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Research suggests that positive parent-teacher relationships and increased parent involvement can improve student achievement. Family-school-community partnerships can promote these outcomes. This article describes the Pre-Kindergarten Parent Leadership Academy (Pre-KPLA) within the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy (PTLA) at the University of Alabama. To support local elementary schools and their students and families, the Pre-KPLA gives parents the opportunity to develop leadership skills within their school community while promoting parent-teacher relationships. Using a mixed-methods design, we analyzed data from the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 years of the Pre-KPLA on parents' leadership behaviors and self-efficacy. Pretest-posttest results showed that parent participants significantly increased their leadership behaviors and self-efficacy. Additionally, qualitative thematic analysis revealed that parents were inspired to take action in their school, gained new knowledge about school improvement goals, and learned new ways to seek additional funding for their school.

Objectives: Dental practices can have additional positive impacts on public health by implementing mental health screening and referral to treatment in dental care workflows. In this study, we examined how dental practices identify and address adult patient mental health concerns, attitudes about implementing mental health screening and referral, and potential barriers and facilitators to treatment. Methods: We conducted semi‐structured focus groups with 17 dentists, 10 dental hygienists, and 5 dental assistants/office staff in the South‐Central region of the National Dental Practice‐Based Research Network. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: We identified five main themes from dental practitioners and office staff responses. Practitioners and office staff: (1) discover patient mental health concerns through record review, patient/caregiver disclosure, and patient observation; (2) respond to patients' mental health concerns by making the patient more comfortable, documenting the concern in the patient's chart, and directly addressing the mental health concern; (3) want a systematic process for mental health screening and referral to treatment in their dental office; (4) recognize potential barriers in implementing health screening and referral to treatment processes; (5) desire training on mental health matters. An overarching theme emerged: developing a trusting relationship with patients. Conclusions: Participants noted the importance of implementing systematic procedures for mental health screening and referral to services into dental practices, while also recognizing the potential barriers for integrating such processes. They also expressed a desire for quality training and resources that can support better care for patients with mental health concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parental school involvement is associated with social, psychological, and academic child outcomes. Beyond school, demographic, and individual influences, research on the relationship between family level processes and parental school involvement is limited. Coparenting is a unique family level relationship that influences parental engagement, but its link with parental school involvement is less understood. Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the association between coparenting support and biological mothers' and fathers' home-based involvement and school-based involvement when the child was 9-years-old. This study also tested whether biological parental union transitions (i.e., parental union dissolution; parental union formation with each other; stable coresident relationship with one another) significantly moderated these relationships, and whether the associations among the variables of interest were empirically stronger for mothers or fathers. Method: Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 1896 biological mothers and fathers), the current study utilized multiple-sample latent variable structural equation modeling analyses to explore the above associations. Results: Higher levels of coparenting support were associated with higher levels of mothers' and fathers' home-based involvement, and higher levels of fathers' school-based involvement. Union transitions did not moderate these relationships. The link between coparenting support and home-based involvement was significantly stronger for mothers, and the link between coparenting support and school-based involvement was significantly stronger for fathers. Conclusions: Coparenting support may be important to understanding the many components that influence parental school involvement.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct a scoping review to examine and summarize the characteristics of research related to mental health (MH) screenings and/or referrals to treatment in dental practices. Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines for Scoping Reviews and searched multiple databases for terms connected with dental care, MH concerns, screening, and referral. Included articles: (1) described care provided in a dental practice, (2) described a situation where the patient is experiencing the potential MH problem, (3) did not involve dental anxiety exclusively, and (4) involved some form of MH screening and/or referral to treatment. Article analysis included a summary of key study characteristics, types of evidence, study design, and central concepts and definitions. Results: The search generated 2050 records, with 26 ultimately included. Most studies involved only adults (22, 85%), but only three (12%) reported on rurality (two urban; one mixed) and only two each (8%) reported race or ethnicity. Fifteen (58%) articles were prospective and 11 (42%) were retrospective. The studies varied widely in study designs, from 11 (42%) cross‐sectional methodologies to only one (4%) randomized controlled trial. Thirty‐four screening tools were used to screen for symptoms of 43 MH conditions, with depression and anxiety screened for most frequently. Few articles discussed making referrals, practice workflows, or follow‐up outcomes. Conclusions: Included studies provide evidence of viable options for dental practitioners regarding MH screening, referring, and conducting follow‐up, but lack specificity regarding these processes. Overall, more research is needed to clarify what workflows are most efficient for dental practitioners and efficacious in identifying patients with MH concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with family adjustment, heightened adolescent mental health symptomology, and increased caregiver stress. The current study used a diverse sample of caregivers and early adolescents to examine the association between pandemic-related experiences, caregiver perceived stress, and adolescent mental health. Two hundred and 34 caregivers and their adolescents (10–14 years old) from the Southeastern United States completed surveys during the early stages of the pandemic. Structural equation modeling analyses tested the relationship between COVID-19 experiences, caregiver perceived stress, and adolescent mental health, and whether perceived stress could explain the relationship between COVID-19 experiences and adolescent mental health symptomology. Findings reveal that perceived stress was a significant indirect effect in the relationship between COVID-19 experience and adolescent mental health symptomology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The growing worldwide prevalence of individuals with anxiety disorders has increased needs for mental health services. Due to limited number of mental health providers and community resources, especially in low-income countries, individuals often seek services from primary care settings. Through collaborative care models, services via telemedicine address the mental health provider shortage. While previous reviews show telemedicine effectively treats mental illness, a gap exists for reviews on videoconferencing psychological therapy for anxiety treatment.Objective: This systematic review aims to summarize videoconferencing psychological therapy for anxiety disorder treatment.Methods: Database searches were performed with PubMed, PsychINFO and Embase. Inclusion criteria identified controlled and uncontrolled studies evaluating videoconferencing psychological therapy. Studies were appraised using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment tool. Data collected included research design, sample size, intervention details, outcome results, intervention effect size and differences between videoconferencing psychological therapy and face-to-face therapy.Results: The search revealed 1253 articles, with 21 meeting inclusion criteria. Sample sizes ranged from 1 to 121 participants; cognitive-behavioral therapy was most commonly evaluated. Participants' diagnoses included panic disorder with and without agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, social phobia and hypochondriasis. Three studies occurred in outpatient health care settings. Fourteen studies reported statistically significant improvement on anxiety measures; 11 reported clinically significant improvements. Effect sizes ranged from small to very large, and all controlled studies found no differences between videoconferencing and face-to face groups.Conclusion: Results provide promise for evidence-based interventions delivered via videoconferencing psychological therapy. More rigorous research is needed in various settings and populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we examined single mothers’ (n = 1,229) parenting stress trajectories across the years when their children were ages 1, 3, and 5. Analyses were based on a latent growth curve model incorporating time-invariant and time-varying covariates to better understand single mothers’ parenting stress trajectories. Single mothers’ initial level and rate of change in parenting stress trajectories were significantly predicted by the initial levels of infants’ negative emotionality. The time-varying covariates of work–family conflict and parental engagement were significantly associated with single mothers’ parenting stress when their children were ages 1, 3, and 5. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

School-family-community partnerships have been shown to increase student success and overall school climate. In order to support local schools and their students and families, The University of Alabama created the Elementary Parent Leadership Academy (EPLA), a training program that prepares elementary school parent leaders with the skills to strengthen school communities through supporting parent involvement. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the 2014-2015 EPLA graduates found that the program increased parent school leadership behaviors and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by role-strain theory and the spillover hypothesis, this study used data (n = 2,637) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the link between mothers’ parenting stress, perceived parental competence, and parental engagement when the child was age 1, 3, and 5, respectively. Analyses were based on a multiple-sample path analysis that tested direct and indirect effects for mothers of biologically intact and nonintact families. Mothers who reported higher levels of parenting stress at child age 1 experienced lower levels of perceived parental competence at child age 3. Higher levels of perceived parental competence at child age 3 predicted increased mother–child engagement levels at child age 5. Test of indirect effects confirmed that perceived parental competence mediated the relationship between parenting stress and parental engagement for mothers of intact and nonintact families. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by family systems theory, we used couple data ( N = 1,778) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the link between perceived infant negative emotionality, parenting stress, and couple relationship quality when the child was 1, 3, and 5 years. Using a latent actor-partner interdependence model, we tested dyadic direct and indirect effects for married and cohabiting couples. Parents who reported higher levels of perceived infant negative emotionality at age 1 had higher parenting stress at age 3. Mothers' and fathers' parenting stress at age 3 predicted lower levels of their own couple relationship quality and their partner's relationship quality at age 5. Parenting stress mediated the relation between perceived infant emotionality and couple relationship quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the prevalence of mental health concerns, dentists have an opportunity to provide mental health screenings to enhance overall patient care. The purpose of this study is to summarize and discuss the characteristics of mental health curricula related to patient care in accredited dental schools., Methods: We identified accredited predoctoral dental programs incorporating mental health training related to patient care into their curriculum. We summarized course characteristics and thematically analyzed course descriptions using headings from the National Library of Medicine., Results: From our review of curricula from 80 dental programs, 27 included a mental health component, and these were found in both didactic and clinical courses. Behavioral science and building clinical competence were the most common themes., Discussion: While mental health is an important component in overall patient care, a minority of accredited dental programs' curricula address it. Further, the manner and extent of inclusion varies. Including mental health training into dental curricula will better prepare dentists for their patients' comprehensive health needs., (© 2024 American Dental Education Association.)