The impact on family functioning of social media use by depressed adolescents: a qualitative analysis of the family options study

BACKGROUND: Adolescent depression is a prevalent mental health problem, which can have a major impact on family cohesion. In such circumstances, excessive use of the Internet by adolescents may exacerbate family conflict and lack of cohesion. The current study aims to explore these patterns within an intervention study for depressed adolescents.

METHOD: The current study draws upon data collected from parents within the family options randomized controlled trial that examined family based interventions for adolescent depression (12-18 years old) in Melbourne, Australia (2012-2014). Inclusion in the trial required adolescents to meet diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder via the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Childhood Disorders. The transcripts of sessions were examined using qualitative thematic analysis. The transcribed sessions consisted of 56 h of recordings in total from 39 parents who took part in the interventions.

RESULTS: The thematic analysis explored parental perceptions of their adolescent's use of social media (SM) and access to Internet content, focusing on the possible relationship between adolescent Internet use and the adolescent's depressive disorder. Two overarching themes emerged as follows: the sense of loss of parental control over the family environment and parents' perceived inability to protect their adolescent from material encountered on the Internet and social interactions via SM.

CONCLUSION: Parents within the context of family based treatments felt that prolonged exposure to SM exposed their already vulnerable child to additional stressors and risks. The thematic analysis uncovered a sense of parental despair and lack of control, which is consistent with their perception of SM and the Internet as relentless and threatening to their parental authority and family cohesion.

Depressed mood during early to middle adolescence: a bi-national longitudinal study of the unique impact of family conflict

Adolescent depressed mood is related to the development of subsequent mental health problems, and family problems have been linked to adolescent depression. Longitudinal research on adolescent depressed mood is needed to establish the unique impact of family problems independent of other potential drivers. This study tested the extent to which family conflict exacerbates depressed mood during adolescence, independent of changes in depressed mood over time, academic performance, bullying victimization, negative cognitive style, and gender. Students (13 years old) participated in a three-wave bi-national study (n = 961 from the State of Washington, United States, n = 981 from Victoria, Australia; 98 % retention, 51 % female in each sample). The model was cross-lagged and controlled for the autocorrelation of depressed mood, negative cognitive style, academic failure, and bullying victimization. Family conflict partially predicted changes in depressed mood independent of changes in depressed mood over time and the other controls. There was also evidence that family conflict and adolescent depressed mood are reciprocally related over time. The findings were closely replicated across the two samples. The study identifies potential points of intervention to interrupt the progression of depressed mood in early to middle adolescence.

Self-reported work and family stress of female primary teachers

Stress arising in the domain of work and family can have a cumulative effect, and can spill over across the domains. The work-family interface has  received little attention in teacher stress research, therefore the present study aimed to investigate work and family stress among teachers. Self-report questionnaires were distributed to 102 female, primary teachers from government schools in the Geelong area. Responses were used to: (a) identify the major work and family stressors; (b) identify the contributions of perceived work and family stress to perceived global stress; and (c) explore the impact that work and family stress have on each other. Overall the teachers reported moderate levels of global, work and family stress. Time and workload pressure was the major work stressor, and responsibility for child rearing the major family stressor. Work stress and home stress both impacted on each other. The implications of the findings were discussed.

Teachers' work hours, work-family conflict and health: the mediating effects of perceived control and organisational support

Teachers are among those working longer hours more than ever before. the implications of these long hours on teachers' health, through work-family conflict, control over hours worked and organisational support were investigated. 120 teachers, of whom 91 (59.3% female) reported
working in excess of 37 1/2 hours in the week prior, participated in the study. Long hours, work-family conflict, control and organisational support, explained 69% of the variance in health. There was no direct effect of long worked hours on health however long hours did have a direct impact on work-family conflict, organisational support, and control and, through
these, teachers' health. Work-family conflict exerted a direct negative impact on health. These findings are discussed in individual and organisational tenns.

The impact of stigma on couples managing a sexually transmitted infection

Recent research has indicated that the stigma surrounding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) creates a psychological and emotional burden for individuals with these conditions. It would be expected that the stigma of having a STI would also alter the dynamics of an intimate relationship. This paper reviews the literature on the impact of STIs on intimate relationships, and considers the relevance of this research to both clinicians and researchers. In particular, the types of relationships in which the presence of a STI may have a varying degree of impact are examined. Since disclosure of a STI would also be expected to impact on a relationship, an overview of the factors involved in the disclosure of a STI to a partner is also considered. Finally, the implications of this research for both clinicians and researchers are discussed.

Improving child and family outcomes following complicated births requiring admission to neonatal intensive care units

This paper reviews current research regarding the impact of birth complications, such as preterm labour, on parents and the nuclear family system. Specifically, how parents cope with the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience and the associated decision-making tasks required during complicated births will be investigated. Consequences of poor adaptation to prematurity for the parent, family and infant relationships will also be discussed. The importance of informed decision-making, perceived control, self-esteem and the benefits of certain strategies, such as kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact), in the facilitation of greater levels of attachment and improved relationships, will be highlighted. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research areas to focus on finding better ways to prepare and support parents in these situations, thus improving the quality of relationships between parents and with their child.

The psychological impact of extended temporary protection

Against the background of the recent international trend of a greater reliance on deterrence measures in managing the flow of asylum seekers, this paper discusses the implementation of the temporary protection visa (TPV) in Australia. It focuses on the psychological impact of the TPV policy on individual asylum seekers and how this unlimited temporary status affects the overall process of settlement. This study is based on personal narratives constructed by individual asylum seekers during one-on-one interviews aimed at sketching the mental and psychological manifestations of stressful events in their lives as TPV holders. What is particularly revealing among many of these TPV holders is the fact that their pre-migration traumatic experiences are compounded by a post-migration condition of being in indefinite "temporary" protection. This is further exacerbated by a prevalence of racialized discourses and exclusionary policies advocated by the host government. Past trauma and persecution, combined with present family separation and social exclusion, and further compounded by uncertainty about the future, had resulted in almost chronic states of anxiety and depression among a significant number of TPV holders.

Early impact of the BEST intervention for parents stressed by adolescent substance abuse.

Youth involvement in substance abuse can be a source of considerable distress for their parents. Unilateral family interventions have been advocated as one means by which concerned family members can be supported to assist substance-abusing family members. To date there has been little research examining the impact of unilateral family interventions on the directly participating family members. In this study the early impact of an 8-week parent-group programme known as Behavioural Exchange Systems Training (BEST) was evaluated using a quasi-experimental, waiting list control design. The professionally led programme had been developed to support and assist parents in their efforts to cope with adolescent substance abuse. Subjects were 66 parents (48 families) accepted for entry into the programme between 1997 and 1998. Comparison was made between 46 parents offered immediate entry into the programme and 20 parents whose entry to the programme was delayed by an 8-week waiting list. At the first assessment 87% of parents showed elevated mental health symptoms on the General Health Questionnaire. Evidence suggested exposure to the intervention had a positive impact on parents. Compared to parents on the waiting list, parents entered immediately into the intervention demonstrated greater reductions in mental health symptoms, increased parental satisfaction, and increased use of assertive parenting behaviours.

Impact of an empowerment-based parent education program on the reduction of youth suicide risk factors

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of parent education groups on youth suicide risk factors. The potential for informal transmission of intervention impacts within school communities was assessed.

Methods: Parent education groups were offered to volunteers from 14 high schools that were closely matched to 14 comparison schools. The professionally led groups aimed to empower parents to assist one another to improve communication skills and relationships with adolescents. Australian 8th-grade students (aged 14 years) responded to classroom surveys repeated at baseline and after 3 months. Logistic regression was used to test for intervention impacts on adolescent substance use, deliquency, self-harm behavior, and depression. There were no differences between the intervention (n = 305) and comparison (n = 272) samples at baseline on the measures of depression, health behavior, or family relationships.

Results: Students in the intervention schools demonstrated increased maternal care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.9), reductions in conflict with parents (AOR .5), reduced substance use (AOR .5 to .6), and less delinquency (AOR .2). Parent education group participants were more likely to be sole parents and their children reported higher rates of substance use at baseline. Intervention impacts revealed a dose-response with the largest impacts associated with directly participating parents, but significant impacts were also evident for others in the intervention schools. Where best friend dyads were identified, the best friend’s positive family relationships reduced subsequent substance use among respondents. This and other social contagion processes were posited to explain the transfer of positive impacts beyond the minority of directly participating families.

Conclusions: A whole-school parent education intervention demonstrated promising impacts on a range of risk behaviors and protective factors relevant to youth self-harm and suicide.

Working with family to promote health adolescent development

In recent years a sea change has occurred in thinking about interventions for families with adolescent children. A range of intervention strategies has been proposed, including parent education, adolescent education, family therapy, and community change. These associations arise, in part, from a higher likelihood sole-parent families will experience traumatic conflict around family breakdown, lack of supervision due to the parent's work pressures, and limited family income resulting in higher exposure to community risk factors, which demonstrated reduced parental drug use and improved family management, and the Strengthening Families Program, which demonstrated increased children's protective factors, reduced substance use in both adolescents and parents, and improved parenting behaviours are currently investigating the impact of an integrated multi-level secondary school intervention, resilient families, which incorporates communication training for students, an information night for parents, sequenced parent education groups, and brief family therapy.

Geographical dislocation and adjustment in university students: the impact of attachment, autonomy and coping behaviour on stress and well-being

The relative contribution of geographical dislocation, attachment styles, coping behaviours, and autonomy, to successful student adjustment, was examined in relation to stress and well-being. A sample of 142 on campus first year university students, across four Victorian university campuses completed self-report questionnaires. Questionnaires included demographic, social network, intrapsychic (attachment and autonomy), and coping variables. Multiple regression analysis revealed that being female, not having made a friend to confide in personal matters, lower achieved autonomy, and use of emotion-focused coping predicted higher levels of student stress. A second multiple regression analysis revealed that living away from home, and preferring others to approach oneself to initiate conversation or friendships predicted lower well-being, whilst increased frequency of phone and email contact, and greater secure parent and peer attachment, predicted greater well-being. Pearson's correlations indicated that securely attached students used more problem focused coping and social support, whereas insecurely attached students used more emotion focused coping. Qualitative data indicated student concerns about being away from family and friends, finance, course direction and structure, social opportunities on campus, and generally adjusting to the university culture. It was concluded that first year on-campus students would benefit from program initiatives targeting enhancement of on-campus social opportunities, development of autonomy, problem focused coping behaviour, interpersonal and social assertiveness.

The impact of the financial costs of multiple sclerosis on quality of life

This study examined the financial costs of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the impact of financial strain on the subjective quality of life of people with MS and their families. Due to the lack of research in this area, a qualitative research design was employed. Interviews were conducted with 16 health professionals, 26 people with MS, and 11 family members of people who had MS. Adjusting to actual or threatened loss of income caused financial stress. These financial struggles led to a lower quality of life among respondents. Problem solving, coping, and positive reappraisal helped people to adjust to financial changes. Professionals focused on increased funding for services, whereas people with MS focused on improved income support. These findings highlight the need for professionals to consider the financial strain associated with this disease and the impact of this strain on the quality of life of individuals with MS and their families.

The experiences of living with a person with an eating disorder: the impact on the carers

Using a combination of focus groups and individual in-depth interviews, the experience of living with a person with an eating disorder was explored in 24 carers. Attention was given to the progression of the disorder to understand its impact upon the family throughout the stages of the illness. Caring for a person with an eating disorder impacted upon the primary carer and the family throughout the course of the illness. Despite this, the impact on the carers was seldom acknowledged and the needs of these carers and their families were unrecognized and neglected by health professionals.

Zero impact: are lawyers' values affected by law school?(Survey)

In 2001 approximately 700 Australian final-year undergraduate law students were surveyed as the first part of a three-year study of Australian lawyers' values. This study is being undertaken in an effort to understand what values are important in determining lawyers' attitudes to difficult behavioural choices confronting them in legal practice. It is hoped that knowledge of the actual values held by lawyers (in the context of critical professional choices) will enable better targeted values awareness education in both pre- and post-admission contexts.

The main quantitative survey employed a number of hypothetical scenarios. These were designed through the use of ethical dilemmas to examine issues of conflicting loyalties within a context of self-interest and lawyers' perceived obligations to the community, employers, family, friends and clients. (1)

Our approach in this paper is to set the scene by providing basic frequencies to responses in each scenario, followed by an analysis of themes elicited from respondents during the focus groups. Our immediate objective is to provide representative interviewee (that is, respondent) commentary designed to throw some light on the major choices of those respondents in the first year of the main quantitative survey. (2) Note that these focus groups were conducted some months after the quantitative analyses, and in particular after respondents had left law school. All respondents were, by that stage, working within a variety of legal workforce environments. In this analysis, it must be stressed, we have not attempted to match and compare individual respondents' comments with their earlier choices in the quantitative survey. That task awaits the longitudinal analysis now under way for the whole period of data collection during the three-year study.

Individual, family, school, and community risk and protective factors for depressive symptoms in adolescents : a comparison of risk profiles for substance use and depressive symptoms

This study examines the relationship between adolescent depressive symptoms and risk and protective factors identified for substance use. A questionnaire, developed to measure these factors in a young persons community, family, school, peer group, and individual characteristics for substance use, was used to assess associations with self-reported depressive symptoms. Data were provided by a representative sample of 8984 secondary school students in Victoria, Australia. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 10.5% (95% CI 9.2,12.0) for males and 21.7% (95% CI 20.3,23.7) for females. Depressive symptoms were associated with factors in all domains, with the strongest associations in the family domain. Strong relationships were found between the number of elevated risk and protective factors and depressive symptoms, maintained after adjusting for substance use. Patterns of associations were similar for users and nonsubstance users. The findings indicate that prevention programs targeting factors for substance use have the potential to impact on depression.