Resource-enhancing psychosocial support in family situations: needs and benefits from family members’ own perspectives

Multiple Traumas, Maternal Depression, Mother-Child Relationship, Social Support, and Young Children's Behavioral Problems

This study examined whether maternal depression, mother-child relationships, and maternal perceived social support mediate the associations between child's exposure to multiple traumatic events and behavioral problems. We recruited a representative sample of 904 Israeli (Jewish and Arab) mothers and their 2- to 6-year-old children. Data collection was conducted through structured face-to-face interviews with the mothers between July and November 2011. All measures were completed by the mothers. We used the child's and mother's exposure to political violence questionnaires, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a short version of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey. The research study model was tested using path analysis. The model showed a very good fit to the data, suggesting that maternal rejection, maternal depression, and social support play an important role in child's behavioral problems in the context of multiple traumatic events. Higher levels of maternal rejection were significantly associated with greater children behavior problems. Maternal rejection mediated the associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child's behavioral problems. Maternal perceived social support mediated the associations between child's exposure to multiple traumatic events and child's behavioral problems; child's exposure to multiple traumatic events was associated with lower levels of maternal perceived social support. In turn, lower levels of perceived social support were associated with higher levels of behavioral problems. In conclusion, in accordance with the "social stress framework," social support has a mediation role in the association between exposure to traumatic events and child's behavioral problems. Thus, enhancing social support to mothers to young children in the context of multiple traumatic events is essential for children resiliency.

Child health care utilisation in families with young or single mothers in a Swedish county

Young age and lone parenthood are risk factors for impaired health among mothers and their children. Due to the higher risks of negative influences on physical and mental health, young and single mothers should be of special concern to the Child Health Services (CHS). In the present study, we investigated consumption patterns of child health care services among young and single mothers in Uppsala County, Sweden to study whether they are reached by the universal CHS program and if selective or indicative measures were administered in daily CHS practice. Register data on CHS contacts and socio-demographic indicators were collected for 10692 infants, born in 1998-2006. Results show small differences in contact pattern and immunization status, between children of young versus older, and single versus cohabiting mothers. However, both young (RR 0.64) and single (RR 0.80) mothers had significantly lower rates of participation in parental group. The CHS were consequently successful in implementing the universal preventive child health programme for all families, including families with young or single mothers. There was no indication, however, of an established selective preventive strategy aimed at these high risk families. Programs for strengthening the support provided to vulnerable families by the CHS are needed.

Parents' experiences of early support

In Finland, support for families with children is given, as far as possible, as part of basic services. However, to support basic services, services of this kind have also been generated as the result of several projects. The public sector itself has been reorganized and reformed to more resemble a project. In this article, the experiences of parents with children receiving project-based support are studied qualitatively. Preventive support was offered via child health and maternity clinics in the form of home visiting. The reform of the municipal and service structure has made the development of preventive services an issue of even greater current relevance. The purpose of the study was to collect and explore the experiences of parents as reported in their own voices. The research question is, how did families experience this novel support model in practice? The data consist of interviews with six client families, including mothers and fathers, nine parents in all. A qualitative and narrative approach to the interview data was used. Analysis of the interviews yielded the following themes: being critical about the support given, building trust between parents and the professionals and empowering parents through support. According to the results, parents experienced receiving early support, and especially home visiting, as useful. The purpose of home visiting was not always clear to begin with, and consequently, some parents had reservations about them. Experiences of maternity and child health clinics varied. In addition to the health professionals' skills, their personality, familiarity and supportive and trustful way of working was felt to be most important. Parents felt that their parenting skills and relationships met with approval during the family work. Further research is needed on this kind of early support, especially support delivered at home, to develop these services.