Search

Background: Siblings adjust to having a brother or sister with a disability in diverse ways. This study investigated a range of child, parent and family factors as predictors of sibling adjustment outcomes. Methods: Forty-nine siblings (aged 7-16 years) and parents provided information about (1) sibling daily hassles and uplifts; (2) sibling coping; (3) parent stress; (4) parenting; and (5) family resilience. Multiple regression techniques were used. Results: It was found that parent and family factors were stronger predictors of sibling adjustment difficulties than siblings' own experiences of stress and coping. Specifically, socio-economic status, past attendance at a sibling support group, parent stress, family time and routines, family problem-solving and communication, and family hardiness-predicted sibling adjustment difficulties. Finally, siblings' perceived intensity of daily uplifts significantly predicted sibling prosocial behaviour. Conclusions: The results revealed that the family level of risk and resilience factors were better predictors of sibling adjustment than siblings' own experiences of stress and coping resources, highlighting the importance of familial and parental contributions to the sibling adjustment process. The implications of these results for the design of interventions and supports for siblings are discussed.

Background: Research highlights the need for ongoing social support of mothers of children with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Despite recognised differences between mothers and fathers, little is known about the particular social support needs of fathers of children with ASD. Broadly, this study aimed to explore the support needs of fathers of children with ASD compared with fathers of children without a disability (W/OD) and the relation between social support, psychological distress and sociodemographic factors. Method: Drawing from a large, nationally representative community sample of children, 159 fathers of children with ASD were identified, where 6578 fathers of children W/OD were used as a comparison sample. Results: Over 70% of fathers of children with ASD reported that support was inaccessible and were significantly more likely to report so compared with fathers of children W/OD. Emotional/informational social support was the strongest social support domain associated with fathers' experiences of psychological distress. Conclusions: This study provided important insight into the social support needs of fathers of children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes for the infant such as preterm birth. These risks are not reduced with pharmacological treatment, but the effect of non-pharmacological therapies is unknown. We performed a systematic review to assess the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in non-pharmacologically treated depressed women compared to non-depressed women. We found no studies that met our inclusion criteria, highlighting a critical need for research on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Exhaustion and fatigue are commonly experienced by parents during the post-partum period, and can have implications for daily functioning, mental health and parenting practices. There is a need for the development of effective interventions to assist parents with the management of fatigue. This paper outlines the procedure for a randomised controlled study which aims to test the efficacy of Wide Awake Parenting, a program for the management of fatigue in the postnatal period. Methods/design Parents with an infant less than 6 months of age, and from seven Local Government Areas in Melbourne, Australia were invited to participate in this study. Parents were randomised to receive the Wide Awake Parenting program (intervention groups) or usual care (control group) offered by health services. The Wide Awake Parenting program provides parents with psycho-education and information about fatigue, and strategies to reduce its effects either via a self-directed method, or professionally led with a home visit and telephone support. Baseline data will be collected prior to randomisation, and further data will be collected at 2- and 6-weeks post intervention. Discussion To our knowledge this is the first randomised controlled trial of a program which compares the efficacy of a self-management approach and health professional assistance for the management of fatigue in the early post-partum period. If effective, it could offer an important, universal public health management approach to this common health concern. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000133932.

Substantial barriers to prenatal mental health screening exist. The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the acceptability of computer tablet-based prenatal screening compared to paper-based screening. Secondary objectives are to compare the two screening modes on: (1) detection of depression/anxiety symptoms; (2) disclosure of symptoms; (3) factors associated with acceptability, and disclosure; (4) psychometric properties of the e-version of the tools; and (5) cost-effectiveness. Pregnant women were recruited from maternity clinics in an urban Canadian city, and were eligible if they were: 1) able to speak/read English; 2) willing to have a diagnostic interview within 1 week. Allocation was by computer-generated randomization. Women in the intervention group completed screening on a computer tablet and those in the control group completed the same assessment in paper-based form. Intention-to-treat analyses compared groups on primary and secondary outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression will identify predictors of intervention acceptability and disclosure. Preliminary Results – Recruitment was completed on December 8, 2014 (n=587). Mean age of women was 28.7 years (SD 4.7) with 96% partnered and 77% completing at least some post-secondary education. One-third (32.3%) had been treated previously for a mental health problem. Over 90% of women in the intervention and control groups indicated they found/would find computer-based screening acceptable and could fully disclose their concerns. No significant differences in mean depression or anxiety scores were found between groups. Additional results to be generated for presentation Implications Clinical and cost data will inform approaches to routine prenatal mental health screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]