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Separations that occur in the family courts are often characterised by high conflict and lengthy proceedings. For parents with a mental illness, the court can offer additional barriers which may lead to less time with their children and mental distress. This study aimed to (a) identify and critique research relating to parental mental illness in the family courts and (b) understand the experiences of parents with a mental illness who engage with the family courts in parenting matters. This scoping review was conducted on five databases (CINAHL, HeinOnline, ProQuest, PsycInfo and Scopus) following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The search yielded 5392 unique articles, 12 of which met criteria and were included in this review. These articles included qualitative, quantitative and mixed method studies from family courts located in several countries. Through thematic analysis, four themes were constructed, (1) Actual and perceived influence of parental mental illness on outcomes, (2) Family violence and the courts, (3) The impact of the legal process on parents who have a mental illness, and (4) Supports for parents with a mental illness. The results indicate that parents with a mental illness face many obstacles that impact their ability to engage in the court processes and the outcomes of parenting cases. There were, however, many gaps within the current research. Limitations of the current research and directions for future research in parental mental illness in the family courts are offered. Highlights: Parents with a mental illness involved in parenting disputes perceived that their mental illness negatively impacted their case. Key barriers for parents included the exacerbation of their mental illness during ongoing family law proceedings, the impacts of family violence, and a lack of continuous and sensitive legal representation. Parents indicated that family law professionals and systems need to be informed of the effects of family violence, trauma and mental illness. Further research is needed focusing specifically on the experiences of parents with a mental illness as they navigate family court systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of recent series airing on traditional and streaming platforms portray sensitive topics faced by adolescents, including depression and suicide. Research has suggested that these subjects may be difficult for parents and adolescents to discuss, given their stigmatized nature. It is possible, however, that series portraying these issues in a realistic way can influence parent viewers' perceived understanding of and comfort discussing these topics, and subsequently, relate to self-reported conversations with their adolescents. In addition, it is likely that these relations may differ for participants from different countries, especially considering country differences in mental health, access to mental health care, and stigmatization about mental health. We tested these relations using data from 778 parent viewers of the series 13 Reasons Why. We sampled viewers from four countries: Australia, the United States, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. Results suggested an indirect association between self-reported topic understanding and starting a conversation with their adolescent about these topics via reports of comfort discussing these topics. Participants' country of habitation at the time of the study did not significantly influence these associations. We discuss these findings in the context of parent-adolescent communication, particularly around sensitive health-related topics. Highlights: Four-country sample of parents of adolescents (ages 13–17) who viewed 13 Reasons Why. Relation between understanding of portrayed sensitive topics and comfort discussing them with child. Relation between comfort discussing sensitive topics and reports of having a conversation with child. Few differences as a function of country. Implications for the role of media in prompting and supporting difficult conversations between parents and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Australian Child Protection practitioners who work with children from sub-Saharan African migrant backgrounds often face challenges when applying child protection laws and policies to address childrearing and parenting issues. The aim of this study is to examine the influence of cultural beliefs, values, attitudes and practices on childrearing practices within sub-Saharan African communities. Methods: The systematic review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Databases searched included Science Direct, ProQuest Central, Embase, EbescoHOST (Medline; PsychINFO; CINAHL; ERIC; SocINDEX; PsycARTICLES), Web of Science (SCI-EXPANDED; SSCI) and Google Scholar; the search dates were from January 2000 to December 2016. The studies were assessed using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) and the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology guidelines (STROBE). The search strategy identified 2631 articles, of which 57 met the inclusion criteria for the review. Participants were children aged from three months old to seventeen years and adults aged eighteen years or older. Results: Data analysis resulted in 7 primary themes: Illness Conception, Traditional Beliefs and Health-seeking Behaviour; Fosterage and Community Responsibility; Family Dynamics; Discipline; Child Spirits and the Supernatural; Body Stimulation; and Female Genital Mutilation. Conclusion: Framed within the acculturation theory, the review identifies important factors that converge to provide insight into the specific caregiving context of sub-Saharan African families. It further makes clear that, for the most part, the childrearing practices of sub-Saharan African migrants who settle in Australia are influenced by their cultural values and norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurable aspects of child health and wellbeing for children in same-sex parented families show that these children develop well, overall. Increasingly however, it is understood that stigma can have a negative impact on their health within a same sex family context. The aim of this study is to understand how child health in same-sex parented families is constructed by same-sex attracted parents and what this teaches us about the impact of stigma on child health in this context. Families from across Australia were sampled from a larger study of child health and wellbeing. We used family interviews, which took place between January and August 2013. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes. We report on the data from 11 parents with 10 children. Families presented stories of heteronormative conflict that arose from their position in society. Through family constructs, gender assumptions, discrimination and challenging interactions with institutions this heteronormative conflict had a significant influence on child health, sometimes through the generation of broader familial stress. Resilience building was used by parents to construct a positive environment for child health by combating the lack of understanding and discrimination seen at a societal level. Resilience that is developed to combat stigma provides significant benefits, particularly in a heteronormative world where traditional assumptions about families dominate. The anticipation of stigma, and heteronormative pressures, can stimulate same-sex attracted parents to prepare their children for potential negativity. This should be supported through appropriate school programs and considered political leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective parenting self-regulation is purported to promote positive parent and child mental health and behavioural outcomes. This study aimed to develop and validate a brief and easy-to-administer measure of parents' perceptions of their self-regulation related to parenting. In the absence of any specific quantitative means to measure this construct, we developed a 16-item self-report scale in an Australian context for clinical and research use. The scale measures global beliefs about self-efficacy, personal agency, self-management, and self-sufficiency, thought to constitute parent self-regulation perceptions. Based on existing literature, we developed an initial 71-item scale which we subsequently tested in a representative sample of Australian parents (220 mothers, 80 fathers) recruited by random digit telephone dialling. With a strong theoretical framework, confirmatory factor analysis with adequate fit supported a final 16-item, four-factor scale as hypothesised entitled 'Me as a Parent' (MaaP). Three-month test-retest reliability was demonstrated with a subset of the sample ( n = 126). Further development of the MaaP, its potential for clinical and research use, and future assessment and validation through field-testing is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive theories emphasise the role of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep in the development and maintenance of sleep-related problems (SRPs). The present research examines how parents' dysfunctional beliefs about children's sleep and child dysfunctional beliefs about sleep are related to each other and to children's subjective and objective sleep. Participants were 45 children aged 11-12 years and their parents. Self-report measures of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep and child sleep were completed by children, mothers and fathers. Objective measures of child sleep were taken using actigraphy. The results showed that child dysfunctional beliefs about sleep were correlated with father ( r = 0.43, p < 0.05) and mother ( r = 0.43, p < 0.05) reported child SRPs, and with Sleep Onset Latency ( r = 0.34, p < 0.05). Maternal dysfunctional beliefs about child sleep were related to child SRPs as reported by mothers ( r = 0.44, p < 0.05), and to child dysfunctional beliefs about sleep ( r = 0.37, p < 0.05). Some initial evidence was found for a mediation pathway in which child dyfunctional beliefs mediate the relationship between parent dysfunctional beliefs and child sleep. The results support the cognitive model of SRPs and contribute to the literature by providing the first evidence of familial aggregation of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this descriptive focus group study, we investigated parents' views about child sexual abuse prevention education at home and in schools. Focus groups were conducted with a sample of 30 Australian adults who identified as the parent or caregiver of a child/children aged 0-5 years. The study explored (1) parents' knowledge about child sexual abuse prevention, (2) the child sexual abuse prevention messages they provided to their children and the topics they discussed, (3) their attitudes towards child sexual abuse prevention education in schools, and (4) their preferences for content. Data analysis provided seven key themes in these four areas: knowledge (the inadequacy of their own prevention education; and how important is stranger danger now?); messages (bodies, touching, and relationships; the role of protective adults; and parent-child communication); attitudes (voice and choice); and preferences (not the nitty gritty, just the basics). The findings may be useful in assisting school authorities and providers of child sexual abuse prevention programs to better understand parents' contributions to child sexual abuse prevention education, and their perspectives in relation to provision of school-based prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]