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This article is about the making of an observation video of a Nepalese baby during the first six months of its life and the technical and cultural issues raised (Barnett & Leng, 2004). The project was undertaken in collaboration with Lynn Barnett, as part of her series of cross-cultural observation videos on the emotional development of infants and young children (Barnett, 1975–2005, 1996–1999, 1996). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children who have experienced parental separation have potentially 3 sets of parents whose relationships may impact on them: mother and former partner, mother and stepfather, and father and new partner. Children's accounts of their response to conflict between these different parental dyads were studied, in relation to the quality of their relationships with these parents assessed with child interviews and questionnaires, and to maternal reports of the children's adjustment, in a sample of 159 children growing up in different family settings. Involvement in conflict within 1 parental dyad was chiefly unrelated to such involvement in conflict between the other parental dyads. In contrast, there was evidence for"spillover"effects in relationships within families; for instance, high frequencies of conflict between parents were linked to more troubled parent–child relationships. Children were more likely to side with the parent to whom they were biologically related than with stepparents. Involvement in mother–nonresident father conflict and in mother–stepfather conflict were both associated with adjustment problems, independent of the qualities of positivity and conflict in the relationship between child and parent. Implications for views on"family boundaries"are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generational boundary dissolution is a form of parent-child relationship disturbance in which the typical parent and child roles become distorted or even reversed. While recognized as a pathological family process among clinicians, generational boundary dissolution has also become the subject of empirical study. The current paper presents the theoretical background supporting the construct of boundary dissolution, with particular emphasis on family systems theory and developmental psychopathology. We also review the empirical studies of the occurrence and developmental outcomes of boundary dissolution that have been conducted within the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, extending from early childhood through adolescence and into adulthood, with data related to multiple realms of social and emotional development, including questions of intergenerational continuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of boundary dissolution has a long history in both the psychodynamic and family systems literatures and is linked to a number of important processes in developmental psychopathology. However, advancements in the empirical study of boundary dissolution have been hindered by the multiplicity of terms and conceptualizations that have been used to capture the construct. The purpose of this paper is to present a multidimensional model of boundary dissolution and to show how the specific dimensions of the construct might be differentially linked to pathological processes in development. Research from a series of studies is presented that lends Support to this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is currently the most prevalent, yet most under-researched anxiety disorder in childhood. To date, there have been few studies investigating the efficacy of interventions for young children with SAD. The primary purpose of this paper is to describe the process of tailoring Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PC IT) for young children aged 4-8 with SAD. The paper provides a theoretical rationale for using PCIT to treat young children with SAD. The first randomized clinical trial for young children with SAD is then described. The paper focuses on the process of adapting PCIT to make it most relevant for children with SAD. The specific challenges and rewards of conducting PCIT with anxious children and their parents are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant controversy has emerged concerning pediatric anxiety disorders. Some researchers question the justification for diagnosing and treating pediatric anxiety disorders, owing to concerns about the inappropriate medicalization of social problems. Others note the importance of diagnosis and treatment, given that pediatric anxiety disorders represent a strong risk factor for serious adult mental disorders. We examine the neural correlates of pediatric anxiety disorders, to consider the validity of the categorization scheme used in recent treatment studies. Methods: Using inclusion criteria derived from recent treatment trials, we compared gray matter volume throughout the brain in children with and without anxiety. Morphometric analyses used optimized voxel-based morphometry, an automated method for examining structural changes throughout the brain. Results: Reductions in left amygdala gray matter volume were noted for patients with anxiety disorders relative to comparison subjects. Conclusions: We discuss implications of these findings for current controversies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SAD is a disorder that can cause a great deal of distress and impairment. Children with the disorder often miss school, as well as many other important social opportunities like playing with friends and participating in extracurricular activities. It is quite likely that, if untreated, SAD can lead to numerous negative psychosocial outcomes. Luckily, effective treatments for SAD are available, including CBT and SSRI pharmacotherapy. Pediatricians can play an important role in identifying SAD and other anxiety disorders and providing parents with information about appropriate treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the trends in parental time devoted to children in 16 industrialized countries using time-use survey data. Despite the time pressures that confront today's families, parents appear to be devoting more time to children than they did 40 years ago. Multivariate analysis of trends in parental time by type of activity revealed a significant increase in parental time devoted to children. A comparison of 1981 and 1997 U.S. data suggests that children are not spending less time with parents. In the case of two-parent families, today's children are in fact spending substantially more time with their parents than in 1981. Between 1961 and 1999, time spent on childcare by mothers in Great Britain has increased from 0.7 hour per day to 1.7, while for fathers it increased from 0.2 to 0.8 hour per day. Results also suggest that mothers continue to devote more time to childcare than fathers, but the gender gap has been reduced. The consistency of these results across countries suggests a global trend toward an increase in parental time investment in children.

Objective: To assess the course and short-term outcomes associated with separation anxiety disorder (SAD) in a community setting. Method: The subjects were 161 of 2,061 8-to 17-year-old twins with SAD from a community-based twin study. Subjects were born between 1974 and 1983. Subjects and parents were personally interviewed about the subject's current psychiatric history between 1990 and 1993. A follow-up interview was conducted, on average, 18 months later. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors and outcomes of persistent SAD. Results: Of the 161 subjects with SAD at time 1, 80% had remitted and 59% were free of any disorder at follow-up. Children with persistent SAD had a significantly higher prevalence of oppositional defiant disorder, significantly more impairment associated with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and mothers who were less satisfied with their marriage at time 1 than children with transient episodes. Children with persistent SAD had a significantly higher prevalence of overanxious disorder or a new minor or major depressive disorder at time 2 than children with transient SAD. After controlling for comorbidity, only an elevated risk of new depressive disorders at time 2 distinguished children with persistent SAD. Conclusions: Many children with SAD in a community setting are well at follow-up, on average, 18 months later. A minority of children with persistent SAD are at significantly increased risk of a new depressive disorder, especially those with a history of oppositional defiant disorder, impairment associated with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or parental marital difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifteen million children experienced a divorce in their families in the 1990s. The primary determinant of adverse outcome in children is ongoing parental hostility after the divorce. A study in 1996 of community professionals (ministers, pediatricians, attorneys, school counselors and divorce mediators) in a western Colorado county demonstrated the need for parenting after divorce classes. It has now been seven years since the beginning of those classes; the views and perceptions of those professionals are reexamined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the eating-related cognitions and behaviors of college-age women who had experienced parental death, parental divorce, or neither loss condition, we recruited 48 women from science and social science departments at a state university in the Southeast. All participants completed the Mizes Anorectic Cognitions Scale (MAC) and the Bulimia Test-Revised (BULIT-R). Women who had experienced parental death scored significantly higher on the MAC than individuals who had experienced parental divorce. Participants who had experienced parental death also exhibited higher MAC scores than their peers in the nonloss group, but this difference just failed to meet conventional levels of significance. No significant differences emerged on the BULIT-R. The findings suggest that although college-age women who have experienced parental death may not exhibit bulimic behaviors, an assessment of their anorectic-related cognitions may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One third of all children are born to unmarried mothers and over one half of children will spend some time in a single-parent family. In fact, single-father families are the fastest growing family form. Using data from the 1995 National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, the authors extend prior research that has investigated the effects of growing up in a two-parent versus single-mother family by examining adolescent delinquency in single-father families, too. This strategy helps us to identify the mechanisms through which living with a single parent increases delinquency, notably, whether the effect is predominantly a function of parental absence (i.e., one versus two parents) or parental gender (i.e., single mother versus single father). The results indicate that adolescents in single-parent families are significantly more delinquent than their counterparts residing with two biological, married parents, although these differences are reduced once the authors account for various family processes. Furthermore, family processes fully account for the higher levels of delinquency exhibited by adolescents from single-father versus single-mother families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: BackgroundEvidence suggests that unplanned/unwanted pregnancy may be an important antecedent of negative birth outcomes, such as low birth weight. This study identified correlates of perceiving a current pregnancy as both unplanned and unwanted among unmarried African-American adolescents aged 14–20 years.: MethodsOne hundred seventy pregnant adolescents were recruited during their first prenatal visit. Adolescents completed a face-to-face interview administered in private examination rooms. Adolescents also completed an in-depth self-administered survey. Measures were selected based on two potential influences: (1) relationships with boyfriends and (2) parent/family involvement. Age and parity were also assessed. Contingency table analyses were used to identify significant bivariate associations. Correlates achieving bivariate significance were entered into a forward stepwise logistic regression model.: ResultsPregnancy was reported as unplanned and unwanted by 51.2% of the study population. In a multivariate analysis, adolescents indicating lower levels of parental involvement were about twice as likely (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–3.9, p<0.03) to report that their pregnancy was unplanned and unwanted. Adolescents who already had a child (AOR=2.3; 95% CI, 1.3–5.7, p<0.009) and those younger than 18 years old (AOR=2.3; 95% CI, 1.1–4.5, p<0.02) were more than twice as likely to report that their pregnancy was unplanned and unwanted. A variable assessing whether each adolescent''s current boyfriend conceived the pregnancy approached significance (AOR=2.33; 95% CI, 0.99–5.46, p=0.052).: ConclusionsFindings provide initial evidence for specifically targeting intensified prenatal care programs to teens perceiving their pregnancy as unplanned and unwanted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports about the important findings of a national survey on disadvantaged orphans in Eritrea, one among the 15 poorest countries of the world. Thousands of children were made orphans owing to the long drawn out war situation this country had been gripped with. The survey is an attempt to unearth the background characteristics of these disadvantaged orphans, the circumstances of parental loss, their living situations, and the various problems encountered by them. The present survey is based on 50,782 disadvantaged orphans where the majority of the orphans were paternal orphans followed by maternal orphans, and a few were complete orphans. They belonged to extremely poor families, and suffered from all kinds of deprivations, including schooling opportunities, medical care, food and clothing, apart from social and psychological problems of various kinds. A few of them were further affected by disabilities and chronic health problems. Analysis indicated that various factors such as loss of one parent or both, age, availability of adult care and type of care, economic status, schooling opportunity, age at loss of mother, cause of mother's death, and health status seemed to contribute to the vulnerability of these orphans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined children''s perceptions of their parents'' involvement in all types of extracurricular activities, extending research beyond the sports domain. The Parental Involvement in Activities Scale (PIAS) was developed to measure children''s perceptions of their parents'' involvement. The PIAS resulted in a 16-item measure with 2 factors, “support” and “pressure.” The amount of time children spend in their activities and their affective experience of participation were also assessed. Perceived parental support positively predicted participants'' amount of extracurricular involvement. Perceived parental support and pressure predicted children''s affective experience of participation. Present results suggest that parental support and pressure are variables that may be central to understanding how to optimize children''s extracurricular involvement. Recommendations are made regarding how parents can modify their involvement to contribute to their children''s positive experience of extracurricular activities, while minimizing involvement that contributes to negative experience. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper constitutes a major part of the third phase of a longitudinal study in Swaziland investigating the short- and long-term effects of parental absence on primary children’s school achievement. In 1998, 42 of the original sample of 80 students who entered grade one in 1990 were found remaining in the educational system but varied in their educational attainment. While girls had a higher drop-out rate than boys, males repeated grades at a higher rate. Father absence from the home had a negative influence on boys’ participation in and successful completion of school. Generally, the study found school achievement to be highly impacted by social variables rather than academic ability for both boys and girls. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Repeated separation from the family during very early stages of life is a stressful emotional experience which induces a variety of neuronal and synaptic changes in limbic cortical areas that may be related to behavioral alterations. First, we investigated whether repeated parental separation and handling, without separation from the family, leads to altered spontaneous exploratory behavior in a novel environment (open field test) in 8-day-old Octodon degus . Second, we tested whether the parentally deprived and handled animals display different stimulus-evoked exploratory behaviors in a modified open field version, in which a positive emotional stimulus, the maternal call, was presented. In the open field test a significant influence of previous emotional experience was found for the parameters of running, rearing, and vocalization. Parentally deprived degus displayed increased horizontal (running) and vertical (rearing) motoric activities, but decreased vocalization, compared to normal and handled controls. The presentation of maternal vocalizations significantly modified running, vocalization, and grooming activities, which in the case of running activity was dependent on previous emotional experience. Both deprivation-induced locomotor hyperactivity together with the reduced behavioral response towards a familiar acoustic emotional signal are similar to behavioral disturbances observed in human attachment disorders. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 42: 237–245, 2003. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guinea pig is highly developed at birth and requires little active maternal care. Yet the mother and other social figures markedly influence biobehavioral processes of the offspring. Here, responses of guinea pigs and nonhuman primates to maternal and other social separation procedures are compared, and influences of social partners on endocrine responses and behavior in periadolescent guinea pigs are described. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 42: 225–236, 2003. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: BackgroundWe describe a successful demonstration that repeated early deprivation of parental care (ED), as used to study effects of early life stress in rats, can be performed in a primate and that it constitutes an early life stressor.: MethodsSeven breeding pairs of marmoset monkeys each provided control twins (CON) and twins that were subjected to ED for 30–120 min/day on postnatal days (PND) 2–28. Urine samples were obtained to monitor the acute effect of ED on cortisol and catecholamine levels. Behavior samples were obtained in the home cage to monitor the effects of ED on infant and infant–parent behavior.: ResultsEarly deprivation of parental care caused acute increases in cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. At PND 28, basal cortisol was reduced in ED compared with CON infants, and ED infants were smaller than CON infants. Early deprivation infants tended to spend more time in the suckling position than did CON. Early deprivation infants demonstrated more distress vocalization than CON infants, even though the parental care they received in the home cage was similar. Early deprivation infants tended to play less socially than did CON.: ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that a repeated early life stressor of the type developed in rats can also be applied to a primate species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant brain research is having an increasing impact on child psychotherapy and our understanding of the neurobiological effects of trauma and neglect. This paper outlines the 'experience-dependent' nature of brain development in infancy and the concept of critical periods in such development. The effects of deprivation on child development are illustrated and case material from a child who was institutionalized during his second year is used as a basis for posing questions about the nature of the mind and the brain. In spite of his deprivation, he was able to communicate imaginatively. Schore's proposal for the use of early interventions is put forward to counter discouragement that can be engendered by work with severely deprived children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the life course effects of the early parental loss of among very old African Americans. Use of open-ended semistructured interviews; Illustration of life course trajectories in the qualitative data; Description of the outcome of the samples.

Objective: To identify and validate factors within the parental background affecting risk of child maltreatment. Method: A nested case-control study based on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (‘Children of the Nineties’), a cohort of children born in Avon in 1991 through 1992. Data on the childhood and psychiatric histories of the parents, along with other data on the social and family environments, have been collected through postal questionnaires from early antenatal booking onwards. Results: Out of 14,138 participating children, 162 have been identified as having been maltreated. Using logistic regression analysis, significant risk factors within the mothers' backgrounds were age < 20; lower educational achievement; history of sexual abuse; child guidance or psychiatry; absence of her father during childhood; and a previous history of psychiatric illness. Significant factors in the fathers' backgrounds were age < 20; lower educational achievement; having been in care during childhood; and a history of psychiatric illness. Significant factors on univariate, but not multivariate analysis included a parental history of childhood physical abuse; divorce or separation of the mother's parents; a maternal history of having been in care, or separated from her mother; parental alcohol or drug abuse; and a maternal history of depression. Conclusions: This study, the first of its kind in the UK, supports the findings of others that parental age, educational achievement, and a history of psychiatric illness arc of prime importance in an understanding of child maltreatment. With the exception of maternal sexual abuse, a history of abuse in childhood is not significant once adjusted for other background factors. The study suggests that psychodynamic models are inadequate to explain child maltreatment, and wider models incorporating other ecological domains are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized that children who grow up without a biological parent do worse, on average, than other children. However, because having a single parent is highly corelated with many other socioeconomic disadvantages, the negative outcomes might be caused by something beyond the parent's absence. Econometric tests using a variety of background controls and parental death as an exogenous cause of absence, show little evidence that a parent's presence during childhoold affects economic well being in adulthood. The two exceptions are that living without a mother impacts girls' cognitive performance while having a father die lowers sons' chances of marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effects of early rearing experiences on the development of maternal behavior in Sprague-Dawley female rats. Pups from individual litters were assigned to four different groups on Day 3 of life. From days 4 to 20 of life, these were reared artificially, without mother and receiving minimal “licking-like” tactile stimulation (AR-MIN), or maximal stimulation (AR-MAX) or were reared with their mothers (MR-CONTROL and MR-SHAM). At 70–100 days all AR and MR animals were mated and then observed with their own offspring, culled to eight pups. After maternal testing open-field tests were conducted. The female offspring in these litters (all raised by their MR and AR mothers) were reared to adulthood and then observed interacting with their offspring. Results show that in adulthood AR mothers engaged in significantly fewer pup-retrievals and less pup-licking (genital and body), and crouching, but significantly more non-maternal tail-chasing, digging, and hanging/climbing. As well, they were more active in the open field. Comparisons between the two AR groups and the MR groups, showed that most of the differences were between the AR-MIN and MR groups, with the AR-MAX animals showing levels of behavior between the two, and differing from neither. Analyses of covariance indicated that early experience and adult emotional behavior both influence adult maternal behavior, but their effects are independent of one another. A cross-generational effect of artificial rearing was also found. Daughters of AR and MR mothers that were observed after the birth of their own litters in adulthood showed a pattern of behavior that mimicked the pattern shown by their mothers. These results are discussed in terms of the variety of possible behavioral, endocrine, and neurochemical mechanisms that mediate the effects of early experiences on adult maternal behavior. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 38: 11–32, 2001 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT. This article reports on the Adolescent Unresolved Attachment Questionnaire (AUAQ), a brief questionnaire that assesses the caregiving experiences of unresolved adolescents (as recipients of caregiving). The AUAQ was developed and validated in a large normative sample (n = 691) and a sample of 133 adolescents in psychiatric treatment. It is a self-report questionnaire consisting of 3 scales with Likert-type responses ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The Aloneness/Failed Protection Scale assesses the adolescent's perception of the care provided by the attachment figure. The Fear Scale taps the fear generated by the adolescent's appraisal of failed attachment figure care. The Anger/Dysregulation Scale assesses negative affective responses to the perceived lack of care from the attachment figure. All scales demonstrated satisfactory internal reliability and agreement between scores for adolescents (n = 91) from the normative sample who completed the AUAQ twice. Adolescents in the clinical sample also completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; C. George, N. Kaplan, & M. Main, 1984/1985/1996); the AUAQ demonstrated high convergent validity with the AAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss of parents for midlife lesbians is discussed in the context of continued development in middle age. From an intersubjective point of view, comprehension of externality, the capacity for mutual recognition, the disruption and repair of recognition and affirmation of subjectivity and the agenic "I" color relationships with parents throughout life. In filial bereavement, there can be a resurgence of intersubjective development along with an easing of internalized homophobia. In recovery from loss, there are opportunities to make loving identifications that more fully acknowledge externality and difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tests the hypothesis that psychological-mindedness is positively associated with adult perceptions of having grown up with rejecting or otherwise depriving or inadequate parents.

The relationship of timing of early parental separation to psychosocial development of daughters was examined in 77 girls, 6-9 years of age over a four-year period. Disruptive behavior across contexts was prevalent in girls separated between birth and two years of age. Girls separated between three and five years of age showed more externalizing behavior problems, but only in school. Results suggest that early parental separation has more pervasive and stable negative effects on psychosocial adjustment of girls in this age group in single-parent families. Implications of the findings and directions for research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-human primates will readily consume an alcohol solution for its reinforcing effects when such a solution is palatable, with some subjects consuming alcohol to excess. In this review, we discuss variables that contribute to high alcohol consumption and the behaviours that are correlated with it in a non-human primate model. Developmental and behavioural correlates of central nervous system (CNS) serotonergic activity, as measured by concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindol-3-ylacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), were used to investigate neurogenetic influences on alcohol consumption, as well as personality traits that characterize excessive alcohol intake. Inter-individual differences in CSF 5-HIAA concentrations were shown to have trait-like qualities, and with stable inter-individual differences across time and settings. Research has shown numerous similarities between human and non-human primates with respect to Type I- and II-like alcohol abuse and their associated behaviours. In the present series of studies, features characteristic of Type I alcohol misuse, such as high levels of anxiety, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal output, and situational stress predicted high alcohol intake. Primates with low CSF 5-HIAA concentrations also exhibited behaviours characteristic of Type II alcohol abuse. Principal among the traits that these subjects exhibited were deficits in impulse control. For example, subjects with low CSF 5-HIAA concentrations engaged in spontaneous behaviours that bring reinforcement but placed them at risk, such as entering food baited traps, jumping from dangerous heights to get from one tree to another, and consuming large amounts of alcohol. They can be characterized by other Type II-like deficits, such as impaired social competence, social alienation, and unrestrained, violent aggression. Non-human primates with low CSF 5-HIAA concentrations also exhibited high intrinsic tolerance following modest intakes of alcohol, and high rates of aggression during intoxication. High preferences for sweet solutions were shown to predict excessive alcohol consumption. Maternal and paternal genetic influences played major roles in producing low CNS serotonin function and excessive alcohol consumption. These genetic influences on serotonin function were exacerbated by early rearing experiences, particularly parental deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Focuses on several movies elaborating the difficulties of child survival in native land without parents. Need to define oneself in relation to parents; Importance of courage in resisting maltreatment by stepparents; Impact of abandonment on the lives and origins of orphans; Representation of the search for legitimacy, prosperity and justice of marginalized groups.

Determine whether older adults who lost a parent early in life are more vulnerable to the effects of recent stressful events than elderly people who were raised in an intact home. Deleterious effect of early parental loss; Early parental loss and stressors in late life; Effects of sample attrition; Analyses of events arising in highly salient social roles.

The conclusions of this article, investigating the well-being of Dutch youth with a large national sample of more than 9000 pupils in Dutch secondary education, are: 1. The well-being of pupils living in single-mother families is higher than that of pupils living in two-parent families with much parental conflict; 2. The well-being of pupils living in single-mother families with no parental conflict and with much contact with the departed father is lower than that of pupils living in two-parent families without parental conflict; 3. The degree of parental conflict after divorce is more important for the well-being of the children than the degree of contact with the departed father. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the increasing number of incidents on withholding treatment and nourishment for handicapped infants. Observers believe that although other babies die even with the best treatment, most of the deaths are portrayed as pediatric euthanasia. It discusses the right to life of handicapped babies. It argues on who is it to make the decision to deny nourishment or treatment, others believe it should be the parents, others say it should be the physicians and even the court is involved on this issue.

In order to test the hypothesis that elevated ratings of avoidance and classifications of insecure-avoidant attachments of infants with extensive infant day-care histories may be the result of the fact that children with routine experiences of separation are less stressed by, and more independent in, the Strange Situation than more traditionally reared infants, 2 groups of 12-month-old infants with insecure-avoidant attachments were compared on 2 behavioral indices in each reunion-with-mother episode of the Strange Situation. 9 infants experienced less than 20 hours per week of nonparental care in their first year, and 11 infants experienced 20 or more hours of care. Contrary to propositions advanced by Clarke-Stewart, Thompson, and others, insecure-avoidant infants with extensive nonparental care experience whimpered, fussed, and cried more and engaged in object play less in each reunion episode than their insecure-avoidant counterparts with less nonparental care experience. These results are discussed in terms of the recent controversy surrounding infant day-care in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Some rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) infants have a "despair" or depression-like response to mother-infant separation, while others do not. The presumed interrelation between early rearing conditions and the neurobiological status of the infant that might lead to increased risk for despair is not understood. In this study, the characteristics of the "mother" were controlled by rearing infant rhesus monkeys with their biological mothers, or with inanimate mothers. Behavioral data were collected before and after separation at 6-7 months of age. The neurobiological status of the infants was evaluated by measuring the concentration of norepinephrine, its major metabolite, and the metabolites of dopamine and serotonin in cerebrospinal fluid. The results suggest that despair is not simply a behavioral response to separation. Instead, despair may reflect the inability to cope with the separation environment. Coping with the separation environment appears to depend on neurobiological and behavioral characteristics of the infant that are related to, if not determined by, characteristics of the mother. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

80 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers were observed before, during, and after separations from their mothers, who were attending conferences (M duration = 4 days). Half the sample was separated only once and the other half experienced 3 separations across a 6-month period. The study was designed: (a) to determine how separations affect children's behavior when there are no changes in the family constellation as there typically are during other separations, such as the birth of a new child, and (b) to determine the effects of repeated separations. Fewer changes in sleep and play behaviors suggested that this type of separation was less stressful than separations for the birth of another child. Nonetheless, the separations were still stressful, but principally for the single-separation group. In that group, changes were noted in both play and sleep behaviors. Following reunion, their sleep behaviors and more sophisticated play behaviors returned to baseline. However, activity level and the more insecure behaviors, such as wandering aimlessly, watching other children play, and interacting with their teachers, remained elevated following the mother's return. The multiple-separation group, in contrast, showed only 1 behavior change during their third separation, i.e., reduced interactions with their peers during the separation period, which returned to baseline following reunion. Repeated-measures analyses of the first and third separations of the multiple-separations group suggested that only the first separation was stressful. Thus, the infants and children in this study seemed to adapt to repeated separations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

LOLLIS, SUSAN P. Effects of Maternal Behavior on Toddler Behavior during Separation. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1990, 61, 99-103. The influence of maternal preseparation behavior on children's separation behavior was investigated. 72 (36 female, 36 male) 15-18-month-olds met with same-gender age-mates for an 8-min play and 4-min separation session. During the play period, mothers were instructed to interact extensively or minimally with their children, or were given no instructions except to interact normally. The noninstructed group was later divided into an extensive and a minimal group. During the separation period, the effect of previous amount of maternal interaction varied according to mothers' instructions and the gender of the children. Children with mothers who were instructed to interact minimally displayed distress sooner and played less with their age-mates than children with noninstructed minimally interacting mothers. Males with minimally interacting mothers spent more time unoccupied and less time playing alone than did females. The findings demonstrate the varying influence that different instructions to mothers may have on children's separation behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Describes a development group facilitation model of time-limited intervention groups for parentally bereaved children. Emergent themes; Group structure; Clinical techniques; Group format; Cognitive confusion; Fears about safety; Stigma; Maintaining attachment; Parental dating and remarriage.

This article discusses the relation between the scientific genius and loss of a parent. Researcher remarked that the characteristics of people who became eminent in the days of little science might differ from those in the era of big science. Specifically, he observed that many of the great men of science lost one parent early in youth and became strongly attached to the other. Researcher S.M. Silverman has gone beyond this suggestion of over-identification with the surviving parent to the speculation that withdrawal from the human to the natural world is also a function of parental deprivation. The purpose is to test the hypothesis implied by researchers that the percentage of eminent scientists who lost a parent during childhood has been higher than the percentage of children in the population at large who lost a parent during the same age span.

The article discusses the relative roles of nature and nurture in the formation of personality are difficult ones to define. Nevertheless it seems clear that in at least the aspect of human relations, an aspect which stands out clearly as a problem for the physical scientist, the loss of a parent can have deleterious effects. A number of studies have been made of adult psychiatric disabilities correlated with retrospective childhood experiences, including especially parental deprivation. Despite the methodological problems there appears to be a consensus that the bereaved child has a higher than chance risk of developing serious problems as an adult.

The article focuses on the impact of parental divorce on the lives of adult children. Because of the relative rarity and "unexpectedness" of divorce at this point in the family life cycle, and the unique social circumstances that characterize early adulthood, young adults' adjustment to divorce may be quite different from that of young children. Furthermore, because of the transitional nature of early adulthood, parental divorce may influence a number of major life decisions offspring make; many of these decisions could have far-reaching implications for their adult lives. Researchers in a number of disciplines have much to gain by exploring the issues raised herein. For example, sociologists and psychologists may increase theft understanding of one set of forces (family) that shape life paths and role choices in early adulthood, and influence adjustment. For family specialists in general, studying families at such critical transition points as following divorce or during the young adult transition process also is useful. It captures the family system in a "fluid" state, attempting to establish new functional patterns. Thus, focusing on parents and children following parental divorce during young adulthood may advance our understanding of how family roles are negotiated in adulthood.

A system for monitoring drug use was based on the data from annual surveys of two contrasting population groups, a general cross-section of young people and a cross-section of antisocial deviants. Correlation of deviancy and drug use established that drug use, both licit and illicit, was more extensive among those who suffered parental deprivation, whose parents were divorced or separated, who had psychiatric illness and particularly those who had committed anti-social acts. The degree of antisocial deviancy correlated with the extent of drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article tests the hypothesized detrimental effects of parental separation on academic achievement and academic self-concept using multivariate analysis of covariance in data from public school students in the seventh and ninth grades in Columbia, South Carolina. Every year, more than one million American children experience the divorce or separation of their parents, and the vast majority of these children subsequently live without the full-time presence of their biological fathers. Many studies have indicated that the vast majority of children and adolescents whose parents separate or divorce suffer extensive emotional pain and distress for a considerable period of time. Problems that may be associated with the emotional distress have been identified. Some investigators have found that adolescents whose parents have separated or divorced are more susceptible than others to peer pressures to engage in deviant behaviors, and that they actually engage in more deviant behavior than others. There is considerable evidence also that lower academic achievement of children and adolescents is related to parental divorce, a relationship that might also be mediated by emotional distress or by other mechanisms.

The children of Santa Ursula, a marginalised area of Mexico City, suffer extreme forms of deprivation both in terms of their material conditions and their social context. The author of this paper describes her study of the children and their mothers, using standard psychological tests. Acknowledging that these tests are culturally specific to the so called ‘developed’ world, the results are nonetheless interesting in that the administration of the tests produces as significant results as the tests themselves. The article emphasises that there are important lessons for those working with children in deprived and oppressed circumstances, in all parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]