Empowering Culturally Diverse Populations Affected by Violence

Handbook of Political Violence and Children ◽

10.1093/oso/9780190874551.003.0014 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 369-391

Author(s):

Jordan Farrar ◽

Theresa S. Betancourt

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Family Functioning ◽

Early Childhood Development ◽

Childhood Development ◽

Refugee Children ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Refugee Families ◽

Do No Harm ◽

Family Based

Family-based preventive interventions have strong potential for promoting family functioning and mental health in children. This chapter reports on one such intervention, the Family Strengthening Intervention (FSI), initially developed and tested in Rwanda to improve communication and parenting in HIV/AIDS-affected families with school-age children. Currently, an early childhood development version of the FSI is being piloted for delivery by lay workers with Rwandan families living in extreme poverty. Because of its flexible nature, the FSI has also been adapted for use with Bhutanese and Somali Bantu refugee families in the Greater Boston area, with overall aims to improve family functioning, improve caregiving practices, and positively impact the mental health of school-age refugee children. While highlighting the innovative nature of this intervention, issues related to feasibility, acceptability, sustainability, and do-no-harm protocols are presented. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future family-based programming.

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How is the COVID-19 lockdown impacting the mental health of parents of school-age children in the UK? A cross-sectional online survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043397 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. e043397

Author(s):

Austen El-Osta ◽

Aos Alaa ◽

Iman Webber ◽

Eva Riboli Sasco ◽

Emmanouil Bagkeris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Female Gender ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact

ObjectiveInvestigate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on feelings of loneliness and social isolation in parents of school-age children.DesignCross-sectional online survey of parents of primary and secondary school-age children.SettingCommunity setting.Participants1214 parents of school-age children in the UK.MethodsAn online survey explored the impact of lockdown on the mental health of parents with school-age children, and in particular about feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Associations between the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale (UCLATILS), the Direct Measure of Loneliness (DMOL) and the characteristics of the study participants were assessed using ordinal logistic regression models.Main outcome measuresSelf-reported measures of social isolation and loneliness using UCLATILS and DMOL.ResultsHalf of respondents felt they lacked companionship, 45% had feelings of being left out, 58% felt isolated and 46% felt lonely during the first 100 days of lockdown. The factors that were associated with higher levels of loneliness on UCLATILS were female gender, parenting a child with special needs, lack of a dedicated space for distance learning, disruption of sleep patterns and low levels of physical activity during the lockdown. Factors associated with a higher DMOL were female gender, single parenting, parenting a child with special needs, unemployment, low physical activity, lack of a dedicated study space and disruption of sleep patterns during the lockdown.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 lockdown has increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness among parents of school-age children. The sustained adoption of two modifiable health-seeking lifestyle behaviours (increased levels of physical activity and the maintenance of good sleep hygiene practices) wmay help reduce feelings of social isolation and loneliness during lockdown.

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