Insecure Birth: A Qualitative Study of Everyday Violence During Pregnancy in Port au Prince,Haiti

Maternal and Child Health Journal - While the city offers economic opportunities for women in many countries, their safety and security remain vulnerable to urban violence, especially in poor...     

Quantifying cellular forces: Practical considerations of traction force microscopy for dermal fibroblasts

Traction force microscopy (TFM) is a well‐established technique traditionally used by biophysicists to quantify the forces adherent biological cells exert on their microenvironment. As image processing software becomes increasingly user‐friendly, TFM is being adopted by broader audiences to quantify contractility of (myo)fibroblasts. While many technical reviews of TFM’s computational mechanics are available, this review focuses on practical experimental considerations for dermatology researchers new to cell mechanics and TFM who may wish to implement a higher throughput and less expensive alternative to collagen compaction assays. Here, we describe implementation of experimental methods, analysis using open‐source software and troubleshooting of common issues to enable researchers to leverage TFM for their investigations into skin fibroblasts.     

Road map to recovery: An expressive arts therapy intervention

A major task for mental health professionals and group leaders that frequently work with clients working through sobriety and recovery is to develop new and creative ways to engage their clients with the same relevant information. Substance use recovery treatment standards are highlighted and expressive arts therapy is explored. By combining treatment standards with expressive arts therapy, the road map to recovery intervention is outlined. This tool is used to process recovery, identify triggers, develop coping strategies, and to further instill hope for a future of sobriety.     

Stability and Predictive Validity of the Parent–Child Sleep Interactions Scale: A Longitudinal Study Among Preschoolers

Little research has examined the processes underlying children’s persistent sleep problems and links with later psychopathology. The current study examined the stability of parent–child sleep interactions as assessed with the parent-reported Parent–Child Sleep Interactions Scale (PSIS) and examined whether sleep interactions in preschool-age children predict sleep problems and psychiatric symptoms later in childhood. Participants included 108 preschool-age children (50% female) and their parents. Parents completed the PSIS when children were 3–5 years (T1) and again when they were 6–9 years (T2). The PSIS includes three subscales—Sleep Reinforcement (reassurance of child sleep behaviors), Sleep Conflict (parent–child conflict at bedtime), Sleep Dependence (difficulty going to sleep without parent)—and a total score. Higher scores indicate more problematic bedtime interactions. Children’s sleep problems and psychiatric symptoms at T1 and T2 were assessed with a clinical interview. PSIS scores were moderately stable from T1 to T2, and the factor structure of the PSIS remained relatively consistent over time. Higher total PSIS scores at T1 predicted increases in children’s sleep problems at T2. Higher PSIS Sleep Conflict scores at T1 predicted increases in oppositional defiant disorder symptoms at T2. Children with more sleep problems and higher PSIS Sleep Reinforcement scores at T1 showed increases in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depressive, and anxiety symptoms at T2. These findings provide evidence for the predictive validity of the PSIS and highlight the importance of early parent–child sleep interactions in the development of sleep and psychiatric symptoms in childhood. Parent–child sleep interactions may serve as a useful target for interventions.