Partner support and relationship quality as potential resources for childbirth and the transition to parenthood.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present paper was to explore the role of partners for the stressful life events of birth and the transition to parenthood. METHODS: In a first prospective longitudinal study (N = 304 dyads) we tested whether relationship quality positively predicted fewer interventions during labor and birth, a more positive birth experience, and better well-being during the first six weeks after birth. In a second study we surveyed mothers (N = 980; retrospective quasi-experimental design) who had given birth during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 - some in the absence of their partners - to test the assumption that regardless of relationship quality, the presence of the partner was positively related to low-intervention births and the birth experience. RESULTS: The results of the longitudinal study (Study 1) could be integrated into a Single Indicator model. They revealed that a high relationship quality assessed between week 5 and week 25 of pregnancy had a positive effect on birth experience for the mother and on psychological well-being during the transition to parenthood for both mothers and fathers. Results of the retrospective quasi-experimental field study (Study 2) revealed that the continuous presence of the partner was associated with a higher probability of a low-intervention birth and a more positive birth experience. Presence of a partner for only part of the birth did not positively predict labor and birth, but did positively predict the birth experience. The effects were independent of relationship quality. CONCLUSION: The results of both studies highlight the importance of partners for psychological well-being during labor and birth and the transition to parenthood.

CODA The Challenges of Establishing Academic Identities During Times of Crisis

This section of the book synthesises authors' contributions by reflecting on the key themes identified in the various stories told within the chapters. It briefly describes the impact that marginalisation, parenthood, mental health, and virtual participation had on the formation of academic identity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The section ends with the editors' thoughts on what was achieved in this volume, in addition to the challenges that lie ahead. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Paternal Leave Entitlement and Workplace Culture: A Key Challenge to Paternal Mental Health.

Paternal mental health continues to be a health concern in the UK. Paternal leave entitlement and workplace cultures have failed to support fathers in navigating the complexity of fatherhood, which has an impact on fathers' wellbeing. Interviewing twenty fathers in the York area, this study seeks to explore the impact of parental leave entitlements and workplace cultures on fathers' mental health. The findings demonstrate that the influence of gendered norms and hegemonic masculinity perceptions are ingrained in the current leave entitlement and workplace cultures. While fathers are entitled to take leave, the leave is significantly insufficient to allow them to forge a meaningful bond with a newborn or adapt to the change in routine brought about by the birth of a baby. Furthermore, workplace cultures fail to recognise the responsibilities that come with fatherhood and provide insufficient support for fathers. The COVID-19 lockdown presented fathers with a unique opportunity to be available and take on more family responsibilities. Fathers felt they did not have to navigate gendered and hegemonic perceptions to spend more time with the family. This paper challenges structural and cultural barriers that prevent fathers from taking leave and impacting negatively on fathers' mental health. The paper suggests a review of the current paternal leave entitlement and cultural change in the workplace.

Working Remotely During the COVID 19-Pandemic: Work and Non-Work Antecedents of Work–Life Balance Development

This study investigates work and non-work antecedents for the work–life balance (WLB) development of remote employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longitudinal data (N = 1,146, T1;N = 737, T2) was collected in May–June 2020 and December 2020 in one multinational company (MNC) in Finland. In data analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) with a cross-lagged panel model was utilized. The results revealed that during the pandemic, WLB slightly decreased. The quantitative job demands increased and predicted a decreased WLB at T2. Job autonomy decreased but did not have an effect on WLB development or buffer the negative effect of quantitative job demands on WLB. Time saved from commuting was positively related to WLB development, but the number of children living at home and the age of the youngest child had no statistically significant link to WLB development over time (similar finding for men and women). Although care responsibilities from the gender perspective is not the focus of our study, the additional analysis show that WLB at T1 was more challenging for women the more children they had, or the younger the youngest child was. For men, children did not make a difference for their WLB at T1. This finding indicates that WLB has been more challenging for mothers compared to fathers already when our first data had been collected, and the continuance of the pandemic did not change the situation in any direction. This research contributes to the knowledge about work and non-work related demands and resources as antecedents for WLB development during the pandemic. As a practical implication during the pandemic, the authors suggest that employers should follow development for employees' WLB as a measure of well-being in remote work. In addition, the workload of remote employees should be followed, and time saved from commuting should be preserved as employees' non-work time and protected from work-related tasks.

Labor pains: The multiple and conflicting roles of academic mothers

This study investigated the lived experiences of tenure-line academic mothers using a narrative methodology and interpretivist and feminist frameworks. Employing a semi-structured protocol, the researcher interviewed twelve tenure-line academic mothers at five midwestern institutions of higher education: one private four-year, one public four-year, one community college, one private Historically Black College or University (HBCU), and one private HBCU. After interviewing the academic mothers, the researcher composed narratives based on the transcripts. She also included her own narrative for analysis. After the narratives were member checked by the participants, the researcher conducted data analysis on the transcripts using low-inference coding. The coding allowed the researcher to focus on emerging themes as part of her plot analysis (Daiute, 2014). Through the use of plot analysis, the researcher uncovered the most prevalent characters, settings, initiating actions, complicating actions, and resolutions across the participants? narratives. The significant characters that emerged were: the mothers themselves, husbands, children, supervisors, and mentors. The salient settings were universities and departments. The initiating actions for academic mothers consisted of the job search/interviews and pregnancy/giving birth. Pregnancy loss and the Covid-19 constituted the most significant complicating actions. Finally, mothers turned to boundary setting and ?inscribing motherhood? (Pillay, 2009) as means of resolution. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Being a parent, emotional stability, and adjustment disorder symptoms in the face of COVID-19

Objective: The current study examines the correlation between emotional stability and symptoms related to adjustment to the stresses related to the pandemic for parents and nonparents at the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel. Background: At the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, governments prohibited public gatherings and demanded social distancing. These challenges may be especially difficult for individuals with low levels of emotional stability as adaptation difficulties may lead to stress-related outcomes, such as adjustment disorder symptoms. Additionally, in the face of a significant external threat and the demand for intensive joint familial time at home, the parental role becomes especially salient. Methods: Two hundred forty-four Israeli adults filled in self-reported e-version questionnaires regarding emotional stability, adjustment disorder symptoms, and background variables. A cross-sectional design was used to examine the association between emotional stability and adjustment disorder symptoms, as well as the potential moderation by parenting status. Results: The findings revealed that the levels of emotional stability were negatively correlated with adjustment disorder symptoms, while being a parent mitigated this correlation. This correlation was nonsignificant among parents. Conclusion and Implications: It appears that the identity salience of parental role in the current stressful situation and its associated strain may have overcome the advantage of emotional stability. The identity of being a parent has the potential to dismiss it. Here, the social role emerges as more forcible than the personality trait. Recommendations for practice are discussed. 202305303 (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Utility of multidisciplinary meetings in paediatric and adolescent oncofertility

Study objective: Multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) are increasingly implemented in complex care based on the principle that they lead to evidence-based treatment recommendations, foster adherence to clinical guidelines, induce better team performance and improve medical care. In oncofertility, the uncertain outcomes of fertility preservation procedures in children contribute to the complexity of decision-making. There is limited published information on the influence of MDMs on paediatric and adolescent oncofertility care. Aim(s): To describe the implementation, characteristics & outcomes of multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) in a paediatric oncofertility setting. Method(s): A retrospective medical records review of oncofertility MDMs held between April 2020 and March 2021 at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Inductive content analysis of the reasons for MDM was undertaken. MDM documentation was scored out of 24, according to a Victorian Paediatric Integrated Cancer Service quality assurance checklist for MDMs, (1)) which included consent for MDM, nature of attendees, quality of discussion and documentation. Result(s): Of the 169 oncology patients treated at the Royal Children's Hospital between 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021, MDMs were required for 40 patients (23.7%). The median number of clinical attendees was 10, and included craft groups from both paediatric and adult centres (oncology, oncofertility, gynaecology, clinical ethics, endocrinology, paediatric surgery, anaesthetics, haematology, fertility specialists and reproductive scientists). Fifty-four percent (n=22) of MDMs were for male patients (median age 8.4 [0.1-16.5] years) and 46% for females (n=18, median age 8.1[0.4-16.3] years). The commonest diagnoses presented at MDM were brain tumours (27.5%), leukemia (25%), and non malignant conditions (19.5%). Approximately 77% of all MDM patients were going to receive treatment that put them at high infertility risk and 62.5% had co-morbidities. MDMs included the following themes (i) likelihood of successful parenthood: disease progression, prognosis, neurocognitive decline;(ii) certainty or otherwise of planned treatment and infertility risks;(iii) mitigation of anaesthetic and surgical risks;(iv) ethical concerns;(v) organizational capacity and logistics in the face of covid restrictions or high dependent care between centres (vi) child and family of risks, expectations and their values regarding fertility preservation. In 87.5% of cases, it was deemed permissible to offer fertility preservation. The median score for the MDMs derived from the quality assurance checklist was 16. Conclussion: MDMs acted as a valuable educational and communication tool improving situational awareness, building shared mental models, assisting with risk mitigation and oncofertility planning.Copyright © 2023

Parenthood and psychological distress among English Millennials during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from the Next Steps cohort study.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic led to disproportionate mental health responses in younger adults and parents. The aim of the study was to investigate how Millennial parents' experiences were associated with psychological distress over the first year of the pandemic. METHODS: We examined data in September 2020 (n men = 994; n women = 1824) and February 2021 (n men = 1054; n women = 1845) from the Next Steps cohort study (started ages 13-14 in 2003-04). In each wave, we examined differences in GHQ-12 scores between parent groups defined by the age and number of children, adjusting for background characteristics at ages 13-14, psychological distress at ages 25-26, and other circumstances during the pandemic. We also examined if differences varied by work status, financial situation before the outbreak and relationship status. RESULTS: Whereas mothers with one or two children and children aged 0-2 reported less distress than non-mothers in September 2020, there were no such differences in February 2021. Fathers with three or more children reported more distress in February 2021. Compared with non-fathers who worked, fathers were also disproportionally distressed if they were working with one child or with children aged 2 or less in September 2020. CONCLUSION: The distribution of psychological distress among Millennial parents and non-parents has varied by age, sex, parenting stage, work status and the timing of the pandemic. Generous family policies are needed, with special attention dedicated to parents combining work and family responsibilities.

"Having a family is the new normal": Parenting in neoliberal academia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has made explicit the burden of care shouldered by academic mothers, in addition to juggling their scholarly commitments. Although discussions are abundant on the impact of caring responsibilities on the careers of women academics, neoliberal academia continues to minimize such struggles. Despite the disruptions to family routines caused by the health crisis, academic institutions have expected academic mothers and fathers to continue undertaking their professional responsibilities at the same level as before, disregarding their parenting demands. This paper contributes to the research on parenthood in academia by looking at how, throughout the pandemic, academic parents have negotiated the tensions between parenthood and academic demands, and by investigating the strategies they use to confront neoliberal culture of academic performativity, even amid the health crisis. The paper engages with the "space invaders" concept used by Puwar (2004) to analyze the "hypervisibility" of academic mothers' and fathers' "bodies out of place" during the pandemic, and to investigate their "renegade acts" against the uncaring attitudes of their institutions. Evidence is drawn from a qualitative study conducted during December 2020 and January 2021 among scholars affiliated to Portuguese academic institutions: 17 in-depth interviews conducted with women, and two mixed-gender focus groups. Our results research reveal how the experiences of academic mothers and fathers were not uniform during the pandemic. In addition, it shows how, despite their commitment to their academic responsibilities, these parents have crafted various resistance strategies to confront the institutional pressure to continue maintain their working routines, and instead positioning themselves as "more than just academics."

Alone (together): becoming a parent in the pandemic

This paper draws on the author's own experience of becoming a parent during the Covid-19 pandemic as a starting point from which to explore, and consider, how the experience of new parenthood was profoundly affected by the unusual and challenging circumstances created by the pandemic. Using a psychoanalytic lens, the author considers the legacy effects of Covid-19 restrictions and the atmosphere of heightened anxiety and danger, on the families who welcomed their first child in 2020 or 2021. The paper brings into focus the simultaneous experience of increased isolation and the withdrawal of support that would ordinarily be offered to new parents, along with the increased opportunities for closeness and early bonding this might bring, and considers how these factors might interrelate. It considers the changes to fatherhood that the pandemic created, and examines the benefits as well as pitfalls of the unusual circumstances brought about by successive lockdowns in the UK. The paper also explores the role that child psychotherapy has, as a profession, to examine and understand this experience for new parents and children born in the pandemic. Copyright © 2023 Association of Child Psychotherapists.

Impact of COVID-19 on Fertility and Sexuality during Lockdown: What Losses of Chance?.

The world population is lockdown in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) virus. The impact on mental and sexual health adds to the effects on public health and physical health. Individuals' projects were disrupted like the parenthood of couples. The sexuality adapted to loneliness, and we observe important reshuffles linked to anxiety and uncertainty of worldwide pandemic. Copyright © Lavoisier SAS 2022.

Data Disaggregation for Inclusive Quality Education in Emergencies: The COVID-19 Experience in Ghana

The process of data analysis provides, undoubtedly, some of the major challenges facing organizations during the implementation of interventions in emergencies. The challenges are primarily due to the lack of direct access to beneficiaries and the rapidly evolving nature of emergencies. This paper outlines how Plan International's Making Ghanaian Girls Great! (MGCubed) project used phone-based surveys to assess the uptake of a Ghana Learning TV (GLTV) programme implemented in partnership with the government. Due to the emergency context and the need for real-time information to guide the implementation of this intervention, there was little time to undertake a major statistical analysis of survey data. This paper discusses how the MGCubed project adopted a simple data disaggregation method using a logic tree technique to gain valuable insights from the survey data. The method allowed for exploring the insights of the data set in real-time without requiring more complex and time-consuming analysis. All views expressed in this article are the author's and not of FCDO.

The psychological burden of COVID-19 on the desire for parenthood in minoritized sexual identities: a study on depressive symptoms and family planning in Germany.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe and is associated with significant clinical and humanitarian burden. The desire for parenthood has been described to be positively correlated with psychological well-being: An unfulfilled wish for parenthood is associated with impaired mental health, and the wish for parenthood is a predictor for the development of depressive symptoms. While higher rates of anxiety and depression have been reported in individuals with minoritized sexual identities (compared to heterosexual individuals) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the specific impact of the pandemic and its social restriction measures on this population is poorly understood. METHODS: From April to July 2020, we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey online among N = 2463 adults living in Germany. We screened for depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-4; PHQ-4) and assessed individuals' desire for parenthood during the pandemic, and motives for or against the desire for parenthood (Leipzig questionnaire on motives for having a child, Version 20; LKM-20), with the aim of identifying differences between individuals with minoritized sexual identities and heterosexual individuals. RESULTS: Compared to heterosexual individuals (n = 1304), individuals with minoritized sexual identities (n = 831) indicated higher levels of depressive symptoms. In our study sample the majority of all participants (81.9%) reported no change in the desire for parenthood since the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: The findings underline the unmet need for social, psychological and medical support in regard to family-planning and the desire for parenthood during a pandemic. Furthermore, future research should explore COVID-19-related psychological consequences on individuals' desire for parenthood and building a family.

Exploring perceptions of parents in supporting learning during COVID-19 at a South African primary school

The study investigated how the school management team of a primary school in Gauteng supported parents to ensure academic success during COVID-19. Therefore, the study explored the perspectives of parents on their experiences and challenges that they had to support learning at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. This study used a quantitative approach and participants were selected using quota sampling. The respondents were limited to parents of Grade 3-7 learners from a selected school in the Johannesburg municipality area. Data were collected using an item-format combined questionnaire. This study revealed how parents experienced the online learning process. It is recommended that the school should improve its communication system with its parents, and provide online training and workshops to parents and teachers on how to give support to learners in an online teaching environment.

Parenthood during the COVID-19 pandemic: Post-traumatic growth amongst university students.

This study sought to investigate a positive dimension of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, that of post-traumatic growth (PTG). This study investigated coping difficulties and PTG amongst parent and nonparent students in Israeli Universities. A total of 4022 parents (3648 Jews and 374 Palestinian-Arab Citizens [PACs]) and 14,651 nonparents (12,010 Jews and 2641 PACs) completed measures of coping, social support and PTG. Parents demonstrated significantly higher levels of coping and PTG. Amongst parents, fathers coped slightly better than mothers; however, while Jewish mothers demonstrated greater PTG than Jewish fathers, PAC fathers had significantly greater PTG than both PAC mothers and Jewish parents. These findings, while specific to COVID-19, indicate that PTG should be studied in greater depth in different ethnic and minority groups in order to develop enhanced understanding and facilitate promotion of post-traumatic growth, in addition to the prevention of COVID-19-related distress.

In the need of a digital cicerone in healthcare? - Guidance for parents.

OBJECTIVE: To explore parents' experiences using digital tools in relation to pregnancy, labor and birth, and the child's first 18 months. BACKGROUND: Parents find relevant information using digital healthcare tools, material obtained from professionals, as well as personal opinions and experiences that vary in quality. METHOD: Fifteen parents were interviewed and data were analyzed beginning with content analysis and followed by thematic analysis. RESULTS: The main theme was insecurity and responsibility for own choices and knowledge. Parents use digital tools to take responsibility for their insecurity and need for knowledge when entering parenthood. CONCLUSION: The parents' experiences highlighted that (1) insecurity can be both eased and enhanced using digital tools, (2) they took responsibility for feelings of insecurity and the search for knowledge, and (3) they needed knowledge to make the right choices and feel secure that these choices are made in the best interest of their new family.

CiteEmerging vocational rehabilitation strategies for people with diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND: People with diabetes mellitus constitute an emerging vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumer population. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to (a) describe the characteristics and needs of Americans with diabetes mellitus, (b) examine the often devastating effects that this highly prevalent disease of the endocrine system has on employment and career development, and (c) suggest strategies that rehabilitation professionals can use to improve VR services and outcomes. METHOD: Following an overview of the etiology, incidence, prevalence, and impact of this high incidence endocrinological disease, the authors present strategies to meet the service and support needs. Show more

Rights of adoption for LGBTQ community: a comparative analysis

Indian law does not allow same-sex marriage, so homosexual couples cannot adopt a child. The law makes it illegal for LGBTQ+ couples to adopt a child and raise it together, showing that they are not equally treated with dignity and respect in the eyes of the law. As a result, adoption is prohibited for LGBTQ+ couples because the child should not be raised in a "inadequate environment". However, it is surprising that the legislation permits a child to be grown as an orphan without both parents and family instead of grown by LGBTQ+ couples. Despite the fact that LGBTQ+ couples are prohibited to adopt a child, the ratio of orphans is increasing day by day in India. In India, as per the study UNICEF, we came to know that there are more than 29.6 million abandoned and orphaned children, a certain figure is predicted to reach 24 million i.e., almost 4% of the youth population, and unfortunately there are very low adoption rate in our country. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, there are more than thousands of children have been abandoned, and still, the real number of abandoned children is not known. Also, according to the government of India, the report was submitted to the Supreme Court in 2012, the number of LGBTQ people in India is about 2.5 million at that time, even the strength is huge but there is no official data about the LGBTQ population. Refusal the right of adoption to people of LGBTQ+ community affects their dignity because prejudice is focused on their ability gender identity rather than their ability or worth as parents.

Effect of Marriage on Burnout among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout symptoms have been prevalent among healthcare workers. Living with spouses can be complex and was associated with an increased burnout risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the relationship between living with spouses and burnout among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We distributed questionnaires to participants working in a hospital affiliated with a medical university in Taiwan. The questionnaires were the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, which comprises personal burnout (PB), work-related burnout (WB), and client burnout subscales; the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire; and information on basic demographic variables, family factors, living habits, work-related factors, and physical health factors. Multiple linear regression and mediation analysis were used. We obtained 1615 (63.81%) valid questionnaires. After analysis revealed that marriage was an independent risk factor for PB; however, the effect of marriage on WB was nonsignificant after controlling for risk factors. Parenthood, less alcohol use, reported sleep duration less than six hours, less overtime, less shift work, and participation in leisure activities with family and friends were found to be mediators between marriage and a lower WB level. In addition, chronic diseases, frequent neck pain, and shoulder pain were suppression factors. In summary, marriage was associated with an increased risk of PB. Married individuals sustain a high WB level because of changes in family roles, living conditions, and work conditions. Overall, helping healthcare workers to maintain well-being in marriage or family living may be effective in decreasing burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cohesion and conflict for mothers during the pandemic: Results of the Portuguese version of the COVID-19 Household Environment Scale.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a worldwide event that has caused significant changes in the daily lives of individuals and families. The combined effect of the pandemic and the stress associated with major life cycle changes, such as the transition to parenthood, is yet to be understood. The aim of the current study was to validate the Portuguese version of the recently developed COVID-19 Household Environment Scale (CHES) and examine its psychometric properties in a sample of mothers who had given birth during the pandemic. The CHES is a self-report measure assessing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in household cohesion and conflict and includes two sections. Section 1 contains 25 descriptive items pertaining to sociodemographic and household characteristics and COVID-19 stressors. Section 2 encompasses household cohesion and conflict, assessing any change in household experiences and activities following the onset of social distancing. The participants consisted of 342 mothers, aged between 19 and 50 years (M = 31.43; SD = 4.38). A confirmatory factor analysis supported the original CHES bifactor structure of household cohesion and conflict, which obtained an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.900, RMSEA = 0.065). Correlations between household cohesion and conflict and family cohesion and dyadic coping contributed to developing the construct validity of this scale. Furthermore, both CHES subscales demonstrated very good internal consistency. Further research is warranted to assess the CHES in other cultural contexts. This is a useful tool to assess change in family households due to the unprecedented adverse pandemic experience.