Family Transitions Research Articles

FAMILY VALUES AS A FUNDAMENTAL BASIS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN UKRAINIAN STATE

Purpose. The aim of this work is to study the characteristics of transformation that appeared in the sphere of family relations in the modern Ukrainian society. The main attention is concentrated on problems of asymmetry of family status. Technique. The methodology includes a comprehensive analysis and synthesis of existing scientific and theoretical material and formulation of appropriate conclusions and recommendations. During the study, we used the following methods of scientific knowledge: terminological, semantic, functional, systemic-structural, comparative legal. Results. The research process recognized that at the present stage of creation of a Ukrainian state more family is in the process of transformation than in decline. It has passed a long way of development and adaptation to diverse conditions of existence, characterized by flexibility and sustainability. Some family functions under the influence of objective conditions disappear, others persist, still others only appear. Scientific novelty. In the research process, a number of faults and reasons in the matter of the transformation of Ukrainian families. The inability of the spouses to overcome the crisis situation in the transition of families from one stage to the other can be connected with the psychological incompatibility of the spouses, the inadequate choice of a marriage partner, the inability of families to solve problems, the low level of socio-psychological adaptation. Practical significance. The results of the study can be used in law-making and enforcement activities while solving family household conflicts.

Practical Steps to Help Transition Pediatric Patients to Adult Care

* Abbreviations: IDD — : intellectual and developmental disability IEP — : individualized education plan The transition from pediatric to adult care is a complicated process for many patients and families. For adolescents and young adults with a chronic condition, in which gaps in care can lead to significant health consequences, the transition to adult care can be especially problematic. Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) and their families face additional challenges during the transition because the patients may not be fully independent as adults and families need to account for this during the transition.1 More providers are working with families before they leave pediatric care, but the transition process does not end with a patient’s first appointment in adult care. Patients and families need to get comfortable with new doctors and get established with new services. Recently published guidelines on transition highlight the importance of supporting transition for patients and families after their transfer to adult care.1 Marie Crawford is a mother of 2 sons with IDDs: Peter and Patrick. Peter has Down syndrome and a colostomy from surgery to repair his Hirschsprung disease. Patrick has autism and communicates nonverbally. They are in their 20s and have transferred to adult providers. Through her work with the state- and county-level service providers for adults with disabilities, Mrs Crawford has also helped other families navigate the transition. Her experience helping her sons and other families navigate the transition to adult care provides some important insights into life after transfer to adult care for patients with IDDs and their families. Peter, as the person experiencing transition to new providers, also has important insights to provide. Dr Garey Noritz is a complex care … Address correspondence to Laura C. Hart, MD, MPH, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Dr, Columbus, OH 43205. E-mail: laura.hart{at}nationwidechildrens.org

The flow of family transitions of Australian families

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Time-limited trials: A qualitative study exploring the role of time in decision-making on the Intensive Care Unit

BackgroundWithholding and withdrawing treatment are deemed ethically equivalent by most Bioethicists, but intensivists often find withdrawing more difficult in practice. This can lead to futile treatment being prolonged. Time-limited trials have been proposed as a way of promoting timely treatment withdrawal whilst giving the patient the greatest chance of recovery. Despite being in UK guidelines, time-limited trials have been infrequently implemented on Intensive Care Units. We will explore the role of time in Intensive Care Unit decision-making and provide a UK perspective on debates surrounding time-limited trials.MethodsThis qualitative study recruited 18 participants (nine doctors, nine nurses) from two Intensive Care Units in North West England for in-depth, one-to-one semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was performed of the data.ResultsOur findings show time is utilised by Intensive Care Unit staff in a variety of ways including managing uncertainty when making decisions about a patient’s prognosis or the reversibility of a disease, constructing relationships with patients’ relatives, communicating difficult messages to patients’ relatives, justifying resource allocation decisions to colleagues, and demonstrating compassion towards patients and their families.ConclusionsTime shifts the balance towards greater certainty in Intensive Care Unit decision-making, by demonstrating futility, and can ease the difficult transition for staff and families from active treatment to palliation. However, this requires clear and open communication, both within the Intensive Care Unit team and with the family, being prioritised when time is used in decision-making.

LINKING FAMILY TRANSITIONS AND LATER-LIFE DEPRESSION: DOES LIFE-COURSE SOCIOECONOMIC STANDING MATTER?

Research documented the impact of marital transitions—particularly marital loss—on depression in old age, yet its severity depends multiple factors. Individuals’ capability to cope with transitions depends on available resources and previous exposure to stressors, such as early-life adversity, which buffers or aggravates the impact of marital transitions on later-life depression. Although studies documented the pivotal link between early-life adversity and negative health trajectories, our study is the first attempt to examine whether early-life adversity influences the relationship between prospectively-tracked, later-life marital transitions and depression. We drew data from SHARE, which samples individuals aged 50+ across Europe (N = 13,258; 2004-2016). Using multilevel linear models, we found that women who became widowed had higher levels of depression compared to coupled and single women, but experienced lower increases in depression over time. After adjusting for early-life and adulthood SES, losing a partner remained significantly associated with depression. Life-course SES was associated with levels of depression, yet interactions between marital transitions and SES were not, with some exceptions: single women who reported difficulties in their ability to make ends meet experience higher increases of depression over time. Overall, results were similar for men. Interactions between family transitions and SES were again not significant, with a few exceptions for single men: those born in more childhood conditions, and those with high education, had lower levels of depression. We interpret and discuss our findings through the lens of life-course and stress-resiliency perspectives and in light of changing family dynamics for this age group.

AN INTERGENERATIONAL DYADIC APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING GRANDPARENT DEATH WITHIN A FAMILY SYSTEM

Due to increased longevity and generational location, grandparent death creates new contexts for identity, family culture, and intergenerational relationships. To explore this loss from two perspectives, we conducted intensive interviews with young adults and their mothers (N = 16) who experienced a recent grandparent (parent) death. Guided by the life course perspective, we were interested to learn how grandparent death may shape identity, meaning, and behaviors among family members, and influence their shared parent-child relationship. Findings suggest that the relationship with the grandparent, the diverse expressions of grief, the navigation of family transitions during and after death, and the curation of grandparent memories influenced individual and family outcomes. Implications suggest the need for varied supports that are sensitive to how individual family members approach grief in distinct ways reflective of their developmental positions, past experiences, and relational expectations.

Transition in Older Parent-Adult Child Relations in U.S. Chinese Immigrant Families.

The family fundamentally underpins the immigration and acculturation processes. But most existing research on acculturation focuses on individual instead of family experience. Guided by Berry's acculturation theory and Intergenerational Solidarity Theory, this study examined continuity and changes in parent-adult child relations of older Chinese immigrants over a 2-year period, and their implications for older adults' depression and quality of life (QoL). Participants included 2,605 older Chinese immigrants from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) was used to identify transitions in multidimensional parent-child relations over time. Negative binomial and logistic regressions were used to examine the influence of family transitions on depression and QoL, respectively. LTA revealed five types of family relations: traditional, modified traditional, coresiding-unobligated, independent, and detached. Over 40% of the respondents shifted to a different relation type, with more families classified as modified traditional or independent over time. Transitioning into modified traditional relations or out of detached relations was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and better QoL at the follow-up. Transitioning into independent relation was associated with more depressive symptoms over time. Parent-child relations among Chinese older immigrants demonstrate significant complexity, including both heterogeneity and fluidity. Better well-being of these older adults seems to stem from the optimal combination of retaining the supportive heritage culture and embracing the host society's instrumental cultural elements. Services to this population need to include the family context in assessment and interventions.

FCC ↔ BCC Phase Transitions in Convex and Concave Hard Particle Systems.

Solid-solid transitions are ubiquitous in nature and are important for technology. Understanding and exploiting transitions are complicated by the fact that multiple transition pathways can exist between small unit cell structures such as face-centered cubic (FCC) and body-centered cubic (BCC). By symmetry, FCC ↔ BCC transitions can occur via a pair of continuous transitions or via a discontinuous, first-order transition. However, how to, or whether it is possible to, select between pathways is unclear. Here, we use particle shape change to induce FCC ↔ BCC transitions in systems where particle valence is malleable. Though some particle shapes can eliminate metastable HCP stacking faults, we find that for both convex and concave particles, transitions are first-order.

Geometric entanglement and quantum phase transition in generalized cluster-XY models

In this work, we investigate quantum phase transition (QPT) in a generic family of spin chains using the ground-state energy, the energy gap and the geometric measure of entanglement (GE). In many of prior works, GE per site was used. Here, we also consider GE per block with each block size being two. This can be regarded as a coarse grain of GE per site. We introduce a useful parameterization for the family of spin chains that includes the XY models with n-site interaction, the GHZ-cluster model and a cluster antiferromagnetic model, the last of which exhibits QPT between a symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phase and a symmetry-breaking antiferromagnetic phase. As the models are exactly solvable, their ground-state wavefunctions can be obtained, and thus, their GE can be studied. It turns out that the overlap of the ground states with translationally invariant product states can be exactly calculated, and hence, the GE can be obtained via further parameter optimization. The QPTs exhibited in these models are detected by the energy gap and singular behavior of geometric entanglement. In particular, the XzY model exhibits transitions from the nontrivial SPT phase to a trivial paramagnetic phase. Moreover, the halfway XY model exhibits a first-order transition across the Barouch–McCoy circle, on which it was only a crossover in the standard XY model.

Diversification of export territories of family businesses as a tool of their further development

Family business is the largest global source of jobs in the private sector, whose multigenerational nature strengthens the stability of individual economies. A competitive small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector into which family businesses are classified is an essential prerequisite for the full-fledged integration of any economy into the global economic space. For the Czech economy, the importance of foreign trade is increasing, and is dependent on the capabilities of companies to expand to foreign markets. The goal of this article is to identify involvement of the generation of successors to export activities of family business, focusing on diversifying export territories in relation to structure of the industry A secondary goal is to discuss the demand mechanisms for SMEs/family business oriented toward export. The scientific hypotheses defined are focused on demonstrating a dependency between the diversification of export territories, the involvement of the generation of successors in the management of the company and structure of industry. Authors have demonstrated that family businesses managed by the first generation of founders export primarily to the territories of Slovakia, Germany, and the EU. Companies where the next generation contributes to management diversify territorial risk and also export outside the EU countries. A significant correlation was demonstrated between automotive industry and Germany, Slovakia and country outside the EU and mechanical engineering and country outside the EU. The uniqueness of this article lies in the topicality of the real transition of Czech family businesses to the next generation, which carries out foreign trade to promote the further development and sustainability of the family business for future generations.

Father Reflections on Doing Family in Stepfamilies

ObjectiveTo explore fathers' experiences as biological parents in father–stepmother families.BackgroundBiological parents play an important role in the formation and development of stepfamily relationships, but little is known about fathers in stepfamilies.MethodIn‐person interviews were conducted with 10 Belgian fathers. Interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.ResultsThree themes emerged from the data: (a) reflecting on children's experiences and transitions, (b) pursuing a shared family understanding, and (c) innovating new ways of doing fatherhood and family. The first theme centers on fathers' concerns about the impact family transitions may have on their children. The second theme centers on fathers' pursuit of a shared understanding that clarifies family roles and expectations within the stepfamily. The last theme addresses the creativity of these fathers as they co‐construct new stepfamily and fatherhood identities in the absence of culturally ascribed norms.ConclusionGiven their connecting role as parent and partner, biological fathers in stepfamilies are key to the formation and development of a new family narrative.Findings contribute to family practitioners' understanding of how fathers experience stepfamily life.

Requirements for improving health and well-being of children with Prader-Willi syndrome and their families.

Prader‐Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic condition with multi‐system involvement. The literature was reviewed to describe neurodevelopment and the behavioural phenotype, endocrine and metabolic disorders and respiratory and sleep functioning. Implications for child and family quality of life were explored. Challenging behaviours contribute to poorer well‐being and quality of life for both the child and caregiver. Recent evidence indicates healthy outcomes of weight and height can be achieved with growth hormone therapy and dietary restriction and should be the current target for all individuals with PWS. Gaps in the literature included therapies to manage challenging behaviours, as well as understanding the effects of growth hormone on respiratory and sleep function. New knowledge regarding the transition of children and families from schooling and paediatric health services to employment, accommodation and adult health services is also needed. Developing a national population‐based registry could address these knowledge gaps and inform advocacy for support services that improve the well‐being of individuals with PWS and their families.

The Effects of Family Transitions on Depressive Symptoms: Differences among Young Adults with and without Childhood Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is tied to higher levels of depression, but the social factors that shape these associations are not well understood. This study considers whether family transitions affect depressive symptoms differently for young adults with and without childhood symptoms of ADHD at subthreshold or diagnostic levels. Between-within regression analysis of nationally representative longitudinal survey data shows that transitions into cohabitation and parenthood affect depressive symptoms differently for young adults with and without childhood symptoms of ADHD. Specifically, within-person effects indicate that transitions into cohabitation and parenthood are tied to decreases in depressive symptoms, but only for young adults without childhood symptoms of ADHD. In contrast, transitions into marriage are tied to decreases in depressive symptoms, and transitions out of coresidential unions are tied to increases in depressive symptoms, regardless of childhood symptoms of ADHD. The results suggest that some family transitions may work to widen ADHD disparities in depression, under-scoring the importance of family contexts for shaping mental health throughout the life course.

Adopting Again: A Qualitative Study of the Second Transition to Parenthood in Adoptive Families

The transition to second-time parenthood—i.e., becoming a parent to a second child—is a time of adjustment and change for the whole family. While research has demonstrated that family transitions can be uniquely challenging in the adoptive context, no known research has studied the transition to second parenthood in adoptive families. The current qualitative study explores the transition to second parenthood for heterosexual, lesbian, and gay adoptive parents. Participants were 60 individuals in 30 couples (i.e., 9 heterosexual couples, 10 lesbian couples, and 11 gay male couples) who had adopted their first child two to five years earlier and were in various stages of adopting a second child. Findings centered on parents’ process of considering, preparing for, and then adopting a second child—with parents emphasizing the ways that the second adoption process was different from the first. Specifically, parents described more restrictions on the characteristics of child they would adopt, greater comfort with “holding out” for a child who fit their family, and feeling less stressed by the adoption process. Parents also explained how the unpredictable nature of adoption presented challenges to introducing a second child to the family. Implications for adoptive families and adoption professionals are discussed.

Early Marriage, Cohabitation, and Childbearing in West Africa.

The prevalence of child marriage in West Africa is one of the highest in the global south. Yet, much of what we know about the harmful effects of early marriage and why it persists comes from research on South Asia. Adopting life course family development perspectives on adolescent sexuality, we examine the linkages between the timing of union formation and childbearing across multiple countries with high rates of child marriage. Using the latest round of data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), we find that by age 18, 28 percent of adolescents in Nigeria, 25 percent in Burkina Faso, and as high as 60 percent in Niger are in a union, whilst 13 percent of Nigerian adolescents, 12 percent in Burkina Faso, and 27 percent in Niger have had a first birth. The results demonstrate that, net of individual characteristics, community variables are strong predictors of union formation and childbearing. Individual characteristics such as women's education, economic status of households, and residing in female-headed households and rural areas are other salient determinants of adolescent family transitions. We discuss the findings in the context of revamping stalled fertility transitions and the post-2015 framework for development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Maternal employment and child health in Nepal: The importance of job type and timing across the child's first five years

The increase in female labor force participation (FLFP) in the paid labor market since the mid-1900s is one of the most pronounced family transitions and increasingly a global phenomenon. While this may improve income and bargaining power of the women, it may also increase stress and decrease time with children. Using the Chitwan Valley Family Study in Nepal, we explore the consequences of this transition for children's health by combining newly collected data on child health outcomes, quarterly data on women's employment, and data on households and neighborhoods. Regression models were used to estimate the relationship between FLFP and child health, exploring both the type (wage, salary, or own business) and timing of work across the child's first five years for 860 children born to 793 mothers. After adjusting for a robust set of individual, household, and community factors, FLFP is associated with worse child health. We find evidence this is largely due to wage labor, the more common but “lower quality” and lower paying type of work women do. Measures of current work are generally inadequate at capturing this negative relationship. Breastfeeding may be an important piece of this story as mothers that worked during the first six months of a child's life were less likely to exclusively breastfeed during this period. Recognizing the challenges faced by working mothers in LMICs and paying attention to the quality of work will be critical as more women enter the workforce.

Changes in family structure in China: the impact of residence patterns and demographic factors

Based on census data from China, this paper uses SOCSIM microscopic simulation method to decompose the key factors of family transition into demographic and residence pattern factors. The former are further broken down into demographic inertia, fertility, mortality and marriage rate. The results indicate that the current demographic changes are relatively small and, thus, the small fluctuations caused by demographic changes contribute much less than residence pattern to the family transition. Among the demographic factors, demographic inertia and fertility have a greater effect on family transition and the impacts caused by fertility and marriage rate are consistent with the direction of the overall influence of demographic factors: increasing the proportion of single-person households, one-generation households, and two-generation households, and decreasing the proportion of three-generation or more households. In contrast, the effect of mortality rate was opposite to that of fertility rate, which increased the proportion of populations living in single-person, one-generation, and two-generation households, but the decreased the proportion of the population living in three-generation or more households.

To Honor and to Grow: Recommendations for the Enduring Family Business

Family businesses are unique and complex; they have aspects and layers to them that are unlike any other organizations because at the root of family businesses' identities are the aspirations of both the business and the family's members, which could be at odds with one another. This note—a meta-analysis drawn from many authors' work—explores an approach that identifies ways to unify family and business, examining new possibilities and building a strong resiliency in the process. This analysis of various characteristics within family businesses provides opportunities to learn about how families are unique, offers examples of family businesses (when possible), and, most importantly, leads to clear recommendations. Excerpt UVA-ENT-0224 Rev. Jan. 17, 2020 To Honor and to Grow: Recommendations for the Enduring Family Business Family businesses are unique and complex; they have aspects and layers to them that are unlike any other organizations. Interesting and importantly, they combine Freud's idea of what constitutes a complete life: lieben und arbeiten [to love and to work]. At the root of family businesses' identities are the aspirations of both the business and the family. These two sets of goals are often seen as opposites, which suggests a need to reconcile, manage, or overcome such conflicting sets of demands. In this way, a family business must then choose between the needs of the business and the needs of the family. Perhaps a more effective approach is a more expansive view—one that identifies ways to unify family and business, exploring new possibilities and building a strong resiliency in the process. The examination of various characteristics within family businesses provides opportunities to learn about how families are unique, offer examples of family businesses (when possible), and, most importantly, lead to clear recommendations. These characteristics include family and business, business history and current reality, preservation and adaptation, family transitions and succession planning, the idea of an open bubble, a changing market environment for a company steeped in its legacy, family and culture in a business, new forms of communication with the same messaging, one family with new members, and plans for the future that are consistent and relevant. As such, each section of this note will demonstrate how family businesses can embrace their inherent complexities and challenges to create differentiating and enduring advantages.

DETERMINING FACTORS IN THE SITUATIONAL TRANSITION OF FAMILY MEMBERS WHO CARE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE

ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate the facilitator and inhibitory factors in the transition of elderly caregivers with Parkinson's disease. Method: a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study, based on the family transition nursing theory developed with 20 elderly caregivers of elderly people with Parkinson 's disease, enrolled in the Associação Parkinson de Santa Catarina, from March to August 2015. To analyze and interpret the data, we used the thematic analysis of content proposed by Bardin, with the help of the ATLAS.ti software for data organization. Results: some factors were identified and considered as facilitators for the process of transition from the familiar to the exercise of the role of caregiver, such as: previous experiences as caregiver; spirituality and religiosity; family support network and health services. Other factors were identified as inhibiting factors for transition: emotional and physical health conditions; advanced age; personal life activities/commitments; family financial burden; and inadequate family support. It was observed that most family caregivers reported having previous experience in caring, having advanced age, and being able to care for the elderly with the disease. However, he considers his condition of emotional and physical health insufficient, resulting in overload. Lack of access to health services and family and financial support make it difficult to provide care. Conclusion: nurses should seek strategies to direct attention to facilitating factors in the family context in order to help the family to achieve well-being and healthy transition to the role of caregiver.

Assessment of level of cognition and their relation with functional status among geriatric population in Raipur city, Chhattisgarh, India

Background: Increasing longevity and transition of family from joint to nuclear have made aside to graying population, in context of that study have made to assess the relation between level of cognition and functional status. Objectives: Assessment of level of cognition and their relation with functional status. Methods: Community based cross-sectional observational study. Structured questionnaire was used for assessment of level of cognition MSQ (Mental status questionnaire) and for functional assessment Katz index was used. Results and conclusion: Dependency was positively associated with advancement of age and female sex. Male had more severe confusion than female. Cognitive impairment was shown to be statistically positively associated with disability.