Individual and family predictors of psychological control in parents raising children with type 1 diabetes.

The purpose of this research is to examine how metabolic control, parents' marital conflict, and parental caregiver burden are related to parents' use of psychological control in families raising a child with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Differences between mothers and fathers are also considered. In this cross-sectional study, parents of 85 children with T1D independently completed self-report questionnaires; metabolic control levels were obtained through patient medical records. Structural equation modeling showed that better metabolic control is related to lower levels of fathers' caregiver burden, and marital conflict is positively related to both mothers' and fathers' ratings of caregiver burden. Mothers' caregiver burden is positively related to their psychological control (a type of parental behavior that threatens children's autonomous thoughts and feelings) and, similarly, fathers' caregiver burden is positively related to their psychological control. Paths in the model differed by parent gender, but there were no crossover effects. Future research is needed to develop new, effective interventions for children with diabetes and their parents, focusing not only on the child but on multiple family systems.

Respite care, marital quality, and stress in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at risk for having higher stress and lower marital quality than other parents. Survey data regarding respite care, marital quality, and daily hassles and uplifts were obtained from 101 mother-father dyads who were together raising at least one child with ASD (total # of children = 118). Number of hours of respite care was positively related to improved marital quality for both husbands and wives, such that a 1-h increase in weekly respite care was associated with a one-half standard deviation increase in marital quality. This relationship was significantly mediated by perceived daily stresses and uplifts in both husbands and wives. More respite care was associated with increased uplifts and reduced stress; increased uplifts were associated with improved marital quality; and more stress was associated with reduced marital quality. The number of children in the family was associated with greater stress, and reduced relational quality and daily uplifts. Results suggest policymakers and practitioners should develop supports for providing respite for families raising children with ASD.

Religiosity, spirituality, and marital relationships of parents raising a typically developing child or a child with a disability.

In order to discover if differences or relationships exist between religiosity, spirituality, and marital relationships, 111 parents raising a child with a disability (CWD) and 34 parents raising typically developing children independently completed self-report questionnaires assessing religiosity, spirituality, and marital relationships. Parents raising typically developing children scored higher on private and public religiosity and marital satisfaction than parents raising a CWD; mothers scored higher on religiosity variables than fathers. Mothers' ratings of spirituality and family type (disability or typically developing child) predicted their ratings of marital conflict. Higher spirituality and raising typically developing children were associated with higher ratings of marital satisfaction for both mothers and fathers. However, spirituality also moderated the relationship between private/public religiosity and marital satisfaction only for fathers. This information helps improve interventions for families raising CWD and adds to the literature on the interplay of religiosity/spirituality/marital relationship.

Type 1 diabetes: children and adolescents' knowledge and questions.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study conducted to describe what children and adolescents who have type 1 diabetes know and want to know about the disease. BACKGROUND: Research indicates that young people's knowledge of diabetes may minimize their health complications, because with greater knowledge they may engage in more effective management practices and adherence. METHODS: In this qualitative study, a purposive sample of 58 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes were interviewed in 2005 about what they knew and wanted to know about their disease. Through a process of induction, major themes were identified from the data. FINDINGS: The six major themes were: (a) Care, including both physical and emotional care, (b) Physiology, (c) Consequences, including both short- and long-term, as well as positive and negative consequences, (d) Cure, (e) Effects on the Family and (f) Experience at Diagnosis. Themes related to the unique challenges associated with type 1 diabetes were also identified. CONCLUSION: Nurses, diabetes educators and parents should provide developmentally appropriate information about diabetes care and management, scaffolding on existing knowledge. They should provide child-centred contexts in which children and adolescents can freely ask questions about their condition and problem-solve. Programmes that allow young people to develop coping skills and share experiences could also prove beneficial.