Parent ADHD Is Associated With Greater Parenting Distress in the First Year Postpartum

Objective: Little is known about the experience of parenting infants when a mother or father has ADHD. This study examined cross-sectional predictors of parenting distress experienced by parents with and without ADHD who also have infants. Methods: Participants were 73 mother-father pairs ( N = 146) of infants 6 to 10 months old. Half of the families included a parent with ADHD. Psychosocial predictors were tested using multilevel modeling. Results: Parent or partner ADHD, lower parent sleep quality, fewer social supports, and less infant surgency and effortful control were associated with greater parental distress. Infant negative affect and sleep were not associated. Conclusions: Parents with ADHD and their partners experience greater parenting distress in the first year of their child’s life than parents without ADHD. Addressing parent ADHD symptoms and co-occurring difficulties, including sleep disturbances, are potential targets for early interventions to maximize both parent and infant mental health outcomes.

Cultural distance and expatriates’ psychological adjustment: the moderating role of perceived social supports

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between cultural distance and psychological adjustment of expatriates in Nigeria and perceived social supports moderating the relationship. Design/methodology/approach The study used a cross-sectional survey research design. Data were collected through 236 validly filled questionnaires by expatriates working in different industries in Nigeria. The research variables were measured using appropriate validated scales developed by different experts. Data collected were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to establish the relationships among the variables. Findings The study found that the distance between expatriates’ home and Nigeria on each of the dimensions of cultural values: power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance cultural value, long-term orientation and indulgence negatively influence the psychological adjustment of the expatriates in Nigeria. The study demonstrated that the larger the distance between expatriates’ home and Nigeria's cultural values, the larger the difficulties in the psychological adjustment of expatriates in the country. Practical implications This study provides useful insights and a better understanding to both present and future global human resource practitioners, multinational organizations, international institutions and local organizations operating in Nigeria with a global mindset on the cultural profiles of expatriates that are critical to adjust to working, social interactions and living environments in Nigeria. Originality/value It provides practical guidance to global human resource practitioners and employers on dimensions of cultural values distance between Nigeria and the home countries of expatriates that should be considered when deciding on, searching for, selecting, recruiting and relocating expatriates to work and live in Nigeria.

Themes describing social isolation in family caregivers of people living with dementia: A scoping review

Introduction The number of people with dementia has been increasing. Evidence shows that over 16 million family caregivers provide unpaid care for people with dementia. However, family caregivers experience several challenges throughout their caregiving role, including that of social isolation. Although social isolation in people with dementia has been well documented, social isolation in their family caregivers has not received as much scholarly attention. This scoping review sought to address this dearth of research through the following research question: “What are themes, concepts, or constructs that describe social isolation of family caregivers for people living with dementia?”. Method An electronic search was conducted in PubMed, PsycInfo, and Scopus, using the following Boolean search phrase: dementia AND “social isolation” AND (caregiver OR carers). Content analysis was conducted to identify relevant themes. Findings The initial search yielded 301 studies. Through screening processes, 13 studies were eligible for review. Based on a synthesis of evidence, five themes emerged from the data: disease progression, psychological state, social networks, social supports, and technology. Discussion This review demonstrates that caregiving is related to social isolation in family caregivers of people living with dementia. The experience of social isolation was related to the progression of dementia, psychological states, and lack of supports. In contrast, social supports, social networks, and using technology may reduce social isolation. Identifying themes provides policy and practice implications, such as using information and communication technology to create and redefine social networks.

Social support role of occupational safety and health implementation in informal sector during COVID-19 pandemic

This study was conducted in a limestone processing site in Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta, with One group pretest-posttest design. The study was initiated by OSH training for social supports done by competent health cadres. There were 8 social supports from fellow workers (peer support) and 29 social supports from family members (family support). These social supports assisted workers during 4 weeks. Data was collected by using three scales i.e. Scale of OSH knowledge (8 items, Coeficient Alpha Cronbach Reliability 0.800), attitude towards OSH scale (10 items, Reliability 0.917) and Practice of OSH Scale (10 items, Reliability 0.804). Data was collected before and after role assistance by social supports. Data analysis was done by the Wilcoxon sign rank test (alpha: 0.05). The results showed that there was an increase in the average knowledge of OSH from 7.77 to 8.89 (p<0.05), attitudes towards OSH from 26.23 to 30.76 (p<0.05), and OSH implementation from 25.00 to 28.83 (p< 0.05). It was proven that the involvement of social supports from peer as well as family could increase knowledge, attitude and OSH practice of limestone processing workers. To increase the accuracy of the study result, it is advisable that the further study use a control group.

Stoic Grit and Resilience

The Stoics argue, contrary to popular belief, that resilience and grit depend on strong social supports. Marcus Aurelius paints a chilling image in the Meditations: Without each other, individuals are like severed body parts strewn on a battlefield. They can’t function well or at all. Social connection works through shared reason and through emotions, which are themselves kinds of cognitions. Seneca’s Letters, based on an intimate epistolary relationship with young Lucilius, exemplifies the important role of emotional attachments for good living. Hierocles pictures bringing distant others into one’s orbit through repeated acts of empathy and imagination. In Hercules Rages, Seneca shows that grit depends on more than physical strength or inner toughness. In the face of a horrific tragedy, Hercules learns that to sustain his heroic courage he needs mercy that he can’t show himself. Others must model it for him. He must lean on them for his own sanity and strength.

ECE Program Supports and Teacher-Perceived Support from Families: Are They Connected?

According to the Conservation of Resources theory of stress, early care and education (ECE) teachers who receive greater tangible and interpersonal supports from their workplaces will be more positive and effective in their roles. This may translate to them perceiving or eliciting greater support from families, which is a key component to family engagement, a growing area of study in the ECE landscape. This study explores whether four program-level supports (benefits, professional development supports, teacher social supports, program-level family involvement activities) are associated with teacher-perceived support from families. The hypothesis was that all four will be positively associated. This study uses survey data from 102 preschool teachers and 13 preschool program directors in urban areas of two US states. We use ordinary least squares regression with cluster-robust standard errors and a stepwise build-up modeling procedure to determine associations between independent and dependent variables. While teacher social supports had the expected positive association with teacher-perceived support from families, family involvement activities were negatively associated. Our findings suggest that programs looking to improve family engagement may consider interpersonal/cultural supports for teachers and the larger school community. All else equal, simply offering more family involvement activities may not improve engagement culture.