The effects of a health newsletter for foster parents on their perceptions of the behavior and development of foster children

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of endothelin-1 (ET-1; 100 ng. i.c.v.) produced an initial pressor (24%) (peak at 3 min following ET-1 administration) and a delayed depressor (-40%) (30 and 60 min following ET-1 administration) effects in urethane anesthetized rats. The pressor effect of ET-1 was due to an increase (21%) in cardiac output, while the depressor effect of ET-1 was associated with a marked decrease (-46%) in cardiac output. Stroke volume significantly decreased at 30 and 60 min after the administration of ET-1. No change in total peripheral vascular resistance and heart rate was observed following central administration of ET-1. The effects of ET-1 on Blood pressure, cardiac output and stroke volume were not observed in BQ123 (10 micrograms, i.c.v.) treated rats. Blood flow to the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, midbrain and brain stem was not affected at 3 min, but a significant decrease in blood flow to all the regions of the brain was observed at 30 and 60 min following central administration of ET-1. BQ123 pretreatment completely blocked the central ET-1 induced decrease in blood flow to the brain regions. It is concluded that the pressor effect of centrally administered ET-1 is not accompanied by a severe decrease in brain blood flow, however, a subsequent decrease in blood pressure is associated with a decrease in blood flow to the brain. The cardiovascular effects of ET-1 including decrease in brain blood flow are mediated through central ET receptors.     

Caring for children in foster care

Twenty-six patients have had cranio-peritoneal shunts placed using a new introducer allowing the combination of frameless stereotaxy and neuroendoscopy and placement of a one-piece shunt. Operating times have been acceptable, complication rates have been low, and shunt placement has been accurate in this series.     

Parental problem-solving speed as a correlate of intelligence in parents and their adopted and natural children.

300 families of adoptive parents and their 5–15 yr old adoptive and natural children took the age-appropriate form of the WAIS or the WISC. An index of speed of problem solving was obtained for each parent based on the times taken to solve easy problems of the Block Design subtest. Speed of solution correlated .26 with Verbal IQ and .51 with Performance IQ among the parents. Parental speed was then correlated with the subtest scores of their children on the WISC. Although mothers' speed correlated negligibly with the scores of adoptive and natural children, fathers' speed correlated more positively with their natural children's Performance scores than with their adopted children's scores. Results suggest a relationship of parental problem-solving speed to children's intellectual performance. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When children cannot remain home: foster family care and kinship care

Despite the best efforts of child welfare agencies, community agencies, and individuals, some children are not safe in their homes and must be placed in substitute care settings by child welfare authorities. Increasingly, as this article points out, child welfare agencies are placing children in the homes of their relatives rather than in traditional foster family homes (31% of all children in out-of-home care in the early 1990s were living with kin). This article discusses how such factors as the availability of foster homes, the demand for foster care, attitudes toward the extended families of troubled parents, and policies regarding payment for the costs of care have contributed to the rapid growth in kinship foster care. It discusses differences in the personal characteristics of kin and traditional foster parents and in the supports provided to the caregivers by child welfare agencies. Research findings suggest that kinship homes can promote the child welfare goals of protecting children and supporting families, but they are less likely to facilitate the prompt achievement of legal permanence for children. To forge a coherent policy toward kinship caregivers, officials must balance the natural strengths of informal, private exchanges among family members with the power of government agencies to provide both resources and oversight.     

Ethnic stereotypes: Determinants in children and their parents.

Administered a questionnaire to Canadian 9-17 yr olds (n = 157) and their parents (n = 106) to assess stereotypes about English Canadians, French Canadians, and Canadian Indians. In general, results indicate that as children grow older, their stereotypes become more consensual, less evaluative, and more similar to those in the adult community. Factor analyses of reactions to each ethnic-group label conducted separately on the children and adult samples demonstrates independent stereotype and attitude factors. Evidence was obtained which suggested 2 components of ethnic stereotypes, 1 informational and the other evaluational. Implications of this 2-factor model of ethnic stereotypes for understanding their development and change are discussed. (French summary) (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexually and physically abused foster care children and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Considerable debate exists regarding the possible relationship between child abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, 3 groups of foster care children were compared. The groups included 50 sexually abused, 50 physically abused, and 50 nonabused foster care children. Participants completed the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index, the Childhood PTSD Interview, and the Modified Stroop Procedure (MSP), which included sexual abuse and nonsexual abuse stimuli. The MSP has not been previously used in child abuse research. Results indicated that sexually and physically abused children demonstrated PTSD at a high level. The MSP discriminated between the sexually abused children with PTSD and those without PTSD. Responses to the MSP sexual abuse stimuli resulted in significantly longer color-naming times than responses to nonsexual abuse stimuli. Preadolescents demonstrated more severe PTSD than early adolescent children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Delivering health and mental health care services to children in family foster care after welfare and health care reform

As the 20th century draws to a close, fundamental changes in the organization, financing, and delivery of health care and welfare services, principally directed at poor families, are likely to result in an increased number of children entering out-of-home care. These children typically have significant physical, mental health, and developmental problems. Whether the quality of health care services they receive will improve as a result of health care reform efforts and new approaches to service delivery remains to be seen. This article addresses some of the major changes wrought by welfare and health care reform and describes the essential features of a health care system that can meet the special needs of children in care.     

Perspectives of children regarding their participation in psychoeducational decisions.

Presents a brief review of the literature regarding children's involvement in decision making. A study is reported in which statements about participation in psychoeducational decision making were elicited from 32 11–19 yr old students enrolled in a full-day school program for remediation of learning and behavior problems. As part of regular program planning for the next year, Ss were able to choose to be involved, over a period of 3–4 wks, in up to 6 planning and decision-making steps. Findings from pre- and postquestionnaires indicate that a high proportion of the Ss were interested in participating in the decision-making process, perceived themselves as competent to do so, and did not expect negative effects; in addition, the Ss were found to follow through on a high proportion of their choices and to judge their involvement as effective; only 3 Ss indicated experiencing any negative effects. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial care of parents of children with heart disease

The Authors report on two cases of acute aortic occlusion, related to cardiac embolism and thrombosis of aortic aneurysm. The singularity of the etiology adds interest to a pathology which is already, in itself, serious and complex and which requires the intervention of the surgeon, anesthesiologist-reanimator, cardiologist, and nephrologist. The diagnosis is mainly clinical. The use of Doppler and CT scan provide to achieve the diagnosis. Surgical treatment included transfemoral embolectomy, with a Fogarty catheter, in the patient with acute aortic occlusion related to cardiac embolism, and aortobifemoral bypass, in the other patient, affected by thrombosis of aortic aneurysm.     

Follow-up of five severely deprived and malnourished siblings, after their placement in foster care

Five siblings, neglected and malnourished to the extent that they had become nutritional dwarfs, were placed in foster care. Their weights and heights were recorded at the time of placement, and at intervals for the following 6 years. In all cases there was an initial spurt in weight, which lasted for 1 to 2 years. Thereafer, the gains in weight and height continued on lines parallel with, but below the centile lines, except in the cases of the 2 youngest children, both of whom achieved the 3rd centile for weight and approached it for height. The eldest sibling was the most severely dwarfed.     

Behavioral consistency when parents drive their children to preschool

How drivers signal, park, escort their children across a street to a preschool, and depart was videotaped unobtrusively for 39 days, to test for consistency of driver behavior and children's crossing behavior. Data were analyzed for 17 pairs of drivers and children, observed more than ten times under identical conditions. Frequency of identical actions was analyzed on the basis of category systems, whereby a sequence of behavior was broken down into several items. A variety of individual differences and inter-behavioral differences in consistency were detected, and in general drivers were more consistent than children. Drivers' signals and accompanying of children were somewhat inconsistent, while some of their choice behaviors were very stable. Inconsistent behavior was discussed in terms of the lack of or insufficient specification of drivers' and children's schemas. Repeated naturalistic observation can not only identify behavioral consistency and reveal the structure of relevant schemas in daily life but also can predict behavior.     

Type A behavior in children, adolescents, and their parents.

This study examines the relations of Type A scores of parents to Type A scores of their children. Parents' Type A behavior was measured by the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS; Jenkins, Zyzanski, & Rosenman, 1979) and the Framingham scale (FS; Haynes, Levine, Scotch, Feinleib, & Kannel, 1978). Children completed the Hunter-Wolf (HW; Wolf, Sklov, Wenzl, Hunter, & Berenson, 1982) Type A behavior scale. Parent–child correlations were found for father–son pairs only: Fathers' FS scores and overall JAS scores as well as the speed and impatience and the hard-driving competitiveness factors were all found to be related to sons' overall HW Type A scores and the restlessness/aggression factor. These results indicate that fathers may play an important role in the development of Type A behavior in their sons. Parental influences on the development of Type A behavior in daughters remain unclear. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

HIV/AIDS communication among adolescents in psychiatric care and their parents.

The authors examined HIV/AIDS communication among 207 parent-adolescent dyads in psychiatric care to better understand the relationship between family communication and sexual risk behavior in an at-risk population. Dyads reported content and rated quality of family HIV/AIDS discussions, and adolescent sexual risk was assessed. Families discussed transmission, prevention, consequences, myths, and compassion. Parent-reported discussion of consequences was associated with greater sexual risk behavior, but only for girls. Higher quality communication reported by adolescents was associated with less sexual risk. Parents may send different messages about HIV/AIDS to sons versus daughters, and messages related to consequences may not effectively reduce risk among daughters. However, for boys and girls in psychiatric care, teaching parents how to discuss HIV/AIDS may promote safer sexual behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beliefs and their vicissitudes.

Freud's drive theory has been proven to be an untenable model from which to generate ideas about personality, psychopathology, or treatment. Various alternative constructs have been proffered as meaningful replacements for the concept of drive as the central organizer of personality and behavior (e.g., wishes, affects, and schema). Of all the constructs recommended as replacements for drive, the construct of belief encapsulates wishes, affects, and meaning. The construct of belief is discussed as organizing and giving meaning to past experience, current experience, and future expectations. The construct of belief is analyzed from a developmental, dynamic, and structural point of view, and the heuristic value of the construct of belief for psychoanalysis is highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bicultural identification: Experiences of internationally adopted children and their parents.

Little is known about bicultural identity development, a process that is particularly complicated for internationally adopted children. The authors interviewed 8 adoptive families about their cognitive, emotional, and familial experiences. Qualitative analyses showed consistency in the parent and child interviews (conducted independently) and ratings of the children's kinetic family drawings. Themes included parents identifying the family multiculturally, promoting ethnic pride, and worrying about bigotry. Their ways of educating their children about race differed considerably, however. Results also indicated a developmental progression in the children's understanding of ethnicity in relation to adoption. Although the data indicated good psychosocial adjustment and strong family attachments, most of these children struggle with a sense of "being different," and some experience feelings of sadness and loss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cooperative interactions and sharing between very young children and their parents.

Recorded early forms of cooperation and sharing displayed by 12-, 18-, and 24-mo-old children in the course of the children's interactions with their parents in a play setting. Eight children at each age were observed. One 12-, 7 18-, and 7 24-mo-olds engaged the parent in cooperative interchanges characterized by coordinated operations on a mutual array of toys. The children also shared by showing and giving objects to the parent. Showing was recorded for 7 of the 12-mo-olds and all of the older children, and giving was recorded for 4 12-, 8 18-, and 7 24-mo-olds. The sharing data for the 18-mo-olds did not depart reliably from previous findings. Both cooperative interchanges and sharing appeared to increase in frequency in the course of the 2nd year. The 3 behaviors were reliably interrelated. Although the relation of these activities to later sharing and cooperation is unclear, they serve contemporary prosocial functions and provide opportunities for further prosocial learning. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)