Psychological Autonomy Research Articles

Do Social Exclusion and Parental Attitudes Predict Online Gaming Addiction in Adolescents?

Objective: This study aims to examine whether social exclusion and parental attitudes predict online gaming addiction in adolescents. 
 Method: The sample consisted of 393 individuals, of which 4.6% (n=18) were females and 95.4% (n=375) were males, which was determined by the purposive sampling method. Socio-demographic Information Form, Online Gaming Addiction Scale (OGAS), Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents (OES-A) and Parental Attitudes Scale (PAS) were used to obtain the personal information of the participants in this study.
 Results: The findings showed that there was a positive and statistically significant correlation between the disruption sub-dimension of the OGAS and the OES disregard, exclusion and overall total at a moderate level and the acceptance/affection and psychological autonomy sub-dimensions of the PAS. There was a moderate statistically significant positive relationship between the achievement sub-dimension of the OGAS and the OES neglect, exclusion and overall total and there was a negative and statistically significant relationship with the acceptance/affection and psychological autonomy sub-dimensions of the PAS. There was a moderate statistically significant negative relationship between the economic gain sub-dimension of the OGAS and the psychological autonomy sub-dimension of the PAS. It was found that social exclusion and the autonomic parental attitude scale were significant predictors of online gaming addiction in adolescents.
 Conclusion: Social exclusion and autonomous parenting attitudes are effective on online game addiction in adolescents.

Marriage Anxiety of University Students in Terms of Family Belonging and Parental Attitude

In today’s modern societies, marriage is less and less preferred by young people. Marriage anxiety is one of the reasons for this. This study examined the correlation between the level of marriage anxiety of university students and two main factors related to it: family belonging and parental attitudes. The sample consisted of 992 university students from public universities in Turkey. It was found that the students with high marriage anxiety had a low sense of belonging to the family and a low level of family affiliation. In addition, the students with high marital anxiety perceived their parents' attention as low and their psychological autonomy was low. It was also found that the attention of parents was perceived as high in students with a high level of family affiliation, that their psychological autonomy was low, and that their level of parental supervision was high. According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that family membership status and parental attitude explained 0.5% of the total variance of marriage anxiety. In conclusion, family belonging and parental attitudes are parallel, affecting individuals' marriage anxiety. Parental attitudes seem to reduce / trigger marriage anxiety in university students.

A Descriptive Study to Assess the Level of Knowledge regarding Motivational behaviour among Urban Parents towards Their Adolescent children in Academic Performance

Parental involvement and genuine interest in an adolescent’s school life has a significant influence on this academic performance and ability to focus and efficiently manage homework. Brown and Lyengas (2008) noted that adolescents who look parental acceptance, behavioural supervision and psychological autonomy start out at a disadvantage by lacking vital skills needed to he academically successful. Adolescents gain and build upon values and academic goals based on those of parents.The purpose of this research was to analyse how presented involvement of presenting styles influencing adolescent’s academic performance, Objectives are to assess the level of knowledge regarding motivation behaviour among urban parents towards their adolescents children, to find out the association between the level of knowledge regarding motivational behaviour among urban parents towards their adolescent’s children with selected demographic variables.. A descriptive design was adopted to assess the level of knowledge regarding motivational behaviour among the urban parents towards their adolescent children in academic performance. The findings were that the level of motivational behaviour among parents revealed that 7% of women had adequate knowledge 90% of women had moderate knowledge 3% of women had inadequate knowledge.

Adolescent homework management strategies and perceptions of parental involvement

Throughout adolescence, the school, family and peer group can play an influential role in a young person’s psychological development and adjustment to school. This study focuses on the importance of the family during the adolescent period as it applies to developmental opportunities and the self-regulation necessary for the acquisition of psychological autonomy and new skills. How do adolescents perceive parental involvement? Does this parental support meet their need for autonomy and help adolescents acquire the necessary academic skills? This study examines the way in which French adolescents perceive the topic of homework and the interest their families show in it. Research is based on the parental involvement models of Epstein (2001) and Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1995), which focused on parental practices of monitoring schoolwork. These practices reflected the overall roles, involvement, and support of parents in their adolescent’s education. On a voluntary basis, 504 adolescents aged 12−15 responded to a questionnaire, with questions adapted from the ‘Child perceptions of parent’s structuring and activities related to homework’ (Cooper et al., 1998). The results of this study show that the perceived involvement and efficacy of parents have an effect on adolescents’ self-regulation strategies. This parental interest, then, is implicitly passed on to the adolescent by way of parental homework assistance.

Üstün Zekâlı Öğrencilerin Ebeveynlerinin Tutumlarına Yönelik Psiko-Eğitim Programı Üzerine Deneysel Bir Çalışma

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a group counseling program for parents of gifted children on their attitudes towards their children's education and personal development. The study used an experimental design, which is a quantitative research method. The research was designed using a pretest-posttest matched control group structure, and the study group was selected through random sampling. The study involved a randomized, controlled experiment with sessions focused on different themes such as communication, resilience, academic motivation, and career planning. The Psycho-Education Program for the Attitudes of Parents of Gifted Students was implemented to address these themes. A total of 40 parents of gifted students participated in the study, with 20 parents assigned to the experimental group and 20 parents assigned to the control group. The Parental Attitude Scale was administered to both groups before and after the counseling sessions to collect data. The results of the study showed that the experimental group had higher scores on the Acceptance/Interest and Psychological Autonomy dimensions of the Parental Attitude Scale after completing the counseling program, while their scores on the Supervision dimension decreased. This suggests that the counseling program led to a reduction in parental authority over their children. Overall, the study highlights the potential benefits of group counseling programs for parents of gifted children in promoting positive attitudes towards their children's education and development.

Physical discipline as a normative childhood experience in Singapore

BackgroundThe cultural normativeness theory posits that specific parenting behaviors can be interpreted as displays of appropriate parenting in contexts where they are deemed normative. Previous studies suggest high acceptance of physical discipline in Singapore, where strict parenting could be interpreted as care for the child. However, there is a lack of studies on the local prevalence and implications of physical discipline. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Singaporean children experiencing parental physical discipline, longitudinal changes in this prevalence, and how exposure to physical discipline relates to children’s evaluation of their parents’ parenting.MethodsParticipants were 710 children with parental reports of physical discipline at one or more assessments at ages 4.5, 6, 9, and 11 years in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes birth cohort study. Parental reports of physical discipline were obtained using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire or the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire across the four assessments. Child reports of their parents’ care and control were obtained using the Parental Bonding Instrument for Children at the age 9 assessment. Prevalence was specified as being exposed to at least one physical discipline at any frequency. A generalized linear mixed model was performed to examine whether children’s age predicted their exposure to physical discipline. Linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate whether children’s exposure to physical discipline predicted their evaluation of their parents’ parenting.ResultsThe prevalence of children experiencing at least one physical discipline was above 80% at all ages. There was a decrease in this prevalence from age 4.5 to 11 years (B = − 0.14, SE = 0.01, OR = 0.87, p < 0.001). The more frequent the paternal physical discipline children were exposed to, the more likely they were to report lower levels of care (B = − 1.74, SE = 0.66, p = 0.03) and higher levels of denial of psychological autonomy by fathers (B = 1.05, SE = 0.45, p = 0.04). Maternal physical discipline was not significantly associated with children’s evaluation of their mothers’ parenting (ps ≥ 0.53).ConclusionsPhysical discipline was a common experience among our Singaporean sample, consistent with the notion that strict parenting could be regarded as a form of care. However, exposure to physical discipline did not translate to children reporting their parents as caring, with paternal physical discipline being negatively associated with children’s evaluations of paternal care.

Diabetes-specific eating disorder and possible associated psychopathologies in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

PurposeIt was aimed to investigate the frequency of the risk of diabetes-specific eating disorder (DSED) in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and to reveal the accompanying psychopathologies.MethodsAdolescents with T1DM aged 12–18 who applied to the pediatric diabetes outpatient clinic between July 2021 and March 2022 were included. Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised (DEPS-R) was applied to all patients to determine the risk of DSED. In order to detect accompanying psychopathologies, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child version (RCADS) and Parenting Style Scale were applied. After completing the scales, semi-structured interviews were conducted with all patients by a child and adolescent psychiatrist.ResultsNinety-two adolescents (45 boys, 47 girls) were included. DSED risk was found in 23.9% of the cases. A positive correlation was found between DEPS-R and EDE-Q scores (p = 0.001, rho = 0.370). RCADS mean scores were significantly higher in the group with DSED risk (p < 0.001). When the Parenting Style Scale was evaluated, psychological autonomy scores were significantly lower in the group with DSED risk (p = 0.029). As a result of the psychiatric interviews, 30 (32.6%) patients had at least 1 psychiatric disorder. Of these, 2 patients were diagnosed with eating disorder.ConclusionAlmost one-fourth of adolescents with T1DM were found to be at risk of DSED. Routine screening of adolescents with T1DM with the DEPS-R scale may provide early detection of DSED, and referral of those at risk to child psychiatry enables early diagnosis and intervention for both eating disorders and accompanying psychopathologies.Level of evidenceLevel III: Evidence obtained from cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Can Family and Parenting Factors Modify the Impact of Weight Stigma on Disordered Eating in Young People? A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

PurposeWeight stigma is a prevalent problem in adolescents and a risk factor for disordered eating behaviors (DEBs). This study examined whether positive family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs among an ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of adolescents with and without weight stigmatizing experiences. MethodsIn Project Eating and Activity over Time (EAT) 2010–2018, 1,568 adolescents (mean age = 14.4 ± 2.0 years) were surveyed and followed into young adulthood (mean age = 22.2 ± 2.0 years). Modified Poisson regression models examined the relationships between three weight-stigmatizing experiences and four DEBs (e.g., overeating and binge eating) in models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and weight status. Interaction terms and stratified models examined whether family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs based on weight stigma status. ResultsHigher family functioning and support for psychological autonomy were cross sectionally protective for DEBs. However, this pattern was primarily observed in adolescents who did not experience weight stigma. For example, among adolescents who did not experience peer weight teasing, high support for psychological autonomy was associated with lower prevalence of overeating (high support: 7.0%, low support: 12.5%, p = .003). Whereas, in participants who experienced family weight teasing, the difference in prevalence of overeating based on support for psychological autonomy was not statistically significant (high support: 17.9%, low support: 22.4%, p = .260). DiscussionGeneral positive family and parenting factors did not entirely offset the effects of weight-stigmatizing experiences on DEBs, which may reflect the strength of weight stigma as a risk factor for DEBs. Future research is needed to identify effective strategies family members can use to support youth who experience weight stigma.

The relationship of psychological health and primary emotional traits in medical students

Introduction Several studies have called for attention to medical students’ well-being. Building on the neuroevolutionary affective neuroscience perspective that views primary emotional systems as central to well-being and the foundation of personality, this study investigated the facets of medical students’ psychological well-being that are challenged and the relationships between emotional traits, psychological well-being, and depression. Methods In a single-center cross-sectional study, medical students’ primary emotional traits (SEEKING, FEAR, ANGER, SADNESS, CARE, PLAY and Spirituality), psychological well-being dimensions (autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relations, self-acceptance, purpose in life, and personal growth), and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scale; the Psychological Well-being Scale, which provides normative data; and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results Compared with the normative data, the medical students perceived lower psychological autonomy, positive relations, and self-acceptance but higher purpose in life. The medical students’ emotional traits were related to specific psychological well-being facets and depression. SEEKING and, inversely, FEAR were related to well-being across dimensions and depressive symptoms. Conclusion Our findings are the first to show a link between emotional traits and specific facets of psychological health in medical students. Thus, this study encourages medical teachers to set learning environments that target multiple facets of well-being that harness primary emotional traits.

The cultural specificity of parent-infant interaction: Perspectives of urban middle-class and rural indigenous families in Costa Rica

Caregiver-infant interactions in Western middle class often take place in dyadic play settings, engaged in infant-initiated object stimulation, and surrounded by a positive emotional tone, reflecting a distal parenting style. With this study we aim to investigate whether the same conception of caregiver-infant interaction is embodied in the proximal parenting style. For this purpose, we compare the context and pattern of caregiver-infant interactions in two cultural groups in Costa Rica: Urban middle-class families in San José and rural indigenous Bribri families. Naturalistic observations and caregiver interviews revealed significant differences between the groups, with San José families resembling the Western middle-class interaction pattern. Among the Bribris, adult-child play is uncommon so that children interact with adults in primary care settings and with older siblings in play settings. Bribri interactions are further characterized by emotional neutrality. The groups did not differ in terms of body contact. Also, caregivers in both samples took the lead in interactions more often than infants. The results are discussed in the context of an autonomous-relational style as combining psychological autonomy and hierarchical relatedness. We argue that early childhood theories and intervention programs need to abandon the assumption that Western middle-class strategies are universal and recognize locally relevant patterns of caregiver-infant interaction.

Psychological Stress and Parenting styles Predict Parental Involvement for Children with Intellectual Disabilities during the COVID-19.

We explored how psychological stress and parenting styles predicted parental involvement for children with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic by adminsitering the Psychological Stress Questionnaire, Parenting Style Index and Parental Involvement Scale to 995 parents of children with intellectual disabilities. Our results indicated that psychological stress significantly negatively predicted parental involvement. In addition, three dimension of parenting styles significantly positively predicted parental involvement, with the results of acceptance/involvement (β ranging from 0.19 to 0.55, p < 0.001), strictness/supervision (β ranging from 0.16 to 0.34, p < 0.05), and psychological autonomy (β ranging from 0.23 to 0.28, p < 0.001). The present research's significance, limitations, and implications are also discussed.

John Austen’s Ophelia: A New Autonomy

This article explores how Austen’s drawings re-envisage the typically sentimental Victorian perception of Ophelia as tenderly pathetic and lacking in agency, a view rooted in the patriarchal reduction of the feminine which produces a ‘flattened’ reading of Ophelia’s textual complexity. This re-envisaging partly reflects nineteenth- and early twentieth-century onstage practices but often exceeds them in the degree to which they portray her with psychological autonomy. Depictions of Ophelia as insane and isolated are the central focus. How her madness is performed strongly influences our perception of her dependence or autonomy and reveals an interiority that is obscured in her interactions with others by social, familial and patriarchal conventions. As this article will show, traditional depictions of a mad Ophelia are fairly restrained when compared with Austen’s versions.

Influence of psychological autonomy support of peer instruction: A novel interactive approach using Instagram in language learning.

This study makes an original contribution to knowledge by investigating the impact of Just-in-Time (JiT) teaching and peer instruction (PI) strategies on the promotion of students’ achievement, interaction, and motivation in English language learning. Students were recruited from an undergraduate TESOL program in the first semester of 2019 at a University in Saudi Arabia. A multiple method research design was used to address the research questions robustly and rigorously. First, a two-group quasi-experimental design was implemented. In the first group, a lecture-based strategy was used (n = 28), while in the second group, JiT and PI strategies were used (n = 27) in English language lessons. An innovative research method was used in this study: a private Instagram account was created, serving as a platform through which teacher and students could communicate using interactive posts and comments. Second, students filled out a survey reflecting on this medium of language teaching and learning. Finally, focus group interviews were conducted to determine students’ views on the use of Instagram as an educational tool in terms of its flexibility and usefulness. The findings of the study suggest that JiT teaching, and PI promoted students’ achievement and enhanced students’ motivation, particularly in relation to fluency and novelty in the second language. Furthermore, students viewed Instagram as a successful educational tool that significantly facilitated their collaboration. Nevertheless, this study also highlights the challenges of using JiT teaching and PI to facilitate language learning. Suggestions for practitioners are specified; including providing adequate e-learning tools for students to enhance language learning motivation and achievement.

The Relationship between Parenting Style and Career Planning of Vocational Students by Educational Psychology under Information Technology.

It is aimed at studying the role of parenting style on the career planning of vocational students in the context of information technology. This design takes the first-year and second-year students of two higher vocational colleges as the survey objects. From the perspective of educational psychology, firstly, the parenting style scale of these students is constructed, and meanwhile, the dimension design of career planning is carried out. Secondly, through the questionnaire survey, the career planning of students and the status quo of parenting styles are investigated, and the sample data are statistically analyzed by data analysis methods such as standard deviation analysis, cluster analysis, and correlation analysis. Finally, hypotheses are formulated and justified. The results reveal that the total score for career planning and the average score of each dimension are more than 3 points, indicating that vocational students have certain plans for their future careers. There are great differences in the gender of parenting styles, and the parental acceptance/involvement (t = 3.389, p < 0.01) dimension of the parenting style of the first-year students is greatly higher than that of the second-year students. On the dimension of psychological autonomy (t = −2.066, p < 0.05), the score of second-year students is distinctly higher than that of the first year. There are obvious differences in grades from the dimensions of parental acceptance/participation and psychological autonomy. There is no observable difference in whether it is an only child (p > 0.05) and the place of origin (p > 0.05). In terms of the total score and each dimension of career planning, the authoritative type scored the highest, and the neglect type scored the lowest. Parents' participation and acceptance behavior of vocational students are markedly related to their career planning. Parental punishment and acceptance are distinctly positively correlated with the career planning of these students and their two dimensions. Psychological autonomy is memorably associated with the domain of exploration.

감정노동자로 살아낸 두 사람의 일과 삶의 이야기

The purpose of this study was to understand the personal life of Customer service representatives by exploring the work and life stories of the two emotional workers, centering on the life of call center Customer service representatives. The research question for this is as follows. First, what is the life experience of the study participants before they worked as a call center Customer service representative? Second, what is the life experience of a call center Customer service representative as an emotional worker? Through the narrative inquiry process, the meaning of the study participants’ life experiences before they worked as a call center Customer service representative was defined as ‘holding out and living’ and ‘being helpful to the family’ In the life story of a call center Customer service representative as an emotional worker, the meaning of ‘stability and being oneself’ and ‘being recognized as a capable being’ was defined. Through this study, it was emphasized that emotional workers’ narratives were important for integrated understanding and resolution of emotions and bodies with the understanding of individual lives of call center Customer service representative that is mostly happening non-face-to-face and their vivid experiences. In addition, social and institutional intervention seem necessary to prevent burnout and establish a support system for it. Above all, establishing a venue for empathy and solidarity will help them improve their psychological stability and autonomy. The study is expected to build the basis for appropriate psychological and counseling intervention to address the psychological difficulties they experience in the field of this job.

Exploring Student-Athlete Grit as a Mediator in the Relationships Between Parenting, Academic Success, and Mental Health Outcomes

Due to demand for high performance inside and outside of the classroom, student-athletes are a unique subsection of college students. Researchers have focused on investigating protective factors, which may enhance student-athlete well-being and academic success in higher education and reduce athlete burnout. The current study examined grit as a mediator between parenting behaviors and academic success, mental health outcomes, and burnout in higher education among National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and Division II student-athletes (N =202). Overparenting behaviors were negatively associated with psychological autonomy granting, mental health outcomes, and athlete burnout. Psychological autonomy granting behaviors were positively associated with grit and negatively associated with mental health outcomes and athlete burnout. Student-athlete grit mediated the relationship between overparenting behaviors and mental health outcomes. Clinical implications include improving student-athlete parent onboarding protocol; student-athlete psychoeducation; and preventative outreach and health promotion among athletes, athletic staff, and university practitioners. In summary, these findings suggest that parenting behaviors and grit are factors that require more attention in fostering student-athlete success.

Not the Master of Your Volitional Mind? The Roles of the Right Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Personality Traits in Unconscious Introjections Versus Self-Chosen Goals.

Humans are unconditionally confronted with social expectations and norms, up to a degree that they, or some of them, have a hard time recognizing what they actually want. This renders them susceptible for introjection, that is, to unwittingly or “unconsciously” mistake social expectations for self-chosen goals. Such introjections compromise an individual’s autonomy and mental health and have been shown to be more prevalent in individuals with rumination tendencies and low emotional self-awareness. In this brain imaging study, we draw on a source memory task and found that introjections, as indicated by imposed tasks that are falsely recognized as self-chosen, involved the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Notably, reduced right MPFC activation within this condition correlated with trait scores of ruminations and reduced emotional self-awareness, but also introversion. Moreover, correct recognition of tasks as self-chosen involved the right MPFC. Accordingly, the right MPFC may play a role in supporting the maintenance of psychological autonomy and counteract introjection, which individuals with certain personality traits seem to be prone to. This research has significant implications for the study of mechanisms underlying autonomous motivation, goal and norm internalization, decision-making, persuasion, education, and clinical conditions such as depression and burnout.

Be(com)ing social: Daily-life social interactions and parental bonding.

Parents are known to provide a lasting basis for their children's social development. Understanding parent-driven socialization is particularly relevant in adolescence, as an increasing social independence is developed. However, the relationship between key parenting styles of care and control and the microlevel expression of daily-life social interactions has been insufficiently studied. Adolescent and young adult twins and their nontwin siblings (N = 635; mean age = 16.6; age range = 14.2-21.9; 58.6% female; 79.5% in or having completed higher secondary/tertiary education; 2.8% speaking language other than Dutch at home) completed the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) on parental care and control. Participants also completed a 6-day experience sampling period (10 daily beeps, mean compliance = 68.0%) to assess daily-life social interactions. Higher overall parental bonding quality (of both parents) related to more positive social experiences in daily life (e.g., belonging in company), but not to more social behaviors (e.g., being with others). Factor analysis indicated a three-factor structure of the PBI, with care, denial of psychological autonomy, and encouragement of behavioral freedom. Paternal care was uniquely predictive of better social experiences. These findings demonstrate how parenting styles may be uniquely associated with how adolescents experience their social world, with a potentially important role for fathers in particular. This complements the long-held idea of socialization through parenting by bringing it into the context of daily life and implies how both conceptualizations of social functioning and interventions aimed at alleviating social dysfunction might benefit from a stronger consideration of day-to-day social experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relationship Between Parental Attitudes, Basic Psychological Needs, and Bullying Status in High School Students

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between parental attitudes and basic psychological needs, and bullying and victimization among high school students. Furthermore, it focuses on whether the distribution of the status of bullying differs according to gender and experiences of domestic violence. The study group comprises 697 Turkish high school students and the data collection tools used are the Peer Bullying Scale Adolescent Form, Parents’ Attitude Scale, Basic Psychological Needs Scale, and Personal Information Form. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the associations of parental attitudes and basic psychological needs with bullying status. Results indicate that all sub-factors of parental attitude and the sub-factor of relatedness regarding basic psychological needs are associated with bullying at a statistically significant level, whereas the sub-factors of autonomy and competence regarding basic psychological needs are not associated with bullying at a statistically significant level. The sub-factor of involvement regarding parental attitude decreases the possibility of being a bully or a bully/victim, the sub-factor of psychological autonomy decreases the possibility of being a victim or a bully/victim, and the sub-factor of control decreases the possibility of being a bully/victim, whereas the sub-factor of satisfaction of the need for relationships decreases the possibility of being a victim or a bully/victim. The study results show that 70.7% of students were involved in peer victimization. The distribution of the status of bullying also differs according to gender and experiences of domestic violence at a statistically significant level. The study findings are discussed in light of the literature and some suggestions are offered.

Il lavoro sociale di rete come strumento di efficacia educativa nelle comunità di accoglienza residenziale

The educational experience of Welcoming Communities in Italy is not well known in the academic research world, even if it has more than fifty years of history. It is present in all regions of the country and it has produced significant results with the most fragile people hosted, thanks to its pedagogical and cultural guidelines. This contribution—based on data collected from a field research in a Community—highlights the relevance of Social Networking with local resources. This is a practical application in social health education, which is effective in combating isolation, mental distress and social inequalities and in promoting health, psychological autonomy and social and work inclusion of vulnerable people. This practice is particularly important during this period, when significant relationships are adversely affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.