Meta-Analyses of the Relationships between Family Systems Practices, Parents' Psychological Health, and Parenting Quality

Experiences and Challenges of Health Professionals in Implementing Family-Centred Planning: A Qualitative Study

Early childhood intervention is crucial for the development of minors with disabilities or at risk. Family-centred planning (FCP), which involves families in care, stands out in this context. Despite its importance, little is known about professionals' experiences of its implementation. FCP aims to tailor services to the needs of the family and the child within the Spanish health system. This study highlights the importance of assessing professionals' perceptions of FCP. Professionals rooted in traditional approaches may resist change. To assess the implementation of FCPs, the study explores the perspectives of 25 healthcare professionals using qualitative methods to assess their experiences. The qualitative descriptive phenomenological design, following Giorgi's modified Husserlian approach, seeks to understand the essence of the phenomenon from the participants' perspective. Two main themes emerged: (1) a social and work organization that perpetuates rehabilitation or early stimulation practices and (2) a socio-family and work organization that promotes FCP adherence, along with subthemes and units of meaning. The evaluation reveals common challenges, such as the need for solid training and institutional support. Evaluating the experience of professionals is essential to overcome barriers and ensure the successful implementation of FCPs. Administrators have an important role to play in providing social, health, and educational alternatives.

Meta-Analyses of the Relationships between Family Systems Practices, Parents' Psychological Health, and Parenting Quality

(1) Background: Family systems theories include assertations that both personal and environmental factors are determinants of parents' psychological health, well-being, and parenting quality. Applied family systems theories focus on determinants that can be operationalized as intervention practices. The analyses described in this paper focused on the direct and indirect effects of four family systems practices (family needs, resources, supports, and strengths), parents' psychological health (depression, well-being, etc.), and parenting quality (parenting beliefs, involvement, and practices) in families of children with identified disabilities, medical conditions, or at-risk conditions for poor outcomes; (2) Methods: Data from previously completed meta-analyses of the relationships between family systems practices and parents' psychological health outcomes and parenting quality outcomes were reanalyzed. Next, a meta-analysis of the relationships between parents' psychological health and parenting quality was completed to identify which predictors were related to which parenting quality outcomes. Both main effects and mediated effects were examined; (3) Results: The four family systems practices were each related to six different psychological health measures and three parenting quality measures. The six different parental psychological health measures were also related to the three parenting quality measures. The relationships between family systems practices and parenting quality were partially mediated by parents' psychological health; (4) Conclusions: The effects of family systems practices and parents' psychological health on parenting quality were primarily direct and independent. The relationships between family systems practices and parenting quality were partially mediated by parents' psychological health. Future research should focus on the identification of other mediator variables found to be important for explaining the indirect effects of family systems practices measures on parenting beliefs, behavior, and practices.