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The selection of valid and reliable instruments for research and clinical purposes is needed to increase our understanding of the role that expectations of motherhood have in early identification and treatment of perinatal mental health difficulties. We aimed to identify and assess the psychometric properties of self-report measures of expectations of motherhood. A systematic review was conducted and articles describing the development or validation of quantitative self-report measures of expectations of motherhood were included. The developmental quality (risk of bias) and psychometric properties of each measure were assessed according to the 2018 COSMIN guidelines. Twenty-five articles describing 16 measures were identified and included. Eleven measures were designed to assess a broad range of expectations, while the remaining measures mainly assessed expectations of childbirth. The quality of measure development was mostly poor and rated as adequate or better for only three measures. The most suitable measures with the strongest evidence of good psychometric properties are the Slade-Pais Expectations About Childbirth Scale and the Rigidity of Maternal Beliefs Scale. This systematic review of measures of expectations has identified relatively few measures with adequate psychometric properties. Further development of existing measures is needed for use in both research and clinical settings. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: Maternal mental health difficulties can have significant and long-term adverse consequences on mothers, their children, and families. Previous evidence suggests that holding unrealistic maternal expectations may contribute to postpartum mental health difficulties. Early identification of the potentially modifiable risk factor of maternal expectations may contribute to improving postpartum mental health outcomes. What this topic adds: This is the first systematic review to assess the developmental quality and psychometric properties of 16 measures of expectations of motherhood. The Slade-Pais Expectations About Childbirth Scale had the strongest evidence for good psychometric properties. For the majority of the measures, adequate methods for ensuring good content validity during measure development and validation were not used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a crime that is afflicted by a current or previous romantic relationship partner. One in four women has experienced IPV at least once in their lifetime, with physical and psychological consequences. IPV cases tend to go largely unnoticed and under-reported, with low rates of intervention by bystanders. This cross-sectional correlational study investigated whether a combination of attribution theory and the bystander effect could predict the willingness of strangers to intervene in IPV. There were two models tested. The first model examined attitudes towards the victim, while the second one examined attitudes towards the perpetrator. The relationship between perceived responsibility and willingness to intervene was hypothesized to be mediated by sympathy and anger, with the number of bystanders as a moderator to mediating pathways (sympathy towards victim and anger towards perpetrator). A convenience sample of 278 Australian residents aged 18-years and older was presented in a vignette depicting an IPV incident occurring in public. Participants completed measures about the vignette in an online questionnaire. Model testing was conducted using MPlus; confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the measurement models. After controlling potential covariates, moderated mediation models of victim and perpetrator were analyzed. Attribution theory was a significant predictor in willingness to intervene (f ² =.23, p <.001), but the bystander effect was not. Both attitudes towards victim and perpetrator accounted for unique variance in willingness to intervene in IPV, highlighting the importance of examining both. Findings indicate that psychoeducation campaigns aimed at reducing victim-blaming and promoting intervening behavior could be an effective means of preventing IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the acceptability and effectiveness of a new childhood bereavement service known as Lionheart Camp for Kids. Using a pre-post-follow-up design, data pertaining to 12 bereaved children (aged 5–12 years) and their primary caregivers were obtained. Results showed that caregivers reported decreases in children's peer relationship problems, improvements in parental consistency, and reductions in coercive parenting, and there was a trend toward lower self-reported grief by the children. Caregivers were highly satisfied with the program. There is a need for a wait-list or randomized controlled trial over a longer time period to determine the full benefits of the camp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]