Rita Francisco

Family functioning and information and communication technologies

A synthesis of the literature related to ICTs and family functioning is presented.Studies conducted between 1998 and 2013 are analyzed.Emergent themes from the literature review are discussed.Results indicate that ICTs have implied qualitative changes in family functioning.Future recommendations and research directions are proposed. The advances and incorporation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in everyday family life has earned a place of prominence in the research field. This paper provides a research synthesis of the literature published between 1998 and 2013 examining the relationship of ICTs and family functioning. Searching through databases, 45 papers were located and analyzed which enabled the conceptualization of this relationship in five domains: (1) attitudes toward ICTs, (2) types of ICTs and using patterns, (3) family cohesion, (4) family roles, rules and intergenerational conflicts, and (5) family boundaries. Results show that ICTs have implied qualitative changes in family functioning, creating new interaction scenarios and rearranging current family relational patterns. Some gaps in the literature are pointed out, such as the difference operationalization of variables and the use of non-standard instruments in the studies. Suggestions are made for clinical interventions and future research in this domain.

Diabetes, eating disorders and body image in young adults: an exploratory study about “diabulimia”

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to compare disordered eating (DE) and body image dissatisfaction (BID) among young adults with type 1 diabetes and their peers without diabetes, to investigate the consequences of diabetes for food, body image and weight in individuals with diabetes and to identify the behavior of insulin omission as a weight loss strategy.MethodsFifty-five young adults with diabetes and 73 without diabetes (ages 18–30) completed self-report questionnaires to evaluate their behaviors, attitudes and feelings related to eating disorders and their perceptions about body image. The participants with diabetes were asked to answer a questionnaire with open and closed questions developed specifically for this study.ResultsNo significant differences between participants with and without diabetes in relation to BID and DE were found. The results demonstrated several changes resulting from diabetes in terms of food, body image and weight that interfere with the day-to-day life of individuals with diabetes; 7.3% of these participants reported insulin omission as a weight loss strategy.ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the importance of research on DE in the population with diabetes and their prevention, screening and treatment. In particular, it is essential to give more attention to insulin omission as a compensatory behavior that is inappropriate and harmful to health.Level of evidenceLevel III, case-control analytic study.

Information and Communication Technologies and Family: Patterns of Use, Life Cycle and Family Dynamics

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) broadly designate hardware devices (e.g., computers, smartphones, webcams) as well as software and applications used on these devices (e.g., email, videoconferencing, online social networks) which underpin digital culture [1,2]. Given the exponential growth in the use of these resources over the last two decades, ICTs nowadays represent an integrative part of contemporary family life [2,3]. According to Eurostat’s last publication [4], 81% of European households had computers with internet access in 2014. This is particularly true for 93% of the households in Norway, 90% in the U.K., 74% in Spain and 65% in Portugal. Regarding the USA, 87% of adults used the internet in 2014 [5]. More recent data indicate that 92% American adults have a cell phone, 68% have a smartphone and 45% have a tablet computer in 2015 [6].

The Predictive Value of Dyadic Coping in the Explanation of PTSD Symptoms and Subjective Well-Being of Work Accident Victims

Objective: Work accidents may be considered dyadic stressors in so far as they not only affect the worker, but also the couple’s relationship. Dyadic coping, as the process by which couples manage the stress experienced by each partner, can strengthen individual health and well-being as well as couple relationship functioning. Accidents at work have progressively been studied from a perspective that focuses on their negative effects on PTSS, anxiety, and depression. However, to a large extent, the dyadic coping processes and results following a work accident are still to be identified and clarified. In this study, we examined the predictive value of dyadic coping in the explanation of PTSS and subjective well-being of work accident victims. Method: This study comprised a sample of 62 individuals involved in work accidents within the last 24 months (61.3% males) and their partners (N = 124; M = 46.25 years, SD = 11.18). All participants responded to the Dyadic Coping Inventory and the work accident victims also answered the PTSD Checklist – Civilian (PCL-C) and the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF). Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed using two different variable set models: Model 1 comprised the control variables gender and age, and Model 2 included the workers’ and the partners’ dyadic coping variables. Results: Results showed that dyadic coping reported by both workers and their respective partners (Model 2) was a significant predictor of workers’ PTSS (p < 0.01) and subjective well-being (p < 0.001), explaining 31.2% of the variance in PCL-C and 68.7% in MHC-SF results. More specifically, the partners’ supportive dyadic coping (by the self) and delegated dyadic coping (by the partner) were significant predictors of the workers’ lower PTSS and virtually all the dyadic copying strategies of both the workers’ and their partners’ were significant predictors of the workers’ higher subjective well-being. Conclusion: Dyadic coping of both the workers and their partners predicts the workers’ PTSS and subjective well-being. These findings point to the need to work with couples who have experienced a work accident, with a view to improving the workers’ mental health outcomes.

Use of Facebook in the maternal grief process: An exploratory qualitative study

ABSTRACT This study seeks to explore the potential implications of Facebook use in the process of maternal grief. The participants were 11 women who had lost their children due to accidents or prolonged illness. Semistructured interviews were conducted and subjected to thematic analysis. The participants stated that they used Facebook to receive support, to identify with other mothers, to remember the child who died, to access the child’s information, to honor him/her, and to express their feelings. The use of Facebook can play a very important role in the initial phase of grieving due to the functions of this social network.