<p> What often stands out in people's life stories is the presence of one person who seemed to change the course of their life. Although such life-changing relationships are portrayed in literature, and can be found all around us, there has been limited research on what makes these experiences possible. Many relevant studies have been conducted within the field of mentoring, however the transformational elements of such relationships have remained elusive. This study, through phenomenological qualitative research, involving semi-structured dyadic interviews, explores mentorships that have been identified as "transformational" and aims to discover the key attributes common in these relationships. Thirteen mentees, whose lives have been significantly changed by their mentorships, agreed to participate, along with their mentors. Several themes emerged from these narratives of transformational relationships: Commitment and Caring, Involvement, Affirmation/ Recognition of Mentee, the mentor being a Role Model and Contextualizing the Relationship, and the mentee having a Unique Experience. These common elements may provide a way to enhance mentoring efforts and facilitate life-changing relationships between adults and youth in need. </p>

<p> Parenting styles create different social environments in the lives of children within the home. Many studies have investigated the effects of parenting style on children's emotional development and behavior (Liem, Cavell, &amp; Lustig, 2010; Pezzella, 2010; Schaffer, Clark, &amp; Jeglic, 2009; Steward &amp; Bond, 2002; Timpano, Keough, Mahaffey, Schmidt, &amp; Abramowitz, 2010) as well as differences in parenting across cultures (Keels, 2009; Paulussen-Hoogeboom, Stams, Hermanns, Peetsma, &amp; Wittenboer, 2008). Limited research has been conducted on parenting style and religion, however, and especially in Muslim families, and among Muslim American families in particular. There is also a lack of research that focuses on the effects of all four parenting styles (i.e. authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and neglectful) on child development in Muslim families. Most scholars focus on authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles in their studies and disregard the permissive and neglectful parenting styles (Mayseless, Scharf, &amp; Sholt, 2003; Takeuchi &amp; Takeuchi, 2008). </p><p> The present study focused on associations between parenting style and measures of emotional and behavioral problems in Muslim American children. No statistically significant differences were found in emotional and behavior problems between the various parenting groups. Consistency in parenting was also not associated with emotional and behavioral difficulty scores. Authoritative parenting was found to be the most frequent parenting style among Muslim fathers in the study sample, while authoritarian parenting was the most frequently reported parenting style among the Muslim mothers in the sample. </p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> parenting style, children emotional and behavioral, cross-cultural, Muslim</p>

<p> A qualitative study of three families who had a male family member come out as gay was conducted in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the events leading up to coming out, the actual coming out event, and events following coming out. In particular, this study was conducted to gain more information about families that describe an overall positive experience of the coming out process, including common processes and familial characteristics. In total, individual interviews were conducted with seven participants: a brother and sister; a son, mother, and sister; and a son and mother. Interviews explored each individual's recollection of the coming out process and events following the coming out process that were related to addressing a family member's sexuality. Data analysis revealed five prominent themes for all three families: (a) coming out in stages, (b) types of responses to coming out, (c) expressions of acceptance, (d) cultural influences, and (e) exposure to homosexuality. Additionally, one theme, psychological distress, was salient for one family and became evident during the within-family analysis. The themes are discussed in relationship to current research. Clinical implications and implications for future research are also addressed.</p>

<p> <b>Long-term care</b> is the greatest uninsured risk facing the American public today. The failure to plan for long-term care has had a serious, and often devastating, impact on families that are thrust into the role of caregiver to an elderly parent. The failure to plan for long-term care also has very serious consequences for society, which, through public programs such as Medicaid, pays for a huge and unsustainable portion of long-term care supports and services. The impact of the failure to plan for long-term care is becoming more devastating due to the confluence of several factors. People are living longer now than ever before thereby increasing the demand for long-term care services and supports, with the population of senior citizens expected to more than double in the near future. There are far fewer family caregivers available to provide care to elderly parents as a result of lower birth rates, later marriages, and the rapid increase of women participating in the workforce, reducing the available pool of family caregivers. Understanding the dynamics of long-term care planning, and the failure to plan for long-term care, is a necessary step in successfully addressing long-term care planning. Adult children of elderly parents rarely participate in their parents' future planning for long-term care. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study, was to explore how adult children's information deficiencies and risk aversion impact how they advise their parents on the purchase of long-term care insurance. The participants for the study were 12 adult children between the ages of 25 and 44, with incomes greater than $75,000 per year, with assets greater than $200,000. These participants were carefully selected from a commercially available demographic list from the New York-Long Island Metropolitan area, to be representative of adult children with similar demographics from other regions of the country. The research findings suggested that the information deficiencies of adult children of elderly parents is the greatest barrier to adult children's participation in the long-term care planning of their elderly parents. The findings indicate that adult children of elderly parents are unaware of the costs of long-term care, the chances of their parents needing long-term care, the burden of caregiving on themselves and their families, and how medical insurance and Medicare play virtually no role in a long-term care event. Other findings indicated that once these adult children were provided with credible updated information on the factors pertaining to long-term care their risk aversion toward such planning was replaced with the willingness to engage in long-term care planning with their parents. From a practical application standpoint, this study is important for adult children of elderly parents, the elderly parents, long-term care advocates, long-term care providers, legislators at all levels of government, and insurance companies in the business of long-term care insurance, as this study provides insights into the perceptions of long-term care by those most affected by the failure to plan for long-term care. Future research is required to expand on these findings by developing appropriate, credible, and understandable awareness campaigns regarding the nature of long-term care and its impact on families and society.</p>

No description available.

<p> In our death denying culture (Becker, 1973; Kearney, 2000), reaching the end of life often entails a process that includes not only physical, but psychological, social, emotional and spiritual suffering. Unaddressed, these may leave patients and family members with related residual trauma surrounding death experiences. In an attempt to seek ways of alleviating such suffering, this study explores the use of symbolic and guided imagery with dying patients. Imagery work often taps into the wisdom of the unconscious mind (Naparstek, 1994), that seems to know what the patient needs in the moment. Despite the increasing use of guided imagery, there is a lack of literature investigating its use in end-of-life care. </p><p> A phenomenological research method is used to understand the patient's lived experiences and their meanings. In addition, a transpersonal research methodological approach was designed to include shared experiences that offer "additional ways of knowing." This second method provides information from the participant-researcher, as certain patients were unable to articulate their experience. Transpersonal research methods allow an extension beyond the usual limits of ego and personality, acknowledging a deeper soul connection, taking into consideration new scientific findings on nonlocality or "signal-less field of interconnected consciousness." This research indicates that the researcher's and patient's unconscious can collaborate for the benefit of the patient. </p><p> Findings from 12 hospice patient pilot and case studies were reported, showing the following results: 1. recognition of meaningful symbolic imagery as a comforting, value-based, way to express the end-of-life review; 2. deep relaxation, comfort, calming and connection with the deeper self or psyche; 3. acceptance of mortality; 4. release from physical symptoms and focus on physicality; and 5. connection with a transcendent or spiritual reality or experience. </p><p> The use of guided imagery with dying patients and families offers an additional method of depth psychological practice to address the various aspects of being or "wholeness." Presently, medicine is seeking to become more "person-oriented" rather than "disease-specific"; hence, imagery work is personal and meaningful. Additional research exploring the benefits possible from this approach for family members in an effort to add value to the shared dying experience of the family group in end-of-life care is indicated.</p>

<p> <b>Problem</b> No formal study that considers the influence of the family, church, school, peers, media, and Adventist culture on the denominational loyalty, Christian commitment, and religious behavior of Adventist young people of Puerto Rico has previously been conducted. Therefore, pastors, parents, teachers, church leaders, and administrators have no data on which to base their assessment of the religiosity of Adventist young people. </p><p> <b>Method</b> This study used youth ages 14 to 21 from the youth sample of the <i>Avance PR</i> study conducted in 1995 in Adventist schools and churches in Puerto Rico. For the analysis, the sample was divided. When studying denominational loyalty, 704 baptized Adventist youth were used; when studying Christian commitment and religious behavior, 1,080 Adventist and non-Adventist youth were used. </p><p> <b>Results</b> The relationship between 34 family, church, school, peers, media, and Adventist culture independent variables and three religiosity dependent variables (denominational loyalty, Christian commitment, and religious behavior) was studied. Twenty-eight of the 34 variables had a significant relationship with all three religiosity variables: 10 family variables, seven church variables, one school variable, two peers variables, two media variables, and six Adventist culture variables. The remaining six variables had a significant relationship with only one or two of the three religiosity variables. The strength of relationships between religiosity and 22 of the independent variables varied by gender, age, family status, years lived in United States, and number of times families moved in last five years. </p><p> The model predicting denominational loyalty showed that youth are more likely to have a strong denominational loyalty when parents enforce Sabbath standards, there is a thinking environment in the church, quality sermons are preached in church, there is a warm environment in church, youth's best friends are religious, youth agree with Adventist standards, and youth agree with Sabbath standards. The model predicting Christian commitment showed that youth are more likely to have a strong commitment to Christ when there is unity in their families, there is a thinking environment in the church, there is a warm environment in the church, quality sermons are preached in the church, youth's best friends are religious, youth agree with Sabbath standards, and youth comply with at-risk standards. The model predicting religious behavior showed that youth are more likely to have a strong religious behavior when the parents lead frequent family worships, there is a thinking environment in the church, quality sermons are preached in the church, youth's best friends are Adventist, youth's best friends are religious, youth agree on Adventist standards, and youth agree on Sabbath standards. </p><p> The variables that appeared in all models of religiosity of youth were the church's thinking environment, the church's sermon quality, youth's best friends religiosity, and youth's agreement on Sabbath's standards. Furthermore, the strongest predictor for denominational loyalty was the youth's agreement on SDA standards; the strongest predictor for Christian commitment was family unity; and the strongest predictor for religious behavior was the church's thinking environment. </p><p> <b>Conclusions</b> My conclusions based on this study conducted in Puerto Rico are consistent with conclusions of other researchers in the United States that family, church, school, peers, media, and Adventist culture factors are important predictors of youth's denominational loyalty, Christian commitment, and religious behavior. Adventist culture and church have the strongest influence on denominational loyalty. Family and church have the strongest influence on Christian commitment. Church and Adventist culture have the strongest influence on religious behavior. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)</p>

<p>The purpose of this prospective quantitative study was to examine primary caregivers' perceptions on the potential dangers of secondhand marijuana smoke on children and their knowledge of the health consequences of marijuana smoke. The sample included 33 primary caregivers in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. The online survey consisted of 25 multiple-choice questions. </p><p> The results revealed that 87.9% of the participants felt secondhand marijuana smoke is potentially dangerous to children. However, despite this high percentage of concerned caregivers, 90% of participants were in the low-knowledge category on the health consequences of marijuana. These findings suggest the need to provide better education to the public on the health risks for direct users of marijuana and cast light on the need to conduct further research on the potential dangers to children from secondhand marijuana smoke. </p>

<p>The purpose of this project was to locate a potential funding source and write a grant to design a Spanish support group program for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). An extensive literature review was performed to investigate the best way to address the culturally sensitive needs of Latina survivors. Latina women face unique challenges related to language barriers, cultural gender roles, family values and immigration status. The support group will serve Spanish speaking survivors of IPV. </p><p> The goal of the program is to address the critical needs of Latina survivors of IPV in a culturally sensitive manner to empower them to regain their independence and develop self-sufficiency skills in the safe environment of the group. If funded, this program will provide Latina women support and guidance in their journey to break away from the cycle of intimate partner violence and its effects. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to research parents' ability to acknowledge obesity within their own child. Based on this goal, the following hypotheses were tested: parents who are overweight or obese themselves will be less likely to acknowledge the presence of overweight or obesity in their own child; increases in the characteristics of Nature Deficit Disorder, namley sedentary activity and exclusion of the outdoors, will be positively correlated with increases in childhood obesity; there is no relationship between a parent's BMI and their child's sedentary behavior; there is no relationship between a parent's BMI and their child's physically active behavior. No significance was found, however findings indicated that the majority of parents, regardless of their weight category, were unable to correctly identify the weight category of their child. Further research is recommended to explore a parent's ability to correctly indicate the weight category of their own child.</p>