Differences in perceived parental practices across attachment styles in adult children of alcoholic fathers.

Background: Alcoholism is a growing problem in Pakistan. Problems related to alcoholism affects the family members especially children of alcoholics who are likely to have biased perceptions of parental practices which in turn affects their attachment patterns. Objective: To analyze the differences in perceptions of parental practices across three attachment styles namely avoidant, anxious/ambivalent, and secure attachments of the adults who are children of alcoholic parents. Method: The study is a correlational research design with a sample of 330 participants selected through purposive sampling technique. The participants were adults who are children of alcoholics from nuclear family systems, whose fathers were admitted in a rehabilitation center for the treatment of alcoholism for the second time. Results: MANOVA computed to examine differences in perception of parental practices across attachment styles was significant [F(12, 632) = 53.130, p < .001, Pillai's Trace = 1.003, partial eta squared = .501], indicating that those with different attachment styles perceive parental overprotectiveness, emotional warmth, and rejection differently. Conclusion: Perceptions about parental practices for father can be linked with alcoholism, while for mother the perceptions about parental practices are a product of attachment mainly. Implications: The findings can be used to devise counseling and therapeutic plans for adults who are children of alcoholics and help in educating them about the condition of alcoholism.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Among Pakistani Adults in Lahore.

Background: In the wake of the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus and the resultant restrictive measures, mental health has become a crucial issue. Physical health is not the only aspect of humans that is at risk. Globally, the rates and severity of mental illness are being significantly impacted by this pandemic. Two scales have been validated to measure the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the levels of anxiety and obsessional thinking in clinical and non-clinical populations. The present study was designed to investigate the levels of anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19 in the general public of Lahore, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: Data were collected via snowball sampling from May 9 to May 19. An online survey consisting of a demographic profile and two scales, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS), was sent through email, WhatsApp, and Facebook groups to adults (18 years and above) of Lahore, Pakistan. Results: A total of 240 individuals (20% men and 80% women) recorded their responses. The majority belonged to a nuclear family system (60%), and their education level ranged from high school to Ph.D. The cut-off score for probable dysfunctional coronavirus anxiety and obsession levels was not met within this sample (CAS, M = 3.24, SD = 4.21; OCS, M = 4.14, SD = 3.15), suggesting that the general population of Lahore, Pakistan is not suffering from dysfunctional anxiety or obsessions related to COVID-19. Forty-seven participants' score on OCS and 35 participants' scores on CAS were above the cut-off, i.e., ≥7 and ≥9, respectively. The results of the correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship (**p < 0.619) between anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19. Conclusion: One important, yet surprising, conclusion of this study is that the average adult in Lahore does not show much anxiety or obsessions related to COVID-19. Other studies around the world using these measurement tools have indicated significantly high levels of both anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19. These findings may demonstrate the resilience of Pakistanis or perhaps the lack of understanding of the seriousness of the situation.

Assessment of temperament in children with autism spectrum disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the temperament and its correlates in children with autism spectrum disorders. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, from February 2015 to June 2016, and comprised children aged 5-11 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders selected from different institutes. A detailed demographic questionnaire, Temperament in Middle Childhood questionnaire and Childhood Behaviour questionnaire were administered through in-depth clinical interviews to collect information regarding temperament and significant demographic variables of the subjects. RESULTS: Of the 92 subjects, there were 61(66%) boys and 31(34%) girls. Overall mean age was 8.62}1.87 years. The girls had relatively high scores on negative affectivity 19.54 }5.14 (d=0.14) than boys. Whereas, boys scored comparatively higher on surgency 15.81}6.80 (d=0.21) and effortful control 13.69}3.72 (d=0.31) domains of temperament than girls. Negative affectivity shared significant inverse association with cognitive functioning r= - 0.35 (p=0.01). However, surgency r =0.17 and effortful control domains r =0.34 (p=0.01)were positively associated with intellectual functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Children with autism spectrum disorders showed a temperament profile different from children following typical development.