Liat Hamama

Pathways to Adolescents’ Flourishing Linking Self-Control Skills and Positivity Ratio Through Social Support

This study focused on the ability to experience a high ratio of positive to negative emotions in 807 Israeli adolescents aged 12 to 15 years (50% girls). While considering possible gender differences, we tested a model positing that adolescents’ self-control skills would link to their positivity ratio and indirectly through perceived social support from parents and classmates. Parental support was significantly higher than classmate support, and girls scored significantly higher than boys on self-control skills and on both support sources. Self-control skills linked directly with positivity ratio and indirectly through parents’ and classmates’ support, with no gender differences found for the overall model. The study highlights the importance of prevention and treatment programs designed to impart adolescents with prosocial self-control skills, to improve their perceived availability of social support and consequently to increase their positivity ratio during this intense developmental period.

Multiple Facets of Self-Control in Arab Adolescents Parallel Pathways to Greater Happiness and Less Physical Aggression

Adolescence is a period of dramatic change that necessitates using skills and strengths to reduce physical aggression and increase happiness. This study examined the multiple facets of self-control skills in achieving both goals simultaneously, in a sample of 248 Arab adolescents in Israel. We conceptualized and tested a new multi-mediator model that posited two parallel paths. Structural equation modeling with bootstrap analysis supported the hypothesized model where self-control linked with subjective happiness directly, and indirectly through positive emotions and social support. In addition, self-control linked directly to physical aggression, and indirectly through hostility and anger. The findings provide new theoretical conceptualizations for further research and suggest possible mechanisms for prevention and intervention programs.

The Sibling Relationship in the Context of Child Maltreatment What Do We Know? What Are the Directions for the Future?

Siblings share a common and unique bond. It is one of the most enduring relationships during an individual’s life span. Thus, the impact of child maltreatment on sibling relationships is an important area of research to explore. The current article carries out a scoping review targeted at determining the existing knowledge and then identifying research priorities within the field of sibling relationship in the context of child maltreatment. The method elaborates on the various stages that were taken to perform the scoping review, and later, the article provides three results for the readers: The first result is a detailed mapping of the existing literature in the area of sibling relationship in the context of maltreatment. The second result is a thorough thematic analysis that was carried out on this literature that focused on several relevant domains: sibling exposure to intimate partner violence, sibling relationship and experiences in the context of child maltreatment, risk assessment for siblings following maltreatment, and sibling relationships and out-of-home placement. The third result is a set of conclusions targeted mainly at recommending future directions to researchers.

From my own brother in my own home: children's experiences and perceptions following alleged sibling incest

Sibling incest is an understudied field despite its high prevalence rates. The current study was designed to characterize the way children describe their experiences and perceptions following alleged sibling incest. The sample consisted of 20 forensic investigations with children who were referred to forensic investigation following suspected sibling incest. The age range of the children was between 6 and 12 years old, including 17 girls and three boys. Thematic analysis was conducted on all the interviews and the children’s perceptions greatly echoed the ecological framework while they elaborated on three levels: family level, in which children discussed the context of the abuse and the disclosure; sibling level, in which children discussed their siblings’ behaviors and the grooming process; and the child level, in which the children discussed their own behavior during the abuse. The discussion highlights the relevance of the ecological framework to the study’s results and stresses the complexity of this phenomenon and the challenges it raises for practitioners in various contexts—child protective, forensic, and clinical.

Enuresis – children’s predictions of their treatment’s progress and outcomes

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To investigate how nurses can use childrens ability to predict treatment outcomes as a possible feature contributing to successful therapeutic processes targeting enuresis. BACKGROUND Prediction of outcomes was viewed both as a self-efficacy component or belief (based on self-efficacy theory), and also as a skill for actually influencing change. DESIGN The study was conducted in a mental health community center, located in a large city in central Israel, which was well known for treatment of children with enuresis. For the purpose of the study, the children and their parents completed three questionnaires and underwent training to maintain bedwetting records. METHODS The study compared three groups of children aged 8-14 years who: made predictions only at baseline (n = 32), predicted progress every week during treatment (n = 38), or did not use prediction at all (n = 31). RESULTS Findings pinpointed the role of practice in improving predictions. Children who predicted weekly showed the highest congruence with outcomes. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Based on self-efficacy, skills acquisition, and learning and training in the change process, nurses may help children overcome enuresis.

Positivity Ratio Links Self-control Skills to Physical Aggression and Happiness in Young Palestinians Living in Gaza

The study examined a potential underlying mechanism through which self-control skills (SCSs) may predict more happiness on the one hand and less hostility, anger and peer aggression on the other hand in an understudied sample of 744 Palestinian youngsters (Grades 8–12) from the Gaza Strip, a military conflict area. The hypothesized model was confirmed: self-reported SCS linked with happiness through positivity ratio as a mediator; SCS linked with physical aggression through the association of positivity ratio with hostility, and anger; and anger mediated the link between hostility and physical aggression. Additional analyses showed that girls scored higher than boys in SCS and boys scored higher than girls on positivity ratio, happiness, hostility, anger, and physical aggression. The study highlights the importance of imparting SCS to increase positivity ratio, so that, despite exposure to extreme adversity, youngsters in Gaza and elsewhere may experience not only less aggression but also more happiness.

Children with epilepsy: assessing state anxiety through drawings and a self-report questionnaire

ABSTRACT Background Children and adolescents with epilepsy are at increased risk for anxiety disorder. The aim of this preliminary study was to examine children and adolescents’ self-report on state anxiety by utilizing drawings and a structured questionnaire. Method The sample consisted of 30 patients (7 - 13 years) diagnosed with epilepsy. Each participant was asked to complete self-report questionnaire and to draw two drawings: one depicting himself/herself today and one depicting himself/herself before the illness. Results The mean score of children and adolescents’ state anxiety on the structured questionnaire was moderate, and the administration of the projective Draw-A-Person method added nonverbal approval to this result. Conclusions The findings indicate that despite potential critiques and limitations of the use of figure drawings as a research tool, future studies can incorporate both art therapy assessments and psychometric measures to address psychosocial aspects of epilepsy in children and adolescent.

Therapy for a Healthy Sibling of a Child Diagnosed with Cancer: A Case Study

This article presents a case study for skills-directed intervention aiming to help healthy siblings of children with cancer control their emotions and gain self-control skills. Case study application of the intervention was with a boy aged 9 years and 8 months who had the verbal, cognitive, and motivational ability to learn and apply the skills. Intervention included the “Feeling Wheel” to enhance emotional identification, expression, understanding, acceptance, and control. Intervention also focused on teaching him to observe his automatic thoughts, change them to mediated ones, engage in internal dialogue, and seek/adopt alternative behaviors to gain self-control. In postintervention feedback, he reported less anxiety than previously, less inclination toward negative thinking, and more empowerment to deal with day-to-day difficulties he encountered.