Family Chaos Research Articles

Examining Caregiver- and Family-Level Psychosocial Influences on Child Oral Health Behavioral Outcomes in Racially and Economically Minoritized Urban Families.

Understanding the pathways linking caregiver- and family-level psychosocial factors and child oral health behaviors is critical for addressing oral health disparities. The current study examined the associations between caregiver psychosocial functioning and family chaos and child toothbrushing behaviors in children at high risk for poor oral health outcomes. Data were drawn from the baseline wave of the CO-OP Chicago Cohort Study (U01DE030067), a longitudinal study on child/caregiver dyads exploring oral health behaviors and caries development in young children (N = 296 dyads; child mean age = 5.36, SD = 1.03; caregiver mean age = 33.8 years, SD = 6.70; caregiver race = 43% Black; caregiver ethnicity = 55% Latinx). The oral health behavioral outcomes included child toothbrushing frequency, child plaque levels, and caregiver assistance with child toothbrushing. The data included demographics; caregiver depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, social functioning, social support, and resilience; and family-level household chaos. Multiple regression models indicated that greater household chaos was significantly related to lower caregiver assistance with child toothbrushing (p = 0.0075). Additionally, caregiver anxiety and PTSD symptoms as well as number of children in the home significantly predicted higher levels of household chaos (p < 0.01). Notably, 18% of caregivers reported clinically significant PTSD. The relationships between caregiver-level psychosocial factors and child oral health behaviors were not significant. The results suggest household chaos may play an important role in child oral health behaviors and highlight the importance of investigating family-level factors for understanding and addressing child oral health risk.

Predictors of parent self-monitoring patterns in a family-based behavioral weight loss treatment program.

Self-monitoring dietary intake is a critical component of family-based intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment for pediatric obesity, but adherence rates are often low. This study identifies predictors of parent self-monitoring rates during treatment. A secondary analysis of parent self-monitoring data from a randomized controlled trial involving 150 parent-child dyads. Patterns of self-monitoring were identified using a latent class mixed model approach. Logistic regression analyses evaluated predictors of self-monitoring patterns. Latent class models identified two trajectory groups: a high consistent self-monitoring group and a low-decreasing self-monitoring group. When compared to parents in the low group, parents in the high group lost more weight throughout treatment. Children in the high group had a similar trajectory for weight loss; however, the groups were not statistically different. Higher levels of family chaos and poorer family problem-solving skills were associated with higher odds of being in the low group. This study identified two patterns of rates of parent self-monitoring, which were associated with parent weight loss and were differentiated by family chaos and poor problem-solving. These findings suggest that families with high levels of chaos and poor problem-solving could benefit from early intervention to improve outcomes in pediatric obesity treatment programs. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01197443.

Adaptation and validation for use in Brazil of the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS)

BackgroundThe Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS in English Version) was originally developed in the USA by Matheny et al (Bringing order out of chaos: psychometric characteristics of the confusion, hubbub, and order scale. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 16(3):429–444, 1995) to measure chaos in the family environment, characterized by confusion, lack of routine, and organization.ObjectiveTo present evidence of content validity, internal structure validity, and validity based on relationships with external measures of an adapted version of the CHAOS into Brasilian Portuguese with adolescents sample in São Paulo - Brasil.MethodStudy 1 involved the translation/back-translation and adaptation of the scale into Brazilian Portuguese [here named “Escala de Confusão, Alvoroço e Ordem no Sistema familiar” (CAOS)], assessed by 5 judges. In Study 2, we conducted an exploratory factor analyses (EFA) to determine the scale’s factor structure (N = 180 adults). In Study 3, we carried out confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to confirm the internal validity of the scale, along with complete structural equation modeling to explore convergent validity in another sample (N = 239 adolescents).ResultsThe CAOS scale displayed content validity, and the EFA and CFA showed a unifactorial structure (with some scale adjustments) with an acceptable fit. The family chaos latent factor was associated with externalizing symptoms and perceived stress in adolescents.ConclusionOverall, the Brazilian version of the scale presented evidence of construct, internal, and concurrent validity that indicate its usefulness in Brazil.

“Just Trying to Make it Through”: Understanding Transitions Into Motherhood Among Young Black Women Amidst Trauma, Racism, and Structural Oppression

This study used critical interpretive phenomenological analysis to explore the lived experiences and phenomena of motherhood of five young Black women in Pennsylvania as they transition into motherhood. The core themes that emerged were systemic inequities, kinship, survival, and apprehension around the transition to motherhood. Additional analysis suggested that racism, structural oppression, childhood trauma, healthcare coercion, perinatal mental health distress, family chaos, poverty and economic insecurity, and birthing trauma were also relevant. These findings suggest that experiences from throughout the life course, including early trauma, may influence the journey to motherhood and may be intimately connected to mental health before, during, and after pregnancy. If clinicians and policy makers can better understand the lived experiences of Black women transitioning into motherhood, they can better engage in authentic, collaborative, patient-centered care.

Existence of chaos and the approximate solution of the Lorenz–Lü–Chen system with the Caputo fractional operator

Dynamical systems and fractional differential equations can be modeled using variable-order differential operators. In this study, the dynamics of a variable-order fractional Lorenz–Lü–Chen system with variable-order and constant-order derivatives are examined. We propose a generalized numerical scheme for simulating fractional differential operators with power-law kernels. The numerical scheme is based on the fundamental theorem of fractional calculus and the Lagrange polynomial interpolation. Furthermore, we examine how random parameter variations affect an approximate unified chaotic model with variable order. Specifically, we examine chaos disappearance in systems that rapidly switch from one family to another. In our simulation study, we show that increasing the key parameter and reducing its reciprocal fractional order together can suppress chaotic fluctuations much earlier than if the parameters remain fixed. Different simulation techniques have also been explored for fractional order switched chaotic systems with random parameters. The proposed system can also be solved using power series methods. The novelty of this paper is not to examine weak chaos masked by additive noise, but rather to describe the dynamics of systems that are subjected to such noise as parameter switching. By adjusting the structure, parameters, and order of the system, different chaotic oscillations and special dynamic behaviors of the Lorenz–Lü–Chen family chaos system are discovered and analyzed.

The Academic Failure Model of the Senior Students of Mazandaran Province based on the Socio-Economic Position and Family Social Capital with the Mediation of Family Chaos

The Academic Failure Model of the Senior Students of Mazandaran Province based on the Socio-Economic Position and Family Social Capital with the Mediation of Family Chaos

Longitudinal associations between family meal quality and quantity: Does one matter more for child, parent, and family health and well-being or are they synergistic?

It is unknown how family meal quantity (i.e., frequency) and quality (i.e., meal healthfulness and interpersonal quality) are associated with child, parent, and family health and well-being over time. This study aimed to examine longitudinal associations between family meal quantity and quality and child, parent, and family health and well-being and whether there was a synergistic effect between family meal quantity and quality. Children ages 5-9 and their parents from six racial/ethnic groups participated in this longitudinal cohort study. Regression models adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics examined family meal quantity, interpersonal quality, and nutritional quality at baseline and interactions between quantity and quality, in relation to changes in child, parent, and family health outcomes from baseline to 18-month follow-up. Higher family meal quantity predicted reduced obesity prevalence, improved diet quality and less food fussiness, food responsiveness, and conduct problems among children at follow-up. Higher family meal quality predicted improved diet quality, lower emotional problems, less food responsiveness, and fewer peer relationship problems among children, improved diet quality and reduced psychological distress for parents, and less family chaos at follow-up. One interaction between family meal quantity and quality was found for child peer relationship problems. Overall, family meal quantity and quality were independently important for child health and well-being and for some parent and family health outcomes. Clinicians working with families may want to emphasize the importance of both family meal quantity and quality, as these longitudinal findings suggest potential benefits for the entire family.

Intergenerational Effects of a Family Cash Transfer on the Home Environment

A natural experiment that provided income supplements to families has been associated with beneficial outcomes for children that persisted into adulthood. The children in this study are now adults, and many are parents. The study builds on the longitudinal, representative Great Smoky Mountains study conducted from 1993 to 2020. At follow-up in their late 30s, 1,094 of the 1,348 living participants (81.2%) were assessed. Of these participants (67.6%), 739 were parents. A tribe in the area implemented a cash transfer program of approximately $5,000 annually per person to every tribal member based on the profits received from operating a casino. Ten aspects of the home environment of participants were assessed (eg, family chaos, substance use, and food insecurity) as well as a composite measure across all home environment indicators. The proposed analyses were preregistered (https://osf.io/ex638). Of the 739 parents assessed, 192 (26.0%) were American Indians. Parents whose families received cash transfers during childhood did not differ from parents whose families did not receive cash transfers on any of the home environment indicators or the composite measure. At the same time, there was little evidence of elevated risk for participants in either group in measures of parental mental health, substance use, and violence. A family cash transfer in childhood that had long-term effects on individual functioning did not impact the home environment of participants who became parents. Rather, parents in both groups were providing home environments generally conducive to their children's growth and development. Intergenerational Effects of a Family Cash Transfer on the Home Environment; https://osf.io/; ex638.

Challenges in addiction-affected families: a systematic review of qualitative studies

BackgroundThe relative paucity of research on Addiction-Affected Families’ (AAF) issues and the lack of attention given to their difficulties and treatment in interventions and clinical practices indicate that the primary focus consistently revolves around individuals with addictive disorders, even when the treatment process involves their families. However, it is believed that family members endure significant pressures that result in extensive negative consequences on the personal, familial, and social aspects of their lives. Aiming for a better understanding of the challenges and issues that AAF’s experience, this systematic review explored qualitative studies with a focus on the impact of addiction on different aspects of families.MethodsWe searched Research Gate, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Elsevier, and Google Scholar Databases. We included studies of qualitative design which have investigated the effects of addiction on families. Non-English language studies, medical views, and quantitative approaches were excluded. Participants in the selected studies included parents, children, couples, sisters/brothers, relatives, drug users and specialists. The data from the selected studies were extracted using a standard format for the systematic review of qualitative research (the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence [NICE] 2102a).ResultsA thematic analysis of the findings of the studies identified 5 main themes: 1) initial shock (family encounter, searching for why), 2) family in the fog (social isolation, stigma and label), 3) sequence of disorders (emotional decline, negative behavioral experiences, mental disturbance, physical degeneration, family burden), 4) internal family chaos (instability of relationships, shadow people, erosive confrontation with the drug-using member, a newly emerging member, collapsing system, financial collapse), and 5) self-protection (attracting information, support, and protective sources, coping and adjusting the effects, the emergence of spirituality).ConclusionThis systematic review of qualitative research highlights the various and complex issues which addiction-affected families go through in terms of financial, social, cultural, mental and physical health problems, as a result of which experts of the field are needed to investigate and take measures. The findings can inform policy and practice and the development of interventions aimed to lighten the burdens which addiction-affected families carry.

Me & my family: a programme for children and parents in families with parental substance use problems – an outcome study

ABSTRACT Me & my family is a knowledge- and motivation-based programme that includes eight weekly sessions provided by the social services for families in which there are parental substance use problems (SUPs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the programme outcomes in terms of child and parental well-being, family climate, and parental alcohol and drug use. The study involved self-reported ratings from 59 children, aged 5–20 years, and 67 parents, of whom approximately two-thirds completed the programme and provided the self-ratings before, on completing, and three months after the intervention. Findings included a significant increase in family closeness and a significant reduction in family chaos after the intervention, which persisted three months post-intervention. Children also reported a reduction in self-rated conduct problems, whereas parents reported a similar reduction in self-rated symptoms of anxiety and depression. Parents also reported less alcohol and drug consumption post-intervention relative to baseline ratings. The findings suggest that the Me & my family programme supports child and family well-being and could potentially protect children from later detrimental outcomes. The results need to be replicated to evaluate the effectiveness of this programme compared with other programmes within the social services.

Sleep Is a Family Affair: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies on the Interplay between Adolescents' Sleep and Family Factors.

Family is one of the primary socialization contexts influencing adolescents' psychological health. In this regard, a crucial indicator of adolescents' health is their sleep quality. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how multiple family factors (i.e., demographic and relational) are intertwined with adolescents' sleep quality. For this reason, this systematic review with meta-analysis aims to comprehensively summarize and integrate previous longitudinal research investigating the reciprocal relation between demographics (e.g., family structure) and positive (e.g., family support) and negative (e.g., family chaos) relational family factors and adolescents' sleep quality. Several search strategies were applied, and a final set of 23 longitudinal studies that matched the eligibility criteria were included in this review. The total number of participants was 38,010, with an average age at baseline of 14.7 years (SD = 1.6, range: 11-18 years). On the one hand, the meta-analytic results showed that demographic factors (e.g., low socio-economic status) were not related to adolescents' sleep quality at a later time point. On the other hand, positive and negative family relational factors were positively and negatively related to adolescents' sleep, respectively. Furthermore, the results suggested that this association could be bidirectional. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Family Chaos, Interparental Conflict, and Preschooler Adjustment: Comparing Mediation and Moderation Models

Children residing in chaotic homes exhibit greater behavior and adjustment problems. Proximal factors, such as interparental conflict, may play a role, although the ways in which these factors interplay in predicting adjustment problems is unclear. We explored different models for how chaos and conflict work together to predict child adjustment. We hypothesized that chaos would both moderate and mediate the relationship between interparental conflict and preschooler adjustment and that there would be a stronger pattern of associations for fathers than mothers. A community sample of 70 families with preschoolers participated in the current study. Parents engaged in a conflict resolution task during which their child was present. Interparental conflict was coded assessing for specific positive and negative conflict expressions, intensity of emotional expressions, and degree of resolution. Conflict codes were sorted into three categories: positive, angry, and depressive conflict. Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) assessing child adjustment and the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS) assessing levels of chaos and disruption in the home. Path analyses revealed evidence for mediation in the father: fathers’ angry conflict was significantly predictive of greater chaos, which was in turn predictive of greater child peer problems. No evidence of mediation was found for mothers. Chaos also moderated associations between conflict and child adjustment for both mothers and fathers, such that dimensions of conflict were significantly associated with child adjustment in high chaos, but not low chaos homes. Clinical implications are discussed.

Aftermath of School Dropout: Sociological Analysis with Reference to Maram Naga Tribe, Manipur

School dropout is a serious problem faced by individual and society for which focus has been a great concern for the policymakers and researchers to deal with. The present study was to examine the consequences of school dropouts in the Maram Naga Tribe, Manipur. School dropout is not a new phenomenon but the current study will contribute to the awareness of the effects and suggest the remedies in order to curb the problems. The aims of the study were to explore the research questions such as what problems do dropouts encounter after leaving school. The researcher followed simple random sampling methodto select 260 respondents from the universe. The interview method has been used to collect data to understand the phenomena of the consequences of school dropouts. The key findings are unemployment, regret, family chaos and taking intoxicate like alcoholism, drug addiction and so on. The significance of the findings shows that dropouts have different experiences in economic, social and political outcomes in society.

Resource dilution in maternal feeding practices after birth of a secondborn

Firstborn children have higher prevalence of obesity than secondborn siblings. The birth of a sibling typically results in resource dilution when mothers begin to divide their time and attention between two children. This mixed-methods analysis applies the family systems process of resource dilution to test the hypothesis that characteristics of the secondborn impact how parents feed the firstborn. Participants (n = 76) were mothers of consecutively born firstborn and secondborn siblings who participated in the INSIGHT trial and an observational cohort. Quantitative analyses involved multilevel models to test if characteristics of secondborns (temperament at 16 weeks, appetite at 28 weeks) were associated with maternal feeding practices of firstborns (structure and control-based feeding) at 1, 2, and 3 years, adjusting for firstborn child characteristics. A purposive subsample (n = 30) of mothers participated in semi-structured interviews to contextualize potential sibling influences on maternal feeding practices during infancy and toddlerhood. Quantitative data showed secondborn temperament and appetite were associated with how mothers fed their firstborn. Qualitative data explained maternal feeding practices in three primary ways: 1) Mothers explained shifting predictable meal and snack routines after birth of the secondborn, but did not perceive sibling characteristics as the source; 2) Family chaos following the secondborn's birth led to “survival mode” in feeding; and 3) Social support was protective against feeding resource dilution. The family systems process of resource dilution is a focus for future research and support for families during key transitions and a direction for efforts to reduce risk for child obesity.

Disentangling the "who" and "when" of parents' depressive symptoms: A daily diary study analysis.

Parents' depressive symptoms vary across days, but factors predicting this fluctuation are not well understood. The present study utilized ecological momentary assessments to capture 1620 days of parents' lived experience in a diverse sample of 146 mothers and fathers from Appalachia who reported on daily fluctuation in family chaos, family financial hardship, and lack of social support, as well as depressive symptoms every day for 14 consecutive days. Data were analyzed using a multilevel modeling framework. Results reveal that on days when parents experience higher family chaos, higher family financial hardship, and lower social support than they typically do, they also experience greater depressive symptoms. Daily linkages between low social support and depressive symptoms were uniform across families. In contrast, daily linkages between depressive symptoms and family financial hardship and chaos were strongest among families who experienced chronic levels of adversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of psychological flexibility on family dynamics amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal perspective

BackgroundHealth risks associated with contracting COVID-19, stay-at-home orders, and pandemic-related economic and social hardships created unique challenges for individuals throughout the pandemic, and in particular for families whose daily routines were disrupted at the start of the pandemic. This study applied a contextual behavioral science lens to Family Systems Theory to examine the impact of COVID-19 stressors on family and individual functioning. MethodsA sample of 742 coparents (86% married/engaged; 84% Caucasian; 71% female; M = 40.7 years old, SD = 8.1; Mincome = $82,435, SDincome = $27,604) of school-aged children (5–18 years old) completed a baseline survey from late March to late April 2020. Of the initial sample, 556 coparents completed weekly diaries for 8 weeks. ResultsMediation models were tested within a multilevel path modeling framework to evaluate both the stable, between-family differences (i.e., at level 2) and the within-family changes from week to week (i.e., at level 1). Across both levels of the model, parent psychological inflexibility was robustly linked to poorer functioning across all levels of the family system, showing direct links to a majority of the processes assessed. The results further supported a top-down spillover cascade in which parent inflexibility was proximally linked to greater COVID-19 related stress and parent depressive symptoms, which were proximally linked to poorer romantic functioning (greater negative conflict, lower satisfaction), which were proximally linked to poorer family functioning (greater coparent discord and family chaos), which were proximally linked to poorer parenting (greater angry/reactive parenting), which was proximally linked to greater child distress. Multi-group models suggested that the results were largely stable across (1) parent race (white vs non-white), (2) family size (1 child vs 2 or more), (3) child age (less than 10 years old vs 10 or older), (4) parent age (under 40 vs. 40 or older), (5) perceived COVID-19 risk, (6) parent gender (mothers vs fathers), (7) household income groups (less than $100k vs $100k or more), and (8) perceived economic stress/uncertainty (low vs high). However, a handful of moderated effects emerged from those multi-group models suggesting that fathers might be slightly more prone to negative spillover effects across the family systems and that wealthier families might have experienced the stress of new demands (e.g., homeschooling, remote working) as more disruptive. ConclusionsResults highlight the crucial role parental psychological flexibility and inflexibility play in families managing the stress of COVID-19, as well as key mechanisms for how those stressors may either reverberate or become dampened throughout the family system.

Enduring COVID-19 lockdowns: Risk versus resilience in parents' health and family functioning across the pandemic.

Have the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic risked declines in parents' health and family functioning, or have most parents been resilient and shown no changes in health and family functioning? Assessing average risk versus resilience requires examining how families have fared across the pandemic, beyond the initial months examined in prior investigations. The current research examines changes in parents' health and functioning over the first 1.5years of the pandemic. Parents (N = 272) who had completed general pre-pandemic assessments completed reassessments of psychological/physical health, couple/family functioning, and parenting within two mandatory lockdowns in New Zealand: at the beginning of the pandemic (26 March-28 April 2020) and 17months later (18 August-21 September 2021). Parents exhibited average declines in psychological/physical health (greater depressive symptoms; reduced well-being, energy and physical health) and in couple/family functioning (reduced commitment and family cohesion; greater problem severity and family chaos). By contrast, there were no average differences in parent-child relationship quality and parenting practices across lockdowns. Declines in health and couple/family functioning occurred irrespective of pre-pandemic health and functioning, but partner support buffered declines in couple/family functioning. The results emphasize that attending to the challenges parents and couples face in the home will be important to mitigate and recover from the impact of the pandemic on parents' and children's well-being.

Family Unpredictability and Sense of Coherence: Relationships With Anxiety and Depression in Two Samples.

Sense of coherence (SOC) refers to beliefs about how comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful one's life is. We investigated how SOC relates to family of origin unpredictability and psychological functioning in two samples. College students (N=172, 78% female; M=18.9 years old; 78% white/Caucasian) who recalled more family unpredictability while growing up also reported weaker SOC beliefs and poorer mental health. Furthermore, SOC mediated the negative impact of family unpredictability on anxiety but not on depression. Among adults (N=220, 47% female, 50% male, 3% gender nonconforming; M=40.2 years old; 60% Caucasian), correlations among family chaos, SOC, and psychological functioning were even stronger, overall. One mediation was detected: the relationship between family unpredictability and anxiety was partially explained by adults' perceptions regarding the manageability of their life. This is the first study to explore the relationships among SOC, family chaos, and psychological functioning.

Family vulnerability, disruption, and chaos predict parent and child COVID-19 health-protective behavior adherence.

This study examined the role of family functioning in predicting family adherence to health-protective behaviors (HPBs) aimed at reducing COVID-19 spread. Pre-COVID-19 family functioning, disruptions to family functioning (cohesion, conflict, routines), and family chaos during the COVID-19 pandemic were tested as pathways to HPB adherence. We utilized a sample of N = 204 families, comprising parents who had children (MAge = 4.17). Parents (MAge = 27.43) completed one survey prior to COVID-19 onset in the United States, and twice during COVID-19, at a 2-week interval. Structural equation modeling was used to test three potential pathways between prepandemic family-level functioning and HPB adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated that families with higher levels of chaos during COVID-19 demonstrated consistently lower HPB adherence across all three models. Additionally, disruptions in family cohesion from pre-COVID was associated with lower levels of parent and child HPB adherence. Family conflict was indirectly associated with HPB adherence via family chaos during COVID-19; whereas family routines were not associated with HPB adherence at all. These findings suggest that family functioning is a meaningful predictor of HPB adherence. Family-based support may be effective in improving HPB adherence by focusing on promoting cohesion and reducing conflict and chaos for families coping with reduced community support and resources. Strategies for family-based supports are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for Family Vulnerability, Disruption, and Chaos Predict Parent and Child COVID-19 Health-Protective Behavior Adherence

Supplemental Material for Family Vulnerability, Disruption, and Chaos Predict Parent and Child COVID-19 Health-Protective Behavior Adherence