Carl Lacharité

Childhood adversity, parental stress, and depression of negligent mothers

The objective of this study was to identify major childhood events that were experienced by negligent mothers matched with non-negligent mothers as well as to define the existing link between those events, depression of the mother and parental stress. The sample was composed of 80 French-speaking Canadian families. The measures used were the Parental Stress Index (Abidin, 1983), the Psycho-Social Interview (Ethier et al., 1989) and the Beck Depression Inventory (1961). The results have shown an extreme level of parental stress and a high level a depression for negligent mothers. The negligent mothers had a history of placements, violence and sexual abuse, but they did not differ from control mothers for parental breakups and nonavailability. We have also shown a significant link between childhood events, depression, and parental stress even more so for the control group than for the negligence group. The results are discussed in the perspective of attachment theory.

Risk Factors Associated with the Chronicity of High Potential for Child Abuse and Neglect

The present 4-year follow-up study involves 56 mothers who were evaluated by social agencies as being abusive and neglectful or at high risk for child abuse and neglect. The aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between psychosocial risk factors (relating to the history and current situation of the mothers) that were present at the time the families were initially recruited and the fact that some of the mothers continue to show a high potential for child abuse and neglect (chronic abuse and neglect), whereas others were able to overcome the problem (transitory abuse and neglect). Results indicate that the following variables are particularly associated with situations involving chronic problems of abuse and neglect: initial level of severity of potential for abuse and neglect; dual-parent status; a large number of children at the time of intervention (3.13 times more risk of chronicity for large families); the fact that as a child the mother herself had been placed in a foster home (3.7 times more risk); that she had been sexually abused (3.5 times more risk); and that as an adolescent she had run away from home (3.02 times more risk). Our results indicate that mothers who have a combination of more than eight risk factors are four times more likely to be in the chronic group.

The transition to fatherhood: the role of formal and informal support structures during the post-partum period

A transicao para a paternidade e um momento na vida de um individuo que solicita suas capacidades de adaptacao. A qualidade do suporte social da qual dispoem os pais e um elemento importante em sua adaptacao a seu novo papel. O objetivo deste estudo correlacional, realizado com 160 casais de pais de primeira viagem do Quebec, foi compreender as fontes de apoio promovidas pelos pais e pelas maes, em periodo pos-natal, suas caracteristicas, e examinar a natureza das relacoes entre as percepcoes de suporte social, a eficacia parental e a ansiedade parental. Analises multivariadas revelaram que o suporte social, para estes pais, nao agia como fator de protecao das percepcoes de eficacia parental. Entretanto, as praticas de auxilio das enfermeiras contribuiam para as percepcoes de apoio dos pais, assim como para suas percepcoes da eficacia parental.La transicion para la paternidad es un momento en la vida que requiere de la capacidad de adaptacion de un individuo. La calidad del apoyo social que reciben los padres se considera como un elemento importante en la adaptacion para su nuevo rol. Estudio correlacional, que abarca cerca de 160 parejas de padres primerizos de Quebec, Canada, el objetivo fue comprender las fuentes de apoyo del padre y la madre durante el periodo postnatal, asi como, sus caracteristicas. Ademas, este estudio pretendia examinar la naturaleza de la relacion entre las percepciones del apoyo social, la eficacia y la ansiedad de la paternidad. Los analisis multivariados revelaron que, para estos padres, el apoyo social no actua como un factor de proteccion de sus percepciones para la eficacia de la paternidad. Sin embargo, las practicas de ayuda de las enfermeras contribuyeron para las percepciones de apoyo de los padres, como para las percepciones de la misma.

Processos que sustentam a resiliência familiar: um estudo de caso

A resiliencia e considerada como uma trajetoria construida gradativamente, a partir de uma sequencia de processos proximais, desde o inicio da vida. Este estudo objetiva identificar processos vivenciados no plano familiar e individual que possibilitam as familias enfrentar os desafios em sua vida de maneira positiva. Estudo de caso desenvolvido com uma familia exposta a multiplas adversidades, utilizando uma abordagem sustentada nos principios de avaliacao e desenvolvimento de forcas familiares. Os dados obtidos entre 2005-2007, atraves de entrevistas, foram submetidos a analise de conteudo. Os principais processos evidenciados refletem a capacidade do pai responder as necessidades dos filhos; criar um espaco relacional que permite a expressao do potencial dos filhos; aceitar ajuda no exercicio de seus papeis; realizar atividades mutuamente gratificantes entre eles. Destaca-se o papel da sensibilidade do pai em relacao as necessidades dos filhos.

Resiliência: concepções, fatores associados e problemas relativos à construção do conhecimento na área

Resilience is defined as the human capacity to positively answer to daily life demands, despite the adversities it faces during its development. It is understood as a concept that holds a great potential concerning preventing and promoting health among populations; even though, it is still embraced by uncertainties and controversies. The aim of this paper is to provide a study review, focusing on conversions and diversions of the resilience conceptions from different authors, besides presenting what has been analyzed as risk and protection factors associated to it, pointing out the problems found in the construction of the knowledge about such phenomenon. The reviewed material illustrates that despite the knowledge already produced there is not a consensus about the definition of resilience yet, and its procedure represents a great challenge for researchers along their studies.

Marital Satisfaction and Quality of Father–Child Interactions: The Moderating Role of Child Gender

ABSTRACT The authors aimed to investigate the prospective links between normative variation in fathers’ marital satisfaction and the observed quality of father–toddler interactions, as well as the moderating role of child gender in these associations. Sixty-three fathers reported on their marital satisfaction when their children were 15 months of age, and were observed interacting with their child at 18 months. The results suggested that marital satisfaction was positively associated with the quality of father–son interactions, while no relations emerged among fathers of girls. These findings reiterate the importance of marital relationships for the quality of fathers’ parenting, while reaffirming previous suggestions that the role of child gender in the marriage-parenting connections requires further investigation.

From risk to psychosocial resilience: conceptual models and avenues for family intervention

O objetivo deste artigo e comparar e propor uma integracao de duas perspectivas conceptuais de risco psicossocial, uma estruturalista e outra fenomenologica. A primeira parte apresenta os conceitos de risco, vulnerabilidade, de protecao e de resiliencia segundo uma perspectiva estruturalista. A segunda parte apresenta uma descricao dos conceitos de experiencia de vulnerabilidade e de experiencia de resiliencia segundo uma perspectiva fenomenologica. A ultima parte propoem um modelo integrador que permite pensar as acoes em termos de promocao do bem-estar e de saude dos individuos e das familias, a prevencao de problemas associados as condicoes de risco psicossocial, e intervencoes para conter os efeitos concretos destas situacoes de risco.El objetivo de este articulo es comparar y proponer una integracion de dos perspectivas conceptuales de riesgo psicosocial: una estructuralista y la otra fenomenologica. La primer parte presenta los conceptos de riesgo, vulnerabilidad, de proteccion y de rescindir segun una perspectiva estructuralista. La segunda parte presenta una descripcion de los conceptos de experiencia de vulnerabilidad y de la experiencia de rescindir segun una perspectiva fenomenologica. La ultima parte propone un modelo integrador que permite pensar las acciones en terminos de la promocion de bienestar y de la salud de los individuos y de las familias, la prevencion de problemas asociados a las condiciones de riesgo psicosocial, y las intervenciones para enfrentar los efectos concretos de estas situaciones de riesgo.

Negligência infantil a partir do Child Neglect Index aplicado no Brasil

This study describes the use of Child Neglect Index to identify cases of children neglected by their parents/caregivers in the Brazilian context. After initial adaptation to the Brazilian sociocultural reality, the instrument was applied in three different groups. Each group is composed of 30 dyads of children/parents, totaling 90 dyads of participants (n=180). They are: G1 (first group) = officially reported cases of child neglect; G2 (second group) = suspected cases of neglect, but not notified; G3 (third group) = unsuspected cases of neglect or otherwise abuse (comparison group). There is also a fourth group composed of the childrens teachers (n=11). The results showed high scores on the index of neglect in G1 and G2, but low scores in G3, suggesting the presence of indicators of lack of parental supervision regarding the care of food, clothing, hygiene, physical health, mental health and education in the first two groups evaluated when compared to no suspicion of child maltreatment. The current empirical findings, although preliminary in terms of adaptation of Child Neglect Index to the Brazilian context, were promising to signal the potential of the instrument as a resource for detection/confirmation of child neglect. It stimulates further research and improvements in this technical resource to facilitate proper identification and intervention in these cases.

The systemic family assessment system: its validity with asthmatic children and their families

The construct and concurrent validity of the Systemic Family Assessment (SFA) system was tested. Participants were 11 asthmatic and 14 healthy Brazilian children (aged 5 to 9) along with their intact families. Measures included the SFA, the Family Colored Drawing Test with children (FCDT), and a semi-structured interview with parents (PI). Comparisons between families of asthmatic and healthy children yielded significant differences for all family dimensions of the SFA. The most affected dimensions for families of asthmatic children were the individuation process within the family, family conflicts, family integration and cohesion, roles, and quality of leadership within the family. Significative correlation between the SFA and the two independent measures were found. Results support the construct and concurrent validity of the SFA.

Becoming a parent: a model of parents' post-partum experience

Perceber-se como pai e um desafio grande na transicao para a paternidade. A importância do papel dos profissionais da area da saude na determinacao dessa percepcao apos o nascimento dos filhos tem sido pouco explorada . O objetivo deste estudo e analisar as relacoes entre a eficacia percebida por pais primiparos e sua percepcao do auxilio recebido das enfermeiras, e dos acontecimentos importantes no periodo posparto. AMOSTRAGEM E METODO: 160 casais participaram de um estudo correlacional preenchendo questionarios apos o nascimento de seu primeiro filho. RESULTADOS: Um modelo da experiencia pos-parto foi estabelecido, no qual a colaboracao das enfermeiras e seu auxilio contribuiram diretamente e indiretamente para a percepcao do controle e dos acontecimentos pelos pais. Elas contribuem indiretamente para a percepcao da propria eficacia pelos pais. IMPLICACOES: O auxilio dado pelos profissionais da saude, principalmente pelas enfermeiras, aos pais apos o nascimento de uma crianca, faz uma diferenca positiva importante nas experiencias dos pais.