Making homework work at home: the parent's perspective

This article views homework through the eyes of parents in a rural area whose children with disabilities spent a majority of their time in general education classrooms. The qualitative analysis of data from individual interviews, focus groups, and parent action research logs yielded five themes: (a) Parents felt ill-prepared to help their children with homework; (b) parents wanted more information about the classroom teachers' expectations of their child and of their roles as parents in helping with homework; (c) parents wanted their children to be given individualized homework assignments; (d) parents valued hands-on homework and projects in which the whole family could participate; and (e) parents wanted a two-way communication system that would allow them to become partners on their child's instructional team.     

Experiences of parents of children with congenital limb differences with health care providers: A qualitative study.

This article describes a qualitative, participatory action research study based in grounded theory, in which an online survey was developed and utilized to explore and generate suggestions for further research about the needs and health care experiences of parents of children with congenital limb differences (CLD) during the first year of the child’s life. Participants: Fifty parents completed an online survey that was developed through review of themes in the literature and input from people with CLD and their families. Primarily with open-ended questions, the survey targeted the respondents’ perceptions of the attitudes and approaches of health care providers. Results and Discussion: Results indicate that parents consistently commented on three main areas of interaction with health care providers: attitudes, information, and emotional or psychological support. Research hypotheses generated from the data are presented. Implications and suggestions for future directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Significant elements of community involvement in participatory action research: evidence from a community project

Participatory action research (PAR) has been heralded as an important research methodology to address issues of research relevance, community involvement, democracy, emancipation and liberation. Increasingly, nurse researchers are turning to PAR as a method of choice. Although nursing interest in PAR is expanding little is known about how to successfully involve the community in research. This article attends to this dearth of information by presenting the results of a study investigating the significant elements of community involvement in PAR. Through the use of qualitative research methods, five themes emerged that describe the community participation process: (a) planning for participation, (b) the structural components of community participation, (c) living the philosophy, (d) enhancing the credibility, and (e) the type of leadership required to facilitate community participation. It is hoped that by sharing these results others may consider the knowledge gleaned from this project as they plan and proceed with the challenges and rewards inherent in PAR.     

What kind of information does the health services give to children with asthma and their parents?

Good information to families who have children with bronchial asthma is essential for treatment and in helping the family to cope. The aim of this study was to find out what kind of information the parents meant they had received, their knowledge about asthma, and what sanitary measures had been taken at home. A questionnaire was sent to all children (N = 431) who, during a five year period, were entered into the records of the Department of Paediatrics, Innherred Hospital, Norway, with the diagnosis bronchial obstruction. A selected group of 55 children and their parents were also interviewed. The results showed that the parents were not satisfied with the information they had received about the illness and about effects and side effects of the medication. Furthermore, their knowledge about these matters was not satisfactory, judged both by themselves and by the interviewer. It was more difficult to quit smoking or to stop keeping animals than to do extra cleaning at home. Few parents were informed about their possibilities of receiving financial support and about patient organisations. Only in a few cases did the health service provide the school with information on the child's disease.     

Beyond the birds and the bees and was it good for you?: Thirty years of research on sexual communication.

Sexual experience and expression is of fundamental importance to most people. However, most people do not communicate effectively about sexuality even when it is important to do so. For example, many parents see it as their responsibility to talk to their children about sexuality and yet do not engage in in-depth discussions with their children about sexual topics. Most romantic partners have difficulty telling each other what pleases and displeases them sexually. Many health care professionals do not meet their patients' needs for information about the sexual changes they experience as a result of their disease or treatment. Many psychologists also are not doing a good job of addressing sexuality in the classroom, in practicum and internship settings, and/or with clients. These instances of poor sexual communication are unfortunate as effective sexual communication can have a range of positive outcomes such as more satisfying relationships and positive sexual health and well-being over the life span. This paper reviews sexual communication in all of these contexts, focusing on findings from my program of research spanning more than 30 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are expectations for care related to the receipt of care? An analysis of parent care among disabled elders

This investigation explores the relationship between the degree to which older parents expect assistance from their children and the actual amount of care they receive from their children. Combining the theories of reasoned action and intergenerational solidarity, we hypothesize that global expectations (social norms about receiving care) influence specific expectations (behavioral intentions to seek care), but that it is specific expectations that influence the amount of care received from children. Data were collected at three points over a 12-month period among a sample of impaired older parents (65+) who lived independently in community settings (n = 334). Using structural equation models, the results were consistent with the hypothesis. We conclude that the theory of reasoned action is a useful adjunct to the theory of intergenerational solidarity by proposing that parents adjust their global expectations to reflect the specific realities of the lives of their children.     

Children's understanding of adoption: Developmental and clinical implications.

Because adopted children are overrepresented in mental health settings, their parents often consult psychologists to help them understand and manage some of the unique developmental and childrearing challenges they commonly face. One of the most frequent issues raised by these parents is talking with their children about adoption. This article provides a developmental framework for helping psychologists understand the way children comprehend adoption and the implications of their adoption knowledge for psychological adjustment. It also provides psychologists with useful guidelines for supporting parents to meet the challenges of discussing adoption with their children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practicing Participatory Action Research.

This article provides an overview of several core theoretical and practical aspects of participatory action research (PAR). An effort is made to define PAR and the types of work that fall under that rubric. Historical underpinnings, roles of the individuals involved, contexts, methods, and the challenges and benefits of this mode of inquiry are discussed. The authors argue that the approach and mindset of the researcher, referred to here as a type of "attitude," are key in the development of a successful and genuine participatory process. The authors situate PAR methodology within psychology and, more specifically, propose it as an approach to knowing that has the potential to make significant contributions in areas relevant to counseling psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pantropic retroviral vector integration, expression, and germline transmission in medaka (Oryzias latipes)

The study focuses on adult children (n = 81) having the main responsibility for parents with dementia (study group). They were compared with children (n = 102) of non-demented parents (reference group). The children were interviewed about burden experienced. The interviews also secured information about the children's co-operation with the informal and formal network and their willingness to remain as caregivers during the progression of the disease or ageing process. The results showed that the daughters reported feeling more affection in their caregiving role than the sons. About one third of the participants in the study could not get relief from someone else. Eighty-nine per cent of the children in the study group and 76% of the children in the reference group were not willing to care for their parents in the family home during the progression of the disease, even if they were employed as caregivers.     

Parents with human immunodeficiency virus infection: perceptions of their children's emotional needs

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the likelihood of patients who have human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) being parents and to identify concerns of these parents about their children. DESIGN: A survey was conducted of parental status, demographics, perceptions of social/emotional needs of self and one's children. Responses were analyzed for demographic differences. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 242 patients from the university HIV/AIDS clinics completed the survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parental status, number, and ages of children, parental concerns about their children related to their own HIV/AIDS: RESULTS: Nearly one third (31.8%) of the sample of HIV/AIDS patients were parents, and three fourths (76%) of the female patients were mothers. Slightly more than one third of these were married, and these were not predominantly families who also had infected children. The percentage of women in the parent subsample (40.8%) was higher than the percentage of women in the overall patient sample (16.7%). Only half of the parents reported that their children > 4 years of age knew of their diagnosis. Two thirds of the parents reported they believed their children did not need to talk to someone about their parent's health, and nearly half of the parents reported that they did not need help dealing with their children concerning issues related to AIDS. CONCLUSION: The percentage of HIV/AIDS patients who are parents is high, and parental status and emotional needs of parents and their children will likely become an increasingly important issue. Many questions are raised by our findings. Should we be concerned that many parents have been unable to talk to their children about their own health? Should we help parents acknowledge that their children may need some outside help to cope?     

Trauma and disaster as life disrupters: A model of computer-assisted psychotherapy applied to adolescent victims of the Chernobyl disaster.

This article reports on a computer-based, psychologist-assisted technology for addressing posttraumatic responses in Chernobyl-disaster-affected children. Mental health professionals who worked with this population reveal substantially distorted thoughts and feelings about the children's past, present, and future more than others of their age. Chernobyl-affected and evacuated children are aware that they can never return to their homes, illnesses may befall them in childhood, their parents may die sooner than normal, and that their environment is poisoned. The LifeLine psychotherapeutic software program (available from A. Kronik), which is based on the goal-and-causal theory of psychological time is described and suggestions are given for further school-based intervention and prevention services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Knowledge and information about ADHD: evidence of cultural differences among African-American and white parents

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered the most common child psychiatric disorder in the United States of America. Despite the high prevalence (estimated at 3-5%), little is known about the level and source of knowledge about ADHD among those affected by the disease, and about cultural and ethnic variations in knowledge levels and information sources. This represents a serious deficit, because health behavior, including demand for health services, is thought to be strongly influenced by knowledge or beliefs held by individuals and their networks. Furthermore, recent research suggested minority children may be less likely to receive services for ADHD. To examine possible differences in ADHD knowledge and information source, a sample of 486 African-American and white parents of children at high risk for ADHD were surveyed by telephone and subsequently participated in face-to-face interviews addressing their explanatory models of ADHD. Results revealed significant ethnic differences in knowledge and sources of information about ADHD. Fewer African-American parents than white parents indicated that they had ever heard of ADHD (69% compared to 95%, P < 0.001), or that they knew some or a lot about it (36% compared to 70%, P < 0.001) African-American parents were more likely to attribute ADHD to excessive sugar in the diet than whites (59% compared to 30.0%, P < 0.001). Finally, even though the physician was listed as the most preferred information source for both groups, only 17.5% of African-American parents reported they had received information about ADHD from the physician compared to 29% of whites (P < 0.01). African American parents reported less use of and less preference for written informational materials (newspapers, journals, library) than white parents. We conclude that substantially more research should be undertaken to examine the relationship between ethnicity and ADHD knowledge, to inform culturally appropriate education campaigns and to improve access to services for this important treatable child mental health condition.     

Guiding parents toward helpful resources: A role for professionals.

Examines the usefulness of various kinds of materials (e.g., information regarding community resources, literature about other families, self-help materials) given to parents of children with congenital retardation. Psychologists are encouraged to direct parents toward appropriate action. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Filial maturity. A view of developmental psychology on the relations between adult children and their weak aged parents

With this article we would like to contribute to the elaboration and clarification of the concept of filial maturity. We first roughly outline how the concept has been used during the past 30 years to describe the nature and quality of the adult child-parent relationship. The concept is analysed in more detail. We argue that filial maturity can be placed in a developmental psychological perspective. This means that it has to be conceived as a specific maturity in the filial role and that some arguments can be given to explain the developmental psychological character of the concept. In view of the theoretical and clinical applicability of the construct we prefer to consider filial maturity as a non-age-graded developmental task within the context of filial care of adult children for their aged parents. Within this context of parent care we propose a (new) definition of the concept and differentiate it from other related constructs. Our definition highlights three important dimensions which refer to the way the adult children engage in the relationship with their parents: (a) they behave in an empathetic and responsive way in the intergenerational relationship, without role-reversal, (b) they take care of their aged parents without loosing their own autonomy, and (c) they respect their parents in their autonomy and enduring parental role.     

The birds and the bees: an analysis of advice given to parents through the popular press

There is a growing need for parents to communicate with their adolescents about sexuality, as teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise. Many parents indicate that they lack information and feel uncomfortable communicating with their children about sex. The popular press regularly publishes articles on parenting issues, including how to discuss sex. In this study, 26 articles from 1984 to 1993 were reviewed, and the tone, quality of information, and advice given to parents on how to communicate were analyzed. The articles reflected current research regarding parent-child sexual communication and provided much more detailed advice about how best to approach the topic with an adolescent. However, readership seemed to be primarily white and mothers in traditional families, and little advice was offered on how to handle more difficult issues, such as contraception and AIDS. The findings suggest that the popular press could serve as an informational vehicle for educating both youth and parents about sexuality and how to have productive discussions regarding this issue.     

Brain metastasis model in athymic nude mice using a novel MUC1-secreting human breast-cancer cell line, MA11

OBJECTIVES: This study explored parental attitudes about their interactions with their children's providers when decision making involved critical life situations. We evaluated parents' attitudes regarding the following questions: What was the parents' understanding of their children's health care issues, and what was the parental perception of the professionals' understanding of their children and of themselves? Who should be the principal decision makers for the children? What was the parents' knowledge about advance directives? Did parents want to participate in a process of advance planning to assist with critical life decision making for their children? METHODS: We surveyed all parents attending a conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for parents of children with special needs. The questionnaire was provided to all parents attending the conference. An announcement was made at the conference requesting parental participation. The 76 respondents constitute a convenience sample of parents of children with special needs sufficient for this preliminary stage of investigation. RESULTS: Of 177 parents attending the conference, 76 (43%) completed the questionnaire. Eighty-eight percent of the participants strongly agreed that they understood their children's conditions. Twenty-one percent stated that they had sufficient understanding of their children's future medical needs, and 21% thought that they had a sufficient understanding of their children's developmental potential. Ninety-nine percent of parents strongly agreed that physicians should share information with parents no matter how serious or potentially upsetting. Ninety-four percent of those parents who thought that their children's physicians understood their own needs also thought that the physicians understood their children's needs. In contrast, only half (55%) of those parents who thought the physicians did not understand their needs thought the physicians understood their children's needs. Ninety-two percent of parents who thought that the physicians understood their needs agreed that the physicians would make the best decisions in crises versus 60% of those who did not think the physicians understood their needs. Seventy-four percent stated that they would consider written guidelines for their children that dealt with critical life situations. All parents who thought their children's conditions were not understood wanted written guidelines. Of those parents who had thought their children would not survive (15 parents), 94% wanted written guidelines. All seven parents who had been told their children would not survive wanted written guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Parents in this study were generally satisfied with care being provided to their children. Nevertheless, the results clearly suggest goals that could lead to improved capacity for parents and providers to make critical life decisions for and with children. First, physicians must understand the needs of parents to be able to make decisions that would be in the children's best interests. Second, parents should participate fully in critical life decisions for their children and should use written guidelines to assist with the process of these critical life decisions. Our findings strongly support the development of a longitudinal process, initiated early after the onset or discovery of illness and maintained longitudinally throughout the course of a child's illness, to help parents and providers work together in this vital area of health care to children.     

The Treatment of Dissociation in Sexually Abused Children From a Family/Attachment Perspective.

This article outlines an approach to treatment of sexually abused children with dissociative symptoms. Dissociated self-states are seen as competing interpersonal approaches to handling the many emotional sequela of abuse, including anger, fear, and regressive needs. Parents' responses to their sexually abused children, complicated by guilt and their own histories of trauma, can promote dissociative coping in the children as they have difficulty processing their own real feelings of anger, fear, and responsibility. Children and parents may alternatively take victimizer, victim, and rescuer roles, thus mutually reinforcing a dissociative style of coping with these events. This article illustrates how sensitivity to these family dynamics, along with a problem-solving approach to the child's symptoms, can treat dissociative psychopathology in these children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of the primary care physician in the care of children with serious heart disease

OBJECTIVE: To determine the roles of primary care physicians and specialists in the medical care of children with serious heart disease. SETTING: Pediatric Cardiology Division; Tertiary Care Children's Hospital. SUBJECTS: Convenience sample of parents, primary care physicians, and pediatric cardiologists of 92 children with serious heart disease. DESIGN: Questionnaire study; questionnaires based on 16 medical care needs, encompassing basic primary care services, care specific to the child's heart disease and general issues related to chronic illness. RESULTS: All children had a primary care physician (PCP), and both they and the parents (P) reported high utilization of PCP for basic primary care services. However, there was little involvement of PCP in providing care for virtually any aspect of the child's heart disease. Parents expressed a low level of confidence in the ability of PCP in general or their child's own PCP to meet many of their child's medical care needs. Both PCP and pediatric cardiologists (PC) were significantly more likely than parents to see a role for PCP in providing for care specific to the heart disease as well as more general issues related to chronic illness. PC and PCP generally agreed about the role PCP should play, although PC saw a bigger role for PCP in providing advice about the child's activity than PCP themselves did. PC were less likely to see the PCP as able to follow the child for long term complications than PCP did. PC were more likely than PCP to believe that PCP were too busy or were inadequately reimbursed to care for children with serious heart disease. Only about one-third of parents reported discussing psychosocial, family, economic, or genetic issues with any provider, and PCP were rarely involved in these aspects of chronic illness. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care physicians do not take an active role in managing either the condition-specific or the more general aspects of this serious chronic childhood illness. With appropriate information and support from their specialist colleagues primary care physicians could provide much of the care for this group of children. Generalists and specialists are both responsible for educating and influencing parents about the role primary care physicians can play in caring for children with serious chronic illness.     

The interaction of parent and child gender in physical child maltreatment.

Assessed cross-generational patterns of physical child maltreatment taking the gender of both parents and child into consideration, and the experience of shame regarding one's own physically abusive behaviors. 1536 parents (mean age 47 yrs) and their 983 children (mean age 18 yrs) were administered the Conflict Tactics Scale (M. A. Straus, 1989) along with other questionnaires to gather information on aggressive behavior, shame experienced in abusing their children and demographic data. The parents were categorized as physically abusive or nonabusive if both parent and child ratings of the parents' behavior were in agreement. Results show that parents received more physical child maltreatment from their own same gender parent than from opposite gender parents. Among the abusive parents, the more maltreatment they received as children by the same gender parent, the less shame they felt for using such punishment on their own children. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parents' attitudes toward their child's therapist and therapy.

Parents of children in therapy typically have strong feelings and thoughts about their child's treatment, and their cooperation and support is often a critical aspect of successful treatment. Recent literature, in conjunction with the results of a small-scale study of 51 parents of children currently in treatment, suggests that contrary to classic psychoanalytic literature, parents experience primarily positive attitudes and feelings toward their child's therapist; they tend to feel hopeful, understood, and grateful. For the sake of both promoting and preserving therapeutic gains, therapists should actively pursue an alliance with parents and encourage their participation in their child's treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)