Family Process最新文献

Coparenting plays a critical role in promoting family members' well-being and overall family functioning. However, the predictors and underlying mechanisms of coparenting—particularly the influence of child behaviors on parental interactions—remain insufficiently explored. This study employed a longitudinal actor–partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM) with a three-wave, two-year follow-up of 660 mother–father dyads of fourth-grade children (fathers: M_age = 34.95 years, SD = 5.59; mothers: M_age = 32.98 years, SD = 5.70). The study aimed to investigate the association between parents' perception of children's problem behaviors and their coparenting practices, with a particular focus on the mediating role of parental emotional dysregulation. Results indicated that parents' perception of children's problem behaviors significantly predicted their own coparenting behavior but did not directly influence their partner's coparenting behavior. Emotional dysregulation emerged as a key mediator: parents' perception of children's problem behaviors predicted their own emotional dysregulation, which in turn affected their own coparenting behavior. Furthermore, these perceptions also predicted their partner's emotional dysregulation, which subsequently influenced the partner's coparenting behavior. By adopting a child-effects perspective, this study offers new insights into the antecedents and mechanisms of coparenting and highlights emotional dysregulation as a critical mediating process. The findings provide empirical support for developing prevention and intervention strategies that promote healthier coparenting dynamics in families.

Transgender adults undergoing medical transition often rely on their romantic partner (RP) for support, yet partners may face challenges in providing support. Family resilience theory suggests that RPs may draw on resilience strategies to overcome the challenges faced during medical transition. Despite their important role, little research has explored RPs' experiences during a partner's medical gender transition. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 RPs from across the United States to examine their perceptions of transitioning individuals' (TIs) needs during transition, challenges RPs faced when providing support, and strategies used to overcome challenges. Using thematic analysis, we generated codes and higher order themes. RPs perceived TIs to need emotional support (i.e., affirmation and reassurance), practical support (i.e., administering hormone shots, advice on aligning gender expression), and safety during transition. RPs faced challenges including a lack of available resources, TIs' mental health struggles and TIs' maladaptive coping skills, and stigma. To overcome challenges, RPs balanced each partner's needs, engaged in effective communication, became educated on medical transitions, used adaptive coping skills, and accessed support from others. Themes unique to couples navigating one partner's medical gender transition included stigma as a challenge for RPs and safety from stigma as a unique perceived need for TIs. Support from the LGBTQ+ community served as a key factor for helping RPs overcome challenges. The present findings underscore the need to include RPs in gender-affirming care to set expectations, create plans related to safety and stigma, share resources, and make referrals to LGBTQ+ and mental-health supports, all of which would likely bolster TI support during medical transition.

Sexual and gender diverse youth (SGDY) face higher rates of internalizing problems than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Positive parent–child relationships are a central influence on the development of youth internalizing problems. Yet supportive parenting of SGDY is vastly understudied. Scholars have emphasized the need for improved measures of parenting SGDY, especially in terms of identity-specific parental support. In this qualitative exploratory study, we outline supportive parenting practices specific to SGDY identities, which we term affirmative parenting. We interviewed 15 SGDY (ages 18–25) via 3 focus groups on Zoom about how their parents support their SGDY identities and their mental health. Thematic qualitative analysis revealed 6 domains of affirmative parenting associated with positive SGDY mental health, including (1) informational support; (2) emotional support; (3) interpersonal support; (4) public celebration and acknowledgement; and two cross-cutting themes (5) proactive support; and (6) evolution of support. Affirmative parenting encompasses behaviors within the parent–child relationship as well as parental support to help SGDY navigate external contexts. Findings identify key behaviors to measure in future studies of parenting SGDY. Our study also provides a conceptual framework for affirmative parenting that informs the development of future interventions targeting parents of SGDY youth and their families, as well as practitioners working with such families.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted daily life and strained couple relationships, requiring adaptation to widespread resource loss. Empathy, particularly cognitive empathy, plays a vital role in social support during stress and may help foster adaptive relationship behaviors. This study was designed to explore whether a self-sustaining gain spiral—a theoretical process wherein resources reinforce one another described in the Conservation of Resources Theory—could be observed between cognitive empathy and attachment behaviors over time. We surveyed 535 cisgender heterosexual couples in April 2020 and again in July (N = 363) and October (N = 239), assessing self-reported resource loss, empathy, and attachment behaviors. Findings revealed a gain spiral: cognitive empathy and attachment behaviors showed positive bidirectional associations over time within individuals. Within individuals, higher levels of attachment behaviors in July predicted lower resource loss in October. Surprisingly, higher empathy in July predicted greater loss in October. Additionally, higher levels of attachment behaviors in April indirectly predicted lower resource loss in October. Finally, empathy in April predicted greater attachment behaviors in July across partners. These results underscore the potential for positive relational dynamics even amid collective stress. Interventions that strengthen empathy and attachment behaviors may help couples better cope with adversity by reinforcing mutually supportive patterns.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are significant public health concerns with long-term consequences for children's mental health, physical well-being, and socioeconomic outcomes. This study examines whether younger maternal age at childbirth (≤ 24 years) is associated with children's exposure to any ACE and whether parental emotional support moderates this association. This study analyzed 2022 National Survey of Children's Health data for 32,092 children ages 6–17. Logistic models adjusted for child age, sex, US-born status, special health care needs, highest household education, family poverty level, partnered status, and any adult employment. Younger maternal age was associated with substantially higher odds of any ACE. With child-level covariates (M1), the OR was 3.20 (95% CI [2.98, 3.43]); with family-level covariates (M2), 2.14 ([1.98, 2.31]); and in the fully adjusted model (M3), 2.05 ([1.90, 2.21]). In the fully adjusted moderation model (M4), the main effect for younger maternal age remained strong (OR = 1.75, [1.49, 2.06]). This study highlighted that risk concentrates where structural disadvantage and early parenthood intersect. Emotional support did not reduce children's ACE risk. Interventions should prioritize caregiver support services and structural supports, such as income, housing, childcare, and behavioral health for young families.

Family support plays a vital role in cancer survivors' return-to-work process. However, there's currently no effective method to measure the level of family support. This study aimed to develop the return-to-work family support assessment questionnaire following standardized questionnaire development procedures. Data collection was conducted between June 2023 and November 2024 at two large general hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China. Questionnaire development and validation was divided into three research phases. Firstly, a systematic literature review, semi-structured interviews, Delphi expert consultations, content validity analysis and a small-sample pretest were conducted, which led to the refinement of the initial questionnaire items. Secondly, a pilot study with 266 participants was conducted, using exploratory factor analysis to uncover the underlying factor structure within the data. Finally, 273 participants were conveniently sampled for the formal survey to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire, while confirmatory factor analysis was employed to validate the questionnaire's structural validity. The final questionnaire comprised three dimensions, totaling 18 items. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three common factors, accounting for a cumulative variance of 61.09%. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated a stable factor structure for the questionnaire, demonstrating good model fit. The questionnaire-content validity index was 0.920, the overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.922, and the 2-week test–retest reliability was 0.816. The questionnaire exhibited good reliability and validity, serving as an effective measurement tool for assessing and quantitatively analyzing the level of return-to-work family support for cancer survivors.