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The military lifestyle can be defined by a triad of unique stressors: frequent relocation, parental absence, and risk of injury, illness and/or death of a serving member. Research has suggested that this unique triad of stressors can impact the mental health of children and youth living in military families. However, research focusing on the mental health of children and youth living in military families overwhelmingly focuses on the American context. Due to key contextual differences, it is unclear to what extent the American findings are representative of military-connected children and youth living in other geographical contexts, such as Canada. A large qualitative study was conducted to explore the mental health of military-connected children in Canada from three perspectives: child, parent, and service provider. This paper reports on the service provider findings. Using individual semi-structured interviews, data were collected from 11 service providers. Data analysis was guided by qualitative content analysis. Two main themes emerged: (1) the mental health of children living in military families may be impacted by the military lifestyle stressors, and (2) the mental health of children living in military families can be impacted by the accessibility and availability of mental health services. While this qualitative study builds upon recent Canadian work that has considered the service provider perspective, additional research is needed to better understand the experiences of service providers who support military-connected children and youth. Highlights: American research shows that the military lifestyle factors can impact the mental health of military-connected children. The mental health of military-connected children has yet to be extensively explored in Canada. The mental health of children living in Canadian military families may be impacted by the military lifestyle stressors. The mental health of Canadian military-connected children can be impacted by the accessibility and availability of mental health services. Our findings can help build capacity and knowledge for service providers who support Canadian military-connected children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting education interventions and parenting programs are important for health promotion efforts among children and families; however, the majority of parenting programs are directed towards and attended by mothers. This is problematic because research has consistently demonstrated that fathers' active participation in the family can have a positive influence on mothers' well-being, children's self-esteem, success in school, and interpersonal relationships. In this paper, using an intersectional poststructuralist framework, document analysis, and Bacchi and Goodwin's "What's the problem represented to be" approach (WPR), we analyzed the program policies of 12 organizations that provide family-centred services in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We identified the following three discourses: organizations strive to be client-centred and provide choices; organizations want to empower their participants; and women need safe place to raise their families. Our analysis revealed that fathers are absent or represented as problems in program policies, and that this has consequences for not only fathers but also mothers and children. Highlights: Dominant discourses of gender are upheld through the exclusion of fathers in program policies. The exclusion of fathers in policies produces them as either absent/problematic and can adversely affect families. Organizations uphold damaging discourses of masculinity that can undermine efforts to prioritize the needs of mothers. Changing language in policies may help family-centred organizations shift services and better support families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the experiences during COVID-19 of mothers who have young children, are survivors of domestic violence and who share parenting to highlight the further unsafe situations survivors of violence and their children were placed in during the pandemic. Part of a larger mixed methods study, these participants (n = 19) from three Canadian provinces, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, engaged in virtual individual one-on-one interviews via zoom. Using thematic analysis, four themes emerged from the data: 1) increased use of coercive controlling behaviors; 2) fear of the unknown; 3) lack of supports; and, 4) finding balance. Direct quotes are used to highlight the meaning of each theme. We outline the challenges these women have that are in addition to those experienced by many during COVID-19 times (increased stress, isolation, disconnect from supports, financial challenges). These include managing the shared parenting arrangements with a former abusive partner who used the pandemic as a further opportunity for coercive controlling behaviors under the guise of the public health order. The mothers were left to manage the difficult exchanges with a former abusive partner and unknown circumstances of the pandemic without guidance and support from legal actors. There will need to be a prioritization of the safety of mothers and their children in post-divorce parenting arrangements both during times of a community lockdown such as during the pandemic and also during non-pandemic times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advocates have called for universal, quality child care in Canada since the 1970s, but the issue seldom appeared to acquire political urgency. The 2006 election campaign seemed different. The governing Liberals promised to devote billions to a nascent national program. The Conservatives promised parents a cash allowance for young children. Child care seemed to be emerging as a significant issue in a political campaign. How was ECEC written about before, during and after Canadian election campaigns? Who is quoted and how? Our project mapped articles about child care in four major Canadian dailies between 2000 and 2008. We found that coverage spiked in 2000 and 2005-2006-during federal elections. Coverage nearly doubled in 2005-2006 in all but one paper. Using content analysis, we compared coverage of child care and sources in the 55 days before the start of campaigning, 55 days of campaigning, and 55 days following the 2006 election. We mapped and compared who said what, and how about child care policy and related issues, in Canada. We found: (1) that newspapers' ideological slants are apparent in their choice of sources and focus; and (2) that more importantly, despite ideological differences, political figures outnumbered activists, parents and child care providers. With only minor variations across the newspapers, the voices of parents and child care activists were marginal especially in the 55 days of campaigning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant feeding is closely related to children's life-long health and well-being. It is common for parents to withstand infant feeding challenges and with a plethora of guidelines and advice caregivers can face a great deal of stress. Extra-familial child care and employment circumstances also impact infant feeding, yet little is known about how caregivers experience them. This qualitative study explores working mothers' infant feeding experiences during their children's transition to a child care setting. Six mothers with at least one child age 6 to 18 months old in child care participated in semistructured interviews. The themes identified using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach were infant feeding burden on mothers, weaning stress, responsive feeding style, seeking professional support, and child care setting partnership. Mothers experienced a significant infant feeding burden due to a gendered division of labor and lack of professional resources and support. The infant feeding burden decreased considerably once children transitioned to child care and some feeding responsibilities were reallocated. Recommendations are discussed for how child care settings can play a more substantial role in supporting families with infant feeding through knowledge translation strategies and modeling. Future research directives assessing how partners can better assist mothers with infant feeding are suggested. Highlights: Mothers who experienced infant feeding challenges, especially breastfeeding, expressed both guilt and shame. There was a gendered division of labor as mothers were predominantly responsible for infant feeding and the caregiver burden. Mothers faced difficulty locating timely and accessible resources and supports related to infant feeding. Caregiver burden significantly decreased once children transitioned from home to child care settings. Mothers developed trust with the child care setting and adopted infant feeding approaches used by the early childhood educators at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pan-Canadian efforts to support universal access to quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for families are underway. Focusing on a universally available ECEC program in Nova Scotia, this study explored the impact of the perceived value of this publicly funded ECEC program on parental decisions for enrollment. A thematic analysis of data from focus groups and interviews (n = 42 families represented) from two separate, but related studies, revealed themes (Ease of access, Communication, Supporting familiarity with school and Early learning) which provide insight on the value that parents place on a universal ECEC program and may help to inform other jurisdictions. Highlights: Explores the values families place on ECEC programs. Shares both experiences of those who did access the ECEC program and those who did not. Provides an opportunity to learn how to best meet parents needs and expectations while ensuring accessibility for all families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of online health information is positively associated with citizen knowledge, empowerment, self-care, health outcomes, and quality of life. However, little is known about how mothers with incomes below the poverty threshold and with education levels of high school or less use and interact with the Internet as a key source of lay knowledge and skills for infant care and childrearing. Our objective in this study was to understand mothers' perceptions of their experience in using online information for these purposes. To obtain a rich and nuanced understanding of their experience, we used a qualitative study approach based on 40 individual semi-structured interviews with mothers. Adopting Freidson's concept of "lay referral system" to grasp mothers' experience with online parenting information, we found that they relied on this information source extensively. Our findings showed that Internet-based information and online interactions were part of their lay referral system and modified to some extent how they interacted with their lay consultants (family and friends). Three major themes emerged in relation to how the Internet functioned as a component of the mothers' lay referral systems: (1) strategic use of the Internet for better parenting; (2) critical stance towards the Internet; and (3) strengthening of autonomy, skills, and self-confidence. Mothers with spouses and an active social network were more likely to use online information to complement information obtained from their entourage or from professionals than were mothers with a less active social network or who were more socially isolated. Highlights: Mothers with incomes below the poverty threshold and with low educational attainment made extensive use of Internet-based information for child care and parenting. Mothers applied critical judgment to use online information strategically. For some mothers, information obtained or shared on the Internet replace conversations with family members or professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African immigrant children experience some of the poorest mental health outcomes in Canada, yet limited research has systematically mental health determinants among this growing demographic. Our participatory action research project (PAR) explored, from the perspectives of parents, the factors influencing the mental health of African immigrant children in Alberta, Canada. The project utilized an intersectionality theoretical lens to collect and analyze data from a sample of 81 African immigrant parents who participated in nine conversation cafés and five focus groups. This PAR approach provided an ideal structure to engage parents and generate knowledge on the factors influencing their children's mental health. Parents identified racial discrimination, limited mental health awareness, limited access to mental health supports, changing family dynamics, parental absenteeism, and unresolved pre-migration trauma as factors influencing their children's mental health. These factors were perceived as contributing to children's experiences of material deprivation, social problems, and emotional difficulties. Our findings suggest that interventions to overcome these factors and enhance the mental health of African immigrant children must target transformation of the family, community, and cultural systems within which their lives are embedded, as well as the policies and institutions that produce and reproduce child mental health vulnerabilities. Highlights: Racism was perceived as causing employment difficulties, material deprivation, low educational attainment, and emotional difficulties in children. Changing family dynamics (e.g., marital divorce) resulting from resettlement pressures were perceived as a source of mental stress. Unresolved pre-migration traumas were reported as a risk factor for mood swings, interpersonal difficulties, and illicit drug use. Utilization of mental health supports was curtailed by stigma and limited mental health awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer volunteers provide valuable support to foster parents. However, there has been limited research on what they consider to be valuable preparation for the role. In the present study, they were asked: "What is essential training for peer support volunteers to receive before starting?". Fifteen participants grouped 41 different responses that were analyzed using multidimensional scaling and cluster analyses. The resulting concepts included: (a) self-care, (b) effective use of self, (c) policies and procedures, (d) finding information and (e) how to address common challenges. Highlights: Goals: The study's goal was to identify the training needs of foster parent peer support volunteers from the perspective of active peer support volunteers. Methods: Methods included multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis on 41 different responses to a focal question about "essential training for peer support volunteers." Results: Results of the cluster analysis yielded five themes related to self-care and use of self and policies, accessing information and problem-solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children exposed to domestic violence may be at risk of homicide. Through an analysis of 140 domestic homicide cases in Ontario, Canada, this study sought to identify unique factors that heighten the risk for children in these circumstances. Two groups of domestic homicide cases were compared: cases with no children (No Children, n = 39) and cases where children were part of the family system (Children, n = 101). Further comparison was made of cases in which children were killed (n = 20) to cases in which children were present but not killed (n = 81). Overall, there were few unique differences between the groups and most of the significant findings were based on expected demographic characteristics related to having children in the family. Other significant results included a higher percentage of reports made to legal counsel/services within child-specific cases and a higher percentage of reports made to family members in cases where children were not killed. These results indicate that children who lose parents to domestic homicide share similar high-risk circumstances as children who have been killed in this context. Practical implications of the study's findings are discussed. Highlights: This study examined children's risk of homicide in the context of domestic violence. The study compared domestic homicide cases of families with and without children. Study results generally indicated few unique differences between groups. Results suggest that children exposed to domestic homicide are at similar risk to children who are not domestic homicide victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with growing interest in subjective well-being (SWB) as a goal of public policy, a substantial research base examining the correlates, effects and determinants of adolescent SWB is beginning to develop. However, there is a dearth of data on the SWB of adolescents with disabilities. The limited available data suggest that adolescents with disabilities in high-income countries face a heightened risk of poorer SWB relative to peers without disabilities. Few studies have investigated potential causes of disability-based differences in adolescent SWB. This lack of research may be due, in part, to the widely held but now contested assumption that disability is inherently negative and therefore a direct cause of poorer SWB. Utilising data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, this study investigated the potential mediating role of adverse life conditions, including socioeconomic disadvantage, impoverished peer relationships, and peer victimisation. Employing structural equation modelling, the study found evidence consistent with a causal chain running from early childhood disability, through adverse life conditions, to poorer adolescent SWB. The findings suggest that poorer SWB in adolescents with disabilities cannot be assumed or attributed to disability in any straightforward way. With equivalent means, including economic and social resources, adolescents with disabilities may enjoy levels of SWB that are not significantly different from their peers without disabilities. Highlights: In this population-based study, adolescents with disabilities reported poorer subjective well-being (SWB) than their peers. Growing up, adolescents with disabilities were more likely to be exposed to adverse life conditions compared with their peers. The relationship between disability identified in early childhood and adolescent SWB was fully mediated by adverse life conditions. Findings indicate that poorer SWB in adolescents with disabilities is, at least in part, a result of differential exposure to adverse life conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is sound evidence that increased level of peer support is linked negatively with youth vulnerably to internalizing and externalizing problems. Conversely, victimization by peers is associated positively with youth adjustment difficulties. The current study examines the mediating role of victimization in the association between classmates' support and internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and the moderating role of gender in that association. The study is based on a sample of 243 7th grade Canadian adolescents. The results show that classmates' support has a unique contribution to reduced adolescents' internalizing behaviors above and beyond the effects of parental and teachers' support. This association was partially mediated by youth victimization. Classmates' support was a stronger predictor of internalizing behaviors among females compared to males. With respect to externalizing behaviors, the results indicated that while classmates' support has no direct association with that outcome, parental support plays a central role in predicting externalizing behaviors. The association between classmates' support and externalizing behavior was fully mediated by youth victimization. The current study highlights the importance of support by peers, with whom they interact on a regular basis, to adolescents' well-being and functioning. The results also indicate that parents are still significant figures in adolescents' lives. Those facts should be taken into account when intervening with young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there has been an increase in public health campaigns and initiatives aimed at preventing suicidal behaviors, suicide rates in Canada appear to be increasing particularly among young adults. Yet, few studies in Canada have examined the effect of suicidal ideation on unmet mental health needs among young adults. The objective of this study is to examine the association between suicidal ideation and unmet mental health needs, over and above predisposing, enabling, and need factors. This study uses data on 3393 young adults aged 20-29 years from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH). Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted with unmet mental health needs as the outcome variable and suicidal ideation as the main explanatory variable. Of the 3393 respondents, 8.8% had unmet mental health needs and 16.5% had suicidal ideation. In the multivariate logistic regression model, respondents who experienced suicidal ideation had 2.55 times higher odds of having unmet mental health needs. Respondents were also more likely to have unmet mental health needs if they are female, experienced childhood adversity, or were diagnosed with mental health disorders or cannabis abuse or dependence. Each additional unit increase in social support decreased the odds of unmet mental health needs by 11%. Community peer support programs for young adults may be beneficial in enhancing access to mental health particularly for at-risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth mental health (YMH) services are greatly underutilized, particularly for migrant youth. Collaborative models of care offer promising avenues, but research on these treatment modalities is still scarce, particularly for migrants. The goal of this exploratory study is to better understand quality of care including factors improving access to care and collaborative YMH services use, efficacy and satisfaction, for this vulnerable population. This qualitative study relies on a multi-informants (youth, parents, clinicians) and multiple case study design to explore YMH collaborative services for migrant youth living in an urban setting (Montreal, Canada). Participants are five young patients (12-15 years old), one of their parents and their primary care therapist ( N = 15). They come from migrant families, have a psychiatric diagnosis and have been receiving mental health services in a collaborative care setting for at least 6 months. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews for the five triads were thematically analyzed to draw similarities and contrasts between actors, across and within case-studies. Based on these findings, four themes emerged concerning the optimal care setting for collaborative YMH services for migrant families: (1) providing an equilibrium between communication, collaboration and privacy/confidentiality, (2) special attention to ensuring the continuity of care and the creation of a welcoming environment where trusting relationships can develop, (3) the inclusion of family intervention, and (4) the provision of collaborative decision-making pathways to care, addressing interprofessional and interinstitutional collaboration as well as cultural differences in explanatory models and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students presenting oppositional behaviors often display lower behavioral and emotional engagement in class as compared to their peers. Moreover, children in general are known to be deeply affected by their relationships with teachers while in school. It is therefore possible that such relationships could also influence the engagement of students presenting higher levels of oppositional behavior. As a way of verifying this hypothesis, the present study investigated the contribution of students' levels of oppositional behavior to their behavioral and emotional engagement in literacy. Furthermore, it examined whether these relationships were different for boys and girls, or changed as a function of two components of student-teacher relationships: closeness and conflict. Three hundred and eighty five third and fourth grade students and their teachers participated in the study. Two series of linear regressions were conducted. Findings indicate that students who presented higher levels of oppositional behavior showed lower behavioral engagement than their peers. Moreover, students who had close relationships with their teachers reported higher behavioral engagement. Although closeness in student-teacher relationships protected students from behavioral disengagement, students with higher oppositional behaviors were less protected than students who presented lower levels of oppositional difficulty. Having a warm relationship with a teacher was also more beneficial for the behavioral engagement of girls, whereas a high level of conflict between student and teacher was more harmful for the emotional engagement of boys. This was deemed to be true whether the boys or girls presented high levels of oppositional behavior or not. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of the student-teacher relationship in fostering all students' engagement in school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the associations between timing and intensity of maternal employment in early childhood and the developmental outcomes of young Canadian children. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth using multiple linear regression. We tested the associations between mothers' employment in the first four years of children's lives and motor and social development of zero to 4-year-old-children and receptive language of 4 and 5-year-old-children. We also examined the association between working more than 20 h a week during the first 2 years of children's lives and children's outcomes. We found that mothers who returned to work when their children were between 0 and 4 years old had enhanced motor and social development in comparison to children of mothers who did not work during this time. Additionally, findings showed that relative to children of mothers who worked 20 h or less a week in the first 2 years of their children's lives, in particular between 12 and 17 months, children of mothers who worked more than 20 h had lower receptive language scores at 4 and 5 years of age. These findings have implications for maternity and parental leave policy in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barriers associated with treatment engagement exist at multiple levels for immigrant parents (IP) raising a child with a disability (e.g. divergent beliefs between family and service providers (SP) concerning the child's diagnosis and treatment, poor therapeutic alliance, limited language skills, daily stresses, lack of flexibility and complexity of the health care system, the SP's lack of training in cultural sensitivity). The SP have a primary role to play in the families' engagement process. Presently, little is known about SP's knowledge of barriers and strategies to enhance the engagement in treatment by IP raising a child with a disability. The aim of this qualitative study is to contribute to filling this gap. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 SP from three large cities from Canada. Participants are SP including speech language pathologists, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, specialized educators, and psychologists who work with children with a language, motor, hearing or visual disability on a regular basis. Data analysis included inductive and iterative processes typically used for qualitative research as well as a thematic content analysis approach. To address the barriers that diminish the IP's engagement in their child's treatment, the SP highlighted three primary strategies: (a) overcoming the language barrier; (b) developing a shared understanding of the child's disability, and (c) helping the parents to understand the treatment process. A conceptual framework is presented which illustrates barriers and facilitators of IP's engagement. These findings suggest that several adaptations are needed within the health care services for the IP. They can help guide clinical practice in order to increase the level of treatment engagement of the IP raising a child with a disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic recreation camps have been considered to be an effective context for improving the psychosocial functioning of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, there is limited research regarding their impact on parents. Nine parents participated in two semi-structured interviews before and after their children attended a camp for children with CHD. Parents described their perceptions of their children's camp experiences and identified the psychosocial utility of camp for themselves. Camp enabled parents to let their children grow and be independent, and helped reduce parents' restricting and overprotective behaviours. Camp also provided parents with respite care, which alleviated their need to be 'cardiac' parents. These findings strengthen the case for therapeutic recreation camps and underscore the importance of expanding camp access to more families affected by CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work has demonstrated that three overarching vulnerabilities-genetic, environmental, and temperamental-contribute to the development of child anxiety. The purpose of our study was to assess: (a) the relationship between an environmental vulnerability, family enmeshment, and child anxiety; (b) whether parental anxiety accounts for this relationship; and (c) whether this relationship is mediated by levels of child Behavioral Inhibition System sensitivity, a highly persistent temperamental variable demonstrating positive associations with child anxiety. Our study included 38 Canadian parent-child dyads from an urban area, of which 33 children were Caucasian and 18 were girls. Children were aged 9 or 11 years ( M = 10.21, SD = 1.07). Children completed measures of anxiety and sensitivity towards threat and parents completed measures of family enmeshment. The results supported a significant positive relationship between family enmeshment and child anxiety; parental anxiety did not account for this relationship; and the relationship was partially mediated by Behavioral Inhibition System sensitivity. Specifically, when the effect of Behavioral Inhibition System sensitivity was controlled for, the association between family enmeshment and child anxiety became non-significant. The results suggest that family enmeshment is associated with levels of child anxiety largely through the function of children's sensitivity to threat. Enmeshed families may increase children's susceptibility to anxiety through their effect on child temperament, specifically sensitivity to threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long history examining the antecedents of maladaptive parenting practices. Indeed, in both the developmental and clinical literature, maternal anxiety has been linked to maladaptive parenting behavior, including engaging in high levels of control during mother-child interactions. However, the association between anxiety and controlling parenting is not consistent throughout the literature. Therefore, we sought to examine potential moderators that may impact the relation between anxiety and parenting. Specifically, we investigated maternal physiological regulation as a moderator of the relations between mothers' characteristics of shyness-anxiety and their engagement in supportive parenting, restrictive parenting, and overprotective parenting. Sixty-six mothers of preschool-aged children participated. Mothers completed a questionnaire about their shyness-anxiety, and their respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured at baseline as an index of parasympathetic regulation. In addition, mothers completed the Childrearing Practices Q-Sort as an index of parenting. Analyses revealed that mothers' shyness-anxiety was positively predictive of overprotective parenting and negatively predictive of supportive parenting. In addition, RSA moderated the relation between mothers' shyness-anxiety and overprotective parenting, but not supportive or restrictive parenting. Results are discussed with regard to the significant role that maternal emotion regulation plays in parenting practices. Specifically, it appears that shy-anxious mothers' emotion regulation may be an important area of focus for parent-training programs designed to prevent children's anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little research on the experiences of foster parent resource workers. Resource workers in foster care are the staff members who work most closely with foster parents. Foster parent resource workers in a large metropolitan area were asked the question: 'What makes for a good relationship between a resource worker and a foster parent?'. The results were analyzed using concept mapping and resulted in eight concepts. Resource workers needed foster parents to follow through on expectations of their role through licensure and agency guidelines and agreements. They described the need for flexibility in their own role and actions. They focused described the need for common ground with foster parents, have respect for their knowledge and contributions, as well as to provide recognition and thanks. Resource workers needed to be attentive to foster parents, clear about their role and be good communicators. There was a great deal of overlap in the qualities of a good relationship from the perspectives of resource workers in the present study and the perspectives of foster parents as reflected in the existing literature. However, differences that appeared in the literature but not in the present study focused on the importance of resource provision by resource workers to foster parents, and in the results but not the literature focused on the evaluative aspects of resource workers' role with foster parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the links between mother and child synchrony, shared affect, and young children's aggressive behavior and social skills. The sample was 59 young children (3-6 years; 29 aggressive and 30 non-aggressive) and their mothers. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing children's aggressive behavior and social skills. Interactional synchrony and shared affect were assessed during a mother-child free play task and structured task. The results revealed non-aggressive dyads exhibited more interactional synchrony, shared positive affect, and less shared negative affect, than aggressive dyads. Level of interactional synchrony, shared positive affect, and child aggression predicted children's social skills. The results also provided some support that the quality of the interactions differed by task type. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting has been conceptualized to mediate or moderate children's adaptation to family stress. Our study expanded the literature to determine, within the adoptive context, how non-child-related family stress (NCR-family stress; e.g., parent's problems at work) and parenting styles were related to internalizing and externalizing problems in school-age girls adopted from China. Using data from the third wave of a longitudinal study, 651 school-age girls were identified for the current analysis. On average, the girls were 9.3 years old ( SD = 2.7) and were adopted at 15.6 months ( SD = 13.8). Data on NCR-family stress, parenting styles and child behavior problems were collected from the adoptive mothers using the social problem questionnaire, parenting styles and dimensions questions, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6-18), respectively. After controlling for age at adoption, age, the adoptive mother's education level, household income, and the girls' corresponding behavior problems from the second wave of data (2 years prior), we found that that the association between NCR-family stress and the adopted Chinese girls' internalizing problems and externalizing problems was mediated by authoritarian parenting and moderated by authoritative parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of early and current maternal autonomy support, and of its stability over time, in predicting child executive functioning (EF). Seventy-eight mother-child dyads participated in two visits when children were aged 15 months (T1) and 3 years (T2), allowing for the assessment of maternal autonomy support (T1 and T2) and child EF (T2). The results showed that autonomy support at 15 months and the average level of autonomy support displayed by the mothers between 15 months and 3 years were significant predictors of child EF, whereas current autonomy support was not. Group comparison techniques showed that children of mothers who displayed low autonomy support at both 15 months and 3 years performed the worst on EF. These results speak to the relevance of using multiple assessments of parenting behavior when examining its impact on child cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested whether inattentive-impulsive-overactive (I/O) and oppositional-defiant (O/D) behaviors were associated with peer problems and whether these associations were moderated by callous-unemotional (CU) traits in clinically referred children with disruptive behaviors. Parents of 135 children aged 6-12 years ( M = 9.09, SD = 1.62) completed measures to assess their child's I/O, O/D, and CU behaviors, and peer functioning problems. Findings showed that I/O and O/D behaviors were associated with greater peer problems, and CU traits significantly moderated the I/O behaviors and peer problems association. Children with relatively more CU traits and I/O behaviors showed greater peer problems. However, those with more CU traits and fewer I/O behaviors showed less peer problems. I/O behaviors and CU traits have an important influence on peer functioning that varies according to the severities of each. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation examined motivation for parenting and some of its correlates in parents and children. The data came from samples of 151 first-time mothers of infants, 153 mothers of middle school children, and 260 mothers and fathers of high school children. Parents provided self-report data about their motivation in their parenting role as well as reports of role satisfaction, parental competence, child temperament, and parenting styles. Using three samples, factor analyses confirmed the distinction between autonomous and controlled forms of parenting motivation. Autonomous motivation refers to investing in the parenting role because it is interesting and meaningful whereas controlled motivation refers to investment based on external or internal pressures. Results showed that autonomous motivation was associated concurrently with parenting satisfaction and competence as well as with authoritative and autonomy-supportive parenting styles. Child temperament was unrelated to parenting motivation, but mothers reported greater autonomous motivation for girls than boys and for younger children rather than older children. Autonomous parenting motivation was associated with children reporting autonomy supportive parenting and high levels of well-being. A prospective analysis showed that controlled parenting motivation in first time mothers was associated with reductions in parenting satisfaction as infants became toddlers. A similar analysis showed that autonomous parenting motivation was associated with children developing fewer behavior problems whereas controlled motivation was associated with children developing more behavioral problems. The present findings highlight the heuristic value of assessing why parents invest themselves in the parenting role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience considerable amounts of distress and experiences of crisis. The Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response model provides a theory for understanding the experience of distress and crisis in families, and the purpose of the present study was to examine experiences of distress in mothers of individuals with ASD using this framework. We specifically investigated how parent empowerment and positive gain were related to their experiences of distress, whether as mediators or as moderators of child aggression. Participants included 156 mothers of children with ASD ranging in age from 4 to 21 years. Mothers completed an online survey of demographics, problem behaviors, family empowerment, positive gain, and distress. We conducted path analyses of multiple mediation and moderation. Results indicated that greater child problem behavior was related to less parent empowerment, which was related to greater maternal distress, supporting empowerment as a partial mediator. At the same time, greater child aggression was not related to maternal distress in mothers who report high rates of positive gain, suggesting that parent gain functions as a moderator. The implications for how and when clinicians intervene with families of children with ASD are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to parenthood can be challenging for many women and their personal experience of this transition has been shown to affect their well-being and the development of their child. A hypothetical model of the maternal sense of competence in raising a child was analyzed using structural equation modeling. In this model, the maternal sense of competence served as the mediator between, on the one hand, parental alliance, social support and child temperament (measured by mothers and fathers) and, on the other hand, mothers' engagement in leisure activities with their child and their psychiatric symptoms at 6-months postpartum. Data were obtained from 176 first time mothers (20-40 years old) and their partners. Mothers' sense of competence was measured with the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale. The model's fit approached acceptability and all paths were significant. For an excellent fit of the model, an additional direct effect was added between social support and psychiatric symptoms. A replication model was tested in which child temperament was measured by fathers. Once again, all paths were significant and the fit approached acceptability. For an excellent fit, another direct effect was added between child temperament and mothers' psychiatric symptoms. Given that mothers' sense of competence in raising their first child is linked to their mental health and their interactions with the child, it could be beneficial for this maternal cognition to become a target when planning interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the convergence of recent immigration and an ethnic minority, Chinese children residing in a Western country such as Canada may be doubly disadvantaged for the development of self-concept. This study investigated the status and the socio-ecological predictors of the self-concept of recent Chinese immigrant children of school age who were living in Canada. Socio-ecological predictors were hypothesized to be the current classroom environment and the family's heritage cultural beliefs. Child scales measuring self-concept and classroom environment were administered to 202 children, aged 8-13 years, who comprised Chinese immigrants ( n = 112) and Caucasian non-immigrants ( n = 90). Their parents completed a measure of cultural beliefs. The results showed that the immigrant children scored lower in all domains of self-concept than did the non-immigrants and all but one of the domains of self-concept were differentially predicted by the classroom climate and the cultural beliefs in both groups. Implications for practice and research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting quality is widely accepted as a primary predictor of children's mental health. The present study examined the effectiveness of a parenting program in fostering optimal parenting and child mental health. The selected program was How to talk so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk (How-to Parenting Program). This program was selected because its content corresponds closely to what the parenting style literature suggests is optimal parenting (i.e., includes structure, affiliation and autonomy support). Eleven groups of six to twelve parents were conducted in 7 local grade schools. The program, offered by two trained leaders, consisted of eight weekly sessions and taught a total of 30 skills. A total of 82 parents completed questionnaires both prior to and after the program. Participants' children between eight and 12 years old ( N = 44) completed questionnaires at school, at both assessment points. Repeated measures ANOVAs using parent reports indicated that structure, affiliation and autonomy support were increased after the program, compared to baseline. The level of child internalizing and externalizing problems also decreased significantly. Importantly, children reports confirmed that parental autonomy support increased from pre to post-test and child-reported well-being improved as well. The preliminary evidence from this pre-test versus post-test repeated measures design suggests that the How-to Parenting Program is effective in improving parenting style and in promoting children's mental health and that future evaluation research examining the potential of this program is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the family functioning of recent Chinese immigrants living in Canada in terms of its status and those socio-ecological factors that influence it. Recent immigration has resulted in an increasingly large number of residents in Canada and the US who represent both an immigrant and an ethnic minority status. Among such residents are Chinese immigrants. Because of the potentially large number of school-age children who are part of these families, the family functioning of the new Chinese immigrants with school-age children would be important for the children's development. This study therefore compared 112 Chinese families who recently immigrated to Canada with 90 Caucasian non-immigrant families. Scales were administered to the families to measure various aspects of family functioning. The results showed that the Chinese immigrants experienced a lower degree of family cohesion. Their socio-ecological factors were both similar and different from the non-immigrants, with a lower degree of social support and certain differences in child-rearing practices than the non-immigrants. Social support and child-rearing practices were differentially related to different dimensions of family functioning. However, these relationships were not entirely unique to the immigrants. The results have increased our understanding of immigrants and may contribute to the provision of effective support for immigrants. Implications are suggested for community support for immigrants and for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss preliminary findings from a study that investigated the effectiveness of a Holistic Arts-Based Group Program (HAP) for the development of resilience in children in need. The HAP teaches mindfulness using arts-based methods, and aims to teach children how to understand their feelings and develop their strengths. We assessed the effectiveness of the HAP by using comparison and control groups, and standardized measures. We hypothesized that children who participated in the HAP would have better scores on resilience and self-concept compared with children who took part in an Arts and Crafts group (the comparison group), and children who were waiting to attend the HAP (the control group). A total of 36 children participated in the study; 20 boys aged 8-13 years and 16 girls aged 8-14 years. A mixed-designed MANOVA was conducted using scores from 21 participants. We found evidence that the HAP program was beneficial for the children in that they self-reported lower emotional reactivity (a resilience measure) post-intervention. No changes were noted for perceptions of self-concept. Consideration should be given to how we can attend to young people's needs in relevant ways as resilience is a condition of a community's ability to provide resources as much as it is part of an individual's capacity for growth. Programs such as the HAP can engage children in a creative and meaningful process that is enjoyable and strengths-based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-established that parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience significant stress in their caregiving role, and research findings indicate that chronic stressors can act as a precipitant to crisis. In the present study, we examined the experience of crisis in families of individuals with ASD from early childhood to adulthood. One hundred and fifty-seven comments provided by family members in response to an online survey were coded using grounded theory methods. We explored three components of crisis drawn from the comments: antecedents (precipitating events and the context of crisis), behaviors (the nature of crisis), and consequences (outcomes and reactions to crisis). Similarities and differences in the crisis experiences among varying age groups are discussed, as well as implications for practice and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined cultural differences in mothers' acceptance of and intent to use behavioral parenting techniques for managing disruptive child behavior, and the possible roles of parenting styles and implicit theories in explaining these cultural differences. A community sample of 117 Euro-Canadian and Chinese-immigrant mothers of boys aged 4- to 8-years participated. Chinese-immigrant mothers had more favorable attitudes towards punishment techniques (i.e., overcorrection and spanking) than Euro-Canadian mothers, and mothers' authoritarian parenting style accounted for this cultural difference. No cultural differences were found in mothers' attitudes towards reward (i.e., praise and token economy) or withdrawal of positive reinforcement (i.e., response cost and time-out). This study helps to inform efforts to increase the cultural sensitivity of mental health services for the underserved population of Chinese-immigrant families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only limited attention has been given to parent coping resources in the positive adjustment of families of children with a disability. This study is the first to explore maternal positivity as a psychological coping resource related to family adjustment in these families. Consistent with broaden-and-build theory and prior positivity research, positivity was operationalized through a ratio of positive to negative affect scores. We employed longitudinal tracking over a 1 year interval. Children's diagnostic categories included developmental conditions or impairments, mental health disorders, complex health conditions, physical/motor conditions or impairments, sensory impairments, and provisionally diagnosed conditions or impairments. We used a computer assisted telephone survey to gather psychological, family, and demographic information from 152 mothers in Alberta, Canada. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated mothers' level of positivity and age, when controlled for family adjustment at Time 1, accounted for 46% of the variance in family adjustment at Time 2. That is, older mothers with higher positivity scores were found to live in households with higher levels of family adjustment after 1 year. These findings provide promising support for broaden-and-build theory, which posits that positive experienced emotions can offset and diminish the negative health and relationship impacts of chronic stress. Study findings support the salience of mothers' positivity as a psychological coping resource, which is related to enhanced family adjustment in situations of childhood disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nobody's Perfect Program (NP), involving 46 participants, was conducted from the spring of 2007 to the fall of 2009 in Peterborough, Canada. Prior to the program, parents completed demographic information, along with self-report measures assessing learned resourcefulness, the types of interactions with their children, parent resourcefulness, knowledge and use of resources, parent competency and self-efficacy, which were completed again after the program and at a 2 month follow-up testing. Most parents (83%) earned a certificate. Significant improvements over time were observed for parenting confidence satisfaction, knowledge about community resources, and parenting resourcefulness, with general learned resourcefulness skills approaching significance. Pre/post relative gains demonstrated in one attribute were associated with pre/post relative gains in others. Similarities and differences of these findings to a previous investigation are discussed, as well as the importance of parents' general level of learned resourcefulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family policy in Canada is primarily concerned with assisting parents raise their children. This fairly singular approach to family policy is ironic given that Canada does not have a nationally-coordinated family policy. The development of a national family policy has been hampered by Canada's decentralized governmental structure (i.e., federal and provincial, as well as territorial, governments) and other factors such as diverse geography and different traditions (e.g., a tradition of common law in English Canada, and civil law in Quebec). A recent addition to Canada's family policy is Bill C-38, The Civil Marriage Act (), the law legalizing same-sex marriage. To put Canada's same-sex marriage law into context, this article presents some preliminary statistics about same-sex marriage in Canada, and considers whether same-sex marriage legislation is a good example of Canadian family policy, or an exception to the rule that Canadian family policy focuses primarily on helping parents socialize their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted an evaluation of Nobody’s Perfect Program involving 71 participants from Peterborough County, Canada. Prior to the program, parents completed demographic information, along with self-report measures assessing the types of interactions with their children, parent resourcefulness, knowledge and use of resources, parent competency and self-efficacy, which were completed again after the program and at a two month follow-up testing. In comparison to parents not earning certificates, parents earning certificates were younger and more likely to have completed previous parenting programs. As well, parents earning certificates demonstrated and maintained an increase in parenting resourcefulness, warm/positive parent-child interactions, sense of parenting competency and satisfaction, and use of community resources. The more sessions parents attended, the better their parenting resourcefulness and warm/positive parent-child interactions on completion and at follow-up, and the less their angry and punitive parenting at follow-up. Parents who had attended parenting programs before had higher parenting resourcefulness scores at entry. They left the program with increased levels of parenting resourcefulness, better parent-child interactions, and more effective child management skills. A number of recommendations are suggested to help facilitators of the program enhance service delivery and improve parental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss some of the lessons the investigators learned during the development, implementation, and dissemination phases of the National Arts and Youth Demonstration Project (NAYDP). The lessons learned are relevant to various groups involved in large-scale, multi-site, community-based intervention studies: parents, youth, researchers, project staff, policy makers, and funders. Specific lessons learned include: (1) how to engage the community; (2) methodological lessons, including cross-site training and monitoring adherence to research protocol; (3) recruiting and sustaining involvement of parents and youth; (4) program development; and (5) dissemination strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]