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Parental problem drinking and children's adjustment: attachment and family functioning as moderators and mediators of risk.

Children's perceived attachments with parents, and family cohesion and adaptability were examined as predictors, mediators, and moderators in the parental problem drinking-child outcomes link. A total of 216 6- to 12-year-olds (110 boys, 106 girls) participated. Data were obtained from children and their mothers, fathers, and teachers. A higher level of family cohesion and adaptability functioned as (a) a robust protective factor against adjustment and cognitive difficulties otherwise associated with problem drinking and (b) a mediator of adjustment problems. Children's perceptions of attachments to mothers and fathers were consistent predictors of behavioral, social, and cognitive problems and further moderated relations between problem drinking and child functioning. The results support that child-parent and family functioning variables act as either pathways and/or vulnerability and protective factors for children exposed to a high-risk environment.

Alcoholism↗

Delinquency and social changes in United Arab Emirates: a comparison study between delinquent males and females on the family functioning questionnaire.

The purpose of this study was to specify descriptive elements of juvenile delinquents in United Arab Emirates (UAE); a comparison between male and female young offenders was also conducted using the Family Functioning Questionnaire (FFQ). The results revealed that some of the characteristics of young offenders were: school dropouts, had parents with no or some elementary education, lived in the city, and came from low income families. The statistical analysis revealed that there were significant differences between males and females on the FFQ subscales. That is, there was a differential treatment of male and female delinquents in the UAE society. Suggestions, implications and limitations for the potential use of the results reported in this study are also discussed.

Adolescent↗

[Family functioning and psychosocial characteristics in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with comorbid oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the parental sociodemographic characteristics, prenatal and postnatal developmental variables, IQ and behavioral disturbances as well as family functioning and current psychiatric disorders in the parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the parents of children with ADHD and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD). METHOD: The sample consists of 92 children in the 6-11 age range, diagnosed with ADHD and ADHD with comorbid ODD/CD using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 4-18 and the Family Assessment Device (FAD) and were interviewed for current psychiatric treatment and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: 69.6% of the sample was diagnosed with ADHD and 30.4% with ADHD + ODD/CD. There were no differences between the two groups with respect to age, intelligence, characteristics of the neonatal period, age of walking and age of speech. Children with ADHD and comorbid ODD/CD had high CBCL subscale scores except for the social withdrawal and sexual problems subscales. Maternal depression and paternal drinking problems were high in the ADHD+ODD/CD group. The families of children with ADHD+ODD/CD also scored high at the level of 'unhealthy functioning' in the Roles and Behaviour Control subscales of the FAD. CONCLUSION: The treatment of children diagnosed with ADHD with comorbid ODD / CD should include parental treatment and intervention addressing parental skills.

Adult↗

Perceptions of family functioning and the occurrence of childhood sexual abuse.

The wide variety of sequelae attributed to childhood sexual abuse has led some authors to posit that it is the complex interaction between the object-relational developmental world of the child and the event and nature of the abuse that determines the enduring effects of the abusive experience. The authors addressed this hypothesis by examining the correlation between the occurrence of childhood sexual abuse and subjects' perceptions of the nature of their childhood family. Results revealed significant differences in the subjects' recollections of family functioning based on abuse status. Abused subjects recalled families that were isolative, rigidly ruled in an authoritarian style, and unable to foster the development of autonomy in family members. The authors discuss the study results in light of the interactions between memories of the childhood family and the experience of sexual abuse.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Influence of family functioning on maternal-fetal attachment.

Although the development of a positive relationship between the mother and infant most likely begins during pregnancy, the correlates of maternal-fetal attachment are poorly understood. This study examined the influence of family functioning on maternal-fetal attachment in a sample of varied ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The authors surveyed 339 pregnant women in their last trimesters with the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales-III (FACES-III), Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFA), and a demographic interview. On the basis of correlational and regression analyses, the demographic variables of parity, ethnicity, age, education, and occupation of primary wage earner correlated significantly with maternal-fetal attachment. When entered in a multiple regression analysis, parity, ethnicity, and occupation explained 12% of the variance in the MFA scores. The FACES-III total score and the subscale scores of adaptability and cohesion also correlated significantly with scores on the MFA and explained an additional 3% of the variance in the MFA beyond that explained by the demographics. Support of positive family dynamics during pregnancy by health care workers may potentially increase the quality of maternal-fetal attachment.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Predictors of caregiver and family functioning following traumatic brain injury: social support moderates caregiver distress.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined predictors of family dysfunction and caregiver distress among 60 pairs of persons who sustained a traumatic brain injury and their caregivers. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design that used hierarchical multiple regression analyses evaluated the relative influences of time since injury, awareness of deficit, and neurobehavioral and neuropsychological functioning of the person with injury, and caregiver perceived social support. RESULTS: The predictor model accounted for 52% of the variance in family dysfunction and 39% in caregiver psychological distress. Neurobehavioral disturbance in the person with injury was the strongest predictor of caregiver distress. Social support showed a direct and linear relationship to family functioning, and it was the strongest predictor of family functioning. Social support was a powerful moderator of caregiver psychological distress. In the absence of adequate social support, caregiver distress increased with longer time after injury, cognitive dysfunction, and unawareness of deficit in care recipients, whereas these characteristics were not associated with distress among caregivers with adequate social support. CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation professionals should stress the importance of caregivers and families of persons with TBI seeking and obtaining adequate social support.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Posttraumatic stress disorder and family functioning in adolescent cancer.

Twenty three adolescents with a history of cancer, 27 physically abused adolescents, and 23 healthy, nonabused adolescents were administered structured posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) interviews and self-report questionnaires regarding family functioning. Thirty five percent of adolescent cancer subjects met criteria for lifetime PTSD as compared to only 7% of the abused adolescents: 17% of the cancer subjects and 11% of the abuse subjects met criteria for current PTSD. Adolescents with cancer viewed their mothers and fathers as significantly more caring and more protective than the comparison and abused adolescents. Cancer subjects who met criteria for lifetime PTSD saw their families as significantly more chaotic than those who did not have PTSD. Eighty three percent of cancer subjects who had lifetime PTSD also had mothers who had PTSD.

Adolescent↗

Understanding gender differences in adolescent drug abuse: issues of comorbidity and family functioning.

Female adolescent drug use has increased dramatically in the last 30 years, and there is a growing consensus that the syndrome of female adolescent substance abuse is different from the well-recognized male pattern. Gender differences in patterns of comorbidity and family functioning were investigated in a sample of 95 youths (42 girls and 53 boys) referred for substance abuse treatment. The findings indicate that male and female adolescent substance users differ in several clinically meaningful ways. The results from a discriminant function analysis indicate that substance-using adolescents referred to treatment are distinguished especially by the greater degree to which girls have internalizing symptoms and family dysfunction. The clinical implications of these gender differences are articulated.

Adolescent↗

Paternal alcohol abuse: relationship between child adjustment, parental characteristics, and family functioning.

This study examines possible risk factors associated with child adjustment in a sample of children with alcohol abusing fathers in Norway (N = 37). Factors included are socio-economic status, severity of the fathers' alcohol abuse, parental psychological problems, and family functioning. Children of alcohol abusing fathers were found to have more adjustment problems assessed by CBCL compared to a general population sample. The findings further suggest that child adjustment in families with paternal alcohol abuse is the result of an accumulation of risk factors rather than the effects of the paternal alcohol abuse alone. Both general environmental risk factors (psychological problems in the fathers, family climate, family health and conflicts) and environmental factors related to the parental alcohol abuse (severity of the alcohol abuse, the child's level of exposure to the alcohol abuse, changes in routines and rituals due to drinking) were related to child adjustment. The results indicate the need to obtain both parents' assessments of child adjustment, as the fathers' assessment was associated with different risk factors compared to the mothers'.

Adjustment Disorders↗

Separation-individuation, family functioning, and psychological adjustment in college students: a construct validity study of the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence.

We evaluated the construct validity of the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA; Levine, Green, & Millon, 1986). Based on a review of the theoretical literature on separation-individuation issues during late adolescence, predictions were made as to how SITA scores would correlate with aspects of family functioning and psychological adjustment. The SITA and a battery of self-report family and adjustment measures were administered to 454 college students (272 females and 182 males; 74% White, 16% African American, and 10% Asian American or Hispanic). Correlational analyses offered partial support for the construct validity of the SITA. Cluster analyses revealed four distinct groups of subjects (anxious deniers, healthy separators, peaceful detachers, and succorance seekers), each with its own coherent set of scores on the SITA and instruments measuring family relations and positive and negative psychological adjustment. Criticisms concerning the labels and composition of the SITA scales are also discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Family functioning and psychopathology among adolescents with severe emotional disturbances.

Family psychosocial functioning and its relation to psychopathology among adolescents with severe emotional disturbances (SED) was assessed. Subjects were 353 adolescents with SED, ages 12-18, and their parents. During a semi-structured interview, adolescents were administered Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III), Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Child Version (DISC-C), and the Self-Derogation Scale. Parents were administered FACES-IIII and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in a phone interview. Results indicated that on the FACES-IIII cohesion dimension, both parents and adolescents perceived their family relations as more disengaged and less connected than did normative families (p less than .001). In contrast, only parent FACES-IIII adaptability scores were significantly more extreme than a normative sample (p less than .01). Additionally, both parent and adolescent cohesion scores were significantly correlated with adolescent psychopathology measures: DISC-C conduct disorder (p less than .01), depression (p less than .05), alcohol/marijuana (p less than .01), and CBCL externalizing symptoms (p less than .01). These relationships did not deviate from linearity.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

New perspectives on retinoblastoma family functions in differentiation.

Cell differentiation is a coordinated process that includes cell cycle exit and the expression of unique genes to specify tissue identity. The focus of this review is the recent progress in understanding the functions of the RB family (RB, p130,p107) in cell differentiation. Much work has focused on the functions of RB in G1 regulation. However, much evidence now suggests a diverse function in differentiation. For discussion, differentiation will be divided into three general steps: cell cycle exit, apoptosis protection, and tissue-specific gene expression. These processes are coordinated to provide the final and unique tissue characteristics. The RB family and targets such as E2F and HBP1 have functions in each step. While there is much knowledge on each separate step of differentiation, the mechanisms that coordinate cell cycle and tissue-specific events are still not known. New evidence suggests that this coordination contains both positive and negative regulation of tissue-specific gene expression. RB. p130, HBP1, and other proteins appear to have unexpected functions in regulating tissue-specific gene expression. The ubiquitous expressions of these proteins suggest membership in a new and general pathway to coordinate cell cycle events with tissue-specific gene expression during differentiation. The collective observations hypothesize the existence of a differentiation checkpoint to insure fidelity.

Adipocytes↗

Family functioning and child abuse potential.

Family conflict and the lack of family cohesion are believed to set a foundation for coercive interactions that increase the likelihood of child abuse. The present study investigated the relationship between the family social environment (Family Environment Scale and Index of Marital Satisfaction) and physical child abuse potential (Child Abuse Potential Inventory) in maltreating (n = 376) and comparison (n = 148) parents. As expected, the strongest positive relationship was between family conflict and abuse potential. The strongest inverse relationships were between family cohesion, family expressiveness, marital satisfaction, and abuse scores, which indicates that the lack of positive interactional patterns is related to abuse potential. However, regression analysis revealed that family interactional patterns did not account for the majority of variance in abuse potential.

Adult↗

Familial functional antithrombin III deficiency.

A family with a tendency to thrombosis and decreased antithrombin III (AT III) activity in plasma, but normal immunoreactive AT III is reported. 7 members of the family had the AT III defect, 4 of whom have had thrombotic episodes. The importance of biological determination of AT III when studying patients with recurrent thrombotic episodes is emphasized.

Adult↗

Childhood chronic disease and family functioning: a study of phenylketonuria.

Families with young children with phenylketonuria (n = 45) were compared with matched comparison families (n = 49) with respect to parental psychologic distress, marital satisfaction, parenting stress, family cohesion and adaptability, and child behavior. Multivariate analyses failed to show significant group differences. Univariate analyses indicated lower levels of adaptability and cohesion for the families with a child with phenylketonuria and evidence of lower levels of social competence in the children with phenylketonuria than in the comparison group. Group differences with regard to parental psychologic distress, marital satisfaction, and parenting stress were not found. The study results provide implications for understanding the impact of childhood chronic disease on families.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Behavioral and emotional adjustment, family functioning, academic performance, and social relationships in children with selective mutism.

This study addressed four questions which parents of children with selective mutism (SM) frequently ask: (1) Is SM associated with anxiety or oppositional behavior? (2) Is SM associated with parenting and family dysfunction? (3) Will my child fail at school? and (4) Will my child make friends or be teased and bullied? In comparison to a sample of 52 community controls, 52 children with SM were more anxious, obsessive, and prone to somatic complaints. In contrast, children with SM were less oppositional and evidenced fewer attentional difficulties at school. We found no group differences in family structure, economic resources, family functioning, maternal mood difficulties, recreational activities, or social networks. While parents reported no differences in parenting strategies, children with SM were described as less cooperative in disciplinary situations. The academic (e.g., reading and math) and classroom cooperative skills of children with SM did not differ from controls. Parents and teachers reported that children with SM had significant deficits in social skills. Though teachers and parents rated children with SM as less socially assertive, neither teachers nor parents reported that children with SM were victimized more frequently by peers.

Achievement↗

Family functioning predictors of adjustment in children with newly diagnosed cancer: a prospective analysis.

Theoretically-driven investigations on the potentially modifiable predictors of individual differences among newly-diagnosed pediatric cancer patients may facilitate the identification of children at risk for adjustment problems. Within a risk and resistance conceptual model, family functioning was investigated concurrently and prospectively as a predictor of adjustment in newly-diagnosed pediatric cancer patients at Time 1 (within 1 month after diagnosis), Time 2 (6 months postdiagnosis), and Time 3 (9 months postdiagnosis). The family relationship dimensions of cohesion and expressiveness most consistently predicted the psychological and social adjustment of children with newly-diagnosed cancer over a 9-month period after initial diagnosis. These findings are discussed in terms of the treatment implications for enhancing child adjustment to newly-diagnosed cancer and biomedical treatment.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Family functioning, peer influence, and media influence as predictors of bulimic behavior.

One hundred and twenty undergraduate women students reported their height and weight and completed the Eating Disorder Questionnaire (EDQ), the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Family Assessment Device (FAD), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), the Body Image Assessment (BIA), and measures of peer and media influence. Family functioning was shown to be a poor predictor of bulimic behavior, whereas peer influence was a significant predictor. Media influence interacted with body dysphoria to increase the likelihood of bulimic behavior. The BSQ was a better predictor of bulimic behavior than the BIA, suggesting that students' responses to a measure that asks questions about specific areas of the body may reflect their feelings of body dysphoria more accurately than a measure that relies on a generalized silhouette.

Journal Article↗