The impact of strength-based interventions on the mobility of families raising children with autism

The birth of a child with autism determines the characteristics of the family in the system of social interactions. The objective of the study is to determine the features of the impact of a strength-centered approach on the mobility of families raising children with autism based on the analysis of the academic literature and through the experimental implementation of the intervention. The study involved 90 parents of children with autism (two control groups consisting of 30 people each and an experimental group consisting of 30 people; the experiment was conducted on the basis of the Training and Rehabilitation Center "Trust" in Lviv). The analysis of the academic literature made it possible to identify different strategies of social support for families, to characterize the approach focused on the strengths of clients. A survey of parents revealed that families raising children with autism have low indicators of social mobility, which is determined by the characteristics of the nosology of autism, the need for care, living with a sense of stigma and autostigma. The intervention lasted for three months and involved the participation of parents in weekly meetings. The results of the experiment substantiate the effectiveness of the use of interventions based on family strengths to improve self-esteem of the quality of life by family members, including increasing social activity of the family, developing skills of interaction with the social environment, reducing guilt and shame, transformation of negative attitudes to cooperation into positive ones, increase in the number of interactions in the life of family members and desire for professional and cultural integration into the life of the community. However, the application of the approach has certain limitations, among which should be noted the need for intrinsic motivation of the family, the risks of ethical or methodological dilemmas for social workers; the threat of regression at the end of participation in the intervention, the impossibility of applying the approach in emergency and short-term forms of work.

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Parental perspective: The role of prostheses and prosthetics services in adjusting to a child’s upper limb difference

Technology and Disability ◽

10.3233/tad-200300 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Tara Sims

Keyword(s):

Coping Strategies ◽

Peer Support ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Family Members ◽

Parental Adjustment ◽

Prosthetic Devices ◽

The Family ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND: The impact of paediatric upper limb difference may extend beyond the child themselves to their parents and other family members. Previous research has found that feelings of shock, numbness and loss are common amongst parents and that peer support can be a buffer against stress. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to explore the experiences of parents of children with limb difference, and the role of services and prosthetic devices in these experiences. METHODS: Nine parents of children with limb difference participated in either a group (n= 2) or individual (n= 7) interview. RESULTS: Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed four themes – ‘grief and guilt’, ‘prosthesis as a tool for parental adjustment’, ‘support’ and ‘fun and humour’. CONCLUSIONS: Parents may employ coping strategies to help them adjust to their child’s limb difference, including use of a prosthesis, accessing support from statutory services and peers, and use of fun and humour within the family.

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Validation of the German version of the Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) to assess the impact of disease on the partner or family member

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-021-01738-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Susanne A. Elsner ◽

Sam S. Salek ◽

Andrew Y. Finlay ◽

Anna Hagemeier ◽

Catherine J. Bottomley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Family Member ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Outcome Measure ◽

Test Validity ◽

Family Members ◽

German Version ◽

The Family ◽

The Difference ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background The Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) assesses the impact of a patient’s chronic illness on the quality of life (QoL) of the patient’s partner or family members. The aim of the study was to translate, explore the structure of and validate the FROM-16. Methods The questionnaire was translated from English into German (forward, backward, four independent translators). Six interviews with family members were conducted to confirm the questionnaire for linguistic, conceptual, semantic and experiential equivalence and its practicability. The final German translation was tested for internal consistency, reproducibility and test validity. Criterion validity was tested by correlating the scores of the FROM-16 and the Global Health Scale (GHS). Principal component analysis, factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the questionnaire’s structure and its domains. Reliability and reproducibility were tested computing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) using one sample t-test for testing the hypothesis that the difference between the scores was not different from zero. Results Overall, 83 family members (61% female, median age: 61 years) completed the questionnaire at two different times (mean interval: 22 days). Internal consistency was good for the FROM-16 scores (Cronbach’s α for total score = 0.86). In those with stable GHS, the ICC for the total score was 0.87 and the difference was not different from zero (p = 0.262) indicating reproducible results. A bi-factor model with a general factor including all items, and two sub-factors comprising the items from the original 2-factor construct had the best fit. Conclusions The German FROM-16 has good reliability, test validity and practicability. It can be considered as an appropriate and generic tool to measure QoL of a patient’s partner or family member. Due to the presence of several cross-loadings we do not recommend the reporting of the scores of the two domains proposed for the original version of FROM-16 when using the German version. Thus, in reporting the results emphasis should be put on the total score. Trial registration: Retrospectively registered: DRKS00021070.

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Social identity and family business: exploring family social capital

Journal of Family Business Management ◽

10.1108/jfbm-04-2015-0018 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 157-181 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Torsten Schmidts ◽

Deborah Shepherd

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Social Identity ◽

Family Business ◽

Social Identity Theory ◽

Identity Theory ◽

Family Members ◽

Content Type ◽

Family Social Capital ◽

The Family ◽

The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use social identity theory to explore factors that contribute to the development of family social capital. Effects are investigated both for the family and the business. Design/methodology/approach – A single in-depth case study focussing on the family unit was coducted within a fourth-generation family business involved in the arts retailing. Findings – The findings suggest that social identity theory is a useful lens to explore the development of family social capital. The six themes identified highlight that there is a normative and an affective dimension, leading to family members’ desire to uphold the status of the business. Evidence suggests that the normative factors may be both positively and negatively related to the development of family social capital, due to their potentially restrictive nature. Originality/value – The paper’s findings imply that social identity can contribute to understanding family dynamics. Evidence highlights various factors for family members that are not involved in the family business to uphold its status. This is attributed to the emotional significance of the business to the family’s identity. Furthermore, this paper suggests that the strong focus on norms and values, which developed gradually, may have adverse effects on the identification with the business and the willingness to uphold its status. Propositions are offered to provide guidance for future research to investigate this controversial evidence regarding the impact of value orientation on family social capital.

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Experience and impact of the 1-2-3 magic parent programme for children with ADHD on the family unit from the mothers’ perspectives: A narrative analysis

Journal of Child Health Care ◽

10.1177/13674935211039933 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136749352110399

Author(s):

Stephanie Allen ◽

Stephen K Bradley ◽

Eileen Savage

Keyword(s):

Narrative Analysis ◽

Family Members ◽

Study Data ◽

Unintended Consequences ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Children With Adhd ◽

Family Unit ◽

The Family ◽

Narrative Constructions ◽

The Impact

Parent programmes are often used in the clinical management of children with ADHD. Research into parent programmes has predominantly been concerned with their effectiveness and much less attention has been paid to the impact that they may be having on the family and the inter-relationships between family members. This study explores the perspectives and experiences of parents of children with ADHD, who participated in a parent programme, including its impact on the family unit. A purposive sample of six mothers of children with ADHD who completed a 1-2-3 Magic parent programme in Ireland was invited to take part in this qualitative study. Data were collected by means of individual in-depth, semi-structured interviews and a narrative inquiry approach further informed analysis of the interview data. Two major narrative constructions of experience: ‘parent programme as positive’ and ‘parent programme as negative’ were identified. Outcomes from this study illustrated some unintended consequences caused by the parent programme (i.e. sibling rivalry and conflict arising between family members). Mothers believed that the parent programme was a beneficial intervention, but it was not without its flaws and they felt it was helpful for their family when used in conjunction with other supports and mediations.

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The Arab Family Strength in Qatar, Jordan and Tunisia

10.5339/difi_9789927137839 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Abdallah Badahdah ◽

◽

Azza Abdelmoneium ◽

John DeFrain ◽

Sylvia Asay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Preliminary Report ◽

Family Members ◽

Community Research ◽

Family Strengths ◽

Research Teams ◽

Family Strength ◽

The Family ◽

The World ◽

Research Findings

All the problems in the world either begin in families or end up in families. Sometimes families create their own problems, and at other times, families are forced to deal with problems that the world has thrust upon them. For this reason, it is imperative that all societies seek to understand families in all their considerable diversity; to protect families; and to help strengthen families through intervention on the level of the family, the immediate community, the nation, and the international community. Research teams were assembled and conducted focus group studies of family members in Qatar, Jordan, and Tunisia. The purpose of this preliminary report is to discuss the qualitative research findings from focus groups with Arab family members in all three countries, revealing their perceptions of Arab family strengths and challenges, and how they see that families under stress can be better supported by society

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COST-BENEFIT RATIO OF RAISING CHILDREN

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.61.6.927 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 61 (6) ◽

pp. 927-927

Author(s):

Martin Harris

Keyword(s):

Child Labor ◽

Social Life ◽

Family Members ◽

Compulsory Education ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Return Flow ◽

Aging Parents ◽

Raising Children ◽

The Family ◽

Wage Earners

"...the motivation to restrict fertility is essentially a question of the balance between the benefits and costs of parenthood. With industrialization, the cost of rearing children increases—especially after the introduction of child labor laws and compulsory education statutes—because the skills which a child must acquire in order to earn a living and be of benefit to its parents take longer to learn. At the same time, the whole context and manner in which people earn their livings becomes transformed. The family ceases to be the locus of any significant form of production activity (other than that of cooking meals and begetting children). Work is no longer something done by family members in or near the family or business. Rather, it is something done at an office, store, or factory in the company of other people's family members. Hence the return flow of benefits from rearing children hinges more and more on their economic success as wage earners and their willingness to help out in the medical and financial crises that parents can expect in their waning years. The availability of painless contraception and the altered structure of economic tasks—the contraception revolution and the job revolution—provide the key to many puzzling aspects of contemporary social life. Longer life spans and spiraling medical costs make it increasingly unrealistic to expect children to give comfort and security to their aging parents. Thus we are in the process of substituting old-age and medical insurance programs for the preindustrial system in which children took care of their aged parents.

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Cognitive Decline and the Changing Self in Relationship

Advances in Psychology, Mental Health, and Behavioral Studies - Psychosocial Studies of the Individual's Changing Perspectives in Alzheimer's Disease ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8478-2.ch003 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 61-75

Author(s):

Darby Morhardt ◽

Marcia Spira

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Family Member ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

Family Roles ◽

The Family ◽

Person With Dementia ◽

The Impact

When a member of a family is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the impact of the disease reverberates throughout the relationships within the family. This paper explores the challenges and strengths within one family as members manage and cope with Alzheimer's disease. The person with dementia and his family members are individually interviewed and each person explores the consequences of the disease on personal well-being as well as the relationships within the family. The family demonstrates how dementia in one family member demands flexibility in family roles as they navigate life through the challenges of living with dementia.

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Impact on the family

Oxford Textbook of Palliative Care for Children ◽

10.1093/med/9780198821311.003.0012 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 111-125

Author(s):

Veronica Dussel ◽

Barbara Jones

Keyword(s):

Social Care ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

Family Unit ◽

Health And Social Care ◽

The Family ◽

Threatening Condition ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Limiting Condition ◽

The Impact

In this chapter, we will focus on the importance of caring for the family of a child with a life-limiting condition (LLC) or life-threatening condition as a unit, each of the family members being integral to the well-being and care of the others. We recognize that the family unit itself is embedded within a wider context including the health and social care system, and more broadly within its society and culture. We discuss the concept of family, exploring the impact of having a child with an LLC, and how families adjust to this. We then expand on considerations about how to offer effective and timely support and help. We have included parents’ narratives with the aim of adding depth to the discussion, and in recognition of the truth of families’ own experiences.

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Impact of family demands and family strengths and capabilities on family well-being and adaptation after critical injury

American Journal of Critical Care ◽

10.4037/ajcc1998.7.5.383 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 383-392 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

JS Leske ◽

MK Jiricka

Keyword(s):

Problem Solving ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

Family Strengths ◽

Family Adaptation ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

The Family ◽

Family Demands ◽

Index Family ◽

Critical Injury

BACKGROUND: Increases in demands on patients' family members that are not reduced by family strengths may contribute to decreases in family adaptation and complicate patients' recovery after trauma. The purpose of this study was to examine family demands (prior stressors and severity of patients' injuries) and family strengths and capabilities (hardiness, resources, coping, and problem-solving communication) associated with outcomes of family well-being and adaptation. METHODS: A multivariate, descriptive design based on the Resiliency Model of Family Stress was used. A convenience sample of family members (N = 51) of adult patients participated within the first 2 days of critical injury. Family demands were measured with the Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes and the Acute Physiology, Age, and Chronic Health Evaluation III. Family strengths were measured with the Family Hardiness Index, Family Inventory of Resources for Management, Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale, and Family Problem Solving Communication Index. Family adaptation outcomes were measured with the Family Well Being Index and Family Adaptation Scale. RESULTS: Increases in family demands were significantly related to decreases in family strengths and family adaptation. Family demands scores accounted for 40% of the variance in family well-being scores. The only significant family strength variable influencing family adaptation was problem-solving communication. CONCLUSIONS: Increases in family demands seem to be an important indicator of the amount of assistance a family may need. Interventions that help mobilize family strengths, such as problem-solving communication, may be effective in promoting the adaptation of families of critically injured patients.

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