Background
The mental health of children is too frequently overlooked in resource scarce low and middle-income countries. South Africa represents one of many country contexts struggling to meet the mental health needs of large numbers of young people. Family caregivers have been identified as potential protective influences on child mental health, even for those children being reared with high exposure to poverty.
Methods
This paper explores contextual influences on South African caregiver’s social-emotional health living in communities impacted by poverty and food insecurity as they attempt to support their children’s prosocial skills and behavior. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to explore the relationship between neighborhood social cohesion and caregiver report of child’s prosocial behavior as mediated by the caregiver’s mental health (n=478).
Results
Results indicated that the more caregivers experience their communities as socially cohesive, the better their social-emotional well-being, thus positively related to their reports of children’s prosocial behavior. Furthermore, when there is a male head of household, caregivers reported better social-emotional well-being in comparison to female headed of household. The more food secure caregivers also were likely to report better general health.
Conclusion
South African community characteristics and caregivers, in particular male caregivers, are integral to child and caregiver mental health. Future research should examine the impact of interventions that mobilize community and caregiver supports for children’s prosocial behavior and mental health.
Multiple family groups (MFG) have shown to have promising results for children with behavioral difficulties. The 4Rs and 2Ss is a curriculum-based multiple family group model for families of children with disruptive behavior disorders, who live in poverty-impacted communities. This study aimed to explore group processes and caregiver perceptions of the benefits of participating in the 4Rs and 2Ss MFG. Caregivers participating in the MFG were asked to complete a 29-item questionnaire which collected information about the perceived benefits of the MFG upon Yalom's therapeutic factors, including group cohesion, universality, interpersonal learning, guidance, catharsis-and self-understanding. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25, and descriptive statistics were performed for each sub-scale. Responses of open-ended questions were reviewed and coded by two of the authors. Thirty-two caregivers completed the survey. Results indicated that the MFG offered multiple benefits that alignwith Yalom's therapeutic factors, such as creating a sense of universality, catharsis, group cohesion, and interpersonal learning. Future research is needed to determine whether such therapeutic factors are associated with changes in child outcomes and family functioning.
As gender roles shift in society, and the experiences associated with contemporary fatherhood become redefined, research and inquiry about fatherhood emerge as a relevant topic. One facet of this emerging research focuses on men's experiences living with depressive symptoms following the birth of a child, or paternal postnatal depression. This study collected primary data from a sample of 101 postnatal Latino fathers to examine the relationship between coping skills, egalitarian masculine gender role attitude, and depressive symptoms. Findings indicate that (a) there is a significant negative correlation between egalitarianism and depressive symptoms; (b) there is a significant negative correlation between coping skills and depressive symptoms in postnatal Latino fathers; and finally, (c) coping skills contribute a higher percentage of the variance in depressive symptoms than egalitarianism among Latino fathers. Implications of research findings are discussed.
Public Significance StatementAlthough postpartum depression is increasingly recognized and addressed as a critical health concern among women, little attention has been paid to postnatal mental health issues experienced by fathers. Little is known about the factors that may either increase the likelihood of experiencing paternal postpartum symptoms or act as preventative factors. As these symptoms may have a detrimental impact on the father and the family as a whole, this is an area that requires more considerable attention in the research.
The goal of this study is to examine the role of social support from multiple sources, including the extended family, caregivers, classmates, peers and teachers, in improving the school outcomes (grades and attendance) of children orphaned by AIDS in Uganda. Data for this study comes from a 4-year randomized control trial, called (Hope for families), conducted in the Southwestern part of Uganda from 2008 to 2012. Using multivariate regression modeling - controlling for several individual-level and school-level characteristics, we find that social support (perceived emotional and information support received from parents, classmates and teachers), caregiver's acceptance and warmth, and family cohesion have positive effects on children's school grades and attendance. This finding underscores the importance of strengthening relationships within the extended family and the school environment to serve as a net of strength that can influence not only family functioning but also vulnerable adolescents' educational trajectories.
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