Family dynamics in face of Alzheimer's in one of its members

Abstract OBJECTIVE To understand the family dynamics when there is a member in the residence with Alzheimer's disease. METHOD A study of qualitative approach, using the creative sensitive method (CSM), and with participation of two families who had a member with Alzheimer's disease at home. RESULTS Three categories emerged: Effects of Alzheimer's disease and the family dynamics; Development process of Alzheimer's disease and Coping strategies in face of the disease. CONCLUSION It was possible to know the manifestations and consequences of Alzheimer's disease in the family, such as mutual help, the mobilization of resources to activate memories of the past, spirituality and faith. There was also understanding of the structure of family dynamics.

Review: The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact of Domestic Violence on Family Dynamics

A Review of The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact of Domestic Violence on Family Dynamics, 2nd Edition, by Lundy Bancroft, Jay G. Silverman, and D. Ritchie.

Family Environment and Pediatric Major Depressive Disorder

Background: The risks for depression broadly include biological and environmental factors. Furthermore, having a family member suffering from major depression is also likely to have consequences for the family environment. Further research aimed at understanding the effects of having a child with major depression on family interaction patterns is warranted. Methods: We studied 31 families with an 8- to 17-year-old child (mean age +/- SD = 12.9 +/- 2.7 years) who met the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) and 34 families with no mentally ill children (mean age 8 SD = 12.6 +/- 2.9 years) or parents. Children and their parents were assessed with the K-SADS-PL (Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia - Present and Lifetime Version) interview. Parents completed the Moos Family Environment Scale (FES) to assess their perceptions of current family functioning. Data were analyzed using the nonparametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Results: Families of MDD children showed significantly different patterns of family functioning on FES subscales representing relationships and personal growth dimensions. The families with MDD children showed higher levels of conflict (p < 0.001) and lower levels of cohesion (p < 0.001), expressiveness (p = 0.003) and active-recreational orientation (p = 0.02) compared to the families without mentally ill children. Conclusion: Families with MDD children show a lower degree of commitment, provide less support to one another, provide less encouragement to express feelings and have more conflicts compared to families with no mentally ill children or parents. Interventions aimed at improving family dynamics may be beneficial to MDD children and their families. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel

The Educational Experience of Students of Chinese Origin in a French-Speaking Context : the role of school, family, and community

Cette recherche vise à documenter l’expérience scolaire des élèves québécois d’origine chinoise à l’école secondaire de langue française et à examiner les dynamiques qui influencent la réussite scolaire de ces élèves. Elle s’intéresse plus précisément aux impacts des facteurs relatifs à l’école, à la famille immigrante, et à ceux de la communauté ethnique sur l’intégration de ces jeunes dans un contexte francophone. Les données ont été principalement recueillies à travers des entretiens semi-structurés approfondis auprès d’élèves d’origine chinoise et de différents acteurs du paradigme éducatif (parents, acteurs scolaires et intervenants communautaires). D’autres instruments, tels que l’analyse du contenu de documents et de médias, ont également été utilisés afin de fournir des informations contextuelles et d’enrichir les données d’entrevues. Les données ont été analysées selon un cadre théorique ouvert et inclusif où la réussite scolaire des élèves issus de l’immigration est mesurée en mettant l’accent sur l’influence de la maîtrise de la langue d’enseignement, du capital culturel et social de la famille et de la communauté immigrante, ainsi que des facteurs systémiques au niveau de l’école. Les résultats de cette étude dans trois écoles cibles montrent qu’en général les élèves d’origine chinoise connaissent une expérience positive, surtout en ce qui concerne leur performance scolaire en mathématiques et sciences. Cependant, les nouveaux arrivants ont tendance à éprouver des difficultés dans l’apprentissage du français et pour leur intégration sociale. En effet, le processus d’intégration socioscolaire des jeunes chinois est sous l’influence des différents milieux qu’ils fréquentent. À propos de l’influence des dynamiques scolaires, les résultats de la recherche indiquent qu’une relation maître-élève positive joue un rôle important dans la réussite éducative de ces élèves. Toutefois, l’insuffisance du soutien à l’apprentissage défavorise l’intégration linguistique et sociale des élèves nouvellement arrivés. Les données de cette étude soulignent notamment le rôle de la famille immigrante et de la communauté ethnique dans l’expérience scolaire de ces jeunes. D’une part, sous l’impact des dynamiques familiales, notamment ce qui à trait au projet migratoire, à la culture chinoise et à l’expérience pré- et post-migratoire, les parents immigrants chinois s’impliquent activement dans les études de leurs enfants, malgré des barrières linguistiques et culturelles. D’autre part, afin de surmonter les effets négatifs des faibles liens entretenus avec l’école de langue française, les parents chinois ont largement recours aux ressources au sein de la communauté ethnique, tels que les médias de langue chinoise, les organismes ethnospécifiques de services aux immigrants, l’école du samedi et les institutions religieuses ethniques. Ces institutions sociales ethniques contribuent à soutenir les valeurs culturelles, échanger des informations, établir des modèles pour les jeunes et à fournir des services appropriés en matière culturelle et linguistique.

Family Characterization of Young Experimental Consumers of Psychoactive Substances Seen in the Toxicology Department at Colsubsidio

This investigation characterized families of adolescents experimenting with psychoactive substances (PAS) consumption. Materials and methods: For this purpose, a qualitative study with a hermeneutical emphasis was conducted among a population of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 who have experimented with PAS. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients and their families employing a flexible protocol of 14 categories. Results: The findings showed low levels of family cohesion and sense of family identity, inconsistency between educational patterns followed by the parents, as well as deficient parental support. Similarly, the findings indicate significant peer influence during the first stages of consumption of illegal substances. In this regard, the findings suggest that more than providing physical satisfaction, consumption represents a form of acquiring prestige and social position while granting a sensation of psychological, emotional and social well-being. Conclusions: Parental influence was also found considerable in regarding the consumption of legal PAS, like alcohol and tobacco. The study identified as a high-priority need to promote and incorporate communication and conflict resolution skills within the family dynamics by means of prevention and monitoring programs. Those skills and programs would be aimed at providing parents of adolescents experimenting with PAS consumption with new educational tools to orientate new raising guidelines so as to respond appropriately to the problems identified in this study.

Caring responsibilities, change and transitions in young people's family lives in Zambia

Despite diversity in family dynamics within and between societies, globally, it is adults who are usually relied upon to care for family members who are sick, disabled or have other care needs. Young people in Zambia and other African countries affected by the HIV epidemic are under increasing pressure to obtain a good education and employment to support their families, whilst some also have to cope with the loss of parents and care for relatives with little external support. This article discusses the findings of qualitative research that explored the experiences of young people (aged 14-30) who had significant family caring responsibilities and those without such responsibilities in Zambia. Interviews and life-mapping methods were conducted with a total of 35 young people living in rural and urban areas, 12 parents and relatives and 12 professionals. We analyse young people's experiences and perceptions of socially expected transitions, such as completing education and earning an income to support themselves and their families, in addition to more unpredictable changes in young people's family lives. ‘Critical moments’ (Thomson et al, 2002), such as bereavement and loss of parents and other family members, disinheritance of assets and property grabbing, migration and mobility between different relatives homes, parental divorce and separation, often had significant impacts on young people’s ability to navigate their pathways to adulthood according to wider social norms and expectations. A more relational conceptualisation of youth transitions is needed that takes account of young people's caring responsibilities and changing family dynamics.

Functional hoarseness in children: short-term play therapy with family dynamic counseling as therapy of choice

Children with nonorganic voice disorders (NVDs) are treated mainly using direct voice therapy techniques such as the accent method or glottal attack changes and indirect methods such as vocal hygiene and voice education. However, both approaches tackle only the symptoms and not etiological factors in the family dynamics and therefore often enjoy little success. The aim of the "Bernese Brief Dynamic Intervention" (BBDI) for children with NVD was to extend the effectiveness of pediatric voice therapies with a psychosomatic concept combining short-term play therapy with the child and family dynamic counseling of the parents. This study compares the therapeutic changes in three groups where different procedures were used, before intervention and 1 year afterward: counseling of parents (one to two consultations; n = 24), Brief Dynamic Intervention on the lines of the BBDI (three to five play therapy sessions with the child plus two to four sessions with the parents; n = 20), and traditional voice therapy (n = 22). A Voice Questionnaire for Parents developed by us with 59 questions to be answered on a four-point Likert scale was used to measure the change. According to the parents' assessment, a significant improvement in voice quality was achieved in all three methods. Counseling of parents (A) appears to have led parents to give their child more latitude, for example, they stopped nagging the child or demanding that he/she should behave strictly by the rules. After BBDI (B), the mothers were more responsive to their children's wishes and the children were more relaxed and their speech became livelier. At home, they called out to them less often at a distance, which probably improved parent-child dialog. Traditional voice therapy (C) seems to have had a positive effect on the children's social competence. BBDI seems to have the deepest, widest, and therefore probably the most enduring therapeutic effect on children with NVD.

Commentary on "The Impact of Family Stressors on the Social Development of Adolescents in Residential Facilities"

This is a commentary on “The impact of family stressors on the social development of adolescents admitted to a residential treatment facility,” by Cynthia Harr. This article examines the important but relatively understudied relationship of family dynamics in the social development of high risk teens in residential treatment facility (RTF) care. The commentary supports the author’s calls for a continuum of care involving greater cooperation with parents, and critiques and expands on some of the recommendations.

A phenomenological study of Irish and Portuguese women’s experiences of receiving family support when studying STEM subjects at technical institutes

Comunicação apresentada na 44th SEFI Conference, 12-­15 September 2016, Tampere, Finland

Qualidade de vida e fatores associados em idosos dependentes em uma cidade do interior do Nordeste

OBJETIVO: Este estudo tem por objetivo verificar a influência de fatores sociodemográficos, condições de saúde, capacidade funcional e dinâmica familiar na qualidade de vida de idosos dependentes residentes em domicílio em uma cidade do interior da região do Nordeste. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter analítico com delineamento transversal. A amostra deste estudo foi composta por 117 idosos dependentes, cadastrados nas Unidades de Saúde da Família da área de abrangência do bairro do Jequiezinho, no município de Jequié, BA. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados utilizados foram o WHOQOL-OLD, o Índice de Barthel, o Apgar de Família e o levantamento de dados sociodemográficos e condições de saúde. RESULTADOS: Com a aplicação do Teste do qui-quadrado (x²) encontrou-se diferença estatística entre comprometimento da qualidade de vida e da dinâmica familiar, com exceção do domínio autonomia (p = 0,061) da qualidade de vida. CONCLUSÕES: Apenas o comprometimento da dinâmica familiar influencia de maneira negativa a qualidade de vida dos idosos dependentes, uma vez que, quanto mais prejudicada a funcionalidade familiar, pior a qualidade de vida desses.

Psychosocial perspectives of the partners of breast cancer patients treated with a mastectomy

The family members of cancer patients play a central role as caregivers. This study reports on the perspectives of men whose wives underwent a mastectomy because of breast cancer. This qualitative research used a narrative analysis method, and 17 men were interviewed. Five main themes emerged from the analysis of the narratives: initial reactions to the diagnosis, involvement in caregiving, support received, influence of breast cancer on the couples` relationships, and evaluation of care provided by the institution. The findings indicated the existence of substantive evidence that the spouses attended to and followed the recommendations of healthcare providers on ways to care for their wives, including their emotional demands and care needs. In this sense, the healthcare professionals should interact with a. patient`s primary caregiver, take the family dynamics and the caregiver`s personal characteristics into account, and systematically consider and include the needs of the patients` caregivers in the entire healthcare process.

Roles assessment in families of children with chronic renal failure on peritoneal dialysis

Families with a child on chronic peritoneal dialysis have to assume a significant burden of care, intensifying the demands and the reorganization of roles in the families of children. The purpose of this study is to describe the implications of role changes in families of children with chronic renal disease on peritoneal dialysis. This is a case study of four families of children with chronic renal disease on peritoneal dialysis. Fourteen family members participate in the study. After the child`s chronic kidney failure and the start of treatment, each relative`s ways, acts and functions are changed, maintained or adapted to the new family dynamics, imposed by the child`s treatment conditions. Appropriate role assessment provides the nurse and the families of children with chronic renal failure on peritoneal dialysis with insight regarding current and potential health problems and aids in identifying the needs of the families.

Mulheres mães vítimas de violência : impactos, vivências e constituição da rede de apoio sócio afetiva

A violência está presente a nível nacional e mundial no cotidiano de muitas famílias e se configura como um fenômeno de múltiplas determinações, podendo estar presente no cenário público e privado. Diante dos diversos tipos de violência presentes no espaço social, encontra-se a violência praticada pelo homem contra sua companheira. O presente estudo, com enfoque qualitativo, objetivou de maneira geral investigar de que forma o Centro de Referência Especializado da Assistência Social – Proteção e Atendimento Especializado a Famílias e Indivíduos (CREAS PAEFI “Adulto”) do município de Colatina, compõe a rede de apoio social e afetiva de mulheres/mães vítimas de violência física e/ou psicológica por parte de seus maridos/companheiros na percepção dos profissionais atuantes no serviço e, também, na percepção das próprias mulheres vítimas de violência usuárias do serviço. Para tanto, participaram da pesquisa 10 mulheres/mães usuárias do CREAS PAEFI “Adulto” do município de Colatina/ES, com faixa etária variando de 34 a 45 anos, que sofreram violência física e/ou psicológica por parte de seus maridos/companheiros e que possuíam pelo menos um filho. Também participaram da pesquisa 6 profissionais, com faixa etária variando de 25 a 38 anos, que faziam parte da equipe técnica do serviço. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semi estruturadas realizadas individualmente em sala cedida pelo CREAS PAEFI “Adulto”. Para a organização dos dados utilizou-se a Análise de Conteúdo, sendo estes organizados em eixos temáticos e discutidos com base na Teoria Bioecológica do Desenvolvimento Humano de Urie Bronfenbrenner. Como resultados principais, pode-se notar que as interações estabelecidas entre os profissionais e as mulheres vítimas de violência usuárias do CREAS favoreceram processos proximais que promoveram mudanças positivas nas características pessoais das mulheres e reforçaram as relações que elas possuíam com suas famílias, principalmente com os filhos. Também foi verificado no macrossistema, que os papéis sociais estabelecidos pela sociedade para o homem e para a mulher estavam presentes nos discursos das usuárias do serviço, os quais naturalizavam a mulher como responsável pelos filhos, casa e marido, e o homem como o provedor da casa. A maternidade foi considerada por todas as usuárias como um fator importante em suas vidas e causou mudanças na dinâmica familiar com o companheiro.Verificou-se o comprometimento e envolvimento dos profissionais no atendimento às mulheres que se mostraram interessadas e engajadas com o atendimento e que tinham o objetivo de reconstruir suas vidas. A articulação do CREAS com a rede de atendimento à mulher vítima de violência no município de Colatina foi considerada satisfatória, principalmente levando em consideração o fato de que a cidade é pequena, o que facilita o contato entre os serviços. Algumas mulheres expuseram outras fontes de apoio que atuaram concomitantemente ao CREAS como, os amigos e a religião (Deus). Conclui-se que o CREAS PAEFI foi um serviço integrante da rede de apoio sócio afetiva das mulheres vítimas de violência que participaram do estudo, atuando como um microssistema significativo que favoreceu o desenvolvimento das mulheres frente à situação de violência vivenciada

Alguns aspetos psicológicos do grupo de crianças no jardim de infância

Baseado na análise qualitativa de processos observados em grupos de crianças, este artigo dá ênfase à importância dos pares dos grupos de crianças, não só para a formação das posteriores competências de relacionamento em grupo, mas também para a capacidade fundamental de sentir empatia e para o desenvolvimento cognitivo. O meio de expressão mais importante nos grupos de crianças é o desempenho de papéis (o faz de conta). Mesmo tratando-se de situações de fantasia, as crianças também aproveitam estas situações para representar a dinâmica familiar e os papéisdos sexos, usando o grupo para se determinarem como sujeitos sociais. No que diz respeito ao desenvolvimento cognitivo, aprendem a movimentar-se entre as esferas da brincadeira, nãobrincadeira e metacomunicação. É aqui demonstrado em que idades as crianças possuem a capacidade para trabalhar com grupos de outras crianças, durante um longo período de tempo, e como é que os educadores as podem ajudar a desenvolver esta capacidade.

Garland, since 1776- a unique ownership structure

The case is based on Garland, a 240 years old Portuguese family business, now owned by the Dawson family. It focuses on a decision made 50 years ago, aligned with what had been the company’s history, about the ownership rules for family members, which influences the ownership structure of the firm. It addresses the main issues about ownership in family businesses, and tackles the problem of succession planning and fair process. It contains a teaching note to support the utilization of the case in a classroom context, with learning objectives, target audience, a teaching plan, questions and proposed answers, and theory that relates to the case. It is also complemented with an epilogue and an overview of the case.