Shift Work, Role Overload, and the Transition to Parenthood

Predictive effects of organizational justice on job satisfaction in bus drivers: the moderating effects of role overload and proactive personality

BACKGROUND

There have been few longitudinal studies on Chinese bus drivers and the individual differences in the relationships between organizational justice and job satisfaction. This study examined the organizational justice and job satisfaction in bus drivers and the individual differences in this relationship.

METHODS

A two-wave longitudinal study design was employed. A first survey was conducted on 513 Chinese bus drivers in October 2021 that collected socio-demographic information and asked about their perceptions of organizational fairness. A second survey was conducted six months later that asked about role overload and job satisfaction and assessed their proactive personality type. An effect model was then used to explore the moderating effects of role overload and proactive personality type on the relationships between organizational justice and job satisfaction.

RESULTS

Both procedural and interactive justice predicted the bus drivers' job satisfaction. Proactive personalities and role overload were found to enhance this relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

Organizations could benefit from screening at the recruitment stage for drivers with highly proactive personalities. Relevant training for drivers with low proactive personalities could partially improve employee job satisfaction. When viewed from a Chinese collectivist cultural frame, role overload could reflect trust and a sense of belonging, which could enhance job satisfaction. Finally, to improve employee job satisfaction, organizations need to ensure procedural and interactive justice.

Postnatal depressive symptoms mediate the relation between prenatal role overload and responsiveness among first-time mothers

BACKGROUND

This study examined the association between prenatal role overload and maternal responsiveness, with postnatal depressive symptoms as a mediator.

METHODS

Participants were 127 first-time mothers in Hong Kong (M = 32.8, SD = 4.0). Participants completed data collection for self-report on prenatal role overload (Time 1) in the third trimester of pregnancy, postnatal depressive symptoms (Time 2) at 4-month postpartum and maternal responsiveness (Time 3) at 9-month postpartum. The hypothesised mediation model was tested with the Hayes PROCESS macro (model 4).

RESULTS

Time 1 prenatal role overload was not directly predictive of later responsiveness (B = -0.06, p = .270). However, the indirect effect of Time 2 postnatal depressive symptoms in the association between Time 1 prenatal role overload and Time 3 responsiveness was significant (unstandardised effect = -0.03, 95% Bootstrapping CI = [-0.081, -0.001]; standardised effect = -0.06, 95% Bootstrapping CI = [-0.152, -0.002]).

CONCLUSION

Findings highlighted that more attention is required to the support provided to first-time expectant mothers to prevent role overload, and that intervention for postnatal depressive symptoms may focus on role overload. The findings also highlighted that postnatal depressive symptoms could be a promising way to increase maternal responsiveness.

Independent and joint trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms among Chinese male sailors throughout a prolonged non-24-h rotating shift schedule at sea: a parallel-process growth mixture modeling approach

BACKGROUND

The predictive and protective effect of hardiness on mental health remains unclear among shift workers on non-24-h working schedules. The present study aimed to investigate the independent and joint trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms and the role of hardiness during a prolonged period of non-24-h shift working schedule.

METHODS

Four hundred nine Chinese male sailors (working on 18-h watchstanding schedule) were recruited and completed all 5-wave tests through online questionnaires (at Day 1, 14, 28, 42, 55, respectively) during a 55-day sailing. The questionnaires included sociodemographic variables, hardiness, depression and anxiety symptoms. Independent and joint trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms were estimated by latent growth mixture models. The effect of hardiness on trajectories was examined by logistic regression models.

RESULTS

2 and 3 latent trajectories were identified for depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Based on initial levels and development trends, 3 distinct joint trajectories of depression and anxiety were identifed and named as: "Low-Inverted U" group (73.6%), "Moderate-Deterioration" group (6.9%), and "High-Stable" group (9.5%). Sailors with higher levels of hardiness were more likely to follow the "Low-Inverted U" trajectory of depression and anxiety symptoms (all p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

There existed individual differences in the trajectories of depression and anxiety. Hardiness may have a protective effect that can prevent and alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms. Therefore, hardiness-based intervention programs are encouraged among the shift workers on non-24-h working and rest schedules.

Welfare practices for anaesthesiology trainees in Europe: A descriptive cross-sectional survey study

BACKGROUND

Current regulations of anaesthesiology training programmes may affect gender equity, female representation and leadership.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the work regulations of anaesthesiology training programs and working conditions during the early period of child-rearing in European countries.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

National Anesthesiologists Societies Committee (NASC) representatives of the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty-eight NASC representatives.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Basic specialist training working conditions, gender-related data, return to work after childbirth and workplace policies against discrimination during anaesthesiology specialist training.

INTERVENTIONS

A 48-item questionnaire to explore the work patterns and conditions for trainees especially for new parents, professional development opportunities and work discrimination regulations in each representative country was distributed to NASC representatives of 44 European countries.

RESULTS

We collected the replies of each representative (38 representatives from 44 invited countries' representatives, 86% response rate). The median [IQR] proportion of female trainees was 60% [50 to 68]. There were no reported pay differences between sexes. In eight European countries, pregnant trainees worked fewer hours and were excused from night shifts. Women could not be laid off during pregnancy in all 38 countries (100%). The countries offered a median of 18 weeks of paid (total or partial) maternity leave (range, 13 to 60 weeks). Most countries (89%) accommodate paid paternity leaves. A significant proportion of parental leave was unpaid ( n =18, 42%). Twenty-one (55%) countries allowed part-time work after delivery. The UK was the only country with clear recommendations to formally complain after harassment.

CONCLUSION

European countries have a wide variety of regulations. On paper, numerous countries have various paid maternal, paternal and parental leave; however, it remains to be determined if such leave takes place in practice. The practical consequences of these regulations on female trainees during the child-rearing period need to be explored further.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

None.

Public Safety Personnel Family Resilience: A Narrative Review

The families of public safety personnel (PSP) face demands that are unique to these occupations. Nonstandard work, trauma exposure, and dangerous work environments affect both workers and the families who support them. This narrative review aims to identify the stressors that PSP families experience and the support and resources needed to enhance family resilience. Due to a lack of research on PSP families, this review is a necessary first step to summarizing and interpreting a diverse body of research. The studies included addressed structural and emotional work-family conflict with reference to PSP sectors. A framework from the military family resiliency literature interprets the findings. Factors influencing family functioning and the availability and accessibility of resources provide clues about the type of skills and supports that PSP families rely on. Meaning-making, collaboration, a sense of coherence, and communication were identified as themes associated with intrafamilial processes. Extrafamilial themes included public perceptions, a lack of recognition for the roles families fulfill, and the need for information and education. The results suggest that the vulnerability of PSP families is variable and extrafamilial resources in the form of formal and informal supports are necessary to enhance family resiliency.

The Divorce Process and Child Adaptation Trajectory Typology (DPCATT) Model: The Shaping Role of Predivorce and Postdivorce Interparental Conflict

Divorce has been conceptualized as a process. Research has extensively demonstrated that it is pre/postdivorce family environment factors that primarily account for the variability in children’s adaptation over parental divorce process rather than the legal divorce per se. Amongst various factors, interparental conflict has been consistently identified as a prominent one. Surprisingly, a single source is still lacking that comprehensively synthesizes the extant findings. This review fills this gap by integrating the numerous findings across studies into a more coherent Divorce Process and Child Adaptation Trajectory Typology (DPCATT) Model to illustrate that pre/postdivorce interparental conflict plays crucial roles in shaping child adaptation trajectories across parental divorce process. This review also summarizes the mechanisms (e.g., child cognitive and emotional processes, coparenting, parent–child relations) via which pre/postdivorce interparental conflict determines these trajectories and the factors (e.g., child gender and age, child coping, grandparental support) that interact with pre/postdivorce interparental conflict to further complicate these trajectories. In addition, echoing the call of moving beyond the monolithic conceptualization of pre/postdivorce interparental conflict, we also review studies on the differential implications of different aspects (e.g., frequency versus intensity) and types (e.g., overt versus covert) of interparental conflict for child adjustment. Last, limitations of prior studies and avenues for future research are discussed. The proposed framework may serve as a common knowledge base for researchers to compare/interpret results, detect cutting edges of the fields, and design new studies. The specificity, complexity, nuance, and diversity inherent within our proposed model await to be more fully revealed.

Mother Like Mothers and Work Like Fathers: U.S. Heterosexual College Students' Assumptions About Who Should Meet Childcare and Housework Demands

Many U.S. women report balancing competing demands for labor within the family and the workplace. Prior research has found that young adult heterosexual U.S. women are still anticipating doing the majority of their future family's childcare and housework, though they hold more progressive gender role attitudes than in the past. The aim of the present study was to investigate the assumptions of 176 heterosexual college students in the U.S. (M age = 20.57, 88.64% European American, 51.70% ciswomen, 48.30% cismen) about how childcare and housework should be balanced in the context of work responsibilities. Participants were asked to rate their level of agreement with two items about working mothers and childcare and working fathers and household care, and provided open-ended responses to explain their justifications for their rating. Open-ended responses were thematically coded. Results revealed that most participants wanted mothers to have the choice to work but considered childcare a limiting problem that (primarily) mothers should solve. Similarly, participants believed that working full-time did not excuse a husband from helping with chores, however they did not express concerns with the term "helping" which implies that the husband would not hold any primary responsibility. Overall, the findings suggest the importance for educational and policymaking interventions and future research to highlight practices that support and encourage the role of men in addressing childcare and household needs.

The Before Baby Relationship Checkup: A Couples-Based Intervention to Reduce Relationship Risk Factors for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Relationship conflict and lack of partner support are risk factors for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. An intervention to strengthen couples' relationships before birth may reduce relationship risk factors for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, though no research has explored this to date. The aims of this Stage 1 open-series non-experimental proof of concept study were to adapt the 'Marriage Checkup', an evidence-based intervention for relationship distress, as a preventative intervention for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and to assess its feasibility and acceptability. Pregnant women receiving care at a university-based obstetric practice, and their partners, were recruited. Ten couples participated in the Before Baby Relationship Checkup, a personalized relationship health service offered in the obstetric clinic. Quantitative and qualitative data gathered suggests the intervention is feasible to implement in an obstetric setting, and acceptable to perinatal couples. Specific adaptations to the Marriage Checkup for perinatal couples are warranted and further testing is needed to evaluate efficacy.

Australian occupational therapy academic workforce: An examination of retention, work-engagement, and role overload issues

BACKGROUND

The quality of the academic workforce is influenced by multi-level interactionist factors yet there is limited research into these influencing factors.

AIM

To investigate relationships between individual characteristics of Australian occupational therapy academics and work-related variables.

METHOD

An exploratory cross-sectional online survey collected demographic data and used standardized scales including the Turnover Intention Scale, 9-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Work-Life Balance Scale, Role Overload Scale and Self-Defined Burnout Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

Academics who were more than five years in their current academic level were: significantly more likely to consider leaving their job; more often frustrated when not given opportunity to achieve their work-related goals; and less engaged. Those who had worked in higher education for longer than ten years were more likely to report role overload while participants working in higher education for less than five years were less likely to report burnout.

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

To meet current and future demand for Australian occupational therapists, an engaged and supported academic workforce is needed. These findings suggest the need for attention to mentoring and career development particularly for those in academic levels longer than five years to increase work engagement and retention.

Night today, day tomorrow: how irregular work shifts interfere with our psychological health

The 24/7 economic activity has led to a growing demand for shift workers who now make up about 21% of the working population in Europe. Shift work causes desynchronization of biological and social rhythms and therefore increases the risk for physiological and psychological health issues. Night shifts, but in particular irregular shifts are considered to have numerous harmful effects on health and well-being. In this investigation, 185 shift workers employed at an Austrian railway company, filled in online questionnaires, which included the PSQI, the ESS, and items assessing sleep issues, their impact on life quality, and individual shift schedules. Results show that those shift workers who rated their shifts schedules as irregular reported significantly lower sleep quality according to the PSQI Global Score and the PSQI subscales subjective sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and sleep duration. The probability of taking sleep medication was higher in shift workers whose schedules include more night shifts. In addition, participants who regularly worked on days after night shifts classified their complaints due to shift work as more severe. Future investigations should include more external and internal factors that influence the perception and handling of different working conditions. Nevertheless, our findings shed light on the particular situation of the railroad workers´population and show how important subjective perceptions are in dealing with shift work. The importance of sleep education and thematically relevant training becomes clear in order to prevent serious consequences on sleep and overall health.

American Heterosexual Emerging Adults' Reasoning about the Fairness of Household Labor

This study investigated American heterosexual emerging adults' evaluations and reasoning about the fairness of their parents' gendered division of household labor, their future expectations of their own division, and in a third-party situation. A total of 161 American heterosexual (88.20% European American; 50.93% cisgender women), emerging adults (M = 20.60, SD = 1.21) participated in this study. The majority of participants evaluated their parents' and future expected division to be fair. On the other hand, participants were less likely to consider a hypothetical gendered division fair. Equality justification usage, as well as reported parental childcare division predicted differences in fairness evaluations. The present study highlights the importance of employing methods that can capture the complex and multi-faceted nature of fairness evaluations and reasoning about the gendered division of household labor.

The Implications of Early Marital Conflict for Children's Development

Although negative associations between the frequency and intensity of marital conflict and children's adjustment are well documented, less is known about how parents' conflict styles are related to children's developmental outcomes. The present study examines whether exposure to different types of parents' conflict styles, during a child's first year of life, is related to children's behavioral outcomes in the first grade. Parents' conflict resolution styles (CRSs) and child outcomes were examined in a sample of 150 working-class, first-time parents and their children. It was hypothesized that infants' exposure to more conflictual conflict resolution styles would predict poorer child outcomes over time. Results revealed that parents' unique conflict styles mattered in unique ways for children's development, but also that the interaction of parents' styles, their dyadic conflict patterns, was also related to child outcomes. Results revealed that higher levels of parents' depressive or angry CRSs in the first year predicted more internalizing problems for children, while constructive CRS was related to fewer externalizing problems. However, gender effects showed that higher rates of parental compliance during conflict were related to more internalizing problems in girls. Furthermore, dyadic results revealed that having one parent angrily engage in conflict and the other parent - withdraw, comply or angrily engage - was related to more externalizing problems for boys. Overall, results showed that parents' different conflict resolution styles, during a child's first year of life, are related to their children's developmental outcomes 6 years later. These results emphasize children's early vulnerability to parental conflict and hold implications for clinicians and practioners.

Interventions to Empower Adults with Eating Disorders and Their Partners around the Transition to Parenthood

The transition to parenthood is perceived as a stressful life event, when parents experience an immense change of their psychological focus and a reorientation of roles and responsibilities in the family system. This process may be even more challenging in the presence of a parental eating disorder history. This paper reviews the impact of parental eating disorders on the parents, the couple relationship, and their child during the perinatal period. A parental eating disorder is associated with more negative expectations of parental efficacy as well as specific difficulties in couple communication over the child's feeding, shape, and weight. Providers who better understand the effects of an eating disorder on parental functioning can more effectively intervene early on. We also present couple- or parent-based, empirically supported interventions for adults with eating disorders and their partners in the prenatal and postnatal periods: Uniting Couples in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (UCAN) and Uniting couples In the Treatment of Eating disorders (UNITE) both enhance recovery from the eating disorder through a couple-based intervention; the Maudsley Model of Treatment for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa (MANTRA) incorporates the support of partners, when appropriate; Parent-Based Prevention (PBP) focuses on improving parental functioning and reducing risk of negative parental and child outcomes. Finally, we discuss the clinical implications of addressing parental eating disorders and encourage more research on these families.

Nonstandard Work Schedules and Father Involvement Among Resident and Nonresident Fathers

OBJECTIVE

We examined associations between resident and nonresident fathers' nonstandard work schedules, work hours, and their level of involvement with their young children in the United States.

BACKGROUND

Nonstandard work schedules may negatively impact father involvement either directly by reducing fathers' availability or indirectly by taking a toll on their wellbeing. Prior research on nonstandard schedules and father involvement has focused on two-parent households, yet nonstandard schedules may pose similar or greater challenges to nonresident fathers.

METHOD

Using data on 1598 resident and 759 nonresident fathers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we estimated regression models to test associations between fathers' nonstandard work schedules, work hours, and fathers' involvement-accessibility, engagement, and responsibility-controlling for confounding factors and using residualized change models. For nonresident fathers only, we estimated associations between nonstandard schedules, work hours, and child support.

RESULTS

Among nonresident fathers, working evenings was associated with lower engagement relative to working standard hours only and other nonstandard schedules, and in some models, working a variable schedule was associated with greater responsibility relative to other nonstandard schedules. Among resident fathers, working any nonstandard schedule versus standard hours only was associated with greater responsibility, and total work hours were negatively associated with each measure of involvement.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that fathers' work schedules may be an important factor in understanding resident and nonresident fathers' involvement with their young children.

Stress-related mental health and growth among first-time grandparents: The moderating role of family support

Grandparents play a significant role in modern society, often while struggling to juggle the expectations, demands, and commitments of career and family. The current study examined the unique and combined contribution of stress-related variables associated with multiple roles, such as work stress over commitment, economic stress, and grandchild care burden, to mental health and personal growth of first-time grandparents. The study also examined the role of family support as a moderator of these associations. One hundred ninety-seven first-time Israeli grandparents were asked to complete a series of self-report questionnaires. Higher levels of work-related stress were associated with lower mental health, whereas grandchild care burden was associated with higher personal growth. Self-mastery and family support contributed to the prediction of mental health. When family support was high, work commitment was positively related to mental health, and economic stress was positively related to personal growth. The findings point to the crucial role of family support in balancing and preserving resources that are important to the mental health of first-time grandparents, while enabling grandparents to be challenged and thrive through their stressors. Therapists who meet with first-time grandparents in the community should take these factors into account when assisting them in adjusting to their new role.

Association of youth health care transition readiness to role overload among parents of children with chronic illness

BACKGROUND

A parent's level of role overload, a situation in which the demands of an individual's roles are beyond their capacity to perform adequately, has been associated with poor outcomes in adolescents. It is unknown if role overload in parents is associated with less health care transition (HCT) readiness in their children with chronic conditions. We sought to assess this relationship.

METHODS

Youth with chronic conditions attending a therapeutic camp and their parents completed online consents/assents and de-identified surveys. Parents reported on parental role overload using the Reilly Role Overload Scale and a proxy assessment of the youth's HCT readiness using the STAR_x -Parent Questionnaire. Youth self-reported on their HCT readiness using the STAR_x Questionnaire. Linear regression measured the relationship between parent role overload and HCT readiness, controlling for youth's age, sex, and degree of youth's educational support.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-two parents and 50 youth completed the measures. Greater parental role overload was associated with less overall HCT readiness on the parent proxy measure (β = -.12, P ≤ .008) and a lower level in the self-management domain on the parent proxy measure (β = -.20, P ≤ .001). We found no associations between parent role overload and youth self-report of HCT readiness.

CONCLUSION

Parent's level of role overload had no association with youth's self-report of HCT readiness but was negatively associated with parent proxy report of their youth's HCT readiness, suggesting that parents with high levels of role overload may perceive their youth as less ready to transition to adult-focused care.

Shift work and mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Shift work is common. However, research findings are mixed regarding the impact of shift work on mental health. This systematic review sought to provide a comprehensive summary of existing research examining the association between different types of shift work and mental health. The review included large-scale, non-occupation-specific research.

METHODS

Four electronic databases PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and SCOPUS were searched to identify studies that reported on the statistical association between shift work and mental health and that used population-based samples. Two reviewers extracted information about study characteristics and data on the association between shift work and mental health. A meta-analysis was performed for longitudinal studies adopting a 'broad binary' measure of shift work.

RESULTS

Thirty-three studies were included in the final review-10 cross-sectional studies, 22 longitudinal studies, and 1 study that included both. Findings were grouped based on whether the measure of shift work focussed on: (1) night/evening work, (2) weekend work, (3) irregular/unpredictable work schedule, or (4) a broad binary measure. There was a reasonable level of evidence that overall, when a broad binary measure was adopted, shift work was associated with poorer mental health-this finding was supported by the meta-analysis results. There was also some evidence that irregular/unpredictable work was associated with poorer mental health. There was less evidence for night/evening and minimal evidence for weekend work. Inconsistencies in study methodology, limited contrasting and combining the results.

CONCLUSIONS

The association between shift work and mental health is different across types of shift work. The evidence is strongest for a broad binary, general measure of shift work and for irregular or unpredictable shift work. There is a need for continued research that adopts consistent and clear measures of shift work.

Time-use Profiles, Chronic Role Overload, and Women's Body Weight Trajectories from Middle to Later Life in the Philippines

Although chronic life strain is often found to be associated with adverse health outcomes, empirical research is lacking on the health implications of persistent role overload that many women around the world are subject to, the so-called double burden of work and family responsibilities. Using data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (1994-2012), we examined the linkage between time-use profiles and body mass index (BMI) trajectories for Filipino women over an 18-year span. Out of the four classes of women with differential levels of a combination of work and family duties, the group with the heaviest double burden has the highest average BMI. In addition, those who have remained in this class for three or more waves of data not only have higher BMI on average but also have experienced the steepest rate of increase in BMI upon transition from midlife to old age.

Evaluation of Mothers' Perceptions of a Technology-Based Supportive Educational Parenting Program (Part 2): Qualitative Study

Background

Transitioning into parenthood can be stressful as parents struggle to cope with new parenting responsibilities. Although perinatal care in hospitals aims to improve parental outcomes, there is a general consensus that it is suboptimal and insufficient. Therefore, many studies have designed intervention methods to supplement support for parents during this stressful period. However, studies often focus on parental outcomes as indicators of their interventions’ success and effectiveness. Studies evaluating participants’ experiences and feedback are limited.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the experiences and perceptions of participants who participated in a supportive education parenting program intervention study.

Methods

A qualitative semistructured interview was conducted with 16 mothers (6 control and 10 intervention) from a randomized controlled trial. The supportive education parenting program received by the intervention group included 2 phone-based perinatal educational sessions, a phone-based educational session after childbirth, and a 1-month postpartum access to a mobile health app. The interviews were approximately 30- to 60-min long, audiotaped and transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Study findings were reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.

Results

The 3 main themes evaluating mothers’ experiences and perceptions were generated: (1) changed perspective toward parenthood, (2) journey from pregnancy to after birth, and (3) a way forward. Mothers from the intervention group mostly had good perinatal experiences with sufficient support received, which elevated their emotional well-being and increased parenting involvement. Mothers in the control group, although satisfied with the hospital care received, were more stressed and shared a need for professional advice and extra support. Apart from technical enhancements, mothers also requested extended social support during early pregnancy up to 1 year postpartum, taking into consideration Asian cultural practices.

Conclusions

Mothers who received the intervention were overall satisfied with the support provided by the technology-based supportive educational parenting program. The success of the educational program in this study highlights the need to supplement standard care in hospitals with technology-based educational programs. Future research should include fathers’ perceptions to attain an in-depth understanding of overall participants’ experiences and needs in the future development of supportive and educational programs.

Relationship Conflict, Work Conditions, and the Health of Mothers With Young Children

Past research has shown that marital conflict is associated with poorer health among women and that new children come with declines in relationship quality and increased stress. The primary aim of this study was to explore how these two patterns converge-and what might buffer the risks of both to women's health. We do so by examining the potential for paid work, more often thought of as a stressor for women managing family roles and relationships, to help women weather tensions at home while raising young children. Drawing on the work-family facilitation and research substitution perspectives, structural equation modeling analyzed integrated data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort and the Occupational Information Network database. The models revealed evidence that work characteristics can be protective. Specifically, the negative association between relationship conflict and mothers' health was weaker when mothers or their partners worked in jobs with positive social-psychological conditions, such as feelings of sociability and support. These findings highlight the potential for work-family facilitation among new mothers.

Recruitment and Retention of Low-SES Ethnic Minority Couples in Intervention Research at the Transition to Parenthood

Low-SES couples have limited resources to manage the chronic and acute stressors with which they are disproportionately faced. Although these couples are at greater risk for negative individual and relationship outcomes, evaluations of the impact of couple relationship education (CRE) in low-SES couples have been plagued by methodological problems, most notably challenges associated with recruitment and retention. We review the literature on challenges couples face associated with low-SES, as well as on recruitment, retention, and CRE in low-SES, ethnic minority populations. We illustrate some of these challenges in a case study of CRE for low-SES couples transitioning to parenthood. In this pilot study, 21 couples were recruited from a community health clinic and randomized to either an experimental treatment condition (EXP; N = 11) or a treatment-as-usual control condition (TAU; N = 10). This study sought to mitigate documented challenges with recruitment and retention: We leveraged community partnerships, attempted to build and maintain strong relationships with study participants, provided incentives for assessments as well as intervention meetings, and attempted to reduce potential barriers to enrollment and retention. Nonetheless, we had low rates of recruitment and retention. We integrate these findings and experiences with our review of previous work in this area. We make recommendations for future CRE research and practice that have potential implications for public policy in this area.

The benefits of early care and education for child welfare-involved children: Perspectives from the field

Increasing access to early care and education (ECE) for children in the child welfare system (CWS) remains a critical issue in the United States, as the numbers of young children entering this system steadily increases. Mounting evidence suggests that participation in at least some types of ECE can mitigate the need for child welfare supervision. Moreover, ECE participation has been linked to positive developmental and school readiness outcomes, lower rates of foster placement, and greater placement stability for children in the CWS. Despite this research, ECE is not widely used by this population. This study informs recent local and federal efforts to increase ECE utilization among children in the CWS by exploring the perspectives of three stakeholder groups (child welfare caseworkers, ECE providers, and parents/caregivers) regarding the benefits of CWS-supervised children's participation in ECE for 1) the children themselves, 2) their parents/caregivers, and 3) their caseworkers. A total of ten focus groups were conducted with these stakeholders in a large urban area in the western U.S. (n = 79). Meeting transcripts were analyzed with Atlas TI software to identify themes. Results highlight multiple ways in which participants perceived ECE as being beneficial for CWS-supervised children, as well as for their parents/caregivers, and caseworkers. These findings offer suggestions for ways to motivate caseworkers and parents/caregivers to enroll CWS-supervised children in ECE by educating them about benefits, not only for the children, but also for themselves.

Workload and Marital Satisfaction over Time: Testing Lagged Spillover and Crossover Effects during the Newlywed Years

Although many studies have found that higher workloads covary with lower levels of marital satisfaction, the question of whether workloads may also predict changes in marital satisfaction over time has been overlooked. To address this question, we investigated the lagged association between own and partner workload and marital satisfaction using eight waves of data collected every 6 months over the first four years of marriage from 172 heterosexual couples. Significant crossover, but not spillover, effects were found, indicating that partners of individuals with higher workloads at one time point experience greater declines in marital satisfaction by the following time point compared to the partners of individuals with lower workloads. These effects were not moderated by gender or parental status. These findings suggest that higher partner workloads can prove deleterious for relationship functioning over time and call for increased attention to the long-term effects of spillover and crossover from work to marital functioning.

Parenting Stress among Low-Income and Working-Class Fathers: The Role of Employment

Contemporary norms of fatherhood emphasize the dual demands of breadwinning and daily involvement in childcare. Recent qualitative research suggests that working-class fathers find it difficult to meet these demands due to job instability and workplace inflexibility. Yet, little quantitative research has examined how employment characteristics are related to fathers' parenting stress, in comparison with mothers'. Analyses using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3,165) show that unemployment and workplace inflexibility, but not overwork, multiple jobs, odd-jobs, and nonstandard hours, are related to more parenting stress for fathers. Although these two factors are also related to more parenting stress for mothers, nuanced gender differences emerged: these are better predictors than other parental or child characteristics for fathers only, and the effect size of workplace inflexibility is greater for fathers than mothers. In sum, securing a job with flexible schedule is central to reducing fathers' parenting stress.

Interventions for Women With Postpartum Depression Symptoms

Using the stress-buffering hypothesis as a guide, this integrative review aims to identify how human resource development (HRD) professionals can address the issues faced by working women who are experiencing postpartum depression symptoms, in addition to identifying gaps in HRD research on this emerging topic. Most of the studies reviewed came from the nursing and psychology literature; none were found in the HRD literature. This review was undergirded by the stress-buffering hypothesis, which posits that social support can moderate the effect of a stressful event. Studies pointed to social support, especially from coworkers and supervisors, as having a positive effect on postpartum depression symptom scores. Overall, the findings of this study are entry points into HRD research and practice about how employers can support working women who are experiencing postpartum depression symptoms. Further research should examine the type of social support that is effective in helping working mothers.

Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders

The circadian system regulates the timing and expression of nearly all biological processes, most notably, the sleep-wake cycle, and disruption of this system can result in adverse effects on both physical and mental health. The circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders (CRSWDs) consist of 5 disorders that are due primarily to pathology of the circadian clock or to a misalignment of the timing of the endogenous circadian rhythm with the environment. This article outlines the nature of these disorders, the association of many of these disorders with psychiatric illness, and available treatment options.

What matters for working fathers? Job characteristics, work-family conflict and enrichment, and fathers' postpartum mental health in an Australian cohort

One in ten fathers experience mental health difficulties in the first year postpartum. Unsupportive job conditions that exacerbate work-family conflict are a potential risk to fathers' mental health given that most new fathers (95%) combine parenting with paid work. However, few studies have examined work-family conflict and mental health for postpartum fathers specifically. The aim of the present study was to identify the particular work characteristics (e.g., work hours per week, job quality) associated with work-family conflict and enrichment, and fathers' mental health in the postpartum period. Survey data from 3243 fathers of infants (aged 6-12 months) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were analysed via path analysis, considering key confounders (age, education, income, maternal employment, maternal mental health and relationship quality). Long and inflexible work hours, night shift, job insecurity, a lack of autonomy and more children in the household were associated with increased work-family conflict, and this was in turn associated with increased distress. Job security, autonomy, and being in a more prestigious occupation were positively associated with work-family enrichment and better mental health. These findings from a nationally representative sample of Australian fathers contribute novel evidence that employment characteristics, via work-family conflict and work-family enrichment, are key determinants of fathers' postnatal mental health, independent from established risk factors. Findings will inform the provision of specific 'family-friendly' conditions protective for fathers during this critical stage in the family life-cycle, with implications for their wellbeing and that of their families.

Association between occupational stressors and type 2 diabetes among Chinese police officers: a 4-year follow-up study in Tianjin, China

PURPOSE

To explore the relationship between occupational stressors and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among police officers.

METHODS

Baseline data were collected from policemen who completed the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (OSI-R) questionnaire, a self-designed questionnaire, and underwent free clinical measurements at the Medical Center of Police Hospital in Tianjin, China, in April 2007. A total of 5811 policemen participated in follow-up with the dynamic observation of new-onset diabetes (NOD) events occurring annually between 2008 and 2011. Occupational stress was measured by the OSI-R questionnaire, which contains 14 different scales. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HR) of the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by occupational stressors.

RESULTS

A total of 3.1% of the participants (n = 179) developed NOD in the follow-up period from 2008 to 2011, and the incidence rates of NOD were 0.58% in 2008, 0.98% in 2009, 0.52% in 2010, and 1.01% in 2011. Role overload (RO), role boundary (RB), physical environment (PE), interpersonal strain (IS), and physical strain (PHS) were associated with the incidence of T2DM (RO: HR = 1.574, 95% CI = 1.071-2.372; RB: HR = 1.645, 95% CI = 1.144-2.365; PE: HR = 2.292, 95% CI = 1.545-3.400; IS: HR = 1.537, 95% CI = 1.079-2.191; and PHS: HR = 1.680, 95% CI = 1.167-2.006) after adjustment for confounding factors. A subgroup Cox regression analysis among traffic control police officers showed the specific work stressors remained robust except RO.

CONCLUSIONS

Several aspects of stressors were independent predictors of T2DM in a prospective cohort study in Tianjin, China. This practical information can be applied to the development of psychological interventions against T2DM.

Social strain, couple dynamics and gender differences in gambling problems: evidence from Chinese married couples

Knowledge of the influence of couple dynamics on gender differences in gambling behavior remains meager. Building on general strain theory from the sociology of deviance and stress crossover theory from social psychology, we argue that the strain encountered by one partner in a social setting may affect his or her spouse. For instance, the wife of a man under more social strain may experience more strain in turn and thus be at a higher risk of developing disordered gambling than the wife of a man under less social strain. Using community survey data of 1620 Chinese married couples, we performed multilevel dyad analyses to address social strain and couple dynamics, in addition to their roles as predictors of gambling behavior in both spouses. This was a community survey of Hong Kong and therefore was not representative of China. Based on the DSM-IV screen, the rates of probable problem gambling and pathological gambling among male partners (12.8% vs. 2.5%) were twice those among female partners (5.2% vs. 0.3%). We also found that the social strain experienced by a male partner significantly predicted both his and his wife's likelihood of developing gambling problems. Although a female partner's exposure to social strain was a significant correlate of her gambling problem, it had no significant association with her husband's gambling behavior. These results suggest that the cross-spouse transference of social strain may be a gendered process.

Parents' nonstandard work schedules and child well-being: a critical review of the literature

This paper provides a comprehensive review of empirical evidence linking parental nonstandard work schedules to four main child developmental outcomes: internalizing and externalizing problems, cognitive development, and body mass index. We evaluated the studies based on theory and methodological rigor (longitudinal data, representative samples, consideration of selection and information bias, confounders, moderators, and mediators). Of 23 studies published between 1980 and 2012 that met the selection criteria, 21 reported significant associations between nonstandard work schedules and an adverse child developmental outcome. The associations were partially mediated through parental depressive symptoms, low quality parenting, reduced parent-child interaction and closeness, and a less supportive home environment. These associations were more pronounced in disadvantaged families and when parents worked such schedules full time. We discuss the nuance, strengths, and limitations of the existing studies, and propose recommendations for future research.

Physical activity behavior and role overload in mothers

We examined physical activity stages of change, physical activity behavior, and role overload in different stages of motherhood in a predominantly Australian sample. Neither physical activity behavior, stages of physical activity change, nor role overload significantly differed across motherhood groups. Role overload was significantly higher for mothers in the contemplation, planning, and action stages of physical activity than in the maintenance stage of change. Role overload had a weak, although significant, negative correlation with leisure-time physical activity. We conclude that strategies focused upon reducing role overload or perceived role overload have only limited potential to meaningfully increase leisure-time physical activity in mothers.

Caregiving, perceptions of maternal favoritism, and tension among siblings

PURPOSE

Studies of later-life families have revealed that sibling tension often increases in response to parents' need for care. Both theory and research on within-family differences suggest that when parents' health declines, sibling relations may be affected by which children assume care and whether siblings perceive that the parent favors some offspring over others. In the present study, we explore the ways in which these factors shape sibling tension both independently and in combination during caregiving.

DESIGN AND METHODS

In this article, we use data collected from 450 adult children nested within 214 later-life families in which the offspring reported that their mothers needed care within 2 years prior to the interview.

RESULTS

Multilevel analyses demonstrated that providing care and perceiving favoritism regarding future caregiving were associated with sibling tension following mothers' major health events. Further, the effects of caregiving on sibling tension were greater when perceptions of favoritism were also present.

IMPLICATIONS

These findings shed new light on the conditions under which adult children are likely to experience high levels of sibling tension during caregiving. Understanding these processes is important because siblings are typically the individuals to whom caregivers are most likely to turn for support when assuming care of older parents, yet these relationships are often a major source of interpersonal stress.

High Educational Aspirations Among Pregnant Adolescents Are Related to Pregnancy Unwantedness and Subsequent Parenting Stress and Inadequacy

On the basis of theories of maternal identity development, role conflict, and childbearing motivation, the authors tested whether high educational aspirations among pregnant adolescents are related to the unwantedness of the pregnancy and whether pregnancy unwantedness leads to subsequent parenting stress and inadequacy. Longitudinal data from 100 first-time-pregnant, unmarried Latina adolescents (M age = 17.3 years) were analyzed. Results from structural equation path modeling confirmed these associations, with strong educational ambitions related to greater unwantedness of the pregnancy, which led to feeling trapped by parenting at 6 months postpartum, which in turn was related to unaffectionate parenting and feeling inadequate in mothering at 1 year postpartum. The potential long-term negative consequences of high educational aspirations for pregnant adolescents' adjustment to parenting are discussed.

Circadian misalignment and health

Circadian rhythms are near 24-h patterns of physiology and behaviour that are present independent of external cues including hormones, body temperature, mood, and sleep propensity. The term 'circadian misalignment' describes a variety of circumstances, such as inappropriately timed sleep and wake, misalignment of sleep/wake with feeding rhythms, or misaligned central and peripheral rhythms. The predominance of early research focused on misalignment of sleep to the biological night. However, discovery of clock genes and the presence of peripheral circadian oscillators have expanded the definitions of misalignment. Experimental studies conducted in animal models and humans have provided evidence of potential mechanisms that link misalignment to negative outcomes. These include dysregulation of feeding behaviours, changes in appetite stimulating hormones, glucose metabolism and mood. This review has two foci: (1) to describe how circadian misalignment has been defined and evaluated in laboratory and field experiments, and (2) to describe evidence linking different types of circadian misalignment to increased risk for physical (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer) and psychiatric (depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, attention deficit) disorders. This review will describe the role of circadian misalignment as a risk factor for disease in the general population and in clinical populations, including circadian rhythm sleep disorders and psychiatric disorders.

Nonstandard Maternal Work Schedules: Implications for African American Children's Early Language Outcomes

In this study, observed maternal positive engagement and perception of work-family spillover were examined as mediators of the association between maternal nonstandard work schedules and children's expressive language outcomes in 231 African American families living in rural households. Mothers reported their work schedules when their child was 24 months of age and children's expressive language development was assessed during a picture book task at 24 months and with a standardized assessment at 36 months. After controlling for family demographics, child, and maternal characteristics, maternal employment in nonstandard schedules at the 24 month timepoint was associated with lower expressive language ability among African American children concurrently and at 36 months of age. Importantly, the negative association between nonstandard schedules and children's expressive language ability at 24 months of age was mediated by maternal positive engagement and negative work-family spillover, while at 36 months of age, the association was mediated only by negative work-family spillover. These findings suggest complex links between mothers' work environments and African American children's developmental outcomes.

Work Characteristics and Fathers' Vocabulary to Infants in African American Families

Fathers' vocabulary to infants has been linked in the literature to early child language development, however, little is known about the variability in fathers' language behavior. This study considered associations between fathers' work characteristics and fathers' vocabulary among a sample of employed African American fathers of 6-month old infants who were living in low-income rural communities. After controlling for family and individual factors, we found that fathers who worked nonstandard shifts and reported more job flexibility used more diverse vocabulary with their infants.

Effects of Adolescent Childbearing on Latino Siblings: Changes in Family Dynamics and Feelings Toward the Teen Mother

Latinos have had the highest teenage birthrate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States for the past 15 years, yet little is known about how Latino families are affected by a teenage daughter's childbearing. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 Mexican American younger siblings of parenting teens to discern how their sister's childbearing had affected them and their families. The most commonly reported negative effects were increased family stress and conflict, more arguments with the parenting older sister, and less time spent with family members. Regarding benefits, all youth described a loving bond with their sister's baby, two thirds described their family becoming closer, and 81% felt closer to their older sister. The implications of these effects for Mexican American families are discussed.

What do we know about the non-work determinants of workers' mental health? A systematic review of longitudinal studies

Background

In the past years, cumulative evidence has convincingly demonstrated that the work environment is a critical determinant of workers' mental health. Nevertheless, much less attention has been dedicated towards understanding the pathways through which other pivotal life environments might also concomitantly intervene, along with the work environment, to bring about mental health outcomes in the workforce. The aim of this study consisted in conducting a systematic review examining the relative contribution of non-work determinants to the prediction of workers' mental health in order to bridge that gap in knowledge.

Methods

We searched electronic databases and bibliographies up to 2008 for observational longitudinal studies jointly investigating work and non-work determinants of workers' mental health. A narrative synthesis (MOOSE) was performed to synthesize data and provide an assessment of study conceptual and methodological quality.

Results

Thirteen studies were selected for evaluation. Seven of these were of relatively high methodological quality. Assessment of study conceptual quality yielded modest analytical breadth and depth in the ways studies conceptualized the non-work domain as defined by family, network and community/society-level indicators. We found evidence of moderate strength supporting a causal association between social support from the networks and workers' mental health, but insufficient evidence of specific indicator involvement for other analytical levels considered (i.e., family, community/society).

Conclusions

Largely underinvestigated, non-work determinants are important to the prediction of workers' mental health. More longitudinal studies concomitantly investigating work and non-work determinants of workers' mental health are warranted to better inform healthy workplace research, intervention, and policy.

Nonstandard work schedules and developmentally generative parenting practices: An application of propensity score techniques

Data from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care (Phase I) and propensity score techniques were used to determine if working fulltime in a nonstandard schedule job during the child's first year predicted parenting practices over 3 years. Results indicated that women who worked fulltime in a nonstandard schedule job during the first year had poorer maternal sensitivity at 24 and 36 months. Modest differences in HOME scores were also observed at 36 months. The results provide strong evidence that fulltime maternal employment in nonstandard schedule jobs may interfere with the creation and maintenance of developmentally generative parenting practices.