Current social policy that places the locus of care for the chronically mentally ill in the community offers increased opportunities for parenthood to the chronically mentally ill. However, parenthood and patterns of child care are largely unstudied. A sample of 204 patients in the Ohio state system of care and 409 family members is used to empirically examine biological and social parenthood among the chronically mentally ill and the living and care arrangements for their children. Additionally, "double" and "hidden" aspects of family burden associated with child care are explored. The results indicate that although fifty-two percent of the patients had never been married, fifty-seven percent have a total of 260 minor and adult children. Race and gender are associated with both social and biological parenthood. Sixty-nine percent of the mentally ill females and 46 percent of the males have children. Females have an average of 1.7 children and males.89 children. Seventy-five percent of black females, 63 percent of white females, and 54 percent of black males have children with white males least likely to be parents (38 percent). Whites are more involved with minor children. Overall, there is more patient involvement with sons and younger children. Child care was stable over the course of a year for 75 percent of the children and largely distributed among the well parents, aunts and grandmothers. In the absence of parental involvement, maternal relatives care for minor children. No paternal relatives were involved in child care when the father was the mentally ill parent. When family members are engaged in caregivng to a patient with minor children, they tend to be also involved in child care, thus assuming a double "family burden." When the relationship between the well and ill parent ends, the well parents tend to disengage from patient care but assume the "hidden burden" of total responsibility for minor children.

This study examined the relationship between single-parent and two-parent family interactions, and adolescent moral stage transition. The aim of the study was to identify over a two-year period, through direct observation of these families, the interaction patterns particular to families whose adolescent was making the transition from one moral stage to a higher stage. There were 145 subjects; 54 families. Seventeen single-parent and 37 two-parent Caucasian, middle-class families. The adolescents were in the ninth to the 12th grade at a suburban high-school. Adolescent moral judgment was assessed according to Kohlberg's categories of moral stages, and family discussion of revealed differences on hypothetical moral dilemmas were observed. Powers' Developmental Environments Coding System was revised and used to code observed interactions. The results suggest that adolescents at different levels of moral development may require different kinds of family interactions to stimulate moral development and stage transition. Adolescents at the pre-conventional level who approach moral issues from a concrete perspective may benefit from family behaviors which focus, verify and clarify a discussion. Adolescents at the conventional level may benefit from behaviors which elaborate or defend a particular view point, challenge or criticize another's reasoning, and also benefit from affectively conflictual behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in pre- to postretirement familial relationships as they are perceived by retirees. The goal is to both study the effect of retirement and aging on the late midlife individual and social system, and to create interest and expertise among family clinicians in working with this cohort. The Retirement Life Style Survey, consisting of 23 questions, was administered to 63 retirees, addressing changing familial relationship patterns from pre- to postretirement. Questions were designed to reflect varied response techniques, including (1) forced choice, (2) Likert-type scale, and (3) open ended answers which allowed the respondents to comment on their experiences. The sample population consisted of voluntary subjects from AARP, senior centers, and retiree volunteer and learning organizations. In an attempt to control the influence of aging, subjects were limited to those retired between six months and ten years. The hypotheses were drawn from the literature on retirement and human development, as well as from commonly held myths and stereotypes regarding retirement. Four hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis one states that there will be a correlation between retirement and the perception that roles have shifted. Retirees will see themselves as less influential in family decision-making and less powerful in the family hierarchy. Hypothesis two postulates that retirement will not be shown to adversely affect good familial relationships or positively affect poor familial relationships. Hypothesis three states retirees experiencing financial insecurity will be more likely to feel dissatisfied with retirement and their familial relationships than those who are secure. Hypothesis four states that postretirement life satisfaction will correlate significantly with preretirement life satisfaction. Contrary to the prediction of hypothesis one, there were not significant role shifts from pre- to postretirement. Subjects did not perceive that they had less influence in family decision-making and less power in the family decision-making. The first section of hypothesis two was supported in that good relationships were not adversely affected by retirement, but as 92.1% of the subjects viewed their families as close or somewhat close, the sample did not allow for evaluation of the second section of the hypothesis. Examination of the issue would require selection of either a much larger cohort, or one drawn from a dysfunctional population. Evaluation of this hypothesis is further complicated by a high nonresponse rate on questions concerning relationships with spouse due, in part, to a high percentage of subjects who are widowed. Hypothesis three was also not supported. However, the responses did raise points which would warrant further study. Over 67% viewed their income as adequate or more than adequate to meet their needs, but of those who did not, over half felt this affected their physical and emotional health. Again, examination of this issue would require a different sample. Hypothesis four was supported. There was a correlation between preretirement satisfaction and postretirement satisfaction. Activities changed somewhat, reflecting the increase in discretionary time and enjoyment of family relationships. However, as is to be expected, health declined. Implications for clinical practice focus on both what is supported and what remains unclear.

Retention of students in high school continues to be a problem. At-risk students, principally minority high school students, drop out at a staggering rate (1990 national dropout statistics indicate that 13.2 percent of Black students and 32.4 percent of Hispanic students leave high school before graduating). There is a direct, positive correlation between parent involvement and student retention. Students whose parents demonstrate positive influence regularly are more successful academically and participate more often in school and extra-curricular activities. Parents' interest in their children's education can be expressed differently. Few parents realize how important and powerful their influence can be in a school. Some parents have invested so much time and energy in previous years that they assume the high school student is emotionally mature enough to speak for him/herself. Other parents will participate in school-related projects only when or if asked by school representatives. Nearly all parents are willing to respond in a crisis. Lack of parent participation in school governance and affairs has been evident for years. In fact, it is expected by many administrators and teachers. Many articles have been written that support the importance of parent participation in a child's education. This paper will attempt to discuss strategies ten single working parents use to motivate their children to succeed in high school. Parent involvement in the child's academic success may be most needed when parents have low education levels and the children are in high school. Additionally, there are unique problems associated with single working parents; however, there is a positive correlation between single parent involvement and student retention. As a guidance counselor, talking to students it is obvious that parents use many strategies not identified in the literature at home to motivate their children to remain in high school until graduation. This research was designed to elicit, explore, and evaluate strategies used by ten single working parents to keep their children in high school when many of their peers have left high school.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared Anderson / This meta-analysis used data from 285 studies (yielding 983 effect sizes and a combined sample size of 627,726) to quantitatively evaluate the link between substance use and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization. Results indicated that overall substance use, alcohol use, and drug use were significantly related to both IPV perpetration and victimization, with mean effect sizes ranging from r =.18 to .23. Moderator analyses also compared males and females for overall substance use, alcohol use, and drug use; subcategories of alcohol use and drug use; and different types of drugs, for males and females, and for IPV perpetration and for victimization. This is the first meta-analysis to compare alcohol versus drug use for IPV perpetration and IPV victimization. The analyses revealed drug use to be a significantly stronger risk marker for victimization, and a non-significantly stronger risk marker for perpetration, compared to alcohol use. Alcohol consequence measures (i.e., abuse and dependence) were significantly stronger risk markers than consumption measures for IPV victimization, but non-significantly different for IPV perpetration. Furthermore, more frequent alcohol use (few times a week, almost daily, and daily) was a significantly stronger risk marker for perpetration compared to other alcohol frequency measures. Drug consequence measures (abuse/dependence) were significantly stronger risk markers for perpetration than simply drug use measures. There were no significant differences between different drug types, and no significant difference between stimulants versus non-stimulants for IPV perpetration and victimization (though these smaller comparisons may have been underpowered, and thus unable to detect differences). The findings of this study are important because they provide the most comprehensive and detailed analysis of the link between substance use and IPV to date.

<p> This research asks the question, <i>How does yoga help women heal when coping with divorce?</i> To answer this question, the researcher asked four women to tell their stories through interviews. Those interviews were then synthesized into narratives. The research was completed using the heuristic inquiry method as well as story-telling and photo elicitation. The heuristics method recognizes that the primary researcher has intimate knowledge of the subject. Therefore, the researcher became the fifth participant. Through cross-referencing the five stories, two primary and two secondary themes were uncovered. The primary themes were a connection to nature and the support of a community. The researcher presents the data as stories punctuated with photos self-selected by each participant. The themes are then further explored and corroborated using scholarly literature. This research will assist yoga teachers in supporting their students who are healing during or after divorce. It may also inform teaching practices and curriculum inside yoga classrooms. </p>

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sonya L. Britt and Martin Seay / This three essay dissertation examined questions related to personal financial difficulties of military members with the aim of suggesting the most effective focal points for those involved in development of policy or programs or working directly with military members on improving their personal financial condition. The introduction (Chapter 1) describes the nature of the problem, the level of attention it has received within the civilian and military leadership structure, and generally what has been done to address it before presenting an outline of the chapters which follow. The first essay (Chapter 2) relies on theoretical guidance from stress and coping theory to examine determinants of a military member’s choice of problem-focused over emotion-focused coping strategies. The study used primary data collected from a sample of soldiers (n = 688) at a large Midwestern military installation. Its results indicated that military members with an internal locus of control and those who performed positive financial behaviors in response to a financial stressor reported lower levels of financial stress. Taking its theoretical guidance from the theory of planned behavior, the second essay (Chapter 3) examined the relationship of the behavioral antecedents of attitude toward behavior, subjective beliefs, and perceived behavioral control with behaviors related to establishing and maintaining an adequate emergency fund and maintaining positive cash flow, the term used for keeping spending at levels below income over time. The study analyzed primary data from a sample of soldiers at a large Midwestern military installation (n = 93). Of the 11 models analyzed, most were statistically significant, though, individually, the behavioral antecedents themselves did not yield statistical significance as often. Although fewer definitive findings emerged from the cash flow group of models, results of the emergency fund group indicated that attitude toward behavior and perceived behavioral control are positively influential on behaviors related to maintaining an emergency fund. The third essay (Chapter 4) detailed a study which tested the theoretical assumption that better informed consumers make better financial choices. The study examined self-assessed financial knowledge, a self-assessed measure of confidence in day-to-day personal financial management termed financial confidence, and objectively measured financial knowledge as potential determinants of certain positive and negative financial behaviors. The positive behaviors were maintenance of positive cash flow and an adequate emergency fund, and the negative behaviors were engaging in high-cost borrowing through auto title lenders, payday lenders, pawn shops, and rent-to-own stores, collectively termed alternative financial services (AFS). The study analyzed secondary data from a sample of military members collected by the 2012 National Financial Capability Study which yielded a set of 949 responses useable for the study described in this chapter. Subjective knowledge was found to be associated with emergency fund maintenance, but not positive cash flow, while objective financial knowledge and financial confidence were found to be positively associated with positive cash flow, but not emergency fund maintenance. Females and those with higher incomes were found to be more likely to maintain positive cash flow, while those with three or more dependent children and those having experienced a recent income shock were less likely to do so. Females, members with graduate degrees, and members with a higher investing risk tolerance were more likely to maintain emergency funds, though members with two or more children and those having experienced a recent income shock were less likely to do so. Subjective financial knowledge was found to be positively related to AFS use, while objective financial knowledge and financial confidence were found to be negatively associated with AFS use. Members with more dependent children and those having experienced recent income shocks were more likely to have used AFS, while those with higher incomes were less likely to have done so. The conclusion (Chapter 5) summarizes the findings of all three essays, their implications, and suggests directions for future research. It re-emphasizes the unique contributions of the essays to personal finance literature pertaining to military members and its importance for policy makers, military leaders, and anyone involved in developing or administering personal financial improvement programs for the benefit of military members.

Master of Science / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Melinda Markham / Resiliency in the low-income population includes individual as well as familial and community achievement. In order to break down the barriers of poverty, all three must be interconnected. This report provides a review of the current literature on factors that affect individuals and families to become resilient and what programs are available for support along the way. Circles Manhattan is one program in the Manhattan, Kansas community that rallies around individuals and families in poverty and works to see them through to earning 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. This report also provides an evaluation of the Circles Manhattan Circle Leader training using pre-evaluation, post-evaluation, and weekly evaluation tools. Based on the results of the evaluation, recommendations are made for the future of Circles Manhattan as well as for researchers studying the topic of resiliency and poverty.

<p>This study examines the connection between experiences of stress by sophomore women collegiate student-athletes and the coping strategies they adopt to deal with their stress. The study employs qualitative investigation strategies of focus group interviews and individual interviews to examine stress and coping among women student-athletes at one medium sized private university in the Washington metropolitan area. Ideas from theorists Erving Goffman and Emile Durkheim contribute to a conceptual framework for exploring both constructive and less-constructive coping strategies in the face of the stress experienced by women student-athletes. The study reveals the interconnections among understandings expressed by participants about sources of stress&mdash;notably the structural relations between coaches and student-athletes&mdash;and engaging in both constructive coping strategies&mdash;generally individual and informal&mdash;and less-constructive coping strategies&mdash;specifically, drinking alcohol and disordered eating&mdash;within the community of athletes. </p>

<p> Having a sibling with a disability has been found to have negative psychological effects, such as depression; however, very little research has focused solely on siblings of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study attempted to highlight whether siblings of children with ADHD experience depression symptomology to a greater degree than siblings of children without disabilities. Participants were included in the current study based on meeting the following criteria: target participants were between the ages of 6 and 17 with a biological sibling who may or may not carry a diagnosis of ADHD. Families came from 2 groups based on the siblings&rsquo; diagnosis. Seven families with at least 1 child with ADHD, and 11 families with all non-disabled children participated. Parents were asked to complete an informed consent and demographic questionnaire, as well as the Conners Rating Scale for ADHD, Third Edition, Short Form (Conners-3) on the target participant to ensure that he/she did not meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Taqrget participants were asked to complete an assent form, as well as the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). Two multiple regressions were completed. Results, omitting a statistical outlier within the group consisting of families with a child with ADHD, indicated that siblings of non-disabled children experienced more symptoms of depression than siblings of children with ADHD; however, results including the statistical outlier indicated that both groups of siblings experience similar symptomology of depression. Both results were contrary to the researcher&rsquo;s hypothesis. Given the small sample size of the current study, the individuals that participated in the study may not be a representative sample, and additional research is therefore needed. Overall, the findings of the current study will guide researchers in further investigating this most important topic, and therefore, addressing how to better support families with children with ADHD.</p>