The association between parenting styles, maternal self-efficacy, and social and emotional adjustment among Arab preschool children

The impact of family factors and digital technologies on mental health in university students

Introduction

A substantial body of research indicates an increasing prevalence of mental health issues among university students in a range of countries. A number of psychosocial factors have been put forward in the research literature as possible explanations for this persistent decline in psychological wellbeing in higher education. The present study focused on the role of family factors and the use of digital technologies by students.

Methods

A replication study was conducted at the University of the Americas (Chile) based on a previous study on psychosocial factors of academic learning patterns and mental health of university students at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain. A cross-sectional design was employed, using the same questionnaire, plus indicators of most frequently used digital technologies by the students. The questionnaire was administered online at the same time to all incoming students, gathering a sample of 4,523 students. A series of multiple regressions and ANOVAs was conducted to ascertain the extent to which family and digital factors could be identified as predictors of mental health indicators.

Results

The most significant findings indicate that high levels of parental protection and control/discipline, and especially the high use of social media and smartphones, are particularly salient factors contributing to mental health problems in the learning process of higher education students.

Discussion

The results suggest strategies to promote wellbeing, with a focus on the psychosocial diversity within an inclusive university community. Social and digital innovation, collective entrepreneurship, and participatory place-building may facilitate networks of artistic, cultural, ecological, and sports spaces to promote the sense of university community. A longitudinal follow-up on the same sample across academic years will reveal the extent to which these wellbeing initiatives are fruitful.

The impact of parenting practices and family economy on psychological wellbeing and learning patterns in higher education students

BACKGROUND

There is a large literature on the significant impact of rearing factors in the psychological development of different child's learning patterns and wellbeing in elementary and secondary schools, but there is a scarcity of studies on to what extent those influences remain stable up to higher education.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, parenting practices and family status were analyzed as predictors of the different learning styles, psychological difficulties, mental health factors, and academic performance, comprising the psychosocial diversity in learning (DinL) at the university classroom.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional design, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 2522 students at the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). It included a DinL scale measuring five psychological learning dimensions (coping with difficulties, effort, autonomy, Social/Physical Context, and understanding/career interest), plus several items on retrospective parenting practices, family, and sociodemographic variables. Multiple regressions and analyses of variance were conducted with the family factors as independent variables and the learning factors as dependent variables.

RESULTS

Results showed parenting variables, parents' education, and family economy as having a significant impact on psychological learning dimensions, academic performance, and especially on the students' wellbeing and mental health status, being an important contributors to explain the DinL in the university classroom.

CONCLUSION

The results bring interesting conclusions for developmental and health psychologists when working with parents aimed at fostering wellbeing and learning strategies related to academic inclusion and achievement.

Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Parenting Styles, and Family Accommodation on Patients Diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Background

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that has multiple biological, psychological, and sociological factors. The aim of this study was to investigate childhood traumatic experiences, parenting style, and family adaptive behaviors in patients with OCD, to explore the psychosocial factors that affect its occurrence, and to analyze the correlation between these psychosocial factors and OCD symptoms to better understand its etiology.

Methods

We recruited 109 patients diagnosed with OCD (patient group) and 144 healthy controls (control group) into this study. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Egna Minnen Betraffande Uppfostran (EMBU), and Family Accommodation Scale-Patient Version (FAS-PV) questionnaires were administered to all participants.

Results

Patient OCI-R scores for checking, hoarding, obsessing, ordering, washing, neutralizing, and total OCI-R scores were significantly higher when compared with the control group (all P < .05). Patient CTQ scores for emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, and total CTQ scores were significantly higher when compared with the control group (all P < .05). Patients' EMBU scores for F1, F2, F3, F5, F6, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and total EMBU scores were significantly higher when compared with the control group (all P < .05). There was no significant difference in the F4 scores between the 2 groups (P = .622). Patient FAS-PV scores for the direct participation and facilitation of OCD symptoms, avoidance of OCD triggers, taking on patient responsibilities, modification of personal responsibilities, and total FAS-PV scores were significantly higher when compared with the control group (all P < .05). The total OCI-R score showed a significant positive correlation with emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and total CTQ score (r = 0.564; r = 0.518; r = 0.542; r = 0.586; r = 0.603, all P < .05). The total OCI-R score showed a significant positive correlation with the scores for F1, F2, F3, F5, F6, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and the total EMBU score (r = 0.504; r = 0.531; r = 0.611; r = 0.466; r = 0.519; r = 0.665; r = 0.351; r = 0.597; r = 0.667; r = 0.484; r = 0.586; r = 0.662, all P < .05). The total OCI-R score showed a significant positive correlation with scores for direct participation and facilitation, avoidance of OCD triggers, taking on patient responsibilities, modification of personal responsibilities, and total FAS-PV score (r = 0.571; r = 0.624; r = 0.670; r = 0.592; r = 0.684, all P < .05).

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the importance of adverse childhood experiences, parenting styles, and family accommodation on OCD patients. Importantly, these adverse experiences are closely related to the severity of symptoms in these patients. We suggest that psychological, and not only physiological, changes play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of OCD. This study confirmed that family and childhood experiences play an important role in the occurrence of OCD, and family education in childhood greatly affects the occurrence of OCD. Therefore, it can be inferred that good family psychological education in childhood has a positive effect on reducing the risk of OCD. If family psychological education can be included in community medical services, this will help to mitigate the development of mental health situations.