been well documented in developing contexts like rural China. ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the interrelationships between the caregiver’s mental health, parenting practices, and the child’s ECD outcomes in rural China. MethodsA total of 1787 sample households in an undeveloped rural area of western China are enrolled in the study. A socioeconomic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, the Family Care Indicators, the Parent and Family Adjustment Scales, and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development version III were used to measure the socioeconomic characteristics of sample households, the caregiver’s mental health, parental investments and parenting skills, and the child’s development outcomes, respectively. Mediation model was then applied to estimate the interrelationships. ResultsThe results showed that parental practices significantly mediated between the caregiver’s mental health and the child’s cognition, language, motor, and social–emotion development. Through parental investments, one standard deviation increases in the caregiver’s mental health test score was associated with the decline in the child’s four development scores by 0.6% standard deviation, respectively. Through parenting skills, one standard deviation increases in the caregiver’s mental health test score was associated with the decline in the child’s language and social-emotional score by 2% and 5% standard deviation, respectively. Different dimensions of caregiver mental health, parental investments and skills played heterogeneous roles in the interrelationships. ConclusionsEarly interventions aimed at improving the caregiver’s mental health, parental investments and skills are important and might be effective to improve early childhood development in rural China.

إدمان الإنترنت وعلاقته بالتوافق الأسری لدی الجنسین

يهدف البحث الحالي إلى الکشف عن العلاقة بين إدمان الإنترنت والتوافق الأسري لدى الجنسين، وکذلک الکشف عن الفروق بين الجنسين في إدمان الانترنت، والتوافق الأسري، تکونت عينة البحث من (200) طالبا وطالبة من طلاب المرحلة الثانوية بنطاق محافظة الجيزة، تم تطبيق مقياس إدمان الإنترنت (إعداد: الباحث)، ومقياس التوافق الأسري (إعداد: نورة الزهراني، 2019). وأشارت النتائج إلى وجود علاقة ارتباطية عکسية ودالة احصائيا بين إدمان الإنترنت والتوافق الأسري فضلا عن وجود فروق بين متوسطات درجات طلاب وطالبات المرحلة الثانوية في إدمان الإنترنت لصالح الطلاب الذکور، ووجود فروق دالة إحصائيا بين متوسطات درجات الطلاب والطالبات في التوافق الأسري لصالح الطالبات الإناث، ووجود فروق دالة إحصائيا بين متوسطات رتب الصفوف الدراسية (أولى ثانوي، ثانية ثانوي، ثالثة ثانوي) في إدمان الإنترنت لصالح الصف الثاني الثانوي، يليه الصف الأول الثانوي ويأتي الصف الثالث الثانوي في المرتبة الثالثة والأخيرة. The current research aims to reveal the relationship between Internet addiction and family Adjustment between Genders, as well as the detection of gender differences in Internet addiction and family Adjustment, the research sample consisted of (200) male and female students from high school students in the Giza Governorate, The Internet addiction scale was applied (Prepared by: the researcher), and the family Adjustment scale (Prepared by: Noura Al-Zahrani, 2019). The results indicated a negative correlation and statistically significant relationship between internet addiction and family Adjustment as well as differences between the average scores of male and female high school students in Internet addiction in favor of male students, and the presence of statistically significant differences between the averages of male and female student scores in family Adjustment in favor of female students, and the presence of differences Statistically significant among the averages of grade levels (first secondary, second secondary, and third secondary) in Internet addiction in favor of the second secondary class, followed by the first secondary grade and the third secondary grade comes in the third and last rank.

Strong families: a new family skills training programme for challenged and humanitarian settings: a single-arm intervention tested in Afghanistan

BackgroundChildren living in challenged humanitarian settings (including those in rural/underserved areas, the displaced, refugees, in conflict/post conflict situations) are at greater risk of mental health difficulties or behavioural problems, with caregivers acting as their main protective factors. While many family skills programmes exist, very few were developed for, or piloted in, low resource settings (settings with limited infrastructure, typical of humanitarian settings). We therefore designed a brief and light programme; the Strong Families (SF) programme, consisting of 5 h contact time over 3 weeks. We conducted a pilot study with the aim to test the feasibility of implementation, and a preliminary look at the effectiveness of SF, in improving child behaviour and family functioning in families living in Afghanistan.MethodsWe recruited female caregivers and children aged 8–12 years through schools and drug treatment centres in Afghanistan and enrolled them in the SF programme. Demographic data, emotional and behavioural difficulties of children and parental skills and family adjustment measures were collected from caregivers before, 2 and 6 weeks after the intervention. Outcome was assessed through the SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), assessing children’s behavioural, emotional, and social issues, and PAFAS (Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales), measuring parenting practices and family functioning.ResultsWe enrolled 72 families in the programme with a 93.1% retention rate (n = 67) for data collection 6 weeks post intervention. Mean age of caregivers was 36.1 years, they had 3.8 children on average and 91.7% of them had experienced war/armed conflict in their past. The average total difficulty score of the SDQ (ranging from 0 to 40, with scores above 16 being indicative of high problems) of the 72 children reduced significantly, from 17.8 at pre-test to 12.9 at post-test and 10.6 at second follow-up, with no difference in gender and most noticeably amongst those with the highest scores at baseline. Likewise, PAFAS scores decreased significantly after the programme, again with caregivers with the highest scores at baseline improving most.ConclusionsThe implementation of a brief family skills programme was seemingly effective and feasible in a resource-limited setting and positively improved child mental health and parenting practices and family adjustment skills. These results suggest the value of such a programme and call for further validation through other methods of impact assessment and outcome evaluation.Trial registrationISRCTN76509384. Retrospectively registered on March 9, 2020.

Emotional Stability Level and Its Relationship with Constituting of Friendships and Family Adjustment Among Students in The Preparatory Stage in Al- Buiena: مستوى الاتزان الانفعالي وعلاقته بتكوين الصداقات والتوافق الأسري لدى طلبة المرحلة الإعدادية في بلدة البعينة

This study aimed to identify level of emotional stability and its relationship with constituting of friendships and family adjustment among students in the preparatory stage in Al- Buiena. The study sample consisted of (285) male and female students in the preparatory stage in Al- Buiena in Palestine in the second semester of the school year (2018/2019). To achieve the aim of the study, the researcher developed an Emotional Stability Scale, Constituting of Friendships Scale, and Family Adjustment Scale. Validity and reliability for the scales were obtained. The results showed that the levels of emotional stability and constituting of friendships and family adjustment among students in the preparatory stage were moderate. The results showed that there was a positive correlation between emotional stability and constituting of friendships and family adjustment among students in the preparatory stage. Several recommendations and suggestions were provided including the need for future research investigating the relationships between the emotional stability, and constituting of friendships, and family adjustment among other populations in the Palestinian society and using other student’s samples and to compare their results with the ones reported in the current study.

Relationships between Parenting Skills and Early Childhood Development in Rural Households in Western China

This paper empirically investigates the relationships between caregivers’ parenting skills and early cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional development of children aged 6–24 months. The study is based on data from a survey conducted in 100 villages in a typical poor rural area in western China. A total of 1715 households were enrolled in the study. In the study, Parent and Family Adjustment Scales (PAFAS), Bayley Scales of Infant Development version III (BSID-III), and a socioeconomic questionnaire were used to measure caregiver’s parenting skills, child’s development outcomes, and socioeconomic characteristics in sample households, respectively. Multivariate regression was used to estimate the relationship between a caregiver’s parenting skills and the child’s development outcomes. The results show that, first, parenting skills are positively and significantly associated with children’s cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional development, and the link between parenting skills and social-emotional development is the strongest; second, the correlation between parenting skills and development outcomes varies across socioeconomic characteristics and parenting skill dimensions. The results provide evidence for the relationship between parenting skills and early childhood development in rural households in western China. Our findings also suggest that interventions aimed at improving caregivers’ parenting skills during the early stages are necessary for human capital development in rural China.

Psychometric properties of Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale (PAFAS) in a Turkish sample with parents of 2-12 years old children from both community and clinical sample

Psychometric properties of Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale (PAFAS) in a Turkish sample with parents of 2-12 years old children from both community and clinical sample

Family Adjustment When Facing Pediatric Cancer: The Role of Parental Psychological Flexibility, Dyadic Coping, and Network Support.

ObjectivesPediatric cancer is a life-threatening disease that poses significant challenges to the life of all family members (diagnosed child, parents, and siblings) and the family as a whole. To date, limited research has investigated family adjustment when facing pediatric cancer. The aim of the current study was to explore the role of protective factors at the individual (parental psychological flexibility), intrafamilial (dyadic coping) and contextual level (network support) in explaining family adjustment as perceived by parents of children with leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In addition, we were interested to see whether these protective factors could be predictive for family adjustment at a later time point.MethodParticipants were 70 mothers and 53 fathers (80 families) of children with leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Mean time since diagnosis was 5.26 (T1) and 18.86 (T2) months post-diagnosis. Parents completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (to assess psychological flexibility), Dyadic Coping Inventory, a network support questionnaire, Impact on Family Scale and the Family Adjustment Scale. Both concurrent and prospective association models were tested.ResultsPsychological flexibility, dyadic coping and network support proved to be cross-sectionally and positively related to parents’ perception of family adjustment post-diagnosis; psychological flexibility and dyadic coping proved to predict better family adjustment over time.ConclusionOur findings led to the conclusion that protective factors at all three levels (individual, intrafamilial and contextual) are important for explaining family adjustment as perceived by parents facing a diagnosis of cancer in their child. Interventions targeting the individual, couple, as well as family level are warranted to enhance family adjustment.

Feasibility study of a preventive parenting program with mothers of children born preterm

Preterm infants constitute a high-risk population for presenting emotional and behavioral problems and developmental dysregulation. Parenting preventive interventions can support mothers to act as co-regulators and prevent child behavior problems. The ACT – Raising Safe Kids Program is recommended to strengthen positive parenting practices. The present study aimed to examine the feasibility of the ACT Program in a target sample of mothers of children born preterm, comparing parenting practices and child behavior problems at pre- and post-intervention. The sample consisted of 30 mothers of 1- to 7- year - old children born preterm. The mothers answered the ACT and Parenting and Family Adjustment scales, and the Strengthen and Difficulties Questionnaire, in the pre- and post-intervention. The within-group comparison was performed. The results showed that, after the intervention, there was a significant improvement in parenting practices dimensions of communication, emotional/behavioral regulation, monitoring of electronic media, positive encouragement, and parental consistency and adjustment. Also, the coercive practices decreased in the post-intervention. Furthermore, there was a decrease in child behavior problems and improvement in the pro-social behavior, from pre- to post-intervention. In conclusion, the ACT showed the feasibility to improve positive parenting practices, enabling mothers to act as a co-regulator of the behavior of children born preterm.