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Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which is marked by severe social disabilities, also present with higher rates of anxiety. Understanding the qualitative symptoms that underlie anxiety in ASD may help to better characterize the overlap of ASD and anxiety symptomology and suggest targeted treatment strategies. Twenty mothers with male children diagnosed with high-functioning ASD were interviewed using a follow-up interview to the SCAS parent rating scale, in order to better understand how mothers perceive their child's anxious thoughts, behaviors and cognitions. All interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was used to analyze the results. Eight themes emerged from the analysis: first, anxious symptoms in children with autism negatively impacts the whole family; second, anxiety interferes with the child's life; third, mothers can identify anxiety by their child's anxious behavior; fourth, children with ASD utilize coping strategies to reduce their anxiety; fifth, children with ASD experience physiological symptoms with their anxiety; sixth, anxiety and anxious thoughts go together; seventh, mothers can identify the etiology of children's anxiety; and eighth, children's anxious thoughts are perceived by their mothers as reasonable. Interventions for anxiety in ASD should consider the whole family system including education, symptom reduction, and possible respite care.

The goals of this study are to describe the importance of developing a measure of sibling group cohesion, to define this measure, to test the validity of the measure using similar constructs, and to explore how sibling group cohesion predicts perceived personal achievement. Sibling group cohesion is defined as an individual’s voluntary commitment to one’s group of siblings, which forms an open unit. A 12-item scale of adult sibling group cohesion is developed and validated. Adult siblings from sibling groups of 3 or more were asked to take an online survey and 541 participants from 184 families completed the survey. Three theories are proposed for how sibling group cohesion could impact achievement: support, expectations, and shared identity theories. Results indicate that sibling group cohesion is related to, but still unique from, the average and standard deviation of dyadic sibling relationship positivity quality. Individuals from larger families, who have a high proportion of siblings who inspire them, and who have high and consistently positive dyadic relationships report having high sibling group cohesion. Additionally, results from this study show sibling group cohesion is a strong positive predictor of two measurements of perceived personal achievement. The predictive power of sibling group cohesion is stronger than that of the average of dyadic sibling relationship positivity, and is mediated by a combination of support, average dyadic positivity, and demographic variables. Specifically, receiving active and emotional support, as well as being introduced to activities by a majority of one’s siblings is predictive of better achievement. / text

Although there is evidence that children of depressed parents are far more likely to suffer from depression than other children (Hammen & Brennan, 2003), the majority of research examining links between parents’ depression and adolescent depression has focused on maternal depression, minimizing or ignoring the potential influence of paternal depression. Thus, the goals of the proposed study were 1) to examine both maternal and paternal depressive symptoms in relation to adolescents’ depressive symptoms over time, 2) to explore possible gender differences in how teens are affected by maternal versus paternal depressive symptoms, and 3) to investigate the role of parent-teen relationship quality. This study used data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, which includes measures of each parents’ depressive symptoms, taken when children were in 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 10th grades, and adolescent depressive symptoms measured at grades 5, 6, and 10. Results of path analyses using a cross-lagged panel design revealed that paternal depressive symptoms significantly predicted changes in adolescent depressive symptoms from grade 5 to 6 and 6 to grade 10. Although maternal depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with female adolescents’ depressive symptoms, mothers’ depressive symptoms predicted male adolescents’ depressive symptoms at grade 5. Models revealed a reciprocal influence of female adolescents’ depressive symptoms and paternal depressive symptoms. Furthermore, models of indirect effects suggest that the relationship of maternal depressive symptoms at grade 3 and male teens’ depressive symptoms had an enduring effect on males’ depressive symptoms through grades 6 and 10. This was also found for the association of paternal depressive symptoms and subsequent female teens’ symptoms. Finally, moderation analyses revealed a significant interaction of maternal depressive symptoms and mother-teen relationship quality predicting female teens’ subsequent depressive symptoms such that females who had high-quality relationships with highly depressed mothers were more likely to be depressed themselves, whereas female teens’ depressive symptoms were lowest if they had high quality relationships with mothers who reported low levels of depressive symptoms. The present study highlights the need for systems-based approaches to working with families in which one or more family members experience depressive symptoms. / text

There is a large body of literature that examines the association between parental psychopathology and child ADHD. The strength of the relationship varies across studies due to differences between the sample characteristics and methodologies utilized. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the strength of the association between parental psychopathology and ADHD to review the research findings and to establish the degree and size of the effect. The present study included published and unpublished research that considered a quantitative comparison between parental psychopathology status or symptomatology and child ADHD status or symptomatology. Parents of children with ADHD had higher rates of psychopathology symptoms than parents of children without ADHD (d = 0.39; 95% CI [0.31, 0.48], p < .001, k = 32). Approximately 16.96% of parents of children with ADHD had a mental disorder (95% CI [14.37, 19.91], p < .001, k = 49). Parents of children with ADHD had 2.85 times the odds of parents of children without ADHD of having a mental disorder (95% CI [1.77, 4.59], p < .001, k = 18). Type of publication was the only moderator analysis that was statistically significant (Q = 5.70, p = .017, k = 21). Unpublished reports were associated with larger effect sizes in comparison to published journal articles; however, two of the unpublished reports were identified as outliers. Clinicians and researchers will benefit from the results of this research by developing a better understanding of impact parental psychopathology may have on treatment outcomes. / October 2015

A growing body of research suggests that patterns of personal pronoun use in couples - particularly we-talk (first person plural pronouns) and you-talk (second person pronouns) - are potentially meaningful markers of adaptive and maladaptive functioning, respectively. Despite this growing couple literature, very little is known about the relational implications of we-talk and you-talk in larger social units like families, where relevant interaction patterns are often triadic and involve members of different generations. The present study employed baseline observational and self-report data from a multi-site study of family therapy for adolescent substance drug abuse to (a) describe patterns of personal pronoun use in families consisting of two parent figures and at least one adolescent child, during conversations that had a collaborative (plan a menu) and a conflictual (discuss a recent argument) valence; and (b) explore associations between pronoun patterns and various indicators of adaptive adolescent and family functioning. As hypothesized, automated text analysis of transcripts from 74 English speaking families revealed more we-talk in the cooperative (menu) task, more you-talk and I-talk in the conflict (argument) task, and significant variations in pronoun frequency by family role (more I-talk by adolescents, more we-talk and you-talk by parents). Additional coding, guided by structural family systems theory, took into account the source and referent of each pronoun utterance (e.g., parent-parent we-talk, cross-generation you-talk), and these structural pronoun variables showed stronger associations with concurrently observed family interaction patterns than global (raw count) pronoun variables did. Contrary to expectation, you-talk was a stronger predictor of concurrent family behavior and adaptive youth/family functioning than we-talk, and associations between pronoun patterns and indicators of adaptive functioning were stronger for the conflict task than the cooperation task. The results suggest that relational meanings of pronouns are substantially more complex in triadic intergenerational family interactions than in dyadic romantic relationships. Discussion of these results includes study limitations and possible directions for further research.

Quality of life is a term that has been used in various ways by researchers in different fields. In regional or community research, researchers have been concerned to a large extent with a persons overall quality of life as affected by factors such as income, housing, marital status, gender, and regional/community human services. The present research concerns the relationship between perception of quality of life and the use of human services in the community. The data were from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky. Family systems theory served as the underlying conceptual framework for this study. Family systems theory would predict that residents perception of quality of life is generally affected by the availability/use of resources and services. These resources and services can be classified as internal and external. According to family systems theory, three domains were identified as potentially affecting ones perception of quality of life: (1) individual characteristics; (2) family characteristics, and (3) use of community human services. Results from the individual perspective showed that being currently married, ownership of residence, education, and young age were positive contributions to perceptions of quality of life. There were no gender or race differences in perceived quality of life. From a family perspective, perception of quality of life was influenced by household income and health situation. From the community human services perspective, neighborhood safety was an important contributor to perception of quality of life. As for financial assistance, turning to family or friends, banks, utility companies, Community Action Council or Department of Community-based Services, and Medicare were more common uses of services than churches or clergy, food banks, the Salvation Army, social/survivor income, and other persons or agencies. This study also investigated gender, income, and age differences in the association of perception of quality of life with the presence of urgent needs for basic living by use of community-based human services. The results provided a broad context for interpreting perception of quality of life. In conclusion, this study provided baseline information concerning perceptions of quality of life and use of community human services by households. The findings provided insight into residents perceptions of quality of life based on their individual characteristics, family situation, and community human services as components contributing to perceptions of quality of life.

This qualitative study was designed to explore the transition experiences of youth with learning disabilities (LD) educated in the province of Ontario and their families. The primary purpose of this research was to understand what influences the decisions adolescents who have LD make about post-secondary education and employment goals and paths. The expectations and experiences of youth with LD and their families during the transition process were investigated. Adolescents and their parents were the main informants. Facilitators and barriers to the process in terms of each of the systems described in Bronfenbrenner ecological theory and Turnbull and Turnbull’s family systems theory were also examined. A case study method was used in the design of this research and data were collected following Seidman’s three-interview process. Five families consisting of the youth with LD, at least one parent, and in four cases, a sibling participated in this study. The questions focused on family interactions, roles, and the decision-making process. Data from the 18 participants were coded and arranged according to the research questions which were linked to the central ideas in the theoretical framework. The findings revealed that parents’ expectations influenced the decision-making about post high school goals and paths by the youth and their families. In contrast to previous research, it was found that parents’ expectations were generally high for their children with LD and were shaped by their own post high school experiences. The dynamics of family relationships and roles during transition planning depended on the time of diagnosis of LD (primary grades vs. senior high school), attitudes towards LD by the parents, advocacy by parents, self-advocacy abilities of the youth with LD, and the nature of relations among siblings. Additionally, none of the youth with LD had a formal transition plan and the data showed that teachers could facilitate or hinder the transition process. Also emerging from the data were three types of advocacy that were practised by parents. The study findings add to our knowledge about the transition process and in particular how decisions are made and the factors that influence them. Moreover, this study gives a voice to youth with LD and their families as they described their transition experiences to post-secondary education or employment.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Recreation Management and Youth Leadership, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-88).

Comprehensive improvements in medical care, technology and residential settings have resulted in persons with developmental disabilities (DD) advancing to older age and outliving parental caregivers (Heller & Arnold, 2010). Typical siblings are expected to become the primary caregiver to their sibling with DD when parents become ill or die and unable to provide care (Burke, Fish, & Lawton, 2015; Heller & Arnold, 2010). This dissertation looks at the wellbeing and family functioning of siblings who become the co-residential caregiver following the transition of a brother or sister with DD from parental to sibling co-residential care. The family systems framework was the theoretical lens for understanding caregiver wellbeing and overall family functioning. Hermeneutic-narrative inquiry was the approach for interviewing and exploring the stories of 10 sibling caregivers of a brother or sister with DD following their transition from parental to sibling co-residential care. Two analytical approaches were used. Firstly, structural analysis involved a within-case analysis of individual participants’ stories of transition to determine the meaning ascribed to and identified with the caregiving experience. Secondly, thematic narrative analysis included an across-case analysis to identify themes related to caregiver wellbeing, family functioning, reciprocity of mutual support, and anticipating the caregiver role versus actual experience. Findings from the structural analysis showed that the meaning of the caregiving experience included a duty, obligation, responsibility and commitment to the family. Results from the thematic narrative analysis showed overall lower social and emotional wellbeing among participants, reduced functionality among family members with respect to lower emotional and social functioning, reduced engagement in recreation/leisure activities, as well as lower economic functionality for sibling caregivers with no spouse or children. Sibling caregivers reported higher overall wellbeing and family functioning due to availability of formal supports (e.g., respite care, day program services), and informal support, such as having support from a spouse, child, or extended family member. Findings regarding reciprocity showed increased instrumental support among sibling caregivers and reduced emotional support. When anticipating the role, caregivers described knowing they would assume the role but were unclear of the shift to assuming a parental rather than sibling role. Other unanticipated discoveries included feeling captive to the role and feelings of helplessness. Caregivers’ actual experiences involved learning to manage new challenges, society’s patronizing view of persons with DD, and an overall sense of pride in caregiving for giving back to their sibling with DD. Grief and future planning were also discussed, including the effect of grief on the sibling caregiver, sibling caregiver’s children and sibling with DD. Future planning looked at the aspects of planning and not having planned for the future of the sibling with DD. The study concludes with implications for current and future social work practice and research, as well as the study’s strengths and limitations.