Transition to parenthood programmes

Author(s):  
Jane Barlow

For first-time parents, the ‘transition to parenthood’ is a significant period, not only in terms of changes for the parents and the related stress that such changes may involve, but also in terms of the needs of the unborn/newborn baby. This reflects the fact that the perinatal period is now recognized to be a ‘sensitive’ developmental period in terms of the baby’s neurodevelopment and thereby a significant window of opportunity to equalize the life chances of all children. This chapter examines some of the key changes that can occur during the ‘transition to parenthood’ and the potential impact in terms of long-term well-being of the infant and child. Innovative and evidence-based methods of working to support the couple in the transition to parenthood are described, and the effectiveness of such programmes reviewed in terms of both parental and infant well-being.

Author(s):  
Alexis R. Stefaniak ◽  
Jessica M. Blaxton ◽  
C. S. Bergeman

The present study explores differences in daily stress across individuals of varying ages. Specifically, we explore whether age group (young adult, midlife, late midlife, later life) relates to differences in types of stress (family, friends, partner, health, finances, work), total stress exposure, and perceptions of daily stress intensity. Participants from the Notre Dame Study of Health & Well-being (NDHWB; N = 891) completed daily questionnaires assessing negative small life events and perceived stress for 8 weeks. Findings indicated that young adults reported a higher average number of family, spouse, finance, and work-related stress. Additionally, total daily stress was highest among young adults, and perceived stress was lowest among later life adults. Because daily stress relates to long-term mental and physical stress, gaining a better understanding of how individuals at different points in the life span uniquely experience stress can inform intervention and preventative care techniques aimed at promoting optimal well-being.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefaly Shorey ◽  
Yvonne Peng Mei Ng ◽  
An Ling Siew ◽  
Joanne Yoong ◽  
Evalotte M�relius

BACKGROUND Supportive educational programs during the perinatal period are scarce in Singapore. There is no continuity of care available in terms of support from community care nurses in Singapore. Parents are left on their own most of the time, which results in a stressful transition to parenthood. There is a need for easily accessible technology-based educational programs that can support parents during this crucial perinatal period. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe the study protocol of a randomized controlled trial on a technology-based supportive educational parenting program. METHODS A randomized controlled two-group pretest and repeated posttest experimental design will be used. The study will recruit 118 parents (59 couples) from the antenatal clinics of a tertiary public hospital in Singapore. Eligible parents will be randomly allocated to receive either the supportive educational parenting program or routine perinatal care from the hospital. Outcome measures include parenting self-efficacy, parental bonding, postnatal depression, social support, parenting satisfaction, and cost evaluation. Data will be collected at the antenatal period, immediate postnatal period, and at 1 month and 3 months post childbirth. RESULTS Recruitment of the study participants commenced in December 2016 and is still ongoing. Data collection is projected to finish within 12 months, by December 2017. CONCLUSIONS This study will identify a potentially clinically useful, effective, and cost-effective supportive educational parenting program to improve parental self-efficacy and bonding in newborn care, which will then improve parents’ social support–seeking behaviors, emotional well-being, and satisfaction with parenting. It is hoped that better supported and satisfied parents will consider having more children, which may in turn influence Singapore’s ailing birth rate. CLINICALTRIAL International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 48536064; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN48536064 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6wMuEysiO)


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-392
Author(s):  
Lars Brännström ◽  
Bo Vinnerljung ◽  
Anders Hjern

When a child is removed from their home and placed in foster care, society takes over the responsibility for that child’s well-being and development. Failure to provide a child with a nurturing upbringing may have negative consequences for the child as well as for society. Using Swedish longitudinal registry data for a national cohort sample of siblings, in which some were placed in foster care and others remained in their birth parents’ care, this study asks whether long-term foster care ensures improved life chances. Results from multilevel regression analyses of a wide range of educational, social, and health-related outcomes in mature adult age (16 outcome constructs) support a row of previous studies indicating that traditional long-term foster care does not seem to improve maltreated children’s life chances.


2014 ◽  
Vol 472 ◽  
pp. 894-898
Author(s):  
Wen Jiao Xing ◽  
Xue Hua Zhang ◽  
Hong Wei Zhang

Ecological civilization construction is related to not only peoples well-being, but also the long term plan of a countrys development and revitalization. This research applied ant colony clustering algorithm to study the feasibility and key factors of ecological civilization promotion in the college students It is the first time that quantitative method was introduced into the human consciousness research. The results show that college students have known the situation of resources and environmental problems well, which is a advantage for the promotion of ecological civilization concept. However, the role that colleges play in ecological civilization promotion has not performed fully. And above two items are the key factors to promote ecological civilization promotion.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Lewis

This article presents findings from a small-scale qualitative research study exploring the experiences of adoptive parents during adoption transitions – the time between when a match with a child is made until a number of months after placement. What happens during this period can have a bearing on the future success of the placement and long-term well-being of the child. The article seeks to explore the experiences of adoptive parents during this stage of the process in order for practitioners to become better informed about what can make transitions successful. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine parents to capture the narrative of their adoption transition experience. Thematic analysis of the conversations revealed five main themes: rigidity, scrutiny, support, overall reflections and the relationship with the foster carer. The findings suggest that the transition period was a significant but problematic stage in the adopters’ overall adoption journey. Considerable inconsistency in the approach taken to practice in this area affected their experiences. The research highlighted areas of practice which are out of sync with that recommended in the literature; the article concludes with recommendations for promoting consistency.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-136
Author(s):  
Tatiana Stoianova ◽  
Liudmyla Ostrovska ◽  
Grygorii Tripulskyir

The article is devoted to the analysis of domestic violence in the context of Covid-19. The research is carried out for the first time in the focus of several sciences: psychology, sociology, and jurisprudence. To study the legal regulation of domestic violence, knowledge from different branches of law was used: international, criminal, administrative, and civil procedural law. Attention was paid to the historical retrospective—how the concept of domestic violence first appeared at the world level, and how it was differentiated and implemented in the national legislation of the participating countries. The problems of signing the Istanbul Agreement are highlighted. Special attention was paid to the current wave of domestic violence as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The prerequisites of a general psychological, social, and economic nature, their interdependence, and connection with the pandemic were investigated. The scale of the scourge of domestic violence in the context of a pandemic in different countries is indicated, and its short-term and long-term consequences for the well-being of the nation. The specific mechanisms for preventing family violence at three levels are considered: general criminogenic, a comprehensive mechanism for preventing violence at the level of interaction between the state and public organizations, and directly special means. The study concludes that Covid-19 pandemic has a direct impact on the exacerbation of domestic violence. The solutions are proposed, from legislative amendments to the redistribution of state and public forces to address the problem of domestic violence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-187
Author(s):  
Rajkumar Hajra

Abstract. Long-term variations in the relativistic (∼MeV) electrons in the Earth's radiation belt are explored to study seasonal features of the electrons. An L-shell dependence of the seasonal variations in the electrons is reported for the first time. A clear ∼6 month periodicity, representing one/two peaks per year, is identified for 1.5–6.0 MeV electron fluxes in the L shells between ∼3.0 and ∼5.0. The relativistic electron flux variation is strongest during solar cycle descending to minimum phases, with weaker/no variations during solar maximum. If two peaks per year occur, they are largely asymmetric in amplitude. The peaks essentially do not have an equinoctial dependence. Sometimes the peaks are shifted to solstices, and sometimes only one annual peak is observed. No such seasonal features are prominent for L<3.0 and L>5.0. The results imply varying solar/interplanetary drivers of the radiation belt electrons at different L shells. This has a potential impact on the modeling of the space environment. Plausible solar drivers are discussed.


Author(s):  
Kim I. van Oorsouw ◽  
Malin V. Uthaug ◽  
Natasha L. Mason ◽  
Nick J. Broers ◽  
Johannes G. Ramaekers

Abstract Background and aims There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the psychedelic plant tea, ayahuasca, holds therapeutic potential. Uthaug et al. (2018) demonstrated that a single dose of ayahuasca improved mental health sub-acutely and 4-weeks post-ceremony in healthy participants. The present study aimed to replicate and extend these findings. A first objective was to assess the sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on mental health and well-being in first-time and experienced users. A second aim was to extend the assessment of altered states of consciousness and how they relate to changes in mental health. Method Ayahuasca ceremony attendants (N = 73) were assessed before, the day after, and four weeks following the ceremony. Results We replicated the reduction in self-reported stress 4-weeks post ceremony, but, in contrast, found no reduction in depression. Also, increased satisfaction with life and awareness the day after the ceremony, and its return to baseline 4 weeks later, were replicated. New findings were: reduced ratings of anxiety and somatization, and increased levels of non-judging 4-weeks post-ceremony. We replicated the relation between altered states of consciousness (e.g., experienced ego dissolution during the ceremony) and mental health outcomes sub-acutely. The effects of ayahuasca did not differ between experienced and first-time users. Conclusion Partly in line with previous findings, ayahuasca produces long-term improvements in affect in non-clinical users. Furthermore, sub-acute mental health ratings are related to the intensity of the psychedelic experience. Although findings replicate and highlight the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, this needs to be confirmed in placebo-controlled studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1938-1956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Lévesque ◽  
Véronique Bisson ◽  
Laurence Charton ◽  
Mylène Fernet

Author(s):  
Antonio Bruno ◽  
Laura Celebre ◽  
Carmela Mento ◽  
Amelia Rizzo ◽  
Maria Catena Silvestri ◽  
...  

The transition to parenthood is considered to be a major life transition that can increase the vulnerability to parental depressive disorders, including paternal perinatal depression (PPND). Although it is known that many fathers experience anxiety and depression during the perinatal period, PPND is a recent diagnostic entity and there are not enough published studies on it. Accordingly, its prevalence and epidemiology are still not well defined, although the majority of studies agree that PPND is less frequent than maternal perinatal depression and postpartum depression. Nevertheless, PPND is different from maternal perinatal mental health disorders, usually, fathers have less severe symptoms, and mood alterations are often in comorbidity with other affective disorders. Despite the absence of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and the fluctuation of prevalence rates, clinical symptoms have been defined. The main symptoms are mood alterations and anxiety, followed by behavioral disturbances and concerns about the progress of pregnancy and the child’s health. Moreover, PPND negatively impacts on family functioning, on couples’ relationships, and on family members’ well-being. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the current understandings on PPND and the potential screening, prevention, and treatment options.


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