Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Community Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The aim of this study was to investigate the emotional experiences of adolescents from single-parent families; the primary aim being to determine whether adolescents display emotional experiences that differ from those of adolescents from both-parent families (intact families). Literature reveals that single parenting is strongly associated with an increased risk of negative social, behavioural and emotional outcomes ( Callister, Burks, & Suart 2006; Ge, Conger, & Eelder, 2005). A quasi-experimental design was adopted for this study. A sample of one hundred learners in grade 12 at one of the Bizana senior secondary schools was selected for this study. Their ages ranged from 16yrs to 18yrs. Sample selection was purposive. Of the 100 learners that were selected, half of them were from-single-parent families and the other half was from both-parent families. Each of these learners was asked to complete a questionnaire that would objectively assess them on six dimensions of psychological well-being. Ryff’s 18 item psychological well-being questionnaire was used. The six dimensions of psychological well-being, namely autonomy (a), personal growth (pg), environmental mastery (em), purpose in life (pl), positive relations with others (pr) and self-acceptance (sa).

This dissertation consists of two studies that investigated predictors of parenting stress as they relate to child ADHD. Two main questions were explored: what is the magnitude of the association between child ADHD and parenting stress, and what are the parent and contextual predictors of parenting stress? In Study 1, meta-analyses were conducted on the association between parenting stress and ADHD. Predictors comprising child, parent, and contextual factors, and methodological and demographic moderators of the relationship between parenting stress and ADHD were examined. Findings from 44 studies were included. In Study 2, I examined parent and contextual (parental ADHD symptoms, parental education, social support, and marital status) predictors of parent domain parenting stress (parental distress) as a function of teacher-reported child ADHD symptoms. Results confirmed that parents of children with ADHD experience more parenting stress than parents of nonclinical control children, and that severity of child ADHD symptoms are associated with parenting stress. Child oppositionality was only predictive of parental distress when reported by parents (not teachers). A post-hoc analysis in Study 2 showed that child factors did not predict parental distress over and above parent and contextual factors. In Study 1, children’s co-occurring conduct problems and parental depressive symptomatology predicted parenting stress. Little difference in parenting stress was found between mothers and fathers, but lower parenting stress levels were found in samples with higher proportions of girls. Parental ADHD symptomatology was the strongest predictor of parental distress considered in Study 2. Social support was inversely related to parental distress in Study 2, whereas parental age and education were unrelated to parental distress. In Study 2, marital status was significantly correlated with parental distress, but was not a significant predictor in the regression. Marital quality was not a significant predictor of parenting stress in Study 1. The large effects observed for parent level predictors suggests that parent factors (i.e., ADHD and depressive symptoms) are critically important in parenting stress and play a primary role in the experience of elevated parenting stress. Future research should give greater consideration to factors outside of the child in increasing parenting stress.

This dissertation consists of two studies that investigated predictors of parenting stress as they relate to child ADHD. Two main questions were explored: what is the magnitude of the association between child ADHD and parenting stress, and what are the parent and contextual predictors of parenting stress? In Study 1, meta-analyses were conducted on the association between parenting stress and ADHD. Predictors comprising child, parent, and contextual factors, and methodological and demographic moderators of the relationship between parenting stress and ADHD were examined. Findings from 44 studies were included. In Study 2, I examined parent and contextual (parental ADHD symptoms, parental education, social support, and marital status) predictors of parent domain parenting stress (parental distress) as a function of teacher-reported child ADHD symptoms. Results confirmed that parents of children with ADHD experience more parenting stress than parents of nonclinical control children, and that severity of child ADHD symptoms are associated with parenting stress. Child oppositionality was only predictive of parental distress when reported by parents (not teachers). A post-hoc analysis in Study 2 showed that child factors did not predict parental distress over and above parent and contextual factors. In Study 1, children’s co-occurring conduct problems and parental depressive symptomatology predicted parenting stress. Little difference in parenting stress was found between mothers and fathers, but lower parenting stress levels were found in samples with higher proportions of girls. Parental ADHD symptomatology was the strongest predictor of parental distress considered in Study 2. Social support was inversely related to parental distress in Study 2, whereas parental age and education were unrelated to parental distress. In Study 2, marital status was significantly correlated with parental distress, but was not a significant predictor in the regression. Marital quality was not a significant predictor of parenting stress in Study 1. The large effects observed for parent level predictors suggests that parent factors (i.e., ADHD and depressive symptoms) are critically important in parenting stress and play a primary role in the experience of elevated parenting stress. Future research should give greater consideration to factors outside of the child in increasing parenting stress.

No description available.

This study examined parenting stress among parents of adolescents with ADHD. The sample comprised 45 adolescents (26 ADHD; 19 Comparison) age 13 to 18 and their parents. The Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents was completed by both mothers and fathers of participating youth. Parents of adolescents with ADHD reported more stress than parents of adolescents without ADHD. Mothers of adolescents with ADHD experience higher levels of stress in all areas. Fathers of adolescents with ADHD experience more total stress and more stress in the Adolescent and Adolescent-Parent Relationship domains. Maternal inattention and adolescent externalizing behaviour mediated the relationship between ADHD status and maternal parenting stress, and ADHD status and adolescent externalizing behaviour were found to predict paternal parenting stress. The results of this study provide strong support for the need to provide parents of adolescents with ADHD with interventions designed to reduce or help them cope with parenting stress.

This study examined parenting stress among parents of adolescents with ADHD. The sample comprised 45 adolescents (26 ADHD; 19 Comparison) age 13 to 18 and their parents. The Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents was completed by both mothers and fathers of participating youth. Parents of adolescents with ADHD reported more stress than parents of adolescents without ADHD. Mothers of adolescents with ADHD experience higher levels of stress in all areas. Fathers of adolescents with ADHD experience more total stress and more stress in the Adolescent and Adolescent-Parent Relationship domains. Maternal inattention and adolescent externalizing behaviour mediated the relationship between ADHD status and maternal parenting stress, and ADHD status and adolescent externalizing behaviour were found to predict paternal parenting stress. The results of this study provide strong support for the need to provide parents of adolescents with ADHD with interventions designed to reduce or help them cope with parenting stress.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2009. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

ABSTRACT Paediatric HIV remains one of the most significant challenges to face children, their families and their health care providers in South Africa. The prevalence rate of paediatric HIV infection in South Africa is set to remain high until such time as universal access to antiretrovirals for prevention of mother to child transmission is achieved, and the mother to child transmission rates of HIV start to come down. HIV is neurotrophic and is known to invade the developing central nervous system and cause widespread damage. The result of this is a well described encephalopathy which has the potential to affect all facets of development. Children in South Africa who are infected with HIV are vulnerable to a number of factors which may cause developmental delay. Poverty and malnutrition are likely to exacerbate the developmental delay caused by HIV encephalopathy. Physiotherapists in South Africa have not become involved in the long term management of children infected with HIV and paediatric HIV clinics do not routinely offer any rehabilitation services. The prevalence and extent of developmental delay in HIV infected children in South Africa has not been established. Despite the fact that a number of studies have highlighted the prevalence of developmental delay in Western countries, no intervention studies addressing this problem could be found. Caregivers of HIV infected children face numerous stressors. Poverty, stigma and their own health care needs make parenting an HIV positive child even more challenging. The needs of caregivers of HIV infected children have not been well researched in the context of developing countries. The aim of this study was therefore to establish whether a basic home stimulation programme would have any impact on the neurodevelopmental status of young children infected with HIV, and on the parenting stress levels of their caregivers. Further objectives of the study were to establish the prevalence and progression of developmental delay in HIV infected children; to monitor the effect of antiretrovirals on neurodevelopment; to determine who the caregivers of HIV infected children were and to determine what factors were predictive of neurodevelopmental status and parenting stress levels. In order to meet these objectives a longitudinal randomized controlled trial was conducted. One hundred and twenty two HIV positive children, under two and a half years of age, were recruited for this study at Harriet Shezi Children’s Clinic at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. Children were randomly assigned to a control or an experimental group. The developmental status of all children was monitored over a year using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II. Parenting stress was monitored with the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form. Children in the experimental group received a basic home stimulation programme, which was updated every three months when they came to visit the clinic, as well as all the usual clinic services. Children in the control group received all the usual services at the clinic but no stimulation programme. Most of the children in the sample were cared for by their biological mothers. They came from poor homes with limited access to common household amenities. Most of the caregivers had not completed 12 years of schooling. The children in the control and experimental groups were well matched for all their baseline measurements and demographic characteristics. At baseline the children were wasted and stunted and had very low CD4 counts. Only 16% of the children were on antiretrovirals at baseline assessment. The children were severely delayed with respect to both motor and cognitive development. The parenting stress levels of the caregivers were very high at baseline. Over the period of one year the children in the experimental group showed a significantly greater improvement in cognitive (p=0.01) and motor (p=0.02) development when compared to children in the control group. Although the children improved, they still had a degree of developmental delay at the end of the study period. The parenting stress levels decreased significantly for caregivers in both the control and the experimental groups (p<0,001), but there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.057). The groups were well matched at all time points for anthropometric measures and CD4 counts with no significant differences being found. There was also no difference in the number of children on antiretroviral therapy between the groups at any time. Children who were antiretroviral naïve at the start of the study and then started highly active antiretroviral therapy showed a significant improvement in motor development (p<0.001), but no improvement in cognitive development (p=0.77). A combination of a number of factors was predictive of developmental status. This included growth parameters, CD4 counts and the age of the child. Being in the experimental group and being older at baseline assessment were important predictors of improvement in MDI and PDI over time. Parenting stress was predicted by a number of factors, including educational level of the caregiver, type of housing and the number of children in the household. A decrease in parenting stress was most likely in caregivers who were better educated and who lived in households with fewer adults. These results signify that a basic home programme can significantly improve both the cognitive and motor development of young children infected with HIV. This programme was simple and easily implemented and should become standard practice at paediatric HIV clinics in South Africa. The current protocol for administering antiretrovirals in South Africa allowed for motor, but not cognitive improvement in young children commencing treatment. Parenting stress was not affected by the addition of a basic home stimulation programme.The psychosocial and developmental needs of South African children infected with HIV are complex and multifaceted. Further research is needed to establish the best possible interventions for these children and their families.

While there is a growing body of research to expand our theoretical and conceptual understanding of the multi-faceted construct mindfulness, the majority of studies have thus far focused on the efficacy of short-term mindfulness-based interventions to mitigate symptoms associated with myriad physiological and psychological conditions. Research investigating the relational effects of mindfulness within families is limited. This qualitative study examined eight long-term meditators' perceptions of how their mindfulness practice influenced their parenting behavior. Using thematic analysis, the central themes to emerge included (1) increased communication skills, (2) decreased emotional reactivity, (3) increased perspective-taking, and (4) greater self-understanding. Limitations of the study as well as future research and clinical implications are also discussed. / Master of Science

No description available.