Family Functioning and Hope in Children With Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Family Function and Problematic Social Media Use Among Adolescents in Vocational Schools: A Moderated Mediation Model

With the outburst of social medias in current life, problematic use is prevalent in adolescents and has become a contemporary concern. Although family environment has been identified as a risk factor, little is known how family environment is associated with problematic social media use (PSMU). Drawing on Snyder's hope theory and Davis's cognitive-behavioral model, this study examines how family function is linked with PSMU via hope. The study also investigates the moderating effect of perceived social support (PSS) by analyzing how PSS, interacts with family function, affects hope and further influences PSMU. The moderated mediation analyses of data from 1373 adolescents from vocational schools (343 boys and 1030 girls, Mage = 15.56) reveal family function is negatively associated with adolescents' PSMU, and the association is partially mediated by hope. Furthermore, PSS buffers the negative relation between family function and hope.

Hope for Latino immigrant youth: A longitudinal test of Snyder's Children's Hope Scale

Objective

To examine the psychometric properties of Snyder's Children's Hope Scale (CHS) with first- and second-generation Latino immigrant youth, using item response theory, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and measurement invariance tests.

Background

Stress experienced by youth in 2020 has heightened interest in resilience factors such as hope. The CHS is widely used to measure hope but has not been validated for longitudinal assessments with immigrant populations.

Methods

Participants were 233 low socioeconomic status first- and second-generation Latino immigrant youth (50.43% female, 62% U.S.-born, and 81% of Mexican heritage). Data were collected at two timepoints spanning 4 weeks.

Results

Rather than the original six-item two-dimensional scale, our results supported a four-item one-dimensional scale, with excellent model fit, strong invariance across time, by gender and generation status, good reliability (α = .81), and the expected negative association with stress.

Conclusions

The four-item Hope scale is suitable for longitudinal assessments with first- and second-generation Latino immigrant populations and can be used for examining differences by gender and generation status in research and practice to assess youth resilience.

Implications

This study underscores the need for practitioners and researchers to rigorously investigate the psychometric properties of a measure before its use with diverse populations.

Hope and pediatric health

Snyder's Hope Theory and its application in pediatric health have been receiving increased attention recently. Within the last three years, research has primarily focused on adolescents and/or young adults, and pediatric cancer populations. Generally, higher hope scores are associated with positive outcomes in pediatric studies. There has also been increased interest in the role of hope in pediatric health interventions, with some studies indicating that hope is malleable and that changes in hope are associated with changes in health outcomes. Limitations in this research area include (1) a few longitudinal and follow-up studies assessing the stability of changes in hope, (2) the need to determine directionality regarding hope and health outcome relations, and (3) some inconsistencies in the conceptualization of hope.

Family functioning and life satisfaction among female university students during COVID-19 outbreak: the mediating role of hope and resilience

BACKGROUND

Literature review has showed that family functioning is positively associated with satisfaction with life. However, the internal mechanisms of this relationship are still unclear, especially during the COVID-19. This study examined the mediating role of hope and resilience in the association between family functioning and life satisfaction of female university students in COVID-19 pandemics.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online study was done throughout the fifth wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran. A total of 480 female students were recruited from Lorestan University. Data was collected by the State Hope Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Family APGAR Index, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Data analysis were based on structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Family functioning exerted a significant direct effect on hope, on resilience and on life satisfaction. Also, according to the findings, hope and resilience pose a significant mediating effect in the association between family functioning and life satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a better perspective regarding the protective role of hope, family functioning, and resilience on life satisfaction among female university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Training of such skills is needed to increase life satisfaction in female university students.

Resourcefulness Intervention Efficacy for Parent Caregivers of Technology-Dependent Children: A Randomized Trial

Parent caregivers of children who require lifesaving technology (e.g., mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes) must maintain a high level of vigilance 24/7. A two-arm randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of a resourcefulness intervention on parents' mental/physical health and family functioning at four time points over six months. Participants (n = 93) cared for their technology-dependent children <18 years at home. The intervention arm received teaching on social (help-seeking), personal (self-help) resourcefulness skills; access to the intervention video and skill application video-vignettes; four weeks of skills reinforcement using daily logs; four weekly phone contacts; and booster sessions at two- and four-month postenrollment. The attention control arm received phone contact at identical time points plus the current standard of care. Statistically significant improvement was noted; fewer depressive cognitions and improved physical health for the intervention participants than attention control participants over time after controlling for covariates. The findings support the resourcefulness intervention efficacy.

Stress, locus of control, hope and depression as determinants of quality of life of pregnant women: Croatian Islands' Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS)

The aims were to investigate determinants of the quality of life (QoL) of pregnant women. Total of 302 healthy women 18 to 28 weeks of gestation participated in prospective study. WHOQOL-bref, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the perceived stress appraisals were administered. Various patterns of predictors for four domains of QoL were identified, for psychological (42% variance explained), social relationship (29%), environmental (29%) and physical health (25%). Depression and hope, together with the extent to which one's health is influenced by powerful other or chance should be targeted in health promotion strategies during pregnancy.

The Relationship between the Family Functioning of Individuals with Drug Addiction and Relapse Tendency: A Moderated Mediation Model

To explore the relationship between family functioning, psychological capital, life history strategy, and relapse tendency of individuals with drug addiction, 842 individuals with drug addiction completed a questionnaire. The results showed that (1) there was a significant negative correlation between the family functioning of individuals with drug addiction and their relapse tendency; (2) psychological capital played an intermediary role between family functioning and relapse tendency; and (3) life history strategy regulated the mediating effect of psychological capital. The results of this study suggest that family members should collaborate with drug addiction treatment centers and participate in the education and treatment process to help reduce drug relapse tendency. Increasing the psychological capital and self-efficacy of individuals with drug addiction through group psychological counseling and psychological education courses could also reduce drug relapse tendency.

Child and Family Adaptation to Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-A Systematic Review of the Role of Resilience Resources and Mechanisms

Background: Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in childhood, with chronic pain being a main symptom. JIA symptoms can lead to substantial disability in children and their families. While preliminary evidence reveals the potential beneficial role of resilience in dealing with chronic pain, research on the role of resilience in how families of a child with JIA cope with pain-related symptoms is scant and dispersed.

Objectives: Using the framework of the Ecological Resilience-Risk Model, this review aims to identify (1) family characteristics that are associated with both risk and resilience in children with JIA and (2) the contribution of individual and parental resilience mechanisms and resources to resilience outcomes in children with JIA and their families.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBSCO, Psycharticles, and PsycINFO were systematically searched. Longitudinal, cross-sectional, and treatment studies written in English with a focus on resilience resources and/or mechanisms in families of a child (6–18 years) with JIA were included. The original search (July 2016) produced 415 articles, with a final sample of 6 articles remaining after screening. An updated search (July 2018) did not identify new articles, but identified one extra article through personal communications. The 7 articles were included in a narrative review and study quality was assessed.

Results: Limited research was available on the role of family characteristics, with just one study revealing how family dysfunction is related to reduced child resilience. Studies evaluating the role of individual resilience mechanisms and resources most commonly assessed resilience outcomes in terms of recovery and sustainability outcomes, such as health-related quality of life (HRQL) and functional disability. The findings revealed that children's psychological flexibility, self-efficacy, adherence, pain acceptance, and perceived social support contribute to resilience outcomes. Findings were inconclusive for the influence of coping strategies, such as seeking social support.

Conclusions: While our knowledge is growing, a better understanding of how familial and individual resilience resources and mechanisms influence adjustment to chronic pain as part of JIA is needed and can stimulate development of targeted interventions to enhance outcomes for children with JIA.

Nursing student perceptions of hope in children: A qualitative descriptive study

Hope has been linked to positive health outcomes in the literature. Hope is abstract, multidimensional, future oriented, and occurs cognitively making it difficult to assess in children. Most of the research on hope has been conducted with adults and adolescents. Therefore, it is essential to analyze the concept of hope in children to provide nurses with tools to identify hope behaviors in children. The aim of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe hope behaviors in children from a nursing student perspective. Data were gathered from three focus groups (N = 19) of nursing students enrolled in a pediatric clinical rotation using a semistructured interview technique. Three themes of hope behaviors emerged from the three focus groups and were (a) future oriented, (b) goal oriented-getting up and doing things, and (c) pathways thinking processes-getting from point A to point B. Health care providers should consider hope behavioral cues, which can warrant interventions to increase hope in their young patients. Current findings demonstrate the need for the development of hope interventions that involve younger patients, thereby making their effects more sustainable across the lifespan.

The Role of Hope for Adolescents with a Chronic Illness: An Integrative Review

Hope is a human strength essential for adolescents' enduring and coping with chronic illness however, the role of hope is not well understood in this population.

OBJECTIVES

This integrative review describes what is currently known about the role of hope in adolescents with a chronic illness.

METHOD

A methodological review using an integrative approach by R. Whittemore and K. Knafl (2005) was performed.

DATABASES

MEDLINE via Pubmed; CINAHL; PyscINFO and Google scholar were searched for articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 1995 to 2015, using search terms 'hope and chronic illness' with age limiters for all except Google scholar (title search of "hope and adolescents").

RESULTS

Of the 197 studies initially retrieved: a total of 27 quantitative studies, 8 qualitative studies and 19 theoretical works were selected for review. Seven themes emerged including that hope: (i) promotes health (ii) facilitates coping and adjustment, (iii) enhances quality of life, (iv) is essential in purpose in life and illness (v) improves self-esteem, (vi) is an important factor in resilience and (vii) affects maturation. Persons reporting higher levels of hope find multiple routes to goals, view setbacks as challenges, and better manage psychological symptoms.

DISCUSSION

Although theory and a limited body of empirical research to date suggest a link between hopeful thinking and physical health, the specific mechanisms remain unclear. As hope is linked to resilience, further research should explore whether adolescents with higher hope return to baseline faster than their lower hope counterparts.

Family Functioning and the Well-Being of Children With Chronic Conditions: A Meta-Analysis

For children with chronic conditions, well-being is closely related to how well their families function. Most prior research syntheses on family functioning and child well-being have focused on children with a single condition, thereby limiting the potential to aggregate and build on what is known across conditions. To address this challenge, research reports were reviewed and meta-analyses conducted of findings on the relationship between family functioning and child well-being across a range of chronic physical conditions. The sample was derived from a larger systematic review study that included 1,028 reports published between January 1, 2000 and March 31, 2014. The current review includes 53 studies in which a relationship between family functioning and child well-being was analyzed using one of four family measures: Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales, Family Environment Scale, Family Relationship Index, or Family Assessment Device. Most studies were cross-sectional and observational (n = 43, 81%). The most frequently studied conditions were diabetes, cancer, sickle cell disease, and asthma. In 37 studies, findings were sufficiently comparable to conduct meta-analyses. Significant correlations were identified between children's psychological health and seven of nine dimensions of family functioning. Significant correlations also were found between dimensions of family functioning and children's problem behaviors, social competence, quality of life, and, to a lesser extent, adherence and physical health. Of the family dimensions, cohesion and conflict were associated most strongly with child outcomes. Understanding the specific family variables, such as conflict, linked to varied child outcomes is key for intervention development. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Contribution of Parent and Family Variables to the Well-Being of Youth With Arthritis

Among developed countries, the reported prevalence of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) varies from 16 to 150 per 100,000. Previous reviews have identified risks faced by children with chronic conditions and indicate a relationship between parent/family characteristics and child adaptation. This analysis provides a mixed-methods synthesis of 29 research reports addressing the intersection of family life and JIA. Data were extracted using a structured template, and effect sizes were calculated for reported relationships between variables. Results were coded using a scheme that differentiated types of family factors. Meta-analysis revealed a moderately strong positive relationship between parent and child psychological functioning, and a medium negative relationship between family conflict and child psychosocial well-being, and parental depression and child physical functioning. Thematic analysis of qualitative results identified parenting challenges related to pain management and regimen demands. Results indicate that interventions to enhance parenting competence and family relationships may improve caregiver and patient outcomes.

A study of school adjustment, self-concept, self-esteem, general wellbeing and parent child relationship in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To assess school adjustment, self-concept, self-esteem, general wellbeing and parent-child relationship in children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)and to study the correlation of these parameters with chronicity of disease, number of active joints, laboratory parameters of disease activity and JIA subtypes.

METHODS

A total of 64 children (32 cases and 32 controls) were recruited for analysis. Self report questionnaires which included PGI General Wellbeing Measure, Adjustment Inventory for School Students, Parent Child Relationship Scale, Self Esteem Inventory and Self Concept Questionnaires were used to assess all the enrolled subjects.

RESULTS

Cases had significantly lower general physical well being (p < 0.001), self- esteem (p = 0.039), social self-concept (p = 0.023) and poorer social (p = 0.002), educational (p = 0.002) and overall (p = 0.006) adjustment as compared to controls. Both parents of cases were significantly more demanding (p = 0.028, p = 0.004)and mothers were over protective (p = 0.009) and pampering with object rewards (p = 0.02). PGI wellbeing score (p = 0.042, p = 0.019) and self concept (p = 0.002, for social SCQ p = 0.030) correlated well with number of active joints and ESR. As the disease duration increased, fathers tended to neglect their children (p = 0.043) and with persistent disease activity (reflected by CRP positivity) even resorted to punishment (p = 0.022) or remained indifferent (p = 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

JIA significantly hampers the child's self-esteem, self-concept, adjustment in school, general wellbeing and evokes disturbed parent-child relationship.

Furthering the understanding of parent-child relationships: a nursing scholarship review series. Part 4: parent-child relationships at risk

PURPOSE

The purpose of this integrative review is to synthesize nursing scholarship on parent-child relationships considered fragile because of parent-child's chronic condition or occurrence within a risky context.

CONCLUSIONS

Most reviewed studies demonstrated negative effects of risk conditions on parent-child relationships and documented importance of child, parent, and contextual variables. Studies were predominately single investigations. Varying theoretical perspectives complicated interpretation. Mainly White, middle-class, and small samples limited generalizability. Important areas for further research were identified.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurse researchers identified factors that may interfere with the parent-child relationship. Nurses are in a position to support families under these circumstances.