The Effect of Family Meals on the Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children

This study analyzed the effect of family meals on the psychological problems of children. We performed focus group interviews (FGI) on the basic characteristics of family meals, and chose several scales (such as Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), self-esteem, and a daily hassles questionnaire), to measure the psychological variables. We collected data from 442 dyads (mother-child) and used 440 from dyads. In our results, the frequency of family meals affected the psychological problems of children, especially aggression and emotional instability. The atmosphere during meals also affected depression/anxiety, concentration difficulties, emotional instability, self-esteem, peer relationships, and sociality. There were significant correlations between meal atmosphere, family bonding, maternal personality, and psychological problems of children. We performed covariation analysis to examine and control the influence of family bonding and maternal personality; despite controlling for these variables, family meals still influenced children's psychological problems. We conclude that the family meal is a significant variable that impacts the emotional and behavioral problems of children and stress the importance of frequent family meals.

The Correlation among Maternal Object Relation, Personality and Symptoms of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the relationships among maternal object relations, personality, and symptoms of children with ADHD. METHODS: The study's participants were 72 children with ADHD and their mothers. We used the Bell Object Relation Inventory (BORI), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and Korean Personality Inventory for Children (KPI-C) to assess each child's maternal object relations, personality, and symptoms. RESULTS: The T scores of the pathologic group (PG) were higher than those of the normal group (NG) on the MMPI's D, Pa, Sc, Ma, and Si scales. The PG also had higher T scores than did the NG in delinquency, hyperactivity, family interaction, and autism on the KPI-C. Alienation in the PG was positively associated with hyperactivity and family interaction. The PG's egocentricity was positively associated with hyperactivity, family interaction, and autism. However, the NG was not associated with KPI-C. Per a stepwise multiple regression analysis, alienation was the most potent variable for hyperactivity, and egocentricity was the most critical variable for family interaction. CONCLUSION: These results show that the PG had a greater possibility of having personality problems than did the NG. In particular, alienation and egocentricity with regard to maternal object relations were the most decisive variables in children's symptoms.