Young Adult Children Research Articles

Understanding parenting concerns in cancer survivors with minor and young-adult children

ObjectiveParents with cancer are concerned about the impact of their disease on their children. However, parenting concerns and associated factors in cancer survivors have not previously been analyzed. The purpose of this study is to examine parenting concerns and to test a path model for understanding parenting concerns in cancer survivors. MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, a total of 1416 parents with cancer (mean age 47.5years, 74% women) having minor or young-adult children were recruited through two cancer registries. Parenting concerns were assessed using the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the associations between social support, parenting confidence, emotional distress, family functioning and parenting concerns. ResultsMothers reported higher total parenting concerns than fathers (p<0.001). We observed strong effects of emotional distress and parenting confidence on parenting concerns. Family dysfunctioning was associated with lower concerns. An indirect association between social support and parenting concerns was identified. ConclusionParenting concerns in cancer survivors display the need for interventions and after care programs that focus on affected families with minor and young adult children. The results of the structural path model illustrate the associations between psychological and interactional factors. Supporting parents with cancer in their parenting confidence and strengthen social support and family functioning may not only reduce the long-term burden on the parents themselves but also the burden on the entire family.

Asian-American Family Communication Patterns from the Perspective of Young Adult Children

Asian-American Family Communication Patterns from the Perspective of Young Adult Children

Intergenerational Relations between English Students, Graduates Living at Home, and their Parents

AbstractDebate about intergenerational relations has become more prominent since the financial crisis of 2007–09, focusing particularly on the difficulties faced by young adults trying to enter the labour and housing markets, whilst often bearing high levels of debt incurred as students. This article reviews the nature of the ‘intergenerational contract’ at both the micro level of the family, and at the macro level between individuals and the state. We then present qualitative, empirical data on the relationship between parents and: (1) their student children; and (2) their graduate children who have returned home. We focus primarily on the financial support provided by parents to the two groups. We explore why support is given, and the nature of similarities and differences in terms of what is given. We find that virtually all parents who were able to support their young adult children financially did so, but to different degrees and with different amounts of tension and anxiety. We suggest that the increased importance of the intergenerational contract at the micro level is likely to contribute to intra‐ rather than intergenerational inequalities.

Maternal Care and Control as Mediators in the Relationship Between Mothers’ and Adult Children’s Psychosocial Problems

ABSTRACTThe current research investigated the relationship between mothers’ and adult children’s psychosocial problems through two different aspects of maternal interactions. Data were collected from family triads (N = 286), including a mother, a child, and a sibling. Mothers and their adult children completed measures of depression, loneliness, and self-esteem. The assessment of the maternal interaction variables (i.e., maternal care and maternal control) involved the perspectives of a sibling to minimize common method variance. Results partially supported the hypothesized model, wherein maternal care (but not maternal control) mediated the relationship between mothers’ depression, loneliness, and self-esteem to that of their children. Specifically, mothers who reported higher levels of psychosocial problems had children who reported that their mothers were less caring and, in turn, less maternal care was associated with higher levels of psychosocial problems in their young adult children.

Parent-Child Relationships at the Transition to Adulthood: A Comparison of Black, Hispanic, and White Immigrant and Native-Born Youth.

Parents play a key role in launching their children into adulthood. Differences in the resources they provide their children have implications for perpetuating patterns of family inequality. Using data on 6,962 young adults included in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we examine differences in the support parents provide to young adult children by immigrant status and race/ethnicity and whether and how those differences are explained by parent resources and young adult resources and roles. Immigrant status and race/ethnicity are associated with patterns of support in complex ways. We find that racial/ethnic and immigrant disparities in perceptions of support, financial support, and receiving advice from parents about education or employment are explained by family socioeconomic resources. Group differences in whether young adults say they would turn to a parent for advice and coresidence persist after accounting for these factors, however. Young adult resources and roles also shape parental support of young adults in the transition to adulthood, but taking account of these characteristics does not explain immigrant and racial/ethnic group differences. Our findings highlight the need to consider both race/ethnicity and immigrant status to understand family relationships and sources of support.

Young Adult Graduates Living in the Parental Home: Expectations, Negotiations, and Parental Financial Support

In the United Kingdom and the United States, significant numbers of university graduates live with their parents, but little is known about expectations regarding parental support. This article focuses on a sample of British middle-class families and their coresident young adult children. It explores the extent to which parents and their graduate children have consistent expectations regarding coresidence and financial support and how such support is negotiated. Fifty-four in-depth interviews with parents and adult children were conducted. The findings reveal that expectations regarding coresidence were broadly consistent across parents and graduate children. Furthermore, within families, there was broad consistency regarding expectations of financial support, although there was variation between families. The nature and ways in which financial arrangements were negotiated varied between families, between parents, and between children. Expectations appear to be shaped by the child’s circumstances and norms, with negotiations of different types enabling a way forward to be agreed.

Communication About Problematic Drinking Between Young Adults and their Parents: An Application of Inconsistent Nurturing as Control Theory

ABSTRACTApproximately 80% of college students drink, half of whom consume alcohol in the form of binge drinking. The current study applies Inconsistent Nurturing as Control Theory to examine the communication about excessive drinking that takes place between parents and their young adult children. Forty college students were asked to report on a moment or incident that led their parents to label their drinking as concerning and were then asked to report on how their parents acted towards the drinking before and after the moment of labeling. Interviews were transcribed and coded. The findings suggest that parents act with inconsistency when attempting to manage their children’s drinking by enacting both reinforcing and punishing behaviors. Parents’ reinforcing behaviors included drinking with their children and buying them alcohol, even after labeling the drinking as problematic. Parents’ punishment behaviors included expressing concern about their children’s sense of responsibility and making their children feel regretful about their drinking. Nearly 88% of the participants were able to recall the moment at which their parents labeled their drinking as problematic. Implications for using inconsistent messages in conversations about alcohol are discussed.

Understanding the Parenting Experience of A Child With Mental Illness and the Construct of Parent Recovery within the Social Service and Court Communities

The Courts manage a child with mental illness as an invested yet impersonal steward of change or supervision. An invested parent is the true personal steward of that child's welfare. That stewardship can create trauma over time and therefore benefit from technical supports to sustain attention, hope, and vitality. This article is a perspective‐based article detailing the psychological experience of parenting the adolescent and young adult child with a mental illness and presents the current construct of ‘recovery’ as an evidence‐based method to enhance parent competency. Practitioner's Key Points: Persons working within the court systems that manage families raising a child with a mental illness need to understand each families’ basic resource needs. Properly training and supporting parents of a child with mental illness can lessen the burden of other court and social service resources in servicing these families. Understanding the construct of recovery in managing mental illness provides professionals working within the court systems with new tools to deliver better outcomes.

‘Nobody would say that it is Alzheimer's or dementia at this age’: Family adjustment following a diagnosis of early-onset dementia

ObjectivesFamily interaction and intergenerational dynamics have been known to influence the efficacy of therapeutic interventions and as such, the understanding of such dynamics in the experience of transitions can assist in strengthening the support provided to families living with such diagnoses. As such, the aims and objectives of this work were to develop a deeper understanding of family transition in early-onset dementia and to construct a representative model of this experience. MethodThis qualitative study used an ‘initial-and-follow-up’ interview design with semi-structured in-depth interviews in participants' homes. A framework approach to qualitative data analysis was used in order to identify important points of transition in the family experience of early-onset dementia and how families frame and respond to their own health expectations. ResultsNine families provided written informed consent to participate in the study. The nine participating families were made up of 20 participants, including nine spousal pairs and two young adult children. Each family participated in two research interviews in their individual homes. Four major themes emerged from the data: Diagnosis; Finances; Relationships; and Meaningful Activity. ConclusionTransitions experienced by families in early-onset dementia can be significantly impacted by the opportunity and availability of meaningful activity and/or a purposeful role. Not only does this activity benefit both the person with dementia and their family, but also supports much needed home and community living for people with dementia, as demonstrated by predicted future bed shortages in Canadian hospitals and long term care facilities.

Between Labor Migration and Forced Displacement

The significant number of involuntary returns of labor migrants to Burkina Faso is a relatively neglected aspect of the armed conflict in Côte d’Ivoire. Between 500,000 and 1 million Burkinabe migrants were forced to leave Côte d’Ivoire between 2000 and 2007, placing tremendous pressure on local communities in Burkina Faso to receive and integrate these mass arrivals, and causing those returning labor migrants an acute sense of displacement. Th is article analyzes the experiences of displacement and resettlement in the context of the Ivorian crisis and explores the dialectics of displacement and emplacement in the lives of involuntary labor migrant returnees; their young adult children; and Burkinabe recruits returning aft er their service in the Forces Nouvelles rebel forces in Côte d’Ivoire.

Sibling death in childhood and self-inflicted injuries in young adults – a national cohort study from Sweden

Previous studies have shown that sibling death influences health and mortality in bereaved adult siblings. Few studies have so far examined whether exposure to sibling bereavement in childhood is associated with suicidality later in life. The aim of the present research was to investigate whether the loss of a sibling during childhood influences self-inflicted injuries/poisoning in young adulthood. A national cohort born during 1973–1982 ( n =717,723) was followed prospectively in the National Patient Discharge Register from 18 to 31–40 years of age. Multivariate Cox analyses of proportional hazards with adjustment for socio-demographic confounders and family covariates were used to test hypotheses regarding sibling loss and hospital admission due to self-inflicted injuries/poisoning. Men (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.01–1.62) and women (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.00–1.51) who had lost a sibling during childhood had an higher risk for being admitted to hospital for a self-inflicted injury/poisoning in young adulthood after adjustment for socio-demographic confounders and family risk factors. Losing an infant sibling was most detrimental for men (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.03–1.98) while losing a non-infant sibling was most detrimental for women (HR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.05–1.81). The risk of hospital admission due to self-inflicted injuries/poisoning was particularly detrimental for both men (HR: 1.40, 95% CI: 0.92–2.13) and women (HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.09–2.17) who lost a sibling in adolescence (12–18 years) when compared to loss at younger ages (0–5 years and 6–11 years). It is important to provide support for siblings bereaved in childhood in order to prevent suicides.

Adults Use of ICT in Healthcare: The Persuasive Impact of Children

Healthcare as currently practiced and supported is increasingly unaffordable and incapable of dealing with emerging population dynamics in virtually every country in the world. Sustained behaviour change, within which ICT will likely play a prominent role, is required to meet the needs of the future. ICT has the ability enable new approaches and amplify efforts. Towards that end, educated adult children are in a unique position to influence their parents’ use of ICT in healthcare given their inherent ICT familiarity, learned subject matter expertise and family trust. This study uses the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) as a guide to gather and analyze qualitative data from PhD students associated with an ehealth research institute to explore the persuasive impact of educated young adult children on their parents’ use of ICT in healthcare. Results are presented. Implications for theory and practice are addressed.

Chinese Investment in U.S. Real Estate Markets Using the EB-5 Program

EB-5 is a U.S. immigrant-attraction program created in the early 1990s. After lying mostly dormant, it recently became a source of gap capital when the lending markets collapsed during the Great Recession of 2008 to 2012. With low loan-to-value ratios and high capitalization rates for real estate projects at the end of the Great Recession, the EB-5 investor visa program has been instrumental in filling the financing gap, especially for hotels. Most EB-5 investors are Chinese. We focus primarily on Chinese investor attitudes toward the program, using a nonrandom survey of 85 potential investors who invested in projects in Cleveland, Ohio. The survey was administered in Chinese. Our survey found that Chinese wealthy private business owners are mainly participants in EB-5 for acquiring a U.S. green card on behalf of their young adult children. The rate of return of the EB-5 program for investors is a low-priority item, less important than return of capital.

Psychometric properties of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire in cancer survivors with minor and young adult children.

Although cancer patients with minor children have become more of a focus of psycho-oncological research, little is known about specific parenting concerns. Instruments to assess the concerns and worries of parents with cancer are rare. The Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) addresses this issue. We analyzed parenting concerns in cancer survivors and evaluated the German version of the PCQ. A total of 1416 cancer survivors with minor and young adult children (≤21years) were recruited in a register-based study. Descriptive analyses as well as reliability and validity analyses were conducted. We performed a confirmatory factorial analysis of the factor structure proposed by the authors of the original version on the PCQ. Seventy-three percent of the cancer survivors were women, average age was 47.5years (SD 5.9). Mean time since diagnosis was 44months (SD 23.4). Between 18 and 31% of survivors reported that they were concerned about their children. The PCQ proved to be a reliable and valid instrument showing medium correlations with standardized measures in expected directions and discriminating between survivors with and without use of psychosocial support services. The factor structure was supported by the confirmatory factorial analysis. Assessing parenting concerns gives an additional insight into the situation of parents with cancer. In our sample of cancer survivors, we identified one out of three survivors being concerned regarding the impact of their illness on their children. The PCQ can be considered as a valid and reliable instrument with regard to identifying concerned parents with cancer. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Perceived differences in knowledge about interactive technology between young adults and their parents

This study was designed to investigate generational differences in knowledge about interactive technology (i.e., cell phones, social networking, email, video chat) between parents and their young adult children. Parents (n = 555) and young adults (n = 604) residing in the United States provided information about their knowledge in the use of interactive technology. Young adult children also reported their perceptions of their parents’ technological knowledge for the various technologies. Comparisons of young adult self-reported technological knowledge and their parents’ own reports of technological knowledge revealed that young adults were perceived to be much more knowledgeable than their parents (by both the young adults and their parents) regardless of the technology medium. The largest differences between parents and their young adult children were associated with newer interactive technologies, with the largest gap between parent and young adult knowledge in the area of social networking. Perceived differences between parents and their young adult children were smaller among the technologies that have been in use longer (such as such as e-mail), and larger among the newer modes of interactive technology (e.g., video chat).

Family Communication Patterns and Perceptions of Coparental Communication

This study tested the associations among family communication patterns (i.e., conversation and conformity orientations) and young adults’ perceptions of coparental communication. Participants included 493 young adult children from intact and divorced families. Whereas conversation orientation was positively associated with perceptions of coparental communication quality, conformity orientation was negatively associated with perceptions of coparental communication quality. After controlling for divorce status and number of siblings, conversation orientation was predictive of both supportive and antagonistic coparental communication, although the effect of conversation orientation on antagonistic coparental communication was moderated by conformity orientation.

Family communication for the modern era: a typology

Purpose – This paper aims to offer an interrogation for the purposes of theoretical clarity, precision and validity. Family communication patterns (FCPs) about consumption is a commonly used measure in consumer socialisation. However, it has not been properly assessed for validity in marketing since it was developed in the 1970s. Previously developed and commonly used scales were used to examine communication styles and communication quality to test whether these older measures were still valid and applicable to the modern consumer context. Design/methodology/approach – Critique of extant measures suggested the need for a more precise and contemporary conceptualisation of family communication about consumption. A new conceptualisation was then empirically tested using a psychometric theory approach to scale development. By using a dyadic design, family communication between parents and young adult children in 180 families was examined. Findings – The early concepts are now outdated and do not readily translate into current language and family interaction styles. The terms “socio-” and “concept-orientation” no longer convey the essence of family communication. Contemporary families perceive “socio-oriented” communication as controlling and negative, while “concept-orientation” is seen as encouraging and positive. Thus, the dimensions are more purposefully labelled as encouraging and controlling family communication. A new typology of family communication styles (FCSs) was developed. Originality/value – A new, empirically tested, four-quadrant matrix of FCSs based on consumer socialisation theories is put forward. This includes four distinct communication styles within families, namely permissive (low encouraging and low controlling), prohibitive (low encouraging and high controlling), pluralistic (high encouraging and low controlling) and protective (high encouraging and high controlling) FCSs.

Mass Incarceration, Parental Imprisonment, and the Great Recession: Intergenerational Sources of Severe Deprivation in America

What were the socioeconomic consequences for American youth of having a parent incarcerated during the 2008 Great Recession? We analyze a nationally representative panel study of adolescents who, when interviewed during this recession, were transitioning to and through early adulthood. Young adult children who have had a father or mother imprisoned are at increased risk of experiencing socioeconomic deprivation, including inadequate access to food. We build in this article on recent research showing that postsecondary education has become especially important in determining adult outcomes, and we demonstrate that higher educational attainment reduces intergenerational effects of parental imprisonment. The salient policy implication of this article may be the important protective role of education in reducing unprecedented risks and vulnerabilities imposed by mass parental incarceration.

Coparental Communication With Nonresidential Parents as a Predictor of Children’s Feelings of Being Caught in Stepfamilies

This study tested the degree to which remarried couples’ coparental communication with nonresidential parents predicted young adult children’s feelings of being caught between their parents (i.e., the ex-spouses). Participants included 120 stepfamily triads from the United States. Results indicate that residential parents’ and stepparents’ antagonistic coparental communication with the nonresidential parent are positively associated with young adults’ feelings of being caught, whereas parents’ supportive coparental communication is inversely associated with feeling caught. When combined, coparents’ reports of antagonistic coparental communication account for 22.5% of the shared variance in young adults’ feelings of being caught.

“It didn't kill me. It just made me stronger and wiser”: Silver Linings for Children and Adolescents of Parents with Chronic Pain

Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is a disease that affects adults in their child-rearing years and is often incurable and of indefinite duration. Children and adolescents who live with parental CNCP can endure multiple adversities and experience subsequent emotional and somatic difficulties. Resilience is the ability to overcome adversity and even experience growth. This study is a secondary analysis of qualitative data, which sought to gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which children and adolescents rebound and grow from experiences living with parents who suffer with CNCP. Young adult children (N=30) of parents with CNCP were interviewed. Content analysis yielded five ways in which their experiences led to areas of positive growth: (a) expanded ways of understanding; (b) cultivated a strong character; (c) aided in the development of important skills; (d) instilled a commitment to live well, and; (e) nurtured spirituality. Clinicians who work with children and adolescents whose parents are disabled with CNCP can create environments that foster resilience and serve as a guide by helping these youth recognize potentials that have not yet been actualized and promoting positive change and growth over time.