Parents Of Adolescents Research Articles

Feasibility of OT-Parentship: An intervention for parents of adolescents with autism

Introduction: Parents of individuals with autism face various difficulties, among which are decreased resilience and heightened stress. OT-Parentship is an intervention for parents of adolescents with autism that aims to promote parental resilience and enhance adolescents’ participation in daily life. This study examines OT-Parentship’s feasibility and explores the improvement of parental resilience and child and parent occupational performance following intervention. Methods: A mixed methods pre-post and follow up study. Fourteen parents (six mothers and four couples) of adolescents with autism participated in a series of 13 individual weekly sessions of 90 minutes each. Study results were analyzed before, after, and 3 months post intervention. Results: All parents completed treatment, with 100% adherence to sessions. Therapist’s treatment fidelity was estimated at 95–97% and parent homework completion was 85%. Preliminary efficacy findings show significant improvement in mothers’ and adolescents’ occupational performance and improvement in maternal resiliency. Conclusion: Research results support the feasibility of the OT-Parentship as a family centered, strength-based, intervention program that leads to improvements in adolescent participation and parental resilience.

Please help me, I am drowning! The cry of parents of adolescents with a substance use disorder.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are on the rise among adolescents worldwide, including in South Africa, causing a significant challenge to parents. Regardless of the difficulties associated with SUDs in adolescents and their impact on parents, current studies on substance addiction have focused on diverse fraternities, excluding social work services for parents of adolescents with SUDs. To develop an in-depth understanding of social work services provided to parents of adolescents with SUDs. The study was conducted in two districts, Capricorn and Waterberg, in Limpopo province, South Africa. A qualitative research method using exploratory and descriptive designs was employed. The scheduled interview guides facilitated semi-structured interviews with 11 social workers and 8 parents. For data analysis, Tesch's eight steps were used. Six themes emerged from the study: (1) social work interventions for parents, (2) family and community-related obstacles, (3) organisation-related obstacles, (4) substance use intervention strategies received by parents, (5) parents' coping mechanisms in dealing with adolescents with SUDs and (6) factors hindering access to social services. The findings show that the government, particularly the Department of Social Development as the custodian of social services, is obliged to develop and design standard guidelines for services to parents of adolescents with SUDs and to provide uniform services to social workers. The study benefits the social work profession, particularly in the field of substance abuse because it generates effective parameters for services for parents of adolescents with SUDs.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media utilization, influences related to parental vaccine decision making, and opinions on trustworthy social media vaccination campaigns: A qualitative analysis

ABSTRACT There is a continued need for research to better understand the influence social media has on parental vaccination attitudes and behaviors, especially research capturing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this study was to explore parents’ perspectives related to the impact the pandemic had on 1) social media engagement, 2) vaccine messaging on social media, and 3) factors to guide future intervention development. Between February and March 2022, 6 online, synchronous, text-based focus groups were conducted with parents of adolescents aged 11 to 17 years. Participants who all utilized social media were recruited from across the United States. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. A total of 64 parents participated. Average age was 47 years, and participants were predominantly White (71.9%), female (84.3%), and engaged with social media multiple times per day (51.6%). Participants (95.3%) viewed obtaining all recommended vaccines as important or very important; however, overall vaccination rates for their adolescents were varied (50% ≥1 dose HPV; 59.4% MenACWY; 78.1% Tdap; 65.6% Flu; 81.3% COVID-19). Three themes emerged highlighting the pandemic’s impact on parent’s (1) general patterns of social media use, (2) engagement about vaccines on social media and off-line behaviors related to vaccination, and (3) perspectives for developing a credible and trustworthy social media intervention about vaccination. Participants reported fatigue from contentious vaccine-related content on social media and desired future messaging to be from recognizable health institutions/associations with links to reputable resources. Plus, providers should continue to provide strong vaccine recommendations in clinic.

Translation and validation of the Hirschsprung and anorectal malformation quality of life (HAQL) questionnaire in a Danish Hirschsprung population

BackgroundHirschsprung’s disease (HD) may result in an impaired quality of life (QoL) due to bowel problems, postoperative complications and other health-related issues. The Hirschsprung and Anorectal Malformation Quality of Life (HAQL) questionnaire is a disease-specific instrument developed in the Netherlands to measure the QoL in patients with HD and anorectal malformations. The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt and validate HAQL in a Danish Hirschsprung population.Material and methodsTranslation and cultural adaptation were performed according to international guidelines. Invitations to participate in the validation were sent to 401 patients operated for HD during the period from 1985 to 2012. A total of 156 patients completed the translated and culturally adapted Danish versions of HAQL and 35 parents of children and adolescents completed the corresponding parent questionnaire. Reliability was evaluated in terms of internal consistency using Cronbach’s α and test–retest reliability using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient for the retest step. Known groups comparison was performed with comparison of mild HD (defined as recto-sigmoidal HD) and serious HD (defined as more proximal disease).ResultsThe internal consistency of the dimensions was overall satisfactory for adults and adolescents but more problematic for children, where Cronbach’s α was less than 0.7 in 60% of the dimensions. For both children and adolescents, the α-value was unsatisfactory for social functioning, emotional functioning, and body image. The test–retest reliability was overall good. The known groups comparison was only able to demonstrate a significant difference between mild and severe HD within one dimension.ConclusionsThe translated version of the HAQL questionnaires provides an overall reliable instrument for evaluating disease-specific QoL in a Danish HD population, but it is important to acknowledge the limitations of the questionnaire, especially in children and adolescents.

Understanding ways to support teens and parents affected by Russia–Ukraine war

PurposeThe study explored how information institutions can support the resilience of parents of adolescents affected by the Russia–Ukraine war. Ukrainian parents are facing major challenges of supporting their teenagers through a difficult developmental phase while also “buffering” their war-related hardships. By supporting parents, information institutions can also support children.Design/methodology/approachFifteen parents were interviewed about mental health challenges and resources that are helpful and/or missing from their support systems. Recordings of participant narratives were analyzed using the qualitative thematic analysis technique.FindingsThe findings indicate that both teens and parents rely on internal resilience skills, family, friends and community resources to support themselves. However, a number of additional resources could be offered by information institutions, including content for (1) teens on developing skills in communication, interpersonal relationships, problem solving and academic pursuits; (2) parents on child development and opportunities in their host countries; both groups on (3) both groups on mental health first aid and safe spaces to meet peers. The study recommendations will be of interest to information professionals working with families, especially families affected by disasters.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relied on a small convenience sample of participants.Practical implicationsStudy recommendations would be of interest to information professionals who develop and provide services to families affected by natural and manmade disasters.Social implicationsStudy recommendations improve understanding of the (potential) role of information institutions and libraries in strengthening family and community resilience.Originality/valueThe study offers a rare insight into experiences of war-affect families and provides evidence-driven recommendations for information institutions to support family and community resilience.

Supporting adoptive and foster parents of adolescents through the trauma-informed e-Connect parent group: a preliminary descriptive study.

Adolescents in adoption and foster care are likely to show internalizing and externalizing problems and affective dysregulation, leading to a lower quality of parent-adolescent attachment relationships and high levels of strain for parents. This study describes the results of the first application of the trauma-informed attachment-based Connect Parent Group in an online form (e-Connect) with Italian adoptive and foster parents. In this study, we describe (1) trends in the aforementioned variables between pre- (T1) and post- (T2) intervention and (2) parents' feedback and suggestions about the intervention. Participants were 10 adoptive and 10 foster parents (53% females, Mage = 53.48; SDage = 4.93) who attended e-Connect, an attachment-focused and trauma-informed 10-session online group intervention. This intervention aims at increasing caregiver awareness of attachment and trauma concerning adolescents' problem behaviors and sensitive responsiveness, thereby leading to improvements in parent-adolescent relationship quality, decreases in adolescents' problems, and reductions in caregiver strain. One e-Connect group was offered for adoptive parents and one for foster parents. Parents completed questionnaires 1 week before (T1) and after (T2) the intervention and responded to a feedback interview following program completion. Only at the descriptive level, scores of adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems, affective dysregulation, and caregivers' strain show decreasing trends. Parents reported high satisfaction with the program, declaring changes in parent-adolescent relationships both currently (94.7%) and anticipated in the future (100%). All parents indicated that they would recommend e-Connect to other parents. Given promising parents' feedback, the feasibility of e-Connect supporting adoptive and foster parents of adolescents can be further empirically investigated.

Barriers and facilitators to accessing adolescents' mental health services in Karachi: users and providers perspectives.

Adolescents' Mental Healthcare (MHC) is influenced by numerous factors, and adolescents occasionally seek professional help for mental health (MH) issues. These factors become more complex within low-middle-income countries (LMICs); therefore, this study aims to understand barriers and facilitators to access mental health services among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old from the perspective of users (parents) and providers (Mental Healthcare Providers - MHPs). Using a qualitative exploratory design, a semi-structured interview guide was developed using Andersen's health service utilization model. In-depth interviews were conducted with MHPs (n = 21) and parents of adolescents (n = 19) in the psychiatry department of public and private hospitals in Karachi, from October-December 2021. Data was thematically analyzed using an inductive approach. The findings revealed a consensus of users and providers in all three categories of the Andersen model and referred the compulsion as the major driving force to MHC access and utilization rather than personal choices. Within pre-disposing, need, and enabling factors; the participants highlighted a unique perspective; users regarded frequent migration, daily wage loss, and women's societal status as barriers while the need for marriage and patient willingness were stated as facilitators. Whereas, MHPs indicated societal tolerance, the burden on the health system, and the absence of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) services as major gaps in service delivery. Service utilization is mainly facilitated by the severity of illness rather than healthy choices and beliefs, and accessibility and affordability. It is therefore imperative to prioritize adolescent MH through promotion and prevention approaches and address service delivery gaps to prevent treatment delays via task-shifting and capacity building of the health workforce.

To maintain or conceal one's cultural identity? Chinese American parents' ethnic-racial socialization during COVID-19.

Ethno-racially minoritized parents' ethnic-racial socialization may center on encouraging their children to maintain or conceal their ethnic-racial identity, particularly during the period of heightened racism of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the underlying mechanisms that could explain Chinese American parents' specific ethnic-racial socialization practices and the role of children's developmental stage are not well understood. The present study examined: (a) the association between Chinese American parents' racial discrimination experiences and their engagement in maintenance of heritage culture and concealing Chinese heritage and connection ethnic-racial socialization; (b) the mediating and moderating roles of psychological well-being and family support; and (c) variations in these associations among parents with children of different developmental stages. The participants comprised 470 Chinese American parents (Mage = 43.7 years, SD = 6.4; 79% mothers) of 4- to 18-year-old children in the United States. Findings revealed that Chinese American parents' racial discrimination experiences were associated with greater engagement in both maintenance of heritage culture and concealing Chinese heritage and connection ethnic-racial socialization practices. Furthermore, parents' racial discrimination experiences were negatively associated with their psychological well-being, which in turn, was associated with lower levels of maintenance of heritage culture and higher levels of concealing Chinese heritage and connection ethnic-racial socialization practices. Greater family support buffered against the negative impact of racial discrimination on parents' psychological well-being and subsequent associations with their ethnic-racial socialization. The underlying moderated mediation mechanism was similar across parents of children, and younger and older adolescents. Our findings can guide future efforts to expand theoretical frameworks of ethnic-racial socialization among ethnic minority families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

‘Life should go on’: a qualitative inquiry of parental reactions, experiences, and perceived needs following adolescents’ recent traumatic exposure

ABSTRACT Background: Parents have a significant role in supporting children who have been exposed to traumatic events. Little is known about parental experiences and needs in the wake of traumatic exposure, which could help in designing tailored early interventions. Objective: This qualitative study explored experiences, perceived needs, and factors impacting those needs being met, in parents of adolescents aged 11–16 years who had been exposed in the past 3 months to a potentially traumatic event, in the city of Montpellier, France. Method: We purposively sampled 34 parents of 25 adolescents aged 11–16 years meeting the inclusion criteria and used semi-structured in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was applied using a multistage recursive coding process. Results: Parents lacked trauma-informed explanations to make sense of their child’s reduced functioning. They experienced stigma attached to the victim label and were reluctant to seek help. School avoidance and lack of collaboration with schools were major obstacles experienced by parents. Parents trying to navigate conflicting needs fell into two distinct categories. Those who experienced distressing levels of shame and guilt tended to avoid discussing the traumatic event with their child, pressuring them to resume life as it was before, despite this perpetuating conflictual interactions. Others adapted by revisiting their beliefs that life should go on as it was before and by trying to come up with new functional routines, which improved their relationship with their child and helped them to restore a sense of agency and hope, but at the cost of questioning their parental role. Conclusions: Key domains of parental experiences could provide potential early intervention targets, such as psychoeducation on traumatic stress, representations about recovery and the victim status, parent–child communication, and involvement of schools and primary caregivers. Further research is needed to validate the impact of these domains in early post-traumatic interventions.

An app-based training for adolescents with problematic digital-media use and their parents (Res@t digital): protocol for a cluster-randomized clinical trial.

Digital media-use disorders (DMUD) in adolescents are a rising phenomenon associated with psychological distress, comorbid mental disorders, and high burden on affected families. Since the ICD-11 introduced criteria for gaming disorder, these can now be transferred to describe additional DMUD associated with social media platforms and streaming services. Most evidence for effective treatments comes from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). However, interventions based on theoretical models for adolescents and their parents are widely missing, leading to a significant clinical gap. Res@t digital (Resource-Strengthening Training for Adolescents with Problematic Digital-Media Use and their Parents) is the app-based translation of the first model-based digital intervention for adolescents with DMUD and their parents based on CBT. It comprises separate but content-related modules for adolescents (Res@t-A) and parents (Res@t-P), applying multimodal techniques. The effectiveness of Res@t will be evaluated within a multicenter cluster-randomized controlled evaluator-blinded pre-post follow-up trial with the waitlist control group (CG). In addition to the Res@t program in the intervention group, both groups will receive treatment as usual within primary child and adolescent psychiatric/psychotherapeutic healthcare. The primary outcome addresses DMUD symptom reduction after 10 weeks. Secondary outcomes are related to a reduction in psychological and family-related problems and an increase in parental self-efficacy. All outcomes will be assessed using standardized self-report measures. A total of 1,334 participating adolescent-parent dyads from a large clinical network throughout Germany are planned to be included in the primary analyses based on an intention-to-treat approach, applying linear mixed models. Assuming superiority of Res@t over the control condition, the intervention has the potential to provide evidence-based treatment for a significant number of help-seeking families, supporting local healthcare structures and resources. It is a promising program for practicable implementation and flexible use in different settings. https://drks.de, DRKS00031043.

Family Intensive Treatment for Child Welfare Involved Caregivers with Substance Misuse Issues: Safety, Permanency and Well-Being Outcomes

AbstractThe Family Intensive Treatment (FIT) team model provides intensive team-based, family-focused, comprehensive services to families in the child welfare system with parental substance misuse issues. The current evaluation study examined the effect of FIT on child safety, permanency, and parental wellbeing. A longitudinal quasi-experimental design with a two-group comparison using propensity score matching was used. Compared to a group of similar parents/caregivers receiving child welfare services (N = 2976), parents/caregivers who received FIT (N = 3025) were less likely to have new allegations of child maltreatment within 6 and 12 months after participating in the FIT program. There was no significant association between FIT receipt and recurrence of verified (i.e., substantiated) maltreatment: the rates of verified maltreatment were very similar for the parents/caregivers in the FIT group and the parents/caregivers in the comparison group. Similarly, no significant differences were found when the rates for foster care reentry were examined. In contrast, children of parents/caregivers who received FIT achieved permanency faster and at a greater rate compared to their counterparts. In addition, participation in the FIT program predicted improvement in parental/caregiver emotional protective capacity and overall protective capacity and showed a positive tendency in improvement of parental/caregiver behaviors related to their protective role. Finally, parents/caregivers who received FIT demonstrated significant improvements over time in several wellbeing domains including Daily Living Activities, Mental Health and Addiction, and Adult and Adolescent Parenting.

Relationship between religiosity and HPV vaccine initiation and intention in urban black and hispanic parents

ObjectiveReligion is believed to be an important sociocultural influence in the U.S., but little is known about how religiosity shapes the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine decision in racial/ethnic minorities. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between religiosity and HPV vaccine initiation and intention among urban, racial/ethnic minority parents of adolescents 11–14 years old.DesignThis study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design using baseline data from Black and Hispanic parents (N = 175 and 285, respectively) recruited from medically underserved communities. Chi-square tests for independence and independent-samples t-tests were run to assess sociodemographic differences in vaccine initiation and vaccine intention. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether religious attendance and religious salience were associated with parents’ HPV vaccine decisions for their children.ResultsApproximately 47% of Black parents had vaccinated their youth against HPV. Of those who had not initiated the vaccine for their child, 54% did not intend to do so. 54% of Hispanic parents had initiated the HPV vaccine for their youth. Of those who had not initiated the vaccine for their child, 51% did not intend to do so. Frequency of attendance at religious services and the importance of religion in one’s life was not significantly correlated with HPV vaccine decision-making for Black nor Hispanic parents.ConclusionThis study suggests that religiosity does not influence the HPV vaccine decision for urban, Black and Hispanic parents. Future studies using measures that capture the complexity of religion as a social construct are needed to confirm the findings. In addition, studies with representative sampling will enable us to make generalizations about the influence of religion on HPV vaccine decision-making for urban, racial/ethnic minority parents.

Is health literacy of adolescent athletes’ parents whose children belonged to sports clubs related to their children’s intention to receive medications, vaccines, supplements, and energy drinks? A cross-sectional study

BackgroundAdolescent athletes’ values ​regarding health behaviors, including their attitudes toward doping, are largely derived from those of their parents. Therefore, clarifying the factors that affect parents’ intentions regarding their children’s medicine intake and nutrition can help elucidate the process of forming values ​​of healthy behaviors in young athletes.MethodsBetween March 8 and March 9, 2021, an online questionnaire survey was conducted via an Internet research company; data from 2,000 residents in Japan were collected. Participants were male and female residents aged 30–59 years with children in elementary or high school and belonging to sports clubs. The survey items included respondent’s and child’s basic information, respondent’s health literacy, and level of sports in which the respondent and child were (or are) engaged. Respondents were also asked if they would like their children to receive prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, herbal medicines, vaccines, supplements, or energy drinks. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between respondents’ basic information and health literacy and their intention to receive prescription and over-the-counter drugs, herbal medicines, vaccines, supplements, and energy drinks.ResultsHigher parental health literacy was associated with higher children’s willingness to receive prescription drugs (odds ratio [OR] = 1.025, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.016–1.035), over-the-counter drugs (OR = 1.012, 95% CI: 1.003–1.021), prescription herbal medicines (OR = 1.021, 95% CI: 1.021–1.030), over-the-counter herbal medicines (OR = 1.012, 95% CI: 1.003–1.021), and vaccines (OR = 1.025, 95% CI: 1.016–1.035). Conversely, the children’s intention to receive energy drinks (OR = 0.990, 95% CI: 0.980–1.000) decreased significantly. As the child’s athletic level increased, parents’ willingness for their children to receive oral prescription medicines decreased (OR = 0.886, 95% CI: 0.791–0.992) and that to receive supplements (OR = 1.492, 95% CI: 1.330–1.673) and energy drinks significantly increased (OR = 1.480, 95% CI: 1.307–1.676).ConclusionHealth literacy of adolescent athletes’ parents is associated with their children’s willingness to receive medicines. Healthcare providers should counsel parents of adolescent athletes to allow their children to receive necessary drug treatments and prevent doping violations caused by supplement intake.

Staying connected after divorce: Adolescent child and nonresidential parent perspectives

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate how nonresidential parents and adolescent children maintained their relationships and communicated with one another following parental divorce.BackgroundA substantial proportion of children whose parents have divorced live with one parent and have less contact with the other parent. It is important to understand nonresidential parent–child relationships and the role communication technology plays in relationship maintenance.MethodQualitative interviews were conducted with a total of 34 adolescent and nonresidential parent participants (10 nonresidential parent–child dyads and 14 individual participants) to understand how nonresidential parents and children maintain their relationship following parental divorce and how they use communication technology to stay connected from a distance. Thematic analysis techniques (Braun & Clarke, 2006) were used to analyze the data.ResultsThree common positive factors or “benefits” relating to nonresidential parent–adolescent relationship closeness emerged: planned physical visits, frequent communication using multiple communication methods, and same sex of parent and child. Factors that served as barriers that interfered with nonresidential parent–adolescent relationship closeness were identified: residential parent interference, perceived child disengagement or lack of interest, and child blocking methods of communication.ConclusionThe results of this study provide additional insight and understanding that will help positively influence nonresidential parent–child relationships.ImplicationsPractitioners can help nonresidential parents identify communication technologies they can use with their adolescents and ways of reducing existing communication barriers.

The relationship between family communication and family resilience in Chinese parents of depressed adolescents: a serial multiple mediation of social support and psychological resilience

BackgroundFamily resilience plays a crucial role in helping depressed adolescents overcome challenges. However, studies examining family resilience in depressed adolescents are currently scarce. This study, guided by the family resilience framework, aimed to investigate the serial-multiple mediation of social support and psychological resilience between family communication and family resilience in Chinese families of depressed adolescents.MethodsIn 229 parents of adolescents with major depressive disorder, 20.1% comprises of fathers, while 79.9% comprises of mothers. The mean age of depressed adolescents was 14.84 (±1.76) years, and the mean age of parents of these depressed adolescents was 43.24 (±4.67) years. The Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), the Psychological Resilience of Parents of Special Children Questionnaire, and the Social Support Rating Scale, Family Assessment Device (FAD) were used to collected data. Descriptive, univariate, and Pearson correlation analyses were used in preliminary analyses. To explore mediation, we employed a serial-multiple mediation model (PROCESS model 6).ResultsFamily communication was positively correlated with family resilience, social support, and psychological resilience. Mediation analysis revealed indirect effects of family communication on family resilience, which were mediated solely by either social support or psychological resilience, or through multiple mediation pathways involving both social support and psychological resilience.ConclusionsFamily communication positively and directly affects the family resilience of depressed adolescents, and a higher level of social support and psychological resilience can help improve family resilience. These findings not only provide empirical evidence supporting the family resilience framework but also have practical implications for future family interventions targeting depressed adolescents.

What Parents of Children Born with a Cleft Lip and/or Palate Want to Know About the Care for their Child.

Adequate health information that matches the needs of care recipients is a prerequisite for patient-centered care. To facilitate the provision of tailored and timely information, it isimportant to understand the information needs of parents of children and adolescents with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) themselves, and in addition they were asked how they experienced the provided care-related information. A cross-sectional study employing questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited from a cleft palate-craniofacial care unit in a major tertiary hospital in the Netherlands. Participants were parents or guardians of children with CL/P, and two adolescents with CLP. They were recruited through the outpatient clinic during multidisciplinary consultation or after clinical admission. In total, fifty-five questionnaires were completed by parents or guardians and eleven interviews were conducted with nine parents of children with CL/P and two adolescents with CL/P. In general, participants reported to be satisfied with provided information during hospital admission or multidisciplinary cleft team consultations (mean 8.0, scale 0-10). In addition, 25.5% (n = 14) indicated that information to prepare for hospital admission was lacking (eg, practical information). Thematic qualitative analysis yielded five main information needs: 1) Clear communication during the care process, 2) Overview of the care trajectory, 3) Specific care plan information, 4) Presentation of information and 5) Guidance and support. Our findings emphasize the importance of gaining insights into wishes and information needs from care recipients who can provide insights in their information needs. With these findings, information provision should be redesigned to improve and to foster the further transition to family-centered care.

Parent–Adolescent Connectedness and Attitude to Communicate on Substance Abuseamong Parents of Adolescent Boys

Background/Aim: The youth drug epidemic is growing at an alarming rate in India among the adolescents. In India, a survey by non-governmental organizations revealed that 63.6% of patients who came for treatment were given drugs under the age of 15.It is important for the parents to talk with their adolescent boys regarding the ill effects of substance abuse. The study intends to explore whether the parents have an attitude to talk about substance abuse with their adolescent boys. Materials and Methods: A quantitative descriptive research design was used. 100 parents of adolescents were selected using purposive sampling technique. A validated study questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, extent of communication, and parental attitudes to communicate on substance abuse. Inferential and descriptive statistics was used for data analysis. Results: The projected outcome of the study was to create a statistical data on parent-adolescent communication, parental attitude to communicate on substance abuse and to create for awareness among parents of adolescent boys to take initiation to speak about ill effects of substance abuse and to lead a life free from substance use. Conclusion: Majority of samples had moderate level of communication and adequate level of parental attitude regarding talk on substance abuse.

Educational Interventions on Sexuality for Parents of Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: An Integrative Review

Educational Interventions on Sexuality for Parents of Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: An Integrative Review

The Role of Systemic Family Psychotherapy in Glycemic Control for Children with Type 1 Diabetes.

(1) Background: Family factors play an important role in the management of diabetes, establishing a relationship between conflicts and non-adherence to therapy. High values of HbA1c are involved in specific complications of the disease (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, ketoacidosis). This study aimed to determine the role of systemic family psychotherapeutic interventions in increasing the quality of parent-child/adolescent relationships and in optimizing the child's glycemic control. (2) Methods: In this prospective observational study, 64 parents of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes were evaluated regarding their relationship with their children, using the Child-Parent Relationship Scale-Short Form (CPRS-short form). The children were divided into three groups: one participated for 6 months in systemic family psychotherapy with children and their parents (FT), the second group participated in individual psychotherapy (IT), and the control group (CG) received no intervention. HbA1c values were recorded before and after the interventions. (3) Results: HbA1c means decreased significantly after the family psychotherapy program. The scores on closeness in the family therapy group increased significantly, and the scores on conflict decreased significantly after the intervention, compared with IT and CG. (4) Conclusions: Systemic family psychotherapy produces better results in disease management and in strengthening parent-child relationships.

Evaluation of a web-based information platform on youth depression and mental health in parents of adolescents with a history of depression

Research shows the important role of parents’ mental health literacy in detecting depressive symptoms and supporting their children to seek professional help. Improving mental health literacy in parents has recently gained even greater importance due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents’ mental health. The aim of the present experimental pre-post-follow-up study was to examine knowledge change after the reception of contents from an innovative web-based platform (www.ich-bin-alles.de/eltern) containing evidence-based information on youth depression and mental health in parents of adolescents with a history of depression. A second aim was to assess evaluation of the layout and the acceptance of the platform. N = 33 parents of adolescents with a history of depression (either current or remitted depression) were presented different content domains of the website. Participants’ knowledge about depression was assessed at pre- and post-intervention, and at a four week follow-up. Moreover, parents evaluated the acceptance and the layout of the website. The trial was preregistered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05335564). The results showed a significant increase in total knowledge from pre to post, which remained stable over the course of four weeks. Explorative analyses showed that sociodemographic variables did not influence the extent of knowledge gain. Acceptance rates were high and evaluations of the website’s layout were positive. The findings show that the web-based information portal is a promising and appealing means to increase parental knowledge on youth depression. Low-threshold psychoeducational approaches like websites are particularly relevant in times of crisis and increased prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and disorders (ehealth). These results are an important basis for future studies as well as approaches that aim to impart knowledge about mental disorders like youth depression via web-based means. Furthermore, they bear implications for policy decisions concerning mental health education and campaigns.