Suchergebnisse

ObjectiveTo examine what mothers expect of their romantic relationships and what prevents them from forming and maintaining relationships.BackgroundAlthough there has been research on mothers' attitudes toward and expectations of marriage, there has been limited examination of their dating. It is critical to understand why parents form romantic relationships and what might cause them to cycle in and out of relationships to understand stepfamily formation.MethodOn the basis of semistructured interviews with a convenience sample of 33 single or repartnered Irish mothers, we conducted a thematic analysis guided by a social exchange framework.ResultsMothers believed that being in a relationship would enable them to enact their preferred relationship roles, give them extra support, and provide a different gender role model for their child(ren). They found forming long‐term relationships difficult because of a lack of suitable partners, limited time and support, stepparents' possible negative influences on their child(ren), and their own personal characteristics. Unlike previous studies conducted in the United States, Irish mothers were not focused on the economic viability of partners or on economic benefits associated with repartnering.ConclusionsMothers believe that there are several rewards to forming and being in a relationship, but they face many impediments that may prevent them from forming long‐term relationships.ImplicationsPractitioners may find it useful to focus on tempering mothers' expectations of relationship benefits and on reducing mothers' personal costs when forming and maintaining relationships.

Many children experience multiple family transitions as their parents move into and out of romantic relationships. The instability hypothesis is a stress mediation model that suggests that family transitions cause stress and that this stress leads to worse developmental outcomes. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the evidence base for this hypothesis. Thirty‐nine articles met the inclusion criteria. Most reports were secondary analyses of American longitudinal data sets. The support for the instability hypothesis was mixed, with many studies finding no evidence, or evidence only for certain groups, types of transitions, or outcomes. Protective factors and processes that prevent transitions from being stressful may explain some of the variability. Results suggest the need to empirically and theoretically differentiate relationship formation from dissolution, to examine effects of fathers' transitions, to include more and different types of outcomes, and to conduct this research within a broader variety of contexts.

Abstract
Background
Evidence of 'what works' in humanitarian programming is important for addressing the disruptive consequences of conflict and forced displacement. However, collecting robust scientific evidence, and ensuring contextual relevance, is challenging. We measured the biological, psychosocial, and cognitive impacts of a structured psychosocial intervention, implemented by Mercy Corps with Syrian refugees and Jordanian host-community youth. In this paper, we present a case analysis of this evaluation study and reflect on the scientific contributions of the work, the challenges experienced in its delivery, and the strategies deployed to address them.

Discussion
We identified challenges with respect to study design, methods, and dissemination: these included the logistics and acceptability of implementing a randomized controlled trial in a humanitarian context, the selection and refinement of culturally-relevant research tools and community-based practices, and the dissemination of results to multiple stakeholders. We demonstrated beneficial and sustained impacts on self-reports of insecurity, stress, and mental health; developed a reliable and culturally-relevant measure of resilience; experimentally tested cognitive skills; and showed that levels of cortisol, a biomarker of chronic stress, reduced by one third in response to intervention. Using stress biomarkers offered proof-of-concept evidence, beyond self-reported data: interventions targeting mental health and psychosocial wellbeing can regulate physiological stress in the body as well as improve self-reported mental health and wellbeing. We built constructive dialogue between local communities, scholars, humanitarian practitioners, and policy-makers.

Conclusions
Our work shows the value of rigorous research in humanitarian settings, emphasizing relevance for local communities and meaningful ways to build research ownership. Findings encourage the adoption of cognitive measures and stress biomarkers alongside self-report surveys in evaluating programme impacts. High-quality scientific research with youth can be feasible, useful, and ethical in humanitarian settings.

From Crossref via Jisc Publications Router ; History: epub 2017-06-15, issued 2017-06-15 ; Article version: VoR ; Funder: Wellcome Trust; FundRef: 10.13039/100004440 ; Funder: Elrha's Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme ; Funder: UK Government

From Crossref via Jisc Publications Router. ; Version: VoR ; Funder: Wellcome Trust, FundRef: 10.13039/100004440 ; Funder: Elrha's Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme ; Funder: UK Government

The sequelae of migration and the effects of local migration policies on children's physical and mental health are critical to examine, particularly given the historically high numbers of migrants and displaced people. The vulnerability of the study sample and the need to work across cultures and contexts makes research on this group challenging. We outline lessons learned through conducting a pilot study of resilience resources and mental health among migrant youth in six countries. We describe the benefits and challenges, and then provide recommendations and practical advice for social work researchers attempting cross-cultural team research on migrants.

Abstract
Background
Refugee children are at high risk of mental health problems but face barriers to accessing mental health services, a problem exacerbated by a shortage of mental health professionals. Having trained lay counsellors deliver therapy via telephone could overcome these barriers. This is the first study to explore feasibility and acceptability of telephone-delivered therapy with refugee children in a humanitarian setting.

Methods
An evidence-based intervention, Common Elements Treatment Approach, was adapted for telephone-delivery (t-CETA) and delivered by lay counsellors to Syrian refugee children in informal tented settlements in the Beqaa region of Lebanon. Following delivery of t-CETA, semi-structured interviews were conducted with counsellors (N = 3) and with children who received t-CETA (N = 11, 45% female, age 8–17 years) and their caregivers (N = 11, 100% female, age 29–56 years) (N = 25 interviews). Thematic content analysis was conducted separately for interviews with counsellors and interviews with families and results were synthesized.

Results
Three themes emerged from interviews with counsellors and four themes from interviews with families, with substantial overlap between them. Synthesized themes were: counselling over the phone both solves and creates practical and logistical challenges; t-CETA is adapted to potential cultural blocks; the relationship between the counsellor and the child and caregiver is extremely important; the family's attitude to mental health influences their understanding of and engagement with counselling; and t-CETA works and is needed. Counselling over the phone overcame logistical barriers, such as poor transportation, and cultural barriers, such as stigma associated with attending mental health services. It provided a more flexible and accessible service and resulted in reductions in symptoms for many children. Challenges included access to phones and poor network coverage, finding an appropriate space, and communication challenges over the phone.

Conclusions
Despite some challenges, telephone-delivered therapy for children shows promising evidence of feasibility and acceptability in a humanitarian context and has the potential to increase access to mental health services by hard-to-reach populations. Approaches to addressing challenges of telephone-delivered therapy are discussed.
Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03887312; registered 22nd March 2019.