Psychological Well-being Of Children Research Articles

Increasing Psychological Well-Being in Children with Chronic Illness through Social Support Intervention in Haji Adam Malik Hospital, Medan Tuntungan

Chronic illness is a disorder/ disability due to medical conditions that are present continuously for 3 months or more which may affect the functioning of a child's life (Fritz & McQuaid in Wenar & Kerig, 2005). The effects of chronic illness and long-term treatment lead to individual psychological problems for children, such as feeling sad, withdrawing and other emotional problems. Poor psychological well-being conditions often exacerbate chronic childhood illness. Children become lazy to take medication and not obedient in doing treatment. The purpose of this devotion is to improve psychological well-being of children with chronic illness through social support interventions. This program will be carried out with a cadre of 3 partners who are nurses from Haji Adam Malik hospital. The nurses will be trained, so they can provide the social support for children during hospitalization to improve the psychological wellbeing of the children. After the training, social support interventions implementation module will be tested to 20 chronic illness children in Haji Adam Malik hospital with the nurse as a facilitator. While the team from Psychology Faculty will supervise the implementation and provide feedback.

CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL PERFECCIONISMO DISFUNCIONAL EN LA NIÑEZ TARDÍA

El perfeccionismo disfuncional implica la tendencia a imponerse metas y estándares muy elevados, a preocuparse excesivamente por cometer errores y a evaluar el desempeño de manera muy crítica. Este atributo puede impactar negativamente en el bienestar infantil. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir las manifestaciones del perfeccionismo infantil disfuncional, analizando diferencias en función del género, el grado académico, el tipo de gestión escolar (pública-privada), y el lugar de procedencia. Se realizó una investigación empírica, descriptiva, de corte transversal. Participaron 1067 niños de entre 9 y 12 años de edad, alumnos de escuelas primarias, públicas y privadas, de dos provincias argentinas (Misiones y Entre Ríos). Los resultados del estudio verificaron la presencia del perfeccionismo infantil en esta franja etaria. De las manifestaciones perfeccionistas evaluadas, la que más sobresale es la autorientada, particularmente referida al ámbito escolar. Le siguen en orden de importancia el perfeccionismo socialmente prescrito y el perfeccionismo orientado a otros. El perfil más vulnerable corresponde a varones de 4to año, de escuelas públicas de la provincia de Misiones. Estos resultados revisten importancia al momento de diseñar estrategias orientadas a abordar esta problemática y a prevenir sus consecuencias negativas durante la niñez tardía.

Health-related quality of life and psychological wellbeing of children with Specific Learning Disorders and their mothers

BackgroundLiterature suggests that Specific Learning Disorders (SpLD) can cause impairment of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and psychological well-being of children, and that this condition potentially affects parents’ quality of life and well-being too. AimsThis study aims first to explore HRQoL and psychological well-being among children with SpLD and second among mothers of children with SpLD. Methods and proceduresThirty children aged 8–14 years diagnosed as having SpLD and their mothers completed a battery of scales to assess children’s HRQoL and psychological well-being. Mothers also completed a battery of instruments to explore their personal HRQoL and psychological well-being. ResultsCompared with the general population, children with SpLD reported significantly lower level of psychosocial health, and mothers had a higher probability of being anxious and/or depressed. Conclusions and implicationsThis study supports previous research about impaired HRQoL, symptoms of generalized anxiety, school-related anxiety and depressed mood in children with SpLD. Moreover, it provides evidence that mothers of children with SpLD may experience stress in coping with their child’s disability and develop socio-emotional symptoms such as anxiety. Implications concern the need to implement effective supportive services among children with SpLD and their parents.

Bewust alleenstaande moeders: ouder-kindrelaties, sociale steunnetwerken en het welzijn van hun kinderen

Abstract Single-mothers-by-choice: parent-child relationships, social support networks and the well-being of their children. This study made a comparison between families of single mothers by choice (SMC) and heterosexual two parent families. 69 mothers from SMC families and 59 mothers from two parent families with at least one child between the ages of one and a half and six participated in the study. Mothers filled out questionnaires about the parent child relationship (emotional involvement and parental stress), the relationship of the parent with the environment (social support) and the psychological wellbeing of children. Differences were found for social support between family types with SMC receiving and wanting more social support than mothers from two parent families. No differences were found for emotional involvement or parental stress. Children’s psychological wellbeing didn’t differ between family types. Findings revealed that differences in family structure do not influence children’s psychological wellbeing.

The severity, consequences and risk factors of child abuse in China – An empirical Study of 5836 children in China's mid-western regions

Based on empirical studies of 5836 children in six provinces of China's Mid-Western regions, this paper contributes to existing knowledge by analyzing the severity, consequences and risk factors of child abuse. There are three major findings. Firstly, significant regional disparities of the severity of child abuse exist in China and non-Han ethnic minority regions have higher reported child abuse rate. Secondly, psychological trauma of child abuse is tremendous and children's psychological wellbeing in all domains is seriously affected when suffering from different forms of abuse. Children in poor ethnic minority regions and younger children experience severe trauma consequences. Thirdly, family relationships including the quality of couple relationships and intergenerational relationships are significant risk factors of child abuse, indicating the necessity of improving relationships for addressing child abuse. Implications of the empirical findings for future policies and actions for alleviating child abuse are summarized in the end.

Nurturing a Resilient Mindset in School-Aged Children Who Stutter.

To consider the rationale, methods, and potential benefits of nurturing the growth of resilience in school-aged children who stutter. Stuttering in childhood can have negative psychological consequences for some, including the development of a negative attitude toward their speech from a young age (Vanryckeghem, Brutten, & Hernandez, 2005) and possible co-occurring psychopathology in adolescence and adulthood, in particular, anxiety disorders (Blood, Blood, Maloney, Meyer, & Qualls, 2007; Iverach & Rapee, 2014; McAllister, Kelman, & Millard, 2015). Children who stutter also frequently report teasing and bullying by their peers (Blood & Blood, 2007; Boyle, 2011; Langevin, Packman, & Onslow, 2009), which can have a significant impact on children's confidence and psychological well-being. However, the capacity of children who stutter to cope or "bounce back" from adversity is not routinely explored or incorporated in therapy for stuttering. This clinical focus article will explore the construct of resilience and consider why it may be important for children who stutter and their parents. A framework for understanding resilience in relation to stuttering is used, drawing from the Reaching In Reaching Out Resiliency Program (for children aged under 8 years and their parents) and the Penn Resiliency Program (for children aged 8 years and over). The role of parents is key in modeling resilient responses to children and creating a resilience-rich environment. As children who stutter may be more vulnerable to adversity, some may benefit from targeted support to build their resilience, in order to enhance their ability to overcome challenges and thrive.

Seeking normality: Parents' experiences of childhood stroke.

Incidence of paediatric stroke has been estimated to range from 1.2 to 13 per 100,000 children under 18years of age. It is a significant cause of long-term morbidity in children with long-term impacts on physical, cognitive, psychological, and social outcomes. However, little is known about the experiences of parents caring for a child with stroke. Such information is needed to inform the development of child- and family-centred care. We conducted in-depth interviews with parents of children with stroke. Participants were purposively sampled from three regional specialist services in England, based on the age of the child at stroke onset and time since first stroke. Interviews used a topic guide and were audio recorded and transcribed in full. Thematic analysis was conducted to develop an account that reflected patients' experiences from their own perspectives. Twelve parents participated with five children classified as having no to mild deficits and seven with moderate to severe deficits. Parents were concerned about the effects of stroke on the child's psychological, cognitive, and social well-being. Significant impacts on parents own well-being and on the family were reported. Although most experienced good quality acute care, meeting the child's needs after hospital discharge was problematic, with low levels of awareness of paediatric stroke among professionals and difficulties accessing relevant information and services. Meeting special education needs was variable. Parents were proactive in seeking to establish a sense of normality for the child and themselves. The findings illuminate a wider picture of paediatric stroke than indicated by clinical outcomes alone. Parents' experiences varied according to the child's needs but also family's situation and geographical location. Particular attention should be paid to co-ordinating services to meet multiple needs after discharge from hospital.

Longitudinal associations between parent-child relationships in middle childhood and child-perceived loneliness.

Loneliness may affect children's psychological well-being and academic achievement. Parent-child relationships have been consistently associated with child adjustment. However, parental antecedents of child loneliness have been relatively understudied. Guided by attachment theory, we examined the trajectories of father-child and mother-child relationship closeness and conflict, and their associations with trajectories of child loneliness with National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) data to understand parents' roles in child loneliness in middle childhood. In Grades 1 (Mage = 6.57, SD = .29), 3, 4, and 5, both resident fathers and mothers reported on parent-child relationships. At Grades 1, 3, and 5, children reported on their loneliness. Loneliness declined from Grade 1 to Grade 5. After controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), the slope of father-child relationship closeness was negatively associated with the slope of loneliness for girls (n = 341), but not for boys (n = 354). The more slowly father-child closeness declined, the more quickly girls' loneliness declined. These findings highlight the role of father-child relationships in child loneliness for girls. Future research on child loneliness should take both maternal and paternal roles into consideration. (PsycINFO Database Record

Role of Amputation in Improving Mobility, Pain Outcomes, and Emotional and Psychological Well-Being in Children With Metastatic Osteosarcoma.

Few studies have analyzed the benefit of limb amputations in children with metastatic osteosarcoma and limited life span. We studied outcomes of limb amputations in children with metastatic osteosarcoma. We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent limb amputations (January 1995-June 2015) and died within 1 year of surgery. We studied 12 patients with osteosarcoma at a single institution. Data on mobility, pain, and emotional and psychological well-being were retrieved from medical records from 1 month before surgery to 6 months after surgery. Of the 12 patients (7 females and 5 males; median age at surgery 13 years [range, 7-20 years]) meeting study criteria, 3 patients and 9 patients had primary osteosarcoma in upper and lower limbs, respectively. Mobility improved postamputation in 8 bedridden/wheelchair-bound patients. Postamputation, emotional, and psychological well-being improved for 9 patients, 3 patients had persistent psychological and/or emotional symptoms, and no patient experienced signs of regret. Daily mean pain scores were significantly lower at 1 week (median 3 [range, 0-6]; P = .03) and 3 months (median 0 [range, 0-8]; P = .02) postsurgery than at 1 week presurgery (median 5.5 [range, 0-10]). Morphine consumption (mg/kg/d) showed a trend toward higher values at 1 week (median 0.2 [range, 0-7.6]; P = .6) and 3 months (median 0.2 [range, 0-0.5]; P = .3) postsurgery than at 1 week presurgery (median 0.1 [range, 0-0.5]). Patients undergoing limb amputations had reduced pain and improved mobility and emotional and psychological well-being. Amputations are likely to benefit children with limited life expectancy.

When a parent has cancer: How does it impact on children's psychosocial functioning? A systematic review.

Children may experience intense stress when faced with symptoms ofparentalillness, as disruption of family routines and temporary unavailability of the parent occurs. This review aimed to analyse the psychological impact of parental cancer diagnosis in families with dependent children and identify protective and risk factors for child adjustment. Using preselected keywords, a systematic search of six electronic abstract databases was conducted. Studies had to investigate the psychological impact on children under 18years old, had to measure psychosocial functioning quantitatively and had to be published in English in peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2017. Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. A thematic analysis was undertaken to establish the main themes: (a) Psychological symptoms, (b) Global functioning and well-being, (c) Coping strategies and (d) Parent and family-related factors. Coping strategies and family functioning seem to be predictors of the child's psychological well-being. Adolescents are more likely to develop emotional and behavioural symptoms compared with children. However, the heterogeneity of the findings and study designs does not allow for strong conclusions to be drawn. These preliminary results should be considered when developing screening programmes for children whose parents are diagnosed with cancer.

Screening of Newborn Hearing at a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India.

Hearing loss can have a devastating impact on the cognitive development and psychological well-being of children and their families. Newborn hearing screening should be given special attention especially in a country like ours where the burden of this disability is heavy. Screening all newborns irrespective of risk factors helps in better detection, and hence further management can be initiated at appropriate time. To implement newborn hearing screening at Vanivilas hospital and to estimate the incidence of hearing loss among the high risk groups. To create awareness about the need for detecting childhood deafness among parents and general population. To develop a centre of excellence for evaluation, intervention and rehabilitation for hearing impaired in a tertiary care hospital. Prospective study. All neonates born in Vanivilas Hospital attached to Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute underwent hearing screening using four stage protocols with otoacoustic emission (OAE) tests and final confirmation with Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) tests. May 2015-May 2017. Number of newborns screened were 26,487, and 19 (0.717/1000) newborns were detected to have hearing impairment. The incidence of hearing loss among high risk group was 0.188/1000, and among the non risk group was 0.528/1000. Newborn hearing screening must be made mandatory and multi-staged protocol based screening for hearing loss should be implemented. This will make newborn screening programme more efficient and also will help in initiating treatment at an early stage so that further damage can be prevented.

Pro-social behavior is predictive of academic success via peer acceptance: A study of Chinese primary school children

The predictive value of pro-social behavior on children's psycho-social and civic development has been well documented by previous literature. But in Chinese schools children's pro-social development is still undervalued. This study was designed to investigate the potential benefits of pro-social behavior on Chinese children's academic achievement. With 456 primary school students as participants, we examined the value of pro-social behavior on children's academic outcomes and the mediating mechanism. Data was obtained from various sources (self-report, peer-rating, peer nomination, and cognitive tests). The results showed that Chinese children's pro-social behavior, regardless of self-reported or peer-rated, positively predicted their academic achievement, and peer acceptance played a mediating role in the pathway. These findings highlighted the importance of children's pro-social behavior in building positive relationships with peers and facilitating academic achievement. Chinese educators are suggested to put more weight on cultivating children's pro-social behavior that is beneficial for children's psychological and social well-being.

Parental belief in ‘healthy risk’ lead to fewer child accidents and injuries: fact or fiction?

There has been a substantial amount of debate around the role of parental risk aversity in children's health and wellbeing, with results suggesting that, whilst in the short-term, parents may ensure their children's safety, in the longer-term, children's psychological well-being may be compromised, and a lack of activity may result in a range of other poorer outcomes (Little and Wyver, 2008). Whilst some approaches to risk can be seen as extreme, there appears to be a role for healthy, positive risk in parenting (Bundy et al., 2009). Studies to date in this area have mostly comprised a mixture of survey and observational data, with little evidence on the relationship between parental risk aversity and child outcomes, such as accidents and injuries.
 The current study explores these associations, using data exploring parental perceptions of risk, taken at ages 3 and 5, from the Growing Up in Scotland birth cohort study, linked with administrative hospital data about child accidents and injuries up to age 11. This paper will investigate results on associations between parental perceptions of risk, and child accidents and injuries, as well as exploring whether these impacts change through early to middle childhood, and whether they differ by socio-economic classification.

Active school travel, attitudes and psychological well-being of children

The decline in physical activity levels among children emphasizes a need for research on experiences related to children’s active travel. The present study investigates the relationship between mode use on school trips and psychological well-being (PWB) of children. Data were collected from 152 primary school children in Lower Austria. The paper-and-pencil survey investigated transport-related attitudes, travel behavior, and children’s emotional well-being depending on the travel mode used on their trip to school. Parents’ perceptions of their child’s travel mode on well-being were also collected in 31 in-depth interviews. Findings suggest that active school travel is positively associated with children’s PWB, and that travel-related attitudes towards modes are significantly related to well-being. However, it is difficult to determine the causal direction between the two variables as causal feedback loops can be assumed. Clear results can be obtained for the parental survey: Parents reported strong positive associations between active travel modes and the well-being of their children. More research with bigger sample sizes and higher quality measures should be conducted, including about non-school trips and with longitudinal datasets, to further evaluate the interrelations between children’s mode use, attitudes, and well-being and to determine the most successful strategies for increasing active mobility among children.

The Psychological Effects of Climate Change on Children.

We review recent evidence on the psychological effects of climate change on children, covering both direct and indirect impacts, and discuss children's psychological adaptation to climate change. Both the direct and flow-on effects of climate change place children at risk of mental health consequences including PTSD, depression, anxiety, phobias, sleep disorders, attachment disorders, and substance abuse. These in turn can lead to problems with emotion regulation, cognition, learning, behavior, language development, and academic performance. Together, these create predispositions to adverse adult mental health outcomes. Children also exhibit high levels of concern over climate change. Meaning-focused coping promotes well-being and environmental engagement. Both direct and indirect climate change impacts affect children's psychological well-being. Children in the developing world will suffer the worst impacts. Mental health professionals have important roles in helping mitigate climate change, and researching and implementing approaches to helping children cope with its impacts.

РОЗВИТОК ПСИХОЛОГІЧНОГО БЛАГОПОЛУЧЧЯ ДІТЕЙ З ОСОБЛИВИМИ ПОТРЕБАМИ ЗАСОБАМИ АРТ-ТЕРАПІЇ

The article presents the results of approbation of the system of art-therapeutic exercises as acorrection-developing means of psychological well-being in children with special needs. The main focus is on considering the psychological wellbeing of children with special needs. Self-control, emotional intelligence and level of interpersonal needs in children with special needs of elementary school age are also researched.

The childhood trauma questionnaire: Validity, reliability and factor structure among adolescents in calabar, Nigeria

Introduction: Child abuse is a cause of increasing concern globally and is known to have significant negative effects on the physical and psychological well-being of children. Validated instruments for screening child abuse in Nigeria are scarce.Aim: This study aimed to determine the validity, reliability and factor structure of the 28 item version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire among Secondary School students in Calabar South, Cross River state, Nigeria.Methodology: In a cross-sectional study, a sample of 161 students was drawn from two secondary schools in Calabar South, Cross River State, using multi-stage technique. A socio-demographic questionnaire, the Childhood Trauma questionnaire (CTQ-28), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Self-reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) were administered to the selected students. Convergent validity between CTQ and other scales, reliability using Cronbach alpha and the factor structure of CTQ using principal component analysis were assessed. The data was analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, 21st edition (SPSS-21).Results: Cronbach alpha was 0.80. Internal consistency for the subscales were 0.69 for emotional abuse, 0.60 for physical abuse, 0.60 for sexual abuse, 0.79 for emotional neglect and 0.21 for physical neglect. For convergent validity, correlation coefficients with the GHQ-12 and the SRQ-20 were 0.39 and 0.45 respectively (p<0.05). Principal Components Analysis yielded a four factor solution.Conclusion: The 28 item version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire has acceptable reliability and validity and can be useful as a screen for child abuse among adolescents in Nigeria.Key words: CTQ, validity, reliability, factor structure, adolescents

Comparison of Three Modes of Exercise in Reducing Stress and Improving Self-Esteem among Underserved Children at Title I Elementary Schools

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to: 1) examine if Health Qigong is effective in improving children's psychological well-being, and 2) compare the relative effectiveness of Health Qigong with two traditional Western exercises (i.e., aerobic exercise and physical education activities) on children's mental health. Methods: Using a pre and post-test quasi-experimental design, we compare the effects of three different modes of exercise (i.e., aerobic exercise, mind-body exercise, and regular physical education) on reducing stress (n=101) and improving self-esteem (n=68) in children over a 16-week period. Results: Our study revealed a significant improvement in reducing stress (p=0.006) and improving self-esteem (p<0.001) using the repeated measures analysis of variance. No significant difference was detected among the three exercise groups. Conclusion: It appears that the three different modes of exercise have a similar effect on improving psychological well-being for children. Health Qigong may be considered as an alternative mind-body exercise for children who may not enjoy competitive sports and do not fit in well with conventional exercise activities.

Factors Determining Children and Young People’s Well-being at School

Abstract The article addresses the issue of children and young people’s well-being at school. The issue has been known as topical for already some time. In recent decades, in order to be able to determine the true nature and essence of the phenomenon of well-being, the necessity to find the ways for identification of children and young people’s self-assessment of well-being at school has become very important. There are many challenges related to conducting new longitudinal studies on children and young people’s well-being. The phenomenon of well-being at school cannot be seen only in the context of local situation; it is deeply contextual. Its essence is also determined by the content and values that have emerged in the development of wider global or regional relations and attitudes. Therefore, for the formation of a broader perspective of the article, such phenomena as sustainability and unsustainability were used. This made it possible to refer to the trends of sustainability and unsustainability that had long been highlighted in the studies of global development and education. The analysis of the phenomenon of well-being at school is offered based on the research results within EU FP7 project “Measuring Youth Well Being” (MYWeB) that took a balanced approach to assessing the feasibility of a European Longitudinal Study for Children and Young People through prioritising both scientific and policy imperatives and was carried out in cooperation with eleven European countries. The aim of the article in accordance with one of the specific tasks of the project is to find out the meaning and significance that children and young people allocate to well-being. The article discusses one of the most relevant domains of wellbeing - school, and how it relates to happiness, life-satisfaction and psychological wellbeing of children and young people. The article outlines the results of fieldwork undertaken in project consortium countries (Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and the United Kingdom) with the goal to understand the subjective experiences of children and young people from different age groups, regions and socio-economic backgrounds. The results of the research confirmed that educational spaces could take a more significant role in promoting well-being of children and young people; in its turn, the education system must rebalance academic learning and emotional well-being.

Trait anxiety and self-concept among children and adolescents with food neophobia

Food problems in children and adolescents often have a detrimental effect on the emotional and psychological wellbeing of their parents. However, the impact of such problems on the psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents themselves has been less widely studied. The purpose of this study was to determine whether children and adolescents with food neophobia differed in trait anxiety and dimensions of self-concept from their neophilic and their average peers. A community sample of 831 participants (368 males and 463 females) between the ages of 8 and 16 were classified into six groups based on scores obtained on the Spanish Child Food Neophobia Scale (i.e., neophobic, average, and neophilic) and their age (i.e., children vs. adolescents). Compared with their neophilic peers, children with food neophobia showed higher levels of trait anxiety and a poorer social, physical, and academic self-concept. Among adolescents similar results were observed for trait anxiety and physical self-concept, but instead of social and academic self-concept it was family self-concept which distinguished between neophobic and neophilic participants. These results suggest that food neophobia is associated with trait anxiety and with some dimensions of self-concept. This highlights the need to ascertain the threshold between ‘normal’ and ‘problematic’ eating behaviors, since the fact that a behavior is to some extent usual does not imply that it is harmless.