Parents In Group Research Articles

Emotion Regulation and Physiological Reactivity in the Parent-Child Relationship: A Preliminary Study of an Online Attachment-Based Program for Parents of Preadolescents with Behavioral Disorders

IntroductionBehavioral disorders have been defined as a “health crisis” of modern times that has a significant impact on the parent-child relationship. In this scenario, the emotional regulation (ER) of each partner plays a central role and serves a protective factor, configuring as an area to intervene. The Connect Parent Group, an attachment-based intervention for parents, has shown evidence of effectiveness. However, its online version (e-Connect) has not yet garnered specific evidence related to emotional and physiological regulation in parents and preadolescents.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore changes in the short and medium term regarding ER abilities - both self-reported and measured through physiological indices - in parents and preadolescents with behavioral disorders, building upon initial findings from an online parenting intervention.Methods28 parents (82.1% mothers, 17.9% fathers, M_age = 47.48, SD = 4.73) and their 28 preadolescents with behavioral disorders (M_age = 11.22 years, SD = 2.69, 35.7% girls) were recruited from child neuropsychiatry services in Northern Italy and subsequently took part in the pilot study. They were assessed at three time points: before intervention (T1), one months after the intervention (T2) and at 6-months follow-up (T3). ER were assessed with a multimethod approach: parents and children completed a self-report questionnaire (i.e., Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and How I Feel, respectively) and then they interact during a stress-task in which physiological parameters (i.e., Galvanic Skin Response, GSR; Heart Rate/Beat per Minute, BPM) have been measured.ResultsRegarding self-reported ER, mixed-effects regression models showed an improvement in parent emotion dysregulation between T1 and T3 (p=0.004), a decrease in preadolescents’ negative emotions (p=.012) between T1 and T2 and a lower emotion intensity in preadolescents between the three-time points (p=.003). Regarding physiological ER, the two overall models of GSR and BPM were not significant for both parents and children. Yet GSR correlations within three-time points were positive and significant for children (T1-T2: r=.58; T1-T3: r=.68) but not for parents, while BPM correlations between T1 and T2 were significant for parents (r=.49) but not for children.ConclusionsThe online attachment-based parenting program appears to have contributed to a reduction in emotional dysregulation in parents and preadolescents, which seems to persist to some extent in the medium term. The non-significant results at the physiological level may suggest that changes reported by parents and children through self-report questionnaires do not align with changes in the physiological response to interpersonal stress experienced after an online intervention. Clinical and research implications will be discussed.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Maternal Stress and its Associated Factors among Working Nurses in Public Sector Tertiary Care Teaching Hospitals, Karachi

Maternal stress has been identified as an epidemic that has a detrimental effect on work productivity and personal and professional growth. Objectives: To determine maternal stress and its associated factors among working nurses in public sector tertiary care teaching hospitals in Karachi, Sindh. Methods: The analytical cross-sectional study was accomplished at Dr. Ruth K.M Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi and Dow University Hospital Karachi. A total of 131 nurses were approached by a convenient non-probability sampling method. The Parental Stress Scale was used for data collection. Data were entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 24.0. Chi-square test was applied out to find an association between maternal stress and associated factors. Results: Nurses reported 72 (55%) mild parental stress, 58 (44.3%) parental moderate stress, and 1 (1%) severe parental stress. Nurses belonging to the younger age group, widowed or divorced, had mild parental stress, while nurses who lived with their husbands had lesser moderate stress. Female participants with one child of either gender, whose more family members were earning, had less tendency to have mild parental stress. A statistically significant association was found between working nurses' parental stress level and age group (p-value=0.005). Conclusions: It was concluded that nurses reported mild, moderate, and severe maternal stress. Hence, it is increasingly imperative to create facilities like daycare centers and offer them the flexibility to perform their job effectively

Online Game-Based Parental Groups: The Experiences of First-Time Expectant Parents.

Although evidence exists on the use of gamification and serious games in many fields, game-based methods are a relatively new phenomenon in the family services sector. This study focused on the implementation of game-based online parental groups organized for first-time expectant parents and participants' experiences of playing together. In total, 26 Finnish first-time expectant parents participated in the study. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three main themes describing the expectant parents' experiences were related to the game as a stimulator of discussion, the experience of gaming, and special features of online group discussion. It is concluded that playing online learning games with others can lower the threshold to participate and offer new possibilities for interactive parental education.

Four’s a Crowd? Attachment Styles in Childless Women and First-Time Mothers Toward Their Pet Dog

ABSTRACT The transition to parenthood is a time of change and challenge, where new attachments are developed and old ones are re-appraised to fit the needs of the new family. Research on how this transition affects parental attachment to the family pet dog is scarce. This study explored attachment orientation differences among female dog owners without children and female dog owners who had recently become new mothers. Factors that may underpin these differences were also explored. New mothers (n = 98) and childless women (n = 93) completed an online survey that measured the degree to which they were anxiously and avoidantly attached to their pet dog. Significant differences in attachment orientations were found: the parent group had more avoidant, and less anxious, attachment styles toward their pet dogs, compared with the childless group. Qualitative insights revealed new mothers suffer from a lack of time, energy, and attention to afford their dog and that the role of the dog in the family may be re-appraised to accommodate the new family member. These outcomes provide insight into how Australian women experience their attachment relationships to their pet dogs. This study has implications for both pet and maternal welfare.

Young Adults and Parents’ Coping With Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy: A Focus Group Study

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DBMD) are genetic disorders that are characterized by progressive muscle weakness. As such, individuals with DBMD may need constant assistance with medical and physical care, which is oftenE provided by their family members. An essential part of patients’ medical management and their parents’ care is to develop appropriate coping strategies. This study focuses on young adults in the developmental period of emerging adulthood and parents, aiming to obtain an in-depth understanding of their coping strategies with DBMD. Qualitative methodology was employed and implemented within three focus groups: one group of young adults (ages 18–23) and two groups of parents. The findings of themes related to young adults and parents coping with DBMD included negative emotions alongside positive perceptions, hope, coping with loneliness in the context of being different, and familial adjustments. Our findings revealed similarities and differences in relation to both young adults’ and parents’ coping strategies, referred to in this study as “adjustments”. It may be advantageous to have an interdisciplinary professional team (i.e., physicians, nurses, and psychologists/social workers) intervene with young adults and parents to get a comprehensive understanding of the impact DBMD has on the multidimensional aspects of their daily functioning and the “adjustments” they employ to cope with DBMD.

The spatial ecology of Mojave rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus), prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis), and their hybrids in southwestern New Mexico

Abstract Hybridization between species provides unique opportunities to understand evolutionary processes that are linked to reproductive isolation and, ultimately, speciation. However, the extrinsic factors that limit hybridization are poorly understood for most animal systems. Although the spatial ecology of individuals in natural habitats is fundamental to shaping reproductive success and survival, analyses of the spatial ecology of hybrids and their parental groups are rarely reported. Here, we used radiotelemetry to monitor wild rattlesnakes across an interspecific hybrid zone (Crotalus scutulatus and Crotalus viridis) and measured movement parameters and space use (utilization distributions) of individuals to evaluate the hypothesis that hybridization resulted in transgressive or atypical movement patterns. Unexpectedly, of the spatial metrics we investigated, we found that hybrids were very similar to parental individuals. Nonetheless, hybrids did show increased patchiness of core utilization distributions, but this result is likely to be driven by increased habitat patchiness in the hybrid zone. Overall, we did not find evidence for overt extrinsic barriers to hybridization associated with spatial ecology; thus, we suggest that the close evolutionary history between the two parental species and their ecological and behavioural similarities are likely to increase the probability of hybridization events in this unique region of New Mexico.

A Therapeutic Team’s Interventions and Their Perception of Parental Reactions Towards Them: A Child’s Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

This article explores the family consultations during the inpatient treatment of children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa. There were three study goals: to explore the therapeutic team’s interventions, to study the team’s perception of parental reactions toward the interventions, and to compare two groups of parents. Medical records of 32 were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research. There were eight categories of interventions discussed. Parents with better cooperation were more concentrated on their personal experiences (p = 0.005), whereas parents with poorer cooperation had more work on marital conflict (p = 0.004). Bereavement also appeared to be a particularly important theme.

Abstract 4422: Metabolic adaptations of glioblastoma in hypoxia is mediated by acox-1

Abstract Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a recurrent, chemoresistant, malignant brain tumor. Hypoxia is a major factor contributing to resistance in GBM which develops due to aggressive tumor growth and chronic anti-angiogenic therapy. Thus, under limited oxygen supply it is unlikely that the high energy consuming pathways are solely able to provide the energy requirement of GBM cells. Thus, based on our metabolomics data stated below we hypothesize that GBM cells adapt to chronic hypoxia utilizing alternate metabolic pathways such as peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Here we have explored the role of Acyl coenzyme A oxidase (ACOX-1), a rate limiting enzyme for peroxisomal FAO in the metabolic adaptations to hypoxia and as a potential drug target. Methods: U251 CRISPR dox inducible ACOX1 (KO) cells and patient derived primary GBM were grown under normoxic and hypoxic conditions (2%O2, 5%CO2, 70% humidity). Metabolic analysis was done using UHPLC-MS and LCMS analysis. RNAseq was done using TopHat2 (genome alignment), HTSeq, and DEseq to study the differential gene expression at cut-off of 2-fold change, and p<0.05. GSEA was used to interpret biological pathways. NCr/SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency) mice (n=5) inoculated with U251 ACOX1 knockout cells expressing luciferase were used and treated with anti-angiogenic agent pazopanib at 30 mg/kg, 5 days a week. The U251 luciferase-labeled tumors were imaged starting weekly for tumor volumes using the IVIS (In Vivo Imaging System) Lumina. Results: In patient derived primary GBM cell lines alterations in metabolites in chronic hypoxia compared to normoxia, such as decrease in citric acid cycle metabolites, increase in glycolytic metabolites, and dysfunctional mitochondrial metabolites. In RNA seq downregulation of genes PCK1, SCD, SREBF1, and PIPOX (p<1x108) involved in PPAR and lipid metabolism pathways in hypoxia versus normoxia were noted. Inhibition of ACOX-1 displayed increased survival in mice administered (p=6.7E-04) with pazopanib compared to the U251 parental control group. Conclusion: There is metabolomic reprogramming in ACOX-1 KO cells channeled predominantly through FAO as seen through the downregulation of genes downstream of the PPAR signaling pathway, mediated through SREBF1 the master regulator of lipid metabolism. Thus, these genes could be future targets for therapy in combination with anti-angiogenic therapies that aggravate hypoxia in GBM. Citation Format: Ayon Bhattacharya, Laura Caflisch, Henriette Balinda, Alessia Lodi, Mei Zhou, Mengxing Li, Jennifer Chiou, Renu Pandey, Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Stefano Tiziani, Yidong Chen, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Andrew J. Brenner. Metabolic adaptations of glioblastoma in hypoxia is mediated by acox-1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4422.

KidsTime: A multifamily prevention approach for parents with a mental illness and their children and relatives

AbstractA total of 32% of children whose parents have some mental health problems are estimated to be diagnosed with some mental disorder later in life. As a consequence, a need arises to offer preventive psychological interventions aimed at these children. The aims were to investigate whether there are significant changes before and after the KidsTime program. In total, 101 people participated in the program, and pre‐intervention and post‐intervention data on self‐stigma, self‐esteem, resilience, parenting practices and strength and difficulties of thirty‐three parents with mental illness were obtained. Significant pre‐post differences were found in the ‘expression of affection’ subscale of the parenting practices and in self‐stigma. In the group of parents with a mental illness, the KidsTime program showed improvement of parents' emotional support for their children and a reduction in their self‐stigma as well. Multi‐family interventions are key to improving self‐stigma and parenting skills, and this can lead to prevention of future mental health problems in their children.

Do large registered investment funds undermine shareholder activism? Evidence from hedge fund proposals

We examine the voting behavior of Registered Investment Funds (Mutual Funds, ETFs and Close-end Funds) on Hedge Funds proposals, a common vehicle of value-driven shareholder activism. We compare the support rates of Registered Funds versus other voting shareholders on different types of proposals set up for voting at shareholders meetings and explore fund-level characteristics that may explain the variation in support rates. Our results show that Registered Funds support rates on Hedge Fund proposals vary depending on the proposal category. In general, the support rates of Registered Funds are about 4 percentage points lower compared to other investors. However, that difference rises to 10 p.p. for proposals that are more confrontational to the incumbent management of the target company. Interestingly, the average lower support rates of Registered Funds are driven by the ten largest funds. On the contrary, Registered Funds from smaller parent groups tend to be more supportive of Hedge Fund activism. We document a 18 p.p. reduction in the probability of favorable votes on Hedge Fund proposals by the largest Registered Funds compared to smaller funds. Our results suggest that the growing ownership in public companies by large Registered Funds reduces the overall support of shareholder activism through Hedge Fund proposals.

Zjawisko (nie)wykluczenia społecznego rodziców wychowujących dziecko z niepełnosprawnością w środowisku lokalnym i ich wsparcie

The reality we live in is still often characterised by the phenomenon of social inequality known as differentiation or stratification. In this kind of reality, many people do not cope with various personal and social difficulties. Some of them experience social exclusion defined as the result of various types of social disadvantage. The article explores the risk of social exclusion among parents raising a child with a disability. This is a very difficult issue to research due to the fact that it affects all members of the family, their bonds and feelings. The main problem of the research was formulated as a question: Do parents raising a child with a disability experience social exclusion and support in the local environment? The pedagogical research was conducted in 2022 among 80 parents raising children with disabilities. The results showed a picture of the surveyed group of parents raising children with disabilities. The vast majority of them experience various forms of social exclusion on a daily basis, including prejudice, negative behaviour and lack of acceptance.

Parental thermal environment controls the offspring phenotype in Brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis): insights from a transcriptomic study.

Brook charr is a cold-water species which is highly sensitive to increased water temperatures, such as those associated with climate change. Environmental variation can potentially induce phenotypic changes that are inherited across generations, for instance, via epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we tested whether parental thermal regimes (intergenerational plasticity) and offspring-rearing temperatures (within-generational plasticity) modify the brain transcriptome of Brook charr progeny (fry stage). Parents were exposed to either cold or warm temperatures during final gonad maturation and their progeny were reared at 5 or 8 °C during the first stages of development. Illumina Novaseq6000 was used to sequence the brain transcriptome at the yolk sac resorption stage. The number of differentially expressed genes was very low when comparing fry reared at different temperatures (79 differentially expressed genes). In contrast, 9,050 differentially expressed genes were significantly differentially expressed between fry issued from parents exposed to either cold or warm temperatures. There was a significant downregulation of processes related to neural and synaptic activity in fry originating from the warm parental group vs fry from the cold parental one. We also observed significant upregulation of DNA methylation genes and of the most salient processes associated with compensation to warming, such as metabolism, cellular response to stress, and adaptive immunity.

Emotional impacts of racial discrimination on caregiver-child dyads: Can mentalizing-focused parenting groups buffer against racism-related stress?

Black and Latinx caregivers face high risk for parenting stress and racism-related stress due to experiences of racial discrimination (RD). This study aimed to explore the associations between RD, parenting stress, and psychological distress in caregiver-child dyads, as well as the impact of a mentalizing-focused group intervention on caregivers' experiences of RD distress. Ethnoracially minoritized caregivers of children aged 5-17 years old participated in a non-randomized clinical trial (N = 70). They received either a 12-session mentalizing-focused group parenting intervention or treatment-as-usual in outpatient psychiatry. We assessed self-reported frequency and distress related to RD, parenting stress, and psychological distress at baseline (T1) and post-intervention (T2). Caregiver- and self-reported child psychological distress were also measured. The results showed that greater RD frequency and greater RD distress separately predicted higher overall parenting stress and parental role-related distress. Greater RD distress was linked to increased psychological distress in caregivers. Similarly, greater RD frequency and distress among caregivers were associated with higher caregiver-reported, but not self-reported, child psychological distress. No significant changes in RD distress were observed between T1 and T2 for either of the treatment groups. These findings highlight the exacerbating role of RD on parenting stress and psychological distress among ethnoracially minoritized caregivers and their children.

Classification of new germplasm into existing heterotic groups of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.

AbstractThe study assigned new germplasm, which includes populations and inbreds, to established heterotic groups using various approaches to broaden the existing genetic base while maintaining the heterotic pattern in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]. It utilized 13 pearl millet populations of African and Asian origins and 24 new inbred parents from ICRISAT's breeding program. Testers, both inbred and composite, were employed to categorize these materials into heterotic groups. Different sets of line × tester crosses were generated and evaluated during the rainy season at multiple locations in India. The pearl millet populations were assigned to heterotic group B (seed parental groups) (HGB1 and HGB2) and heterotic group R (pollinator parental groups) (HGR1 and HGR2) based on general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability effects. Composite testers were found to be more effective for the heterotic grouping of pearl millet populations. New inbred lines were classified into HGB and HGR based on GCA and hybrid performance using opposite heterotic group testers and also using genetic similarity obtained from genotype‐by‐sequencing data.The new germplasm classified into heterotic groups will help enhance the genetic gain for the long‐term success of pearl millet hybrid breeding programs.

Spiritual affection and support: Unique aging model of older adult Chinese who lost their only child

This research aims to explore the mechanism of the online “spiritual solidarity” group for older adults who have lost their only child (shidu parents) in contemporary China. By examining a unique aging model of older adult Chinese who lost their only child, this study conducted an online survey in the “spiritual solidarity” group of the shidu parents through an ethnographic approach by interviews, questionnaires, participatory observation, and other methods. The findings can improve the “spiritually drawn together to old” process for the shidu parents to improve their quality of life and relieve their psychological stress. As a new pension model, the spiritual group takes a virtual information platform as the carrier to break through the limitations of regional activities, meet the various needs of the shidu parent, and provide them with an outlet for emotional energy. Understanding the mechanism of spiritual solidarity is of help to the shidu parents in obtaining spiritual comfort. It is also valuable for safeguarding their rights and interests to improve their quality of life on the spiritual and material levels.

The Conflation of Dual Language Bilingual Education With Gifted Programs in New York City Schools

As neighborhoods across New York City gentrify, Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) has become a big draw for gentrifier families. Our research contributes to growing literature on DLBE gentrification by examining how a racially diverse group of parents in two communities perceived DLBE as a school choice option. We found that schools with DLBE programs screened potential students via academic screening tests or school choice processes to determine admission into DLBE programs. This screening process has contributed to a) the conflation of DLBE with the city’s gifted programs, and b) a focus away from admitting and centering emergent bilinguals. While this screening served to further advantage gentrifier families, some parents resisted the opportunity hoarding behaviors of their peers through their alternative school choices and advocacy efforts. In this way, we show how all parents are constrained and impacted by the neoliberal logics of contemporary DLBE policy and school choice.

PARENTING STRESS: COMPARISON BETWEEN PARENTS OF ATYPICAL CHILDREN AND TYPICAL CHILDREN

Parenting stress is experienced when demand exceeds the capabilities and resources that parents have. This study aims to compare the level of parental stress between parents of atypical children and typical children. A survey has been conducted with 46 parents of atypical children and 54 parents of typical children who were selected around Selangor. The Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF), which is formed from three domains: (1) parental distress, (2) parent-child dysfunctional interaction, and (3) difficult child, has been used to measure the level of parenting stress. The samples were asked to fill out the PSI-SF questionnaire, and the data collected was then analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 27.0. The result showed that there was a significant difference in parenting stress levels between parents of atypical children and typical children. The mental health of atypical parents is greatly affected not only by the stress of daily life, work, marital problems, interpersonal relationships, and so on. Many of them also feel lonely and isolated since their worries and anxiety are not being understood. The implication of this study is to create awareness among parents of atypical children about their state of mental health before it reaches levels of depression. Therefore, appropriate support and assistance are needed by this group of parents in order to improve their quality of life and family relationships.

Parenting Consensual Non-Monogamists’ Perceptions of Parenthood, Intimacy, and Communication

This article presents partial results of a larger mixed methods study about consensual non-monogamists’ perceptions of their parenting and sexual lifestyle, particularly those involving the transition to parenthood, intimacy and communication. Using The Expanding the Movement for Empowerment and Reproductive Justice lens, six participants completed an online questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide. Consensual non-monogamists are like other parents, yet they prioritise sexual intimacy over emotional intimacy. Communication is very important for them. The quantitative results support the qualitative ones: the participants had a higher level of parenting sense of competence, and the means for emotional and sexual intimacy were lower for primary partners than for secondary ones. Perinatal health care professionals including nurses need to know more about parenting consensual non-monogamists and their partner(s). More research is warranted with this particular group of parents, especially on their experiences of minority stress, resilience and taking a more intersectional research approach.

Legitimising capital: parent organisations and their resistance to testing in England

This paper presents findings from a year-long network ethnography into the strategies, networks, and outcomes of More Than a Score (MTAS)—a campaign against standardised testing in UK primary schools. Focusing specifically on the parent-based groups of the organisation, we use theorisations of symbolic capital to challenge traditional understandings of how capital can be leveraged for group advancement. We argue that MTAS frames itself as a grassroots organisation, using this image to promote its agenda amongst possible allies. Parent groups serve a critical role in accentuating the ‘grassroots’ image, as they bring a level of credibility to this claim. At the same time, the individuals who run these groups also bring technical skills, professional experiences, and connections that provide logistical and expert capital to the range of MTAS’s strategies and agendas. In doing so, their political and social capital as ‘parents’ provide a sort of legitimising capital to MTAS.

Consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and management of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency (SSADHD) (OMIM #271980) is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by pathogenic variants of ALDH5A1. Deficiency of SSADH results in accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and other GABA-related metabolites. The clinical phenotype of SSADHD includes a broad spectrum of non-pathognomonic symptoms such as cognitive disabilities, communication and language deficits, movement disorders, epilepsy, sleep disturbances, attention problems, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive traits. Current treatment options for SSADHD remain supportive, but there are ongoing attempts to develop targeted genetic therapies. This study aimed to create consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and management of SSADHD. Thirty relevant statements were initially addressed by a systematic literature review, resulting in different evidence levels of strength according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. The highest level of evidence (level A), based on randomized controlled trials, was unavailable for any of the statements. Based on cohort studies, Level B evidence was available for 12 (40%) of the statements. Thereupon, through a process following the Delphi Method and directed by the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) criteria, expert opinion was sought, and members of an SSADHD Consensus Group evaluated all the statements. The group consisted of neurologists, epileptologists, neuropsychologists, neurophysiologists, metabolic disease specialists, clinical and biochemical geneticists, and laboratory scientists affiliated with 19 institutions from 11 countries who have clinical experience with SSADHD patients and have studied the disorder. Representatives from parent groups were also included in the Consensus Group. An analysis of the survey's results yielded 25 (83%) strong and 5 (17%) weak agreement strengths. These first-of-their-kind consensus guidelines intend to consolidate and unify the optimal care that can be provided to individuals with SSADHD.