Family Functioning

This study investigated the relationship between the perception of family functioning and depressive symptomatology in individuals with eating disorders (EDs). Subjects were evaluated by diagnostic clinical interview using DSM-III-R criteria for EDs, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version (SADS-L), and two self-report measures, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). A significant association was found between self-reported depressive symptomatology and perceived poor family functioning. Subjects with bulimia nervosa (BN) reported a significantly more dysfunctional family background than subjects with anorexia nervosa (AN). In our sample, the presence of self-reported depressive symptomatology was a more powerful predictive variable for perceived family dysfunction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Also, the diagnosis of BN was a more consistent predictor of dysfunctional family interaction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Depressive symptoms and EDs seem to play different roles in the way in which they contribute to dysfunctional family patterns.

This study expands the understanding of business-related tensions within business-owning couples through an interdisciplinary literature review, through a longitudinal data analysis, and through application of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to a case study. Business-owning husbands and wives in this study reported that conflicts related to work/family life balance and unfair distribution of resources (money, time, energy) between family and business systems create the greatest tensions. Low family functionality, wives' role dissatisfaction, transfer of resources from family to business, and husbands' identification of wives as major decision makers were all predictors of wives' higher tension levels. Husbands reported increased tension when wives worked more hours in the business. Three elements of EFT are applied to a family business couple.

Twenty three adolescents with a history of cancer, 27 physically abused adolescents, and 23 healthy, nonabused adolescents were administered structured posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) interviews and self-report questionnaires regarding family functioning. Thirty five percent of adolescent cancer subjects met criteria for lifetime PTSD as compared to only 7% of the abused adolescents: 17% of the cancer subjects and 11% of the abuse subjects met criteria for current PTSD. Adolescents with cancer viewed their mothers and fathers as significantly more caring and more protective than the comparison and abused adolescents. Cancer subjects who met criteria for lifetime PTSD save their families as significantly more chaotic than those who did not have PTSD. Eighty three percent of cancer subjects who had lifetime PTSD also had mothers who had PTSD.

The associations between social relationships and health have been examined using two major research traditions. Using a social epidemiological approach, much research has shown the beneficial effect of social supports on health and health behaviors. Family interaction research, which has grown out of a more clinical tradition, has shown the complex effects of family functioning on health, particularly mental health. No studies have examined the relative power of these two approaches in explicating the connections between social relationships and health. We hypothesized that social relationships (social support and family functioning) would exert direct and indirect (through depressive symptoms) effects on health behaviors. We also hypothesized that the effects of social relationships on health would be more powerfully explicated by family functioning than by social support. We mailed a pilot survey to a random sample of patients attending a family practice center, including questions on depressive symptoms, cardiovascular health behaviors, demographics, social support using the ISEL scale, and family functioning using the FEICS scale. FEICS is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess family emotional involement and criticism, the media elements of family expressed emotion. Eighty-three useable responses were obtained. Regression analyses and structural modelling showed both direct and indirect statistically significant paths from social relationships to health behaviors. Family criticism was directly associated (standardized coefficient = 0.29) with depressive symptoms, and family emotional involvement was directly associated with both depressive symptoms (coefficient = 0.35) and healthy cardiovascular behaviors (coefficient = 0.32). The results support the primacy of family functioning factors in understanding the associations among social relationships, mental health, and health behaviors. The contrasting relationships between emotional involvement and depressive symptoms on the one hand and emotional involvement and health behaviors on the other suggest the need for a more complex model to understand the connections between social relationships and health.

Child and adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymic disorder (DD) are common, chronic, familial, and recurrent conditions that usually persist into adulthood. These disorders appear to be manifesting at an earlier age in successive cohorts and are usually accompanied by comorbid psychiatric disorders, increased risk for suicide, substance abuse, and behavior problems. In addition, depressed youth frequently have poor psychosocial, academic, and family functioning, which highlights the importance of early identification and prompt treatment. Both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy have been found to be beneficial for the acute treatment of youth with depressive disorders. Opinions vary as to which of these treatments should be offered first and whether they should be offered in combination. In general, the choice of initial therapy depends on clinical and psychosocial factors and therapist's expertise. Based on the current literature and clinical experience, psycho...

Although similar processes and functions have been proposed for privacy regulation and place attachment, little theoretical or empirical work encompasses both constructs. In the present study, a theoretical model relates privacy regulation to place attachment in the home. ...

This longitudinal study of child abuse and neglect cases closed after investigation examined the impact of parental substance abuse on family functioning and on subsequent referrals to child protective services. The findings support the hypothesis that parental substance abuse would have a negative impact on family functioning, which, in turn, would result in a higher rate of re-repoits. As expected, substance abuse also had a direct impact on re-reports. It is critical that the child welfare system recognize and respond to parental substance abuse problems in these families through expanded and improved voluntary, and perhaps, mandatory services.

Within various stages of life, individuals encounter events filled challenges and distress, which can hinder or hamper them in overcoming and moving forward to the next stage. Resilience is psychological approach of positively adjusting to the environment, when struck with adversity. Childhood, youth, adolescence and young adult stages are each delicate stages of life, in which potentially traumatic events might occur. Children and youth in particular have a greater likelihood of encountering problems throughout their developmental process due to lack of proper familial support and societal intervention. Adverse events during family life cycle can translate into issues in family relationships, mental health and overall family functioning. These contexts may be escalated due to other challenges such as differences in structure and composition of families, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The current review examines the psychological approach (resilience), its manifestation and inf...

In China, HIV shifts the lifestyle of not only parents living with HIV/AIDS, but also their children, partners, and extended families. We examined factors related to the quality of life of parents living with HIV and the relation between family functioning and individual quality of life. Interviews were conducted with a total of 116 parents living with HIV/AIDS. Analyses of variance, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the relation between family functioning and quality of life. We found a significant association between family functioning and individual quality of life for parents living with HIV. In particular, family sociability had a strong relationship with the quality of life of parents living with HIV. Parents living with HIV from families where both parents are HIV-positive reported a lower level of family sociability than those from families with only one HIV-positive parent. HIV disclosure, family sociability, and number of children per family were found to be significant predictors of overall quality of life for the population. Study findings underscore the importance of developing interventions that improve family functioning for people living with HIV/AIDS in China.

Family variables such as cohesion and nurturance have been associated with adolescent weight-related health behaviors. Integrating family variables that improve family functioning into traditional weight-loss programs can provide health-related benefits. The current study evaluated a family-based psychoeducational and behavioral skill-building weight-loss program for adolescent girls that integrated Family Systems and Social Cognitive Theories. Forty-two overweight (Ն95th percentile) female adolescent participants and parents participated in a 16-week randomized controlled trial comparing three groups: multifamily therapy plus psychoeducation (nϭ15), psychoeducation-only (nϭ16), or wait list (control; nϭ11) group. Body mass index, energy intake, and family measures were assessed at baseline and posttreatment. Adolescents in the psychoeducation-only group demonstrated a greater decrease in energy intake compared to the multifamily therapy plus psychoeducation and control groups (PϽ0.01). Positive changes in family nurturance were associated with lower levels of adolescent energy intake (PϽ0.05). No significant effects were found for body mass index. Results provide preliminary support for a psychoeducational program that integrates family variables to reduce energy intake in overweight adolescent girls. Results indicate that nurturance can be an important family variable to target in future adolescent weight-loss and dietary programs.

The S100 family, with about 20 members in humans, is composed of EFhand calcium-regulated proteins and is linked to a range of serious human diseases, including cancer and autoimmune and neurological disorders. The oldest S100 family members are found in teleosts (bony fish). The zebrafish, Danio rerio, was suggested as a promising model system for in vivo studies on S100 family functions, and we chose to investigate zebrafish S100Z as the closest homologue of the metastasis-promoting human S100A4. Here, we report the first crystal structure of an S100 protein from this organism, the calcium-bound state of S100Z to 2.03 Å resolution. Crystal packing suggests higher-order oligomerisation of S100Z dimers, with a tetramerisation interface very similar to, but even more extensive than, that reported for S100A4. The interactions are primarily through the C-terminal αIV helices from adjacent dimers in an antiparallel orientation. Structural comparisons between known S100 multimeric assemblies together with analysis of calcium-driven changes to the dimerisation cores suggest a mechanism for calcium-promoted oligomerisation of S100 proteins.

Terminal heart disease affects not only the patient, but also members of the patient's family, and especially the spouse. The aim of this prospective study of 26 couples was to collect information about the impact of heart transplantation on the partner relationship. Data were collected from patients and spouses when the patients were placed on the waiting list for transplantation, 1 year postoperatively, and 5 years postoperatively. The Family Assessment Measure (FAM HI), a self-report instrument that provides quantitative indices of family functioning on seven interacting dimensions, was used. In the course of the transplant process, both patients and spouses reported a significant deterioration in the partner relationship in general. While patients perceived only one clear-cut point of conflictcommunication about emotionsas crucial, the spouses reported a significant worsening in role performance, communication, emotional involvement, and values and norms. These changes were discernible 1 year after transplantation and persisted for at least 5 years. We conclude that heart transplantation has a significant negative impact on the partner relationship 1-5 years after transplantation. Consequently, more attention should be paid to all aspects of the partner relationship in a holistic approach to the treatment of heart transplant recipients and their partners.

Background: We studied the characteristics of family functioning in bipolar children and healthy comparison children. We hypothesized that the family environment of bipolar children would show greater levels of dysfunction as measured by the Family Environment Scale (FES). Methods: We compared the family functioning of 36 families that included a child with DSM-IV bipolar disorder versus 29 comparison families that included only healthy children. All subjects and their parents were assessed with the K-SADS-PL interview. The parents completed the FES to assess their current family functioning. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare the family environment of families with and without offspring with bipolar disorder. Results: Parents of bipolar children reported lower levels of family cohesion ( p b 0.001), expressiveness ( p = 0.005), activerecreational orientation ( p b 0.001), intellectual-cultural orientation ( p = 0.04) and higher levels of conflict ( p b 0.001) compared to parents with no bipolar children. Secondary analyses within the bipolar group revealed lower levels of organization ( p = 0.031) and cohesion ( p = 0.014) in families where a parent had a history of mood disorders compared to families where parents had no history of mood disorders. Length of illness in the affected child was inversely associated with family cohesion (r = −0.47, p = 0.004). Limitations: Due to the case-control design of the study, we cannot comment on the development of these family problems or attribute their cause specifically to child bipolar disorder. Conclusion: Families with bipolar children show dysfunctional patterns related to interpersonal interactions and personal growth. A distressed family environment should be addressed when treating children with bipolar disorder.

This study examined the degree to which self-differentiation as related to family functioning is valued differently by Korean and European-American university students. The main findings confirm that the level of family functioning reported by European Americans is greater than for their Korean counterpart; family functioning is associated with differentiation measures (total score, emotional reactivity, and emotional cutoff) to a different extent across the two groups; and controlling for the effect of family functioning, the added contribution of a country variable explained further variance in selfdifferentiation. The importance of addressing the issue of similarities and differences between cultures in the assessment and treatment of individuals with problems related to their families of origin is discussed.

There have been few studies of the impact of intensive home-based early applied behavior analysis (ABA) intervention for children with autism on family functioning. In the present study, behavioral adjustment was explored in 78 siblings of children with autism on ABA programs. First, mothers' ratings of sibling adjustment were compared to a normative sample. There were no reported increases in behavioral adjustment problems in the present sample. Second, regression analyses revealed that social support functioned as a moderator of the impact of autism severity on sibling adjustment rather than a mediator or compensatory variable. In particular, siblings in families with a less severely autistic child had fewer adjustment problems when more formal social support was also available to the family. The implications of these data for future research and for practice are discussed.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of the present research was to determine the role of family functioning and psychological problems of drug addicts and non addicts by assessing the difference between the two groups. After detailed literature review it was hypothesized that scores on the variable of communication, affective expression and control among family members of addicts will be higher than non addicts. Furthermore scores on the variables of anger control problems, emotional distress and positive self will also be higher of addicts. METHODS This was a cohort study. A cluster sampling method was used. Sample of present research consisted of 240 adolescents divided into two groups of 120 addicts and 120 non-addicts each from different socio-economic status. General scale of Family Assessment Measure-Version III (FAM-III) was administered in order to measure the level of communication, value and norms whereas dyadic Relationship Scale was used to measure affective expression and control am...

This study investigated the impact of parental alcoholism and various indices of family functioning on differentiation levels of young adults. Eight hundred and thirteen colleges students completed the Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI; Skowron & Friedlander, 1998), the Self-Report Family Inventory Version II (SFI; Beavers & Hampson, 1990), and questions related to experiences in their families of origin. Analyses indicated that parental alcoholism and levels of functioning as well as certain experiences within alcoholic families are significantly predictive of differentiation levels of adult children. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Despite the existence of a large number of family functioning measures and validation studies of such measures, there have to date been little validation of any family functioning instrument using South African data. This paper uses confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multiple-group CFA (MGCFA) and examines the validity and reliability of the Family Attachment and Changeability Index (FACI8) in South Africa. Data originate from the 2012 South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS). Results indicate acceptable reliability as well as discriminant validity of FACI8. Furthermore, the CFA results show that FACI8 largely reflects the theoretical FACI8 factor structure. MGCFA reveal the presence of configural and metric invariance across South Africa's racial groups, but no evidence of scalar invariance. The factor structure is similar across racial groups, the latent concept of family functioning is conceptualized similarly across the races, but the latent means differ significantly according to racial group. FACI8 is a valid and reliable measure of family functioning dimensions in South African households.

This paper describes an evaluation study of a home-based, family-focussed counselling scheme providing support for English-speaking and Bangladeshi families of children with intellectual or multiple disabilities. Mothers and children in the intervention groups showed significant and positive changes compared to randomly allocated controls. The greatest benefits were derived by the more deprived and initially less well-supported Bangladeshi families. Mothers changed positively in ratings of perceived support and family functioning, and in their constructions of their child, themselves, husbands and family relationships. Although systematic teaching was not included, their children also showed improvements in developmental progress and behaviour problems.

To document the rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in female juvenile offenders and its relationship to trauma history, comorbid diagnoses, attributional style, and family functioning. The psychological profiles and trauma histories of 100 incarcerated female juvenile offenders (ages 13.5-19 years) were assessed using a semistructured interview. Two self-report measures were used to assess family functioning and attributional style. High rates of PTSD were reported by offenders (37%), with sexual abuse the precipitant in 70% of cases. Offenders with PTSD had significantly more comorbid diagnoses than those without (PTSD = 5.4, no PTSD = 3.1, p < .001). The majority (73%) of comorbid diagnoses appeared concurrently with or after PTSD onset. The presence of four or more psychiatric diagnoses (OR = 14.48, p < .001) and a history of sexual abuse (OR = 7.91, p < .001) were independently associated with a diagnosis of PTSD among female juvenile offenders. These results suggest a link among trauma, PTSD, and the development of further psychopathology in female juvenile offenders. This link highlights the importance of comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of this and other comorbid disorders to ensure the effectiveness of interventions designed to treat antisocial behavior.

Objetivo: Acercarse al problema de la promoción de la salud mental en la experiencia familiar. Método: Se parte de la concepción clásica de familia, donde aparece como central la noción de estructura, representada por los conceptos de tipología y funcionamiento familiar. Se propone ampliar la idea de familia a la luz de los cambios que ha experimentado y de los planteamientos provenientes de la posmodernidad. Se postulan tres hipótesis que guían el abordaje al problema estudiado. Conclusiones: Se critica el sustrato estructural en la concepción de familia y se propone que esta sea pensada como confi guración. Al mismo tiempo, se asimila la confi guración familiar con el concepto de resiliencia familiar y se postula que en esto radican las posibilidades de promoción de la salud mental no sólo para la familia, sino para los sujetos que la componen.

Research on childhood sexual abuse has often examined, in isolation of one another, such highly correlated risk factors as parental substance abuse, domestic violence, and pathological family functioning. Investigating comorbid antecedents separately does not allow accurate specification of the predictors of abuse. Moreover, sexual trauma research has tended to neglect parental sociopathy as a risk factor. Given the limitations of past research, the present study examined the relationships among parental sociopathy, parental substance use, marital violence, poor family functioning, and childhood sexual abuse. We administered a battery of questionnaires to a nonclinical sample of 130 college women and replicated previous findings by showing that parental substance use predicted sexual abuse when examined in isolation. However, when parental sociopathy and the other risk factors were included in a regression model, parental sociopathy was the only significant predictor. Mother's ...

In this prospective study, we tested a structural model in which adolescents' perceived self-efficacy to manage parental relationships affected their satisfaction with family life both directly, and indirectly, through its impact on family practices. Findings based on 380 Italian adolescents showed that perceived filial self-efficacy was linked directly and indirectly to satisfaction with family life, and that these relations held both concurrently and longitudinally. In particular, the greater adolescents perceived their self-efficacy, the more they reported open communication with their parents, the more accepting they were of their parents' monitoring of their own activities outside the home and the less inclined they were to get into escalative discord over disagreements. Regardless of whether perceived filial self-efficacy was placed in the conceptual structure as a contributor to the quality of family interactions or as a partial product of family functioning, it consistently predicted satisfaction with family life. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, 15(1), 71-97

The purpose of this study was to examine how adolescent and parental perceptions of family system characteristics predict adolescent addictive behavior patterns. The sample consisted of 252 families. Questionnaires included measurements of family functioning using the FACES III instrument and addictive behavior using the Shorter Promis Questionnaire (SPQ). To predict addictive behavior we conducted step-wise regression analyses (forward method), with the dimensions of the four SPQs as dependent variables and individual (age and gender) and family functioning variables as predictors. Results: Data provide support for the proposal that family system characteristics could predict adolescent addictive behavior; despite our taking not only a normative sample, but also nonclinical families into consideration. Data in literature suggest that adolescent addictions increase in families characterized by weak emotional bonds (low cohesion) and the incapacity to change their power structure, role relationships, and relationship rules in response to situational and developmental stress (high adaptability). These findings reinforce the need to continue to explore family functioning and therefore may provide additional protection against adolescent addiction.

This study examines the psychological aftereffects of economic extortive kidnapping on families during captivity, and on kidnapped individuals and family members, 24,543, and 9-15 months after the release. Fifty-five kidnapped and released individuals and 158 family members were evaluated through CAPS-DX, SCL90-R, FAD, F-COPES, and a family interview. Captivity was the most stressful period with the highest CAPS and general distress scores. There were no significant differences in psychological distress or in PTSD between the 3 time groups after the release or between kidnapped individuals and their relatives. Correlations among family functioning, coping, and psychological adjustment, during captivity and after the release were analyzed.

Homework tasks are an essential com ponent of BSFT. Therapists strategically implement tasks to achieve improvements in family interactions that are directly related to the prevention or reduction of adolescent behavior problems. The use of tasks in BSFT is consistent with the model’s emphasis on having family members “do” rather than simply “talk about.” Tasks are assigned based on the therapist’s assessment of family functioning. Early in treatment relatively easier tasks are assigned to foster a sense of success and competence in family members. Later in treatment, tasks tend to be more difficult and complex. In all instances, however, the therapist creates opportunities for family members to practice and demonstrate competence in the task, prior to assigning homework.

This exploratory study used Bronfenbrenner's (1979) multi-systemic framework to determine the factors predicting scores on the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) with a sample of low SES and culturally diverse (White non-Hispanic, African-American, and Hispanic) teenagers attending both primary and secondary pregnancy prevention programs. Factors studied at the individual (micro) level involved the adolescent's pregnancy status; at the level of the immediate social environment (meso), family structure was assessed, and SES and race were studied as broader social environment influences (macro). Overall, scores on the FAD were high, indicating unhealthy functioning according to teen self-reports. Support was indicated for the Bronfenbrenner model with all three systems levels exerting an influence on family functioning. Adolescents who had grown up in homes without their parents seemed most at risk for perceptions of poor family functioning although racial differences were found. Overall, minority teens rated their families as higher functioning. Pregnancy and parenting as a teenager also appeared to put a strain on family functioning. Implications for service delivery are discussed.

Experimental and self-report studies have shown that parents have a strong influence on their normal or overweight children's eating behavior, i.e. through parental feeding behavior or communication. Studies in children with loss of control (LOC) eating that have investigated this relationship are scarce, and ecologically valid observational studies are missing. This study examined family functioning at mealtimes in home environments in 43 families of a child with LOC eating and 31 families of a child without LOC eating; the children were 8-13 years old. Familial interactions, child eating behavior, and parental mealtime behavior were assessed using the Mealtime Family Interaction Coding System, observation of bite speed of the child, and self-report questionnaires. Less healthy patterns of communication (U = 201.53, p < .01) and interpersonal involvement (U = 207.54, p < .01) and more maladaptive overall family functioning (U = 233.52, p < .05) were observed but not self-reported in families of a child with LOC eating compared to those without LOC eating. Children with LOC eating (M = 4.73, SD = 1.88) ate faster than controls (M = 3.71, SD = 1.19; p < .05), with highest bite speed in a group with high recurrent LOC eating (p < .01). The results indicate that maladaptive patterns of family functioning during family mealtimes are present in LOC eating in children and are associated with the child's eating behavior. Parent-child communication training should be tested as an intervention for children with LOC episodes. ß

Introduction: Family-related factors play an important role in adolescent’s addiction to the Internet. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between Internet addiction and family functioning in high school students. Materials and Methods: This is an analytical study with a cross-sectional design conducted on 796 high school students in Rasht city, Iran who were selected using multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Data collection tools were a demographic form, the Young’s Internet Addiction Test, and the Family Assessment Device. Chi-Square test and rank-ordered logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results:The response rate of of students was 86.81%; 85.7% had at least two family members who were using the Internet; 71.2% of students had no addiction, 27.5% were exposed to Internet addiction and 1.3% had Internet addiction. The majority (65.0%) of studnets had unhealthy family functioning. The relationship between Internet addicti...

Background: Cardiac illness in one family member affects the well-being and health of the whole family. When a family member falls ill, life may change for the whole family in many ways. Family members expect nursing staff to provide more support when their family situation changes. Objectives: To describe further development and testing of a family nursing instrument for assessing the association between social support for the family of an adult cardiac patient and family functioning and perceived family health. Settings: The study was conducted in two university hospitals and in two central hospitals in Finland. Methods and participants: Questionnaires were given to family members of heart patients. Patients themselves defined who their closest adult relative was. Data were collected from family members of 509 heart patients. Results: Good internal reliability in this further testing of a new instrument was demonstrated. Principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was performed in each of the three total scales: family functioning, family health and social support. PCA supported the previously proposed theoretical framework. A final scale consisted of 62 items. All the total scales and subscales had acceptable validity and reliability, alpha coefficients ranged from .76 to .98. Conclusions: The Family Functioning, Health and Social Support (FAFHES) provides a reliable and valid instrument when the investigator wishes to measure social support associated with family functioning and the health of families of heart patients. #

Using data from three waves of a large Canadian data set, we examine the relationship between two middle childhood trajectory variables, family dysfunction and anxiety. We draw upon family systems theory and developmental psychopathology, while attempting to expand their boundaries by capitalizing on the strengths within both approaches. Our data treatment strategy, guided by the life course analytical framework, included separate multivariate logits to examine this relationship, with and without the extent to, which selected explanatory risk variables predicted belonging to the highest family dysfunction trajectory. We also explored possible interactions between anxiety and explanatory risk variables. Supporting our hypothesis, a prolonged duration of high doses of family dysfunction was associated with the most extreme developmental trajectories of anxious behavior during middle childhood for both boys and girls. This relationship prevailed above and beyond the influence of other correlates of family dysfunction such as marital transition, socioeconomic status, family size, and depressive symptoms experienced by the informant (mostly mothers).

Twin relationships remain understudied despite the increasing prevalence of twinning and the unique influence it entails for individual development and family functioning. The current study assessed closeness, conflict, dependence, and rivalry within 1281 pairs of 3-year-old twins via maternal reports. Relationship quality was compared based on the twins&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; zygosity and dyadic sex-composition. As expected, monozygotic (genetically identical) twins were perceived

Experiencing cancer - Psychosocial aspects: Cancer diseases are a growing problem not only in terms of individuals’ health, but also in terms of society. Statistics show that the experience of oncological disease is becoming more and more common. A serious, potentially fatal disease undeniably affects life and functioning, not only physically but also psychologically and in the dimension of social functioning, an aspect which often seems to be overlooked in the discourse on this problem. In the case of oncological diseases, this impact is extremely significant. There is therefore a large and important body of research and practice in supporting the quality of life and everyday functioning of people suffering from oncological diseases. The author refers to the theory and the results of her research (based on interviews with people suffering from cancer and specialists) and describes the extremely important aspects of living with and, apart from cancer, functioning as a patient, functioning in the family and in society. The monograph consists of five chapters. The first presents the specificity of neoplastic diseases and anticancer treatment, as well as psychosocial aspects of the disease (focused on the psychological coping with cancer, the social perception of oncological diseases and the symbolic meaning given to them). The second chapter outlines the methodology of the research, the results of which are presented in the following chapters. Chapter Three is an attempt to present the specifics of functioning as a patient, with particular emphasis on the factors that affect quality of life during hospitalization and the specialist support needs of cancer patients. The fourth chapter deals with the issue of family functioning, focusing on the impact of the disease on the life of the family, on the parenthood of people struggling with cancer, love relationships and the sexual sphere. Chapter Five focuses on social functioning, which describes the risk of people suffering from oncology (self)social exclusion, and examples of negative reactions related to the disease, as well as social support (with particular emphasis on the forms of support most appreciated by patients), in addition to the aspect of self-help and patient organizations. After the main conclusions, the book ends with recommendations regarding the support for the psychosocial functioning of people suffering from oncological diseases. This publication aims to familiarize readers with the specific difficulties and related needs of cancer patients, which may be the first step to a better understanding and better support for people struggling with cancer.

L'attachement parent-enfant constitue un lien affectif entre l'enfant et sa mère ou son père, qui lui permet d'utiliser celle-ci, ou celui-ci, comme un port de sécurité lorsqu'il est en situation de détresse, puis comme une base de sécurité à partir de laquelle il peut à nouveau explorer lorsque le danger a disparu. D'abord focalisée sur la dyade mère-enfant, la théorie de l'attachement s'est ensuite étendue à celle constituée par le père et son enfant, puis à un ensemble de figures proches de l'enfant (frères, soeurs, grands-parents, pairs, etc.). Aujourd'hui, plus de 30 ans après sa validation empirique initiale, l'attachement parent-enfant interroge encore la communauté scientifique. Parallèlement, la théorie du système familial nous enseigne que, constituée d'éléments en interaction, la famille, premier milieu dans lequel baigne l'enfant, fonctionne comme un système. Ainsi la jonction entre ces deux modèles théoriques est-elle largement souhaitée et nombreux sont les auteurs qui la sollicitent afin de comprendre l'influence des relations intrafamiliales sur la qualité de l'attachement parent-enfant. Ces relations incluent les relations conjugales, coparentales, parent-enfant et les relations fraternelles. Nous nous proposons ici de faire le point sur l'ensemble des recherches qui ont étudié l'impact de chacune d'elles sur la qualité de l'attachement parent-enfant. Ce travail s'inscrit dans une perspective écosystémique et constitue une étape importante vers une approche systémique de l'attachement, prenant en compte la dynamique de l'ensemble des relations familiales.

The goals of these two studies were to assess the acceptability and feasibility as well as to gather preliminary efficacy data on a modified combination cognitive behavioral (CBT) and attachment based family therapy (ABFT) for adolescents (ages 12-18), with the primary diagnosis of generalized (GAD), social phobia (SP), and separation (SAD) anxiety disorders. In Phase I, CBT was modified for an adolescent population and ABFT was modified for working with anxious adolescents in combination with CBT. Therapists were trained for both conditions and eight patients were treated as an open trial pilot of combined CBT-ABFT with positive results. In Phase II, 11 adolescents were randomly assigned to CBT alone or CBT and family based treatment (CBT-ABFT). Participants were evaluated at pre, post, and 6-9 months follow-up assessing diagnosis, psychiatric symptoms and family functioning. Results indicated significant decreases in anxiety and depressive symptoms by both clinical evaluator and self-reports with no significant differences by treatment. Sixtyseven percent of adolescents in CBT no longer met criteria for their primary diagnosis at post treatment as compared to 40% in CBT-ABFT with continued improvement of 100 and 80% at follow-up with no significant differences between treatments. Both CBT and CBT-Anxiety Disorders 19 (2005) 361-381

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between Internet addiction and family functioning in high school students. Materials and Methods: This is an analytical study with a cross-sectional design conducted on 796 high school students in Rasht city, Iran who were selected using multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Data collection tools were a demographic form, the Young's Internet Addiction Test, and the Family Assessment Device. Chi-Square test and rankordered logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results: The response rate of of students was 86.81%; 85.7% had at least two family members who were using the Internet; 71.2% of students had no addiction, 27.5% were exposed to Internet addiction and 1.3% had Internet addiction. The majority (65.0%) of studnets had unhealthy family functioning. The relationship between Internet addiction and family functioning was statistically significant (P=0,001). There was a significant statistical relationship between Internet addiction and family income (P= 0.003), father's job (P=0.001), and duartion of internet usage per day (P=0.001). Logistic regression model showed that the family functioning score (OR=1.02, 95% CI;1.01-1.04, P=0.001), duration of Internet usage per day (OR=1.02, 95% CI;1.11-1.20, P=0.0001), and gender (male) (OR=1.02, 95% CI; 1.26-2.58, P=0.001) significantly affected Internet addiction. Conclusion: Due to the direct statistical relationship between Internet addiction and family functioning, it is necessary to pay serious attention to the phenomenon of Internet addiction and make appropriate plans for adolescents and their families to use the Internet properly.

Maternal psychopathology has long been recognized as a risk factor for psychopathology in offspring; however, some resilient youth achieve a favorable outcome in the presence of maternal psychopathology. We identified factors that predicted resilience among youth who were exposed to adverse life events, and also examined whether the same factors protected youth against maternal psychopathology and adverse life events. Main and interaction effects of child and family factors were examined employing cross-sectional data from a household probability sample of 1285 youth aged 9 through 17 collected at four sites. On average, children exhibited a greater degree of resilience when they had higher IQ, closer parental monitoring, better family functioning, higher educational aspiration, and were female. Interaction between maternal psychopathology and IQ was significant, and there was a trend between maternal psychopathology and

The aim of the study was to develop and preliminarily validate a selfcompleted questionnaire that could help in the assessment of families before and during psycho-educational interventions. The questionnaire was developed according to the cognitive-behavioural psycho-educational model. From an initial 38-item version of the questionnaire, a final shorter 24-item version was derived. The validation study of the final version was conducted on relatives of schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients: 31 for the test-retest reliability study and 92 for the confirmation of the subscales and convergent validity study vs. SF-36 and the questionnaire on Family Problems, PF. The final questionnaire showed good psychometric properties. The three-591 Ó 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC core dimensions of Problem-Solving, Communication Skills, and Personal Goals were clearly outlined in the items correlation analysis. The association with family burden and health-related quality of life was as expected. The FF provides a promising assessment of the family functioning pattern that is the object of psychoeducational family interventions. Further studies are needed to confirm the validity of the instrument, that could be helpful both in planning and in monitoring psychoeducational interventions and in mental health promotion projects.