Bereavement & mental health: The generational consequences of a grandparent's death

The COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of children and adolescents grieving the sudden death of a grandparent. Yet, we lack knowledge of the mental health implications of a grandparent's death for youth. This study uses longitudinal data to examine if the loss of a grandparent increases adolescent grandchildren's likelihood of experiencing their mothers' major depressive disorder, and of having depressive symptoms themselves. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a population-based cohort study of children born in 20 U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000, we estimate associations between the death of a maternal grandparent in mid-childhood and adolescents', and their mothers', depressive outcomes when the adolescent is roughly age 15 (in 2014-17), net of a robust set of covariates, including pre-bereavement depression. Adjusted regression models show no elevated depression risk associated with a grandfather's death-neither for adolescents nor their mothers. A grandmother's death within the previous seven years is associated with a higher likelihood of adolescents having a depressed mother compared to both non-bereaved adolescents (odds ratio (OR) = 2.42;95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17, 5.01) and those whose grandmother died more than seven years ago (OR = 3.78;95% CI = 1.54, 9.31). Furthermore, adolescent boys have a 50% increase in their depressive symptoms following a grandmother's death relative to their non-bereaved peers-an increase that operates independently from the influence of the death on their mother. Together, the results show the death of a grandmother is an underappreciated, persistent risk factor for adolescents experiencing maternal major depressive disorder, and for adolescent boys experiencing depressive symptoms personally.Copyright © 2022 The Authors

Facing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis under lockdown: The experiences of minors

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of social isolation of minors with a parent or grandparent suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to determine whether the psychological support offered by an Italian no-profit association helped them to manage stress. Methodology: This study followed a qualitative research design. The participants responded to in-depth interviews that were processed with inductive thematic analysis. Findings: Five themes emerged: feedback on the psychological intervention;learning and changes after the intervention;discourses on illness and death in the family;experiences and difficulties during the lockdown and suggestions for other peers who might face the same situation. Social Implications: Psychological support is necessary for these minors, and it helped them to manage both the stress of living with ALS and the limitations of social relationships during the pandemic. It showed the importance of authentic and honest communication about illness and death that allowed minors to manage anxiety and fear. Positive reinterpretation of these experiences by transforming them into opportunities was also revealed. Originality: Studies on families with ALS patients are numerous, but studies on children of these patients are still rare, and no study has investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these children. This research investigated a topic that has not been covered previously and it also provided the opportunity to know how these children, preadolescents and adolescents living in an already complex environment, have experienced lockdown and restrictions. The study also enriched the literature on this important issue. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Intergenerational interventions during Covid-19: impact on children's drawings of the elderly and dementia

Background: Positive qualities of children can be used to lighten the burden of dementia for society. Almost every child knows a person with dementia. The primary objective of this study is to connect generations and increase positive interaction by translating the 'hidden victims of the disease' into 'hidden resources'. Method(s): We developed a mobile application ('MemoryHome') based on the ancient mnemonic 'the method of loci' (MoL). The application allows children (n = 31) to construct personalized memory walks throughout the known environment of grandparents and dementia patients. The visual-audio-guide encourages communication between the elder person and the child. The youngsters made drawings of elderly people before and after the combination of meetings with grandparents and an educational trajectory regarding positive ageing of 12 weeks. The current study took place in autumn 2021. Result(s): This study supports research indicating that perceptions of the elderly are malleable and open to change. The predicted a positive shift in the way children view old age after interaction. Findings however showed that older people in the post-test were portrayed more negatively: significantly smaller, more sedentary and in the absence of positive symbols. Conclusion(s): These findings may suggest that the context of the pandemic further embedded negative stereotypical notions of the elderly. Positive interventions are a crucial and urgent antidote to reshape children's attitudes towards ageing. Copyright © 2022 the Alzheimer's Association.

MEDIA HABITS OF YOUNGSTERS IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC: A STUDY OF PODCASTING LISTENERSHIP

The outbreak of Covid-19 epidemic has been a once in an event which had altered the life as we had known. Governments and authorities across the world had taken every possible cautious action to avoid the spread of this unusual corona virus outbreak with prime concern over quarantines and lock downs forcing people to stay at their homes. This epidemic had ramifications in the media and entertainment industries, with severe consequences for films, entertainment events, theme parks and other conventional sources of entertainment. As a diversion from boredom, the first lockdown imposed behavior modifications and promoted experimentation. This has made the entertainment business significantly less predictable, necessitating far more flexible and reactive content suppliers, particularly traditional broadcasters. However, as the duration of these lockdowns stretched, people started to look for alternative sources of entertainment to keep their sanity in such stressful periods. This in turn resulted into an increase in digital media consumption in India. The purpose of this study is to determine the most powerful source of entertainment of this period, including a change away from conventional media, particularly among the younger generation, while also analyzing the demands of their forefathers. It has been observed that the millennial generation doesn't prefer radio as compared to older generations do, and the decline in usage and shift in behavior is striking. The younger generation has stopped listening to the radio and has instead resorted to streaming, with many of those surveyed preferring on-demand choices. This illustrates that younger music enthusiasts just aren't as interested in radio as their elder siblings, parents, and grandparents were, which also demonstrates that streaming is generally more desirable. As part of the research, a response from more than 100 persons was sought from various generations which have formed the basis of conclusions of this study.

Improving Experiences for Children with Complex Medical Needs in Hospital

Aims Attendance to hospital for children and young people with complex medical needs and autism can be frightening and stressful, due the unfamiliar setting and unknown people, communication difficulties and sensory overload. Currently at our Trust, there are no specific resources for this patient group, and we have received informal and formal feedback that the needs of these young people and their families are not being met. We aim to improve the experiences of children and young people with complex medical needs and autism at our Trust by creating a new patient pathway, involving children and families early to drive change. Methods We designed a focus group for parents of children with complex medical needs and autism. We identified families from the neurology clinic, and wrote to them to explain the project and our aims and to invite them to take part in the focus group. We followed this up with a phone call to discuss the project further and to answer their questions. The focus group took place in September 2021. Results Five parents and one grandparent attended the focus group. Between them, they had experience of emergency hospital attendances, inpatient admissions, outpatient appointments, paediatric intensive care, multiple investigations and care across multiple sites in the UK and abroad. Their children attended both mainstream and special schools. There was a wide range of complexity of need, and input from health, school, therapies and social care. The range of experience made for a highly insightful and interesting discussion. Positive feedback was received for the neurology consultant, epilepsy clinical nurse specialist, play specialists and hospital school team, with a particular focus on parents knowing who to contact when they needed advice and support. Key areas for change identified included more privacy for adolescents, a leaflet detailing what to expect during an admission, sensory toys, a patient passport and iPads for the emergency department. Families also commented that specific changes could be made to improve their children's experiences of outpatient clinics, including minimising the wait to be seen, considering whether the child needs to be brought to a face-to-face appointment, the presence of a sensory room and improvements to the phlebotomy room, including the presence of play specialists. They also identified opportunities to join up care between secondary and tertiary services, for example arranging for pre-admission COVID-19 swabs at the local hospital, rather than at the tertiary hospital where the admission was planned. The next phase will be to apply for funding to achieve these aims. We are devising a Makaton passport and a system to help children to communicate using symbols. We will involve the children, young people and families at every stage of our project. Conclusion Patients and families have a much greater insight into the challenges faced than professionals, and their input is the most valuable tool to drive change. Relationships between patients and professionals have a huge impact on experience of care. We will continue to work with families in order to bring about meaningful and impactful change.

Pediatrics in the Parking Lot-taking Child Passenger Safety to the Community

Background: Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) remain the leading cause of death for Kentucky children above age 1. The Nest has four separate non-profit programs that provide respite child care, legal/psychological support services to survivors of intimate partner violence, parenting classes, and crisis assistance to families (toiletries/cleaning-supplies/papergoods/diapers/formula/food/rental-assistance since COVID, serving more than 400 clients per month). Community need for car seats was previously demonstrated by the 57 used seats they distributed in a year. Methods: Standard national Child Passenger Safety (CPS) checkup forms were utilized, with an Excel data base of seats provided/notes of special circumstances/problems with seats/cars. Forms from October 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 were reviewed for quality improvement at least monthly, with immediate adjustments as necessary. All education and seat installation occurred outdoors during fall months and on all but the coldest winter days. Staff and families were masked, items used were sanitized and meticulous hand washing was done between families due to COVID. New convertible seats from grants were supplemented with individually- purchased harnessed booster seats to serve older children and with current (never-in- crash, not -recalled) donated infant seats. CPS services were conducted in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish and Arabic) with fluent staff or consenting family members as translators, and were offered both by appointment/previous consultation/referral from Family Assistance and as walk-ins requesting help or were observed to have car-seat/booster-sized children. Results: A small program that distributed seats as commodities without instruction or assessment of child/car was revised into a formal CPS fitting station, addressing difficult cars, large families, grandparents raising grandchildren, and resettled international refugees. Approximately 90% of families had annual family incomes of < $20,000/year, many below $10,000. Almost every consult for one child revealed multiple children in need of car seat education or new seats. More than 150 seats were checked in nine months. Types of misuse (in >90%) seen include: no seat, child too loose in seat, seat too loose in car, use of infant seats facing forward for too-big toddlers, premature use of no-back boosters (NBB) for small young children when family has no money for harnessed seats or at the mis-direction of a medical professional. Families that live in high crime areas with car theft are bringing in car seats at night so need lighter weight ones, as do grandparents. Conclusion: Taking CPS to the parking lot of an established non-profit has permitted us to reach more families with great need in a place they trust. Types of misuse have provided a real-world window into the potential optimal timing/messages of CPS within pediatric anticipatory guidance, and families have shown how our anticipatory CPS guidance may need to be adapted to work in the environment that people actually live in.

GRIEF AND LOSS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: EXPLORING PERCEIVED PHYSICAL HEALTH AS A PREDICTOR FOR RUMINATION

Background: Ruminative thought predicts complicated grief and hinders the adjustment to loss by acting as a cognitive avoidance strategy. Not only is the process linked to psychological issues, rumination is also associated with negative health consequences, such as poor sleep quality, impaired immune functioning, and cardiovascular disease. Understanding how bereaved people adjust to the death of a loved one, and the associated physical and psychological health outcomes, can offer meaningful direction for interventions. Self-reported physical health has been shown to be indicative of documented physical health. Very few studies have investigated the potential relationship between self-reported physical health and rumination, especially in the bereaved population. Methods: Arizonans who experienced the death of a partner, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, other family member, non-biological family, or close friend in the past year were recruited for a semi- structured phone interview, during which they reported their grief severity, depressive symptoms, grief-specific rumination, and perceived physical health. Results: In the present study (N = 51), we tested whether perceived physical health acts as a predictor for grief-specific rumination in bereaved individuals who experienced the death of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (74.5% White, 80.4% non-Hispanic) had an average age of 51 (SD = 15.9) and were mostly female (76.5%). Linear regression analyses showed that self-reported physical health predicted grief rumination outcomes (F = 4.0, p = 0.005). Notably, self-reported physical health also predicted grief severity (F = 4.0, p < 0.005) and depression (F = 5.2, p < 0.001). Conclusion: These results are consistent with previous findings that engagement in ruminative thought is associated with poorer health. Using self-report measures to assess physical health may offer accessible insights related to psychological health outcomes-especially in a time of social distancing.

Activities between grandfathers and grandchildren before and during Covid-19. Analysis of the level of satisfaction and perception of the intergenerational role

Due to the important family role that grandmothers play in raising their grandchildren, this work studies the lesser-known role of grandfathers. For this, a group of 110 male participants (mean 73.6 years) was interviewed, for analysis of: a) their level of satisfaction in five types of active roles with their grandchildren, alone, and with their spouses, before and during the Covid-19 lockdown;and b) their general perception of the role of being a grandparent. The data obtained were analyzed with descriptive and non-parametric inferential methods (Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, chi square, and correlations). Data showed that participants, who were mostly married and retired, showed three satisfaction levels with their grandchildren: high for family celebrations, average for activities involving play and sociocultural transmission, and low for housework and academic/intellectual activities. Participants' age, marital status, health status, and education, as well as the age and number of grandchildren, were associated with these satisfaction levels. Most participants favored the formal grandparenting role, and marital status, health status, education, and grandchildren's age and sex were associated with their views of grandparenting roles. Physical contact during the Covid-19 lockdown dropped by 72.7%. We concluded that activities shared between grandfathers and grandchildren and views on the grand-parenting role are influenced by the sociodemographic variables of both. More research is needed to expand this knowledge.

Intergenerational leisure and family reconciliation

Scientific literature suggests the contribution to family reconciliation as a motivation for leisure shared by grandparents and grandchildren. However, there are some discrepant results. The study aimed to examine the need for family reconciliation as a practical motivation for grandparents’ and grandchildren’s shared leisure, and its linkage with its frequency, the geographical residential area, and the cohabitation of both generations in the same home. A questionnaire was administered to 357 grandparents of children aged 6 to 12 years residing in northern Spain, and a descriptive study and inferential analysis of the data were performed. The results placed the need for family reconciliation in an intermediate position, below the motivations of entertainment and emotional motivations, but above those related to co-learning and the absence of other people to perform such activities. The need for family reconciliation is associated with the frequency of shared practice, but not with the geographical residential area or the fact that both generations cohabitate at the same address. The possible exceptionality of the current situation, within the framework of COVID-19, which may have produced significant alterations in the grandparent-grandchildren relationship, is discussed, with the consequent need to continue this line of inquiry. © 2021 Universidad de Almeria. All rights reserved.

Maternal mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown in China, Italy, and the Netherlands: a cross-validation study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had brought negative consequences and new stressors to mothers. The current study aims to compare factors predicting maternal mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown in China, Italy, and the Netherlands. METHODS: The sample consisted of 900 Dutch, 641 Italian, and 922 Chinese mothers (age M = 36.74, s.d. = 5.58) who completed an online questionnaire during the lockdown. Ten-fold cross-validation models were applied to explore the predictive performance of related factors for maternal mental health, and also to test similarities and differences between the countries. RESULTS: COVID-19-related stress and family conflict are risk factors and resilience is a protective factor in association with maternal mental health in each country. Despite these shared factors, unique best models were identified for each of the three countries. In Italy, maternal age and poor physical health were related to more mental health symptoms, while in the Netherlands maternal high education and unemployment were associated with mental health symptoms. In China, having more than one child, being married, and grandparental support for mothers were important protective factors lowering the risk for mental health symptoms. Moreover, high SES (mother's high education, high family income) and poor physical health were found to relate to high levels of mental health symptoms among Chinese mothers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are important for the identification of at-risk mothers and the development of mental health promotion programs during COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Material hardship and parenting stress among grandparent kinship providers during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of grandparents' mental health.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of many families, including grandparent kinship families, to deal with a health/economic crisis. The fear of COVID-19 plus stay-at-home orders have increased individuals' psychological distress. Moreover, school closures and homeschooling further increased parenting stress among caregivers. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship between material hardship and parenting stress among grandparent kinship providers, and assessed grandparents' mental health as a potential mediator to this relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Grandparent kinship providers (N = 362) that took primary care of their grandchildren participated in a cross-sectional survey via Qualtrics Panels in June 2020 in the United States. METHODS: Descriptive and bivariate analyses, binary logistic regression, and mediation analyses were conducted using STATA 15.0. RESULTS: Suffering material hardship was significantly associated with higher odds of experiencing parenting stress among grandparent kinship providers, and grandparents' mental health partially mediated this association. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing material and mental health needs among grandparent kinship providers is critical to decreasing their parenting stress.