A randomized-controlled examination of the effect of cognitive reappraisal instruction on maternal accommodation of child anxiety symptoms

Parental accommodation plays a key role in the maintenance of child anxiety, yet much of the research to date has been correlational, making it difficult to draw conclusions about underlying mechanisms. Given preliminary evidence that parental beliefs play a role in parental accommodation, the present study sought to experimentally reduce accommodation by targeting parental attitudes about child anxiety. Mothers of children ages 4–9 (N = 47) were randomly assigned to either receive brief instruction in cognitive reappraisal (EXP) or to a control intervention in which they received no instruction (CON). At pre- and post-intervention mothers were presented with bogus information that their child was experiencing varying levels of distress while completing a task in a nearby room. Maternal distress, negative affect and perceived likelihood of accommodation in the context of child distress were measured pre- and post-intervention. EXP mothers reported greater pre- to post-intervention decreases in distress and perceived likelihood of accommodation, compared to CON mothers. EXP and CON mothers showed similar changes in negative affect. Findings from this study provide preliminary experimental evidence that targeting maternal beliefs about child anxiety can result in changes in maternal distress and behavior following exposure to child distress. Implications for prevention and treatment are discussed.     

脑瘫儿童父母睡眠质量的调查分析

目的 了解脑瘫儿童父母的睡眠情况.方法 采用匹兹堡睡眠质量指数(Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,PSQI)量表作为调查工具,对36例脑瘫儿童的父母和36例正常儿童的父母的睡眠情况进行调查.结果 脑瘫儿童父母睡眠质量问题报告率为34.72％,正常儿童父母睡眠质量问题报告率为19.44％,差异有统计学意义(x2=4.255,P＜0.05).脑瘫儿童父母PSQI总分(5.72±3.54 vs 3.19±2.76,t=3.380,P＜0.01)、主观睡眠质量(1.33±0.83 vs 0.78±0.34,t=3.371,P＜0.01)、入睡时间(1.28±0.88 vs 0.72±0.36,t=3.027,P＜0.01)、睡眠时间(1.16±0.72 vs l.01±0.62,t=2.278,P＜0.05)、睡眠障碍(1.23±0.56 vs 0.75±0.28,t=2.949,P＜0.01)得分与正常儿童父母相比,差异有统计学意义；脑瘫儿童母亲PSQI总分(6.21±0.85 vs 4.32±0.73,t=3.380,P＜0.01)、主观睡眠质量(1.14±0.73 vs 0.89±0.66,t=2.986,P＜0.01)、入睡时间(1.22±0.81 vs 0.96±0.83,t=2.853,P＜0.01)、睡眠时间(1.09±0.66 vs 0.85±0.71,t=2.136,P＜0.05)、睡眠障碍(1.15±0.63 vs 0.83±0.62,t=2.513,P＜0.01)、日间功能影响(1.19±0.43 vs0.88±0.62,t=2.586,P＜0.01)得分与父亲相比,差异有统计学意义.结论 脑瘫儿童父母存在一定的睡眠质量问题,值得关注.     

Adherence to a Vitamin D Supplement Intervention in Urban Schoolchildren

Vitamin D supplementation is an important strategy for preventing low levels of serum 25OHD and improving bone health and consequent associated health risks, especially in children at risk of deficiency. Although vitamin D supplements are recommended, there is limited research on the factors that influence adherence to taking them. In a cross-sectional sample of 256 child (aged 9 to 15 years) and parent pairs in the Boston, MA, area during January to March 2012, analysis of covariance was used to determine associations between health beliefs about vitamin D, parental vitamin D−containing supplement use, and the individual responsible for pill administration with supplement adherence measured by pill counts. Mean and median supplement pill count adherence over 3 months were 84% and 89%, respectively. Adherence was positively associated with parents’ use of vitamin D−containing supplements (7% higher, P=0.008) and with combined child and parent responsibility for administration of the supplement compared with child only (9% higher, P=0.03). Parents’ beliefs about vitamin D neither predicted their children’s beliefs nor positively influenced children’s adherence. Adherence was higher when parents took vitamin D−containing supplements and when parents and children shared responsibility for administering the supplement. Promoting child supplement use through parent involvement and role modeling may be a practical solution for registered dietitians who are aiming to improve vitamin D adherence in at-risk youth.     

An Interactive Parents' Guide for Feeding Preschool-Aged Children: Pilot Studies for Improvement

There are few motivational materials to help families with limited resources develop optimal, practical feeding strategies for young children to reduce dietary risk for poor diet and weight status. Formative evaluation strategies consisting of both qualitative and quantitative data helped to refine the parent feeding guide Eat Healthy, Your Children are Watching, A Parent's Guide to Raising a Healthy Eater. An interdisciplinary planning team developed a five-topic, multimedia, interactive guide addressing the strategies most associated with improved diet quality and weight status of children aged 3 to 5 years. Research staff conducted iterative phases of field testing, reformatting, in-depth interviews, and materials testing with Head Start or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program–Education caregivers (N=38) of children aged 3 to 5 years during 2011 and 2012. Convergence of feedback from caregivers' interviews and each booklet's attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction subscale scores were used to determine and affirm areas for improvement. Lower than desired attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction scores (optimal score=5) in 2011 and too much text resulted in revisions and reformatting that improved scores from 3.8 to 4.9 in 2012. The revision of materials to reflect less text, additional white space, checklists of mealtime behaviors, and learning activities for preschool-aged children resulted in dramatically improved materials and greater acceptance by parents, as shown by both quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Formative evaluation procedures involving the use of data-based decision making allowed for the development of intervention materials that met the unique needs of the population served.     

Mothers and fathers of young Dutch adolescents with Down syndrome: Health related quality of life and family functioning

BackgroundLike any child, children with Down syndrome (DS) affect the lives of their families. Most studies focus on the adaptation of parents and families of young children with DS, while relatively few studies include the perspective of fathers.AimsTo determine 1) whether mothers and fathers of 11 to 13-year-olds with DS differ from reference parents in health related quality of life (HRQoL) and family functioning, and 2) whether HRQoL in parents of children with DS changes over time, from when the child was 6–8 years old to when the child was 11–13 years old.Methods80 mothers and 44 fathers completed HRQoL and family functioning questionnaires. 58 parents (53 mothers) had completed the HRQoL-questionnaire in a previous study.ResultsMothers differed from reference mothers in one HRQoL-domain (Sexuality), while fathers’ HRQoL did not significantly differ from reference fathers. Both mothers and fathers scored in the (sub)clinical range more frequently than reference parents in Total family functioning, and in the domains Partner relation and Social network. Furthermore, fathers scored in the (sub)clinical range more frequently than reference parents in Responsiveness and Organization. HRQoL showed no significant change over time.Conclusions and implicationsOur findings indicate frequent family functioning problems but few HRQoL problems in parents and families of children with DS. In offering care, a family based approach with special attention for partner relation and social functioning is needed.     

孤独症儿童家长的心理问题及对策

目的分析孤独症儿童父母存在的心理问题，及时给以相应的措施，帮助家长保持良好的心理状态，对患儿的治疗、训练、成长及其家庭生活能取到积极的作用。方法采用状态焦虑问卷、Zung抑郁量表、90项症状自评量表及自行设计的调查问卷表，对102名孤独症儿童家长进行调查。结果孤独症儿童家长普遍存在的心理问题为：紧张焦虑96．1％，自责自罪56．9％，信心丧失65．7％，悲观抑郁81．4％。结论针对家长的心理问题及时给以相应的心理护理、支持和疏导，使家长保持良好的心理状态，对患儿的治疗、训练、成长、家庭生活等具有重要的意义。     

心理干预对脑瘫患儿及家长心理状态的影响

目的 探讨心理干预措施对脑瘫患儿及家长心理状态的影响.方法 对脑瘫患儿及家长给予心理护理综合措施 ,在干预前后采用焦虑自评量表(SAS)和Gesell 量表分别对患儿及患儿家长的心理状态进行测评.结果 心理干预前后脑瘫患儿家长焦虑自评量表标准分的差异有统计学意义 ( P <0.01) ,脑瘫患儿Gesell量表发育商评分于心理干预前后的差异有统计学意义( P <0. 01).结论 心理干预能有效缓解患儿家长的焦虑情绪 ,对脑瘫患儿康复治疗有积极意义.     

A work-life perspective on sleep and fatigue—looking beyond shift workers

This study examines sleep and fatigue through a work-life lens. Whilst most often thought of as an issue for shift workers, this study observed that self-reported insufficient sleep and fatigue were prevalent for workers on standard daytime schedules. Using a representative sample of 573 daytime workers (51.3% men; 70.7% aged 25−54 yr) from one Australian state, it was observed that 26.4% of daytime workers never or rarely get the seven hours of sleep a night that is recommended for good health. Those with parenting responsibilites (29.4%) or working long (45+) hours (37.4%) were most likely to report insufficient sleep. Whereas mothers in full-time work were most likely to report frequent fatigue (42.5%). This study highlights the common experience of insufficient sleep and fatigue in a daytime workforce, with significant implications for health and safety at work and outside of work. Stronger and more effective legislation addressing safe and ‘decent’ working time is clearly needed, along with greater awareness and acceptance within workplace cultures of the need to support reasonable workloads and working hours.