Daniel Turcotte

Factors influencing the initiation and duration of breastfeeding among low-income women followed by the Canada prenatal nutrition program in 4 regions of quebec.

The factors that influence the actual initiation and duration of breastfeeding were studied among low-income women followed by the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP). A group of 196 pregnant women were selected at random from a sample of 6223 pregnant women who registered with the CPNP. Two 24-hour recalls and information regarding lifestyle habits, peer support, and infant-feeding practices were obtained between 26 and 34 weeks of gestation and 21 days and 6 months after birth. Women who received a university education (completed or not completed) versus women with [.lessequal] high school education (odds ratio [OR], 8.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-69.50), women born outside Canada (OR,8.81; 95% CI, 3.34-23.19), and women of low birth weight infants (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16-0.96) were more likely to initiate breastfeeding. Late introduction of solid foods (P = .004), nonsmoking (P = .005), multiparity (P = .012), and a higher level of education (P = .049) were positively associated with the duration of breastfeeding among initiators. Understanding factors associated with initiation and duration of breastfeeding among low-income women is critical to better target breastfeeding promotion.

Adopting a strengths perspective in social work practice with families in difficulty : from theory to practice

There is a growing trend in social work practice to use a strengths perspective with families in difficulty. Beginning with a description of the characteristics of the strengths-based approach, this article then moves on to examine the interventions of practitioners working in Youth Centers (YCs) and in Centres Local de Services Communautaires (Local Community Services Centers, or CLSCs). A qualitative analysis of the practitioners’ personal practice descriptions and a quantitative study, based on a questionnaire measuring professional behaviors of the practitioners’ work with 118 families, were done. Most of the practitioners concentrated on the personal weaknesses of the parents and accorded little or no importance to their strengths. The results also show that the organizational context influences the emphasis put on the parents’ strengths by the practitioners.

Evaluation of an In-Service Training Program for Child Welfare Practitioners

Objective: To test the effectiveness of an in-training program for practitioners in public child welfare organizations. Method: The sample consists of practitioners (N = 945) working in youth centers or in local community service centers. Data are collected through self-administered questionnaires prior to and after the program. Results: The data show that prior to the training program, there are few differences between workers according to their educational backgrounds. Following the training program, practitioners felt more competent, had acquired additional knowledge, and had changed some of their behaviors with families. If level of stress at work had slightly decreased, job satisfaction remained unchanged. Conclusion: Findings suggest that an in-service training program may contribute to increased knowledge and feeling of competence and to modified professional behaviors, but it is essential to develop more valid indicators of knowledge and skills necessary to perform child welfare practice.

Therapeutic Factors at the Beginning of the Intervention Process in Groups for Men Who Batter

This study aims to identify which therapeutic factors supported members in their commitment to a group for abusive men. Seventy-one members of therapy groups for men who batter were asked to rank therapeutic factors based on how they experienced the relative importance of these factors in their experience at the beginning of the group process. Findings indicate that at this stage, abusive men place greater importance on cognitive aspects that correspond to a process of self-understanding and awareness of their problem, whereas the interactive and emotional aspects of the group experience appear less significant. Results are discussed in terms of members’ characteristics and purposes for these groups.

Responding to child maltreatment in Canada: Context for international comparisons

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to both describe the major fi ndings from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, 2008 (CIS-2008), and to compare these fi ndings to data reported by Gilbert et al. (2011), who derived their estimates from the US National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. The CIS-2008 tracked 15,980 maltreatment-related investigations of children under the age of 16 conducted in a representative sample of 112 child welfare organizations across Canada in the fall of 2008. Bivariate analyses were used to explore the differences in service dispositions, age, and referral sources by primary maltreatment category and risk. The Canadian/US comparison reveals that rates of investigated maltreatment are nearly identical. Rates of substantiated maltreatment are also comparable, although slightly higher in Canada when substantiated risk of maltreatment is included in the substantiation category. The variation in substantiation and service response rates across types of investigated maltreatment requires closer analysis and highlights the need for a detailed understanding of each type of maltreatment. The rapid expansion of reports over the last decade in Canada invites discussion of the extent to which a response focused exclusively on child protection is appropriate for all cases and optimal for addressing a broad array of needs. The complexity of comparing rates between Canada and the United States requires an understanding of both substantiation rates and thresholds.

The Emergence and the Effects of Therapeutic Factors in Groups

ABSTRACT This article explores the emergence of therapeutic factors in domestic violence mens group, as well as their effects on participants and the group. The authors conducted semistructured interviews with 72 men from groups in Quebec, after their fourth session. Thirty-eight of these men were met again, following their 16th session. A critical incident technique permitted us to identify various therapeutic factors. Three key factors are discussed: imparting information, hope, and cohesion. The authors found different processes influencing their development, particularly the roles of the worker, other members, and the group as a whole. These factors helped members meet their objectives and by their interdependency also contributed to group development. The authors made links with mutual aid and identified implications for research and practice.

Problem gambling among adolescents: toward a social and interactionist reading

There are two aspects that distinguish the approaches used to conceptualize problem gambling in adolescence. The first aspect concerns the type of variables involved in conceptualizing the phenomenon: most approaches integrate variables of an individual nature in their modelling and give little consideration to social type variables. The second aspect concerns the distinction between determinism and interactionism: many of the approaches seem to follow a determinist line of thinking and few consider people as social actors in interaction with their environment. Consequently, this article aims to conceptually prepare the ground for later studies that will adopt a more sociological and interactionist approach. To do so, the theoretical perspectives that are most commonly used in conceptualizing the phenomenon will be analysed by way of the two above aspects. A new analysis perspective will then be presented, namely the general theory of rationality (GTR) by Raymond Boudon. The GTR proposes a theoretical reversal to other approaches by focusing on social actors and variables of a social nature rather than on a persons psychology. In this sense, the theory adopts a viewpoint that has not been greatly employed in the analysis of adolescent problem gambling.

Therapeutic factors in the first stage of men's domestic violence groups: Men talk about universality and how it becomes operational in the group

This article reports on the qualitative findings of a Quebec study on therapeutic factors (TFs) in three ongoing mens domestic violence groups. The studys aim was to discover which TFs are important for male group members in their first stage of the group, and in particular, to explore how these men experienced and described universality. A content analysis was performed on interviews conducted with 72 group members following their third group session. We found that what was most important to the men was the knowledge they acquired about domestic violence, being able to share common concerns, and helping other members. The second part of the article reports on our qualitative analysts of universality, one of the most important TFs: how it was experienced by group members and how it became operational in the group. We believe that the methods of analysis developed in this study-examining symbols, characteristics, processes, and effects of TFs-can contribute to our understanding of the underlying elements of group work as an intervention method. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)

The Role of Media in Reporting Child Abuse

ABSTRACT This study looks at the short-term impact that the media coverage of children in need of protection had on the number of cases reported to child protection agencies. The number of reports (N = 11,646) made to these agencies in Canada was tallied each week during a 24-month period. During the same period, a content analysis of print media was conducted regarding child maltreatment and/or child protection services (CPS) to identify and count the number of articles published (N = 1,211) and single out media frenzy events. Results show a statistically significant relationship between media coverage and the number of cases reported to child protection agencies.

Review of the Literature on the Psychoemotional Reality of Women with Vulvodynia: Difficulties Met and Strategies Developed

BACKGROUND Within the past three decades, increased attention has been placed on the study of vulvodynia -- an unexplained chronic vulvular discomfort felt without any related pathology. In addition to its physical implications, vulvodynia has a psychosocial dimension. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current article is to present a review of the literature on the psychoemotional reality of women with vulvodynia. METHOD A systematic literature review was conducted in the main social sciences databases, such as Dissertation Abstracts, Current Contents and PsycINFO. RESULTS Although some discrepancies were found in study results, the review of the literature revealed that women with vulvodynia are often confronted with identity and psychological difficulties, which are, in turn, influenced by social standards regarding sexuality and femininity. To cope with these difficulties, women develop different strategies to decrease the stress related to pain and enhance their psychological well-being. CONCLUSION The psychological and relational difficulties experienced by women with vulvodynia are not only due to the physical pain but also to the meaning they attribute to it, often influenced by social expectations related to heterosexuality and femininity. Hence, it is important to assist these women by increasing their knowledge on the psychosocial aspects of their experience while taking into account influences from the social context.