Longitudinal Associations among Psychological Control, Positive and Negative Interactions, and Adolescents' Domain-Specific Disclosure to Parents.

Although much research has shown that parental psychological control undermines adolescents' routine disclosure to parents, past research has not examined whether the effects of psychological control on disclosure are domain-specific and mediated by the quality of adolescents' interactions with mothers and fathers. The present one-year longitudinal study examined whether parental support and negative interactions with each parent mediated longitudinal associations between adolescents' ratings of psychological control and adolescents' disclosure about routine prudential, personal, and multifaceted activities, as defined by social domain theory. These issues were examined over one year in 174 mostly White (74%), U.S. middle class middle adolescents (M = 15.70 years, SD = 0.63, 83 males). Greater parental psychological control was associated over time with less disclosure to both parents about personal activities and less disclosure to fathers about multifaceted issues. Perceived declines in support fully mediated the effects of psychological control on adolescent disclosure to mothers about personal issues and partially mediated the effects on disclosure to fathers about personal and multifaceted issues. In addition, negative interactions led to decreased disclosure about prudential issues. Thus, perceived psychological control and relationship quality had domain-specific and parent-specific longitudinal effects on adolescent disclosure to parents about their routine activities.

The mediating effect of bullying on parental-peer support matching and NSSI behaviour among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Being subjected to bullying is a significant risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents. Parental support, peer support, and social connectedness play protective roles in mitigating NSSI in this population. However, the precise impact of the combined effects of parental and peer support on bullying and NSSI requires further investigation. METHODS: This study employed the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Delaware Bullying Victimisation Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory to survey 1277 Chinese adolescents. Polynomial regression analysis and response surface analysis were applied to examine the mediating role of bullying and social connectedness in the relationship between parental and peer support matching and NSSI. RESULTS: The results indicate that parental support (r = 0.287, P < 0.001), peer support (r = 0.288, P < 0.001), and social connectedness (r = 0.401, P < 0.001) were protective factors against NSSI in adolescents. Conversely, bullying (r = 0.425, P < 0.001) acts as a risk factor for NSSI in this population. Adolescents with low parental and peer support experienced more bullying than those with high parental and peer support, while those with low parental but high peer support experienced less bullying than those with high parental but low peer support (R^2 = 0.1371, P < 0.001). Social connectedness moderated the effect between bullying and NSSI in this model (ß = 0.006, P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: Due to the under-representation of participants and lack of longitudinal data support, the explanatory power of causality between variables was limited. Future studies should include national samples and incorporate longitudinal studies to enhance the generalisability and robustness of the findings. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the influence mechanism of parental and peer support matching experienced by adolescents on bullying and NSSI and the moderating role of social connectedness. These findings enrich the developmental theory of adolescent NSSI and provide reference for the prevention and intervention of adolescent NSSI behaviour.

'Before, we ended up in conflicts, now we can provide support'-Experiences of Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) for parents of young adults with hazardous substance use.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hazardous substance use is highest in the age between 18 and 25, but few young adults enter treatment. Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a support program for concerned significant others (CSOs) of individuals with diverse substance use disorders and is proven efficacious in promoting treatment entry. The aim of the current study was to investigate the experiences of CRAFT among parents of substance using young adults. METHODS: We used a qualitative design conducting semi-structured interviews with 10 parents of young adults (18-24 years) with hazardous substance use. The participants were recruited from a randomized controlled trial of the CRAFT program. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: We divided the results into three overall domains-Reasons for entering the CRAFT program, Strengths of the CRAFT program and Limitations of the CRAFT program - with three to four themes under each domain. The parents appreciated the accessible support at a time when they needed it due to feelings of shock and powerlessness, and they described communication strategies together with positive reinforcement as the two most helpful CRAFT-sessions. Regarding limitations of CRAFT in the current population, the parents wanted more accessible support for the young adults when they were ready to enter treatment, and described difficulties to practice CRAFT-components due to changing life-circumstances and fear of aggravated health for their young adults. CONCLUSION: The results provide arguments for the health care system to implement support programs to parents of young adults with hazardous substance use. The results show that CRAFT is suitable for the current population, but with some possible additions due to changing circumstances that are common in the young adult developmental phase emerging adulthood. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was pre-registered at isrctn.com, reference number ISRCTN12212515 date: November 7, 2018.

Parental influence on urban adolescents' physical activity experience.

As important socializing agents of adolescents, parents may substantially influence adolescents' physical activity but their roles in adolescents' physical activity experience have not been sufficiently studied. Furthermore, there is a dearth of research on potential mechanisms through which parents may promote adolescents' positive physical activity experience. Using a longitudinal sample of 464 urban and primarily Hispanic and African American adolescents, this study examined the impact of parental support on adolescents' physical activity experience. Results of structural equation modeling showed that after controlling for adolescents' gender, body mass index, and perceived overall health, parental support positively affected adolescents' restructuring ability (i.e., ability to construct meaningful and satisfying activities during unpleasant experiences) and intrinsic motivation (i.e., activity participation driven by inherent interest and enjoyment) in physical activity, which in turn positively affected adolescents' physical activity experience. No significant gender differences were found in these relationships. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

From the pitch to personal growth: Investigating self-esteem as a mediator and parental support as a moderator in youth sports in China.

This study focuses on the intricate connections among youth sports, personal development, and skill acquisition in contemporary China. Building upon established theoretical frameworks, the study aims to unravel the intricate interplay among various variables. Employing a robust methodology that accounts for mediation and moderation effects and with a sample of 808 individuals representing diverse demographics, the findings shed light on the significant influence of family structure, particularly the prevalence of extended family arrangements, on an individual's character development. Furthermore, the study underscores the pivotal role of personal characteristics, particularly self-esteem, in shaping admirable traits. The research identifies several contributing factors to positive character development, including active participation in sports, parental support, accessibility to sports facilities, positive peer influence, and high self-esteem. Parents play a crucial role in mitigating the adverse effects of peer pressure by offering positive reinforcement and serving as role models. These findings hold important implications for youth development programs, emphasizing the vital role of parents in guiding character development, particularly in the context of peer pressure.

Desire for Gender-Affirming Medical Care Before Age 18 in Transgender and Nonbinary Young Adults.

Purpose: We aimed to understand transgender and nonbinary (TNB) young adults' desire to receive gender-affirming medical care (GAMC) before age 18 and identify barriers and facilitators to receiving this care in adolescence. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to TNB young adults presenting for care between ages 18 and 20 in 2023. Descriptive statistics characterized the sample, χ2 tests with post hoc pairwise comparisons identified differences in desire for gender-affirming medications, outness, and parental consent by gender identity and sex assigned at birth, and t-tests evaluated differences in barriers and facilitators to receiving care by outness to parents. Results: A total of 230 TNB respondents had complete data. Nearly all (94.3%) indicated they desired GAMC before age 18. Half (55.7%) of the respondents reported being out about their gender identity to a parent before age 18. Outness, discussing desire for GAMC, and asking for consent to receive GAMC from a parent were significantly more common among participants who identified as men compared to those who identified as women and among those assigned female at birth compared to those assigned male at birth. No such differences emerged when comparing nonbinary individuals to those who identified as men or women. Lack of parental willingness to consent for GAMC was cited as the primary contributor of not having received care in adolescence. Conclusions: Many TNB young adults desire GAMC in adolescence; however, lack of parental support is a key barrier to receiving this care, suggesting a need for more readily available resources for parents to support TNB adolescents.

"Be more positive and more kind to your own bodies": Adolescent and young adult preferences for how parents can support their children with weight-related pressures.

Body dissatisfaction is a key factor contributing to the development of disordered eating, and body dissatisfaction is often influenced by media, peer, and parental pressures during adolescence. Little research has explored ways in which parents can help their children manage pressures from social media and their peers. The present study used the MyVoice National Poll of Youth, a large text-message cohort of young people (14-24 years old) in the United States, to collect and examine qualitative data about their experiences with parental weight-related communication and how they think parents can best support their children regarding messages they see/hear surrounding weight, body shape and size by their peers and media sources. 801 participants responsed to at least one question. Results from the present study suggest that young people want their parents to model healthy relationships with food and their body, teach body neutrality/acceptance, and normalize all body types. Findings suggest that there are many proactive, practical approaches parents can adopt to help support their children and offset weight-related pressures from other sources.

Parental physical activity support for parents of children with disabilities in Saudi Arabia.

Physical activity (PA) is crucial for promoting physical, cognitive, and psychosocial health. Unfortunately, children with disabilities spend less time engaging in PA compared to their typically developing peers. Parents play a crucial role in supporting children with disabilities to increase their level of PA. However, there is scant research on the factors linked to parental support for PA among non-Western parents of children with disabilities, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, to address this gap in the literature, the current study aimed to (i) measure parental support for encouraging PA in children with disabilities in Saudi Arabia, and (ii) examine the demographic factors associated with such support (e.g., family income, age of the child, type of disability, and parents' educational background). The sample included Saudi Arabian parents of children with disabilities (N = 239; fathers: n = 123; mothers: n = 116) who completed the Arabic version of the Parental Physical Activity Support Questionnaire for Parents of Children with Disabilities (PPSQ for PCD). The findings revealed that parental support for children with disabilities to engage in PA typically occurs less than once a week, indicating an inadequate level of support. A generalized linear model analysis demonstrated that several independent demographic variables are associated with overall parental support for PA among children with disabilities: participant age, educational background, parental engagement in PA, age of the child with a disability, disability status, club participation, knowledge of legislation or policies related to the rights of children with disabilities, and number of children in the family. The findings emphasize the significance of raising awareness among parents of children with disabilities to support their children in participating in PA, as well as addressing the barriers that hinder such support.

Roles of parents in life satisfaction and educational hope among Chinese high school students.

The well-being of the Chinese high school students linked to the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, known as gaokao, has been a spotlight education issue in China. This study employed self-determination theory and Bourdieu's sociocultural theory to examine the relationship between life satisfaction, educational hope, and parental support among Chinese high school students. A number of 3,810 high school students from eight schools in Jiangsu, China, completed a validated context-relevant questionnaire. Structural equation model analysis suggested that parental support significantly impacted students' life satisfaction and educational hope. Findings showed that parental intangible support in terms of providing information, advice, encouragement, praise, and care has a direct and significant impact on the life satisfaction of Chinese youth. The extent to which students attach importance to and put effort into achieving their educational aspirations, known as goal commitment, mediated the relationship between parental support and life satisfaction. Moreover, Chinese high school students' educational hope is shaped by their family. Parental support moderates goal commitment, which varies based on parental education background. In short, parents play a critical role in the growth and development of Chinese high school students.

Personality and motivation of physical activity in adolescent girls: effects of perceived parental support and social physical anxiety.

In the present study, we investigated the relationship between personality and motivation for physical activity while introducing perceived parental support and social physical anxiety in adolescent girls (N = 318, Mage: 16.19 ± 0.51 years). The present study was a retrospective correlational study that was conducted to analyze of a path model. Dark triad traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, student's motivation for physical activity, social physique anxiety, and participants' perceptions of parents' behaviors were measured. The findings indicated that psychopathy and Machiavellianism were directly and indirectly associated with motivation for physical activity, but Narcissism could only directly predict the motivation for physical activity. Also, need-thwarting (the most), need-supportive and social physical anxiety could predict motivation for physical activity. This model of the result suggests that among adolescent girls, dark triad personality could, directly and indirectly, predict motivation with need-supportive and need-thwarting and also social physical anxiety. It seems that the sense of importance and more attention to oneself in adolescent girls, which exists in the narcissistic personality, can directly lead to more motivation for physical activity. Also, the duplicitous ways of Machiavellian people in pursuing their motives were confirmed in this research.

Internet Use Behavior and Adolescent Mental Health: The Mediating Effects of Self-Education Expectations and Parental Support.

Purpose: This study focuses on how Internet use behavior affects adolescents' mental health and whether self-education expectations and parental support mediate the relationship between Internet use behavior and adolescents' mental health. Methods: The data for this paper came from the results of the student questionnaire of the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2018), which was a structured questionnaire that asked students about their family situation, school life, studies, internet use, and mental health, among other things. A sample of 336,600 children in grades 7-13 was selected for this study. The data were analyzed using STATA version 16 and the theoretical framework was tested using a mediated effects model. Results: The results of the study showed that Internet use behavior made a positive contribution to mental health and the mediating effects of self-education expectations and parental support on the relationship between Internet use behavior and adolescent mental health were all significant. Conclusion: It is recommended that appropriate policies should be formulated to help adolescents use the Internet rationally, and the positive effects of parental support and self-education expectations should be utilized.

Universal healthy school start intervention reduced the body mass index of young children with obesity.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of a universal, school-based family support programme on body mass index (BMI) of children aged 5-7 years, using pooled data from three trials. METHODS: The programme has three to four components and is delivered during the first school year. It aims to promote healthy dietary and physical activity behaviours, and secondarily prevent unhealthy weight gain. Three cluster-randomised controlled trials were conducted between 2010 and 2018 in low and mixed socioeconomic status areas in Sweden. Weight and height were measured. Multiple mixed linear regression analysis was performed on the pooled data. RESULTS: In total, 961 children were included (50% girls, mean age 6.3 years). The post-intervention effect on BMI z-score in all children was small, but in those with obesity at baseline, we observed a significant, clinically relevant, decrease in BMI z-score (-0.21). This was most pronounced in children with a non-Nordic born parent (-0.24). Five to six months after the intervention, decreases were no longer statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The intervention resulted in changes in BMI comparable to obesity treatment programmes focusing on behaviour change. However, the effect attenuated with time suggesting the programme should be sustained and evaluated for a longer time.

"[He] can be supportive, but at times I feel he is ashamed of me": Understanding the relationship between parental support and quality of life amongst trans and gender diverse youth in the UK.

Background: Trans and gender diverse (TGD) youth often report poor relations with their parents and perceive these to be core to the mental health difficulties they experience. One aspect of psychological wellbeing that has not been well explored in relation to parental support is Quality of Life (QoL). Aim: To test the association between perceived parental support and QoL and, understand from the young person's perspective how parental support contributes to QoL. Method: To address these aims a multi-methods design was used and 140 TGD youth aged 11-19 years old from the UK took part in an online survey in 2020. Validated measures of parental support and QoL were used in conjunction with open-ended survey questions about experiences of parental support. Findings: As expected, we found a significant and positive association between parental support and QoL. Two themes were found in the qualitative data: (1) Parental support is not black or white, (2) Knowledge is a catalyst for affirmative parental support. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the positive implications of affirmative family support on QoL but at the same time highlight how parental relations can be complex and frequently conditional. Organizations supporting young TGD people (e.g. those working in education, healthcare) should prepare young people for the complexity of family relationships. Knowledge and awareness were felt to be an important tool in increasing the likelihood of parental support, but affirmative and evidence-based support needs to be made more readily available.

Within-family associations of parent-adolescent relationship quality and adolescent affective well-being.

BACKGROUND: Parent-adolescent relationship quality is theorized to be an important correlate of adolescent affective well-being. Little is known about the within-family processes underlying parent-adolescent relationship quality and affective well-being over a period of months. This three-wave, preregistered study examined within- and between-family associations between parent-adolescent relationship quality (support and conflict) and adolescent well-being (negative and positive affect). In addition, we examined whether the associations differed between mothers and fathers, and for adolescents' affective well-being in different social contexts (at home, at school, with peers). METHODS: The sample consisted of 244 Dutch adolescents (61.5% girls; age range: 12-17 years; mean age = 13.8 years). Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were used. RESULTS: At the between-family level, higher levels of support and lower levels of conflict were associated with higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect. At the within-family level, increases in support and decreases in conflict were concurrently associated with increases in positive affect and decreases in negative affect. More parent-adolescent conflict than typical also predicted increases in negative affect, 3 months later, and more negative affect and less positive affect than typical predicted increased conflict, 3 months later. These within-family effects were largely similar for fathers and mothers. Associations for conflict occurred through bidirectional processes: Parent-adolescent conflict shaped and was shaped by adolescents' emotions at home, at school, and with peers. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that parent-adolescent relationship quality (especially conflict) and adolescent affective well-being cofluctuate and predict each other over time within families.

"I Can Do It": Perceived Competence of Parents of Autistic Children After Participating in a Physical Activity Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Autistic children can benefit from physical activity (PA) in a variety of ways. However, autistic children tend not to meet PA recommendations and, consequently, may not experience the associated benefits. Parental PA support can facilitate PA participation among autistic children, but parents of autistic children may lack the skills to help their child engage in PA. Few studies, to date, have examined the outcomes of parent-mediated PA interventions for autistic children. The purpose of this study was to explore parents' perceived behavioral control (PBC) to support their autistic children in PA after their participation in a PA intervention. METHODS: The theory of planned behavior served as the framework for this descriptive-qualitative investigation. Fifteen parents (each with 1 autistic child in the intervention) participated in semistructured interviews (3 wk after the intervention), which were transcribed and then analyzed using thematic line-by-line analysis. RESULTS: Three themes characterized the changes to parents' PBC after completing the PA intervention. Those themes were: (1) I learned by son! (2) You are my coach! and (3) I can do it! CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that by participating in a parent-mediated PA intervention, parents experienced improved confidence and awareness of their child's abilities, thus enhancing their PBC. Future research is needed to examine how these improvements in PBC may influence the actual PA behaviors of autistic children.

Career self-efficacy as a mediator between career-specific parental behaviors and school career support on career doubt.

This study evaluates whether career-specific parental behaviors and school career supports predict career doubt via the mediation of career self-efficacy. 227 participants aged between 18 and 25 completed an online questionnaire. Structural equation model (SEM) analysis showed that school career support was significantly related to career doubt via the mediation of career self-efficacy. However, the hypothesized mediation of career self-efficacy between career-specific parental behaviors and career doubt was not supported. Limitation and implications are discussed.

Community Reinforcement and Family Training versus counselling for parents of treatment-refusing young adults with hazardous substance use: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the high prevalence and negative effects of hazardous substance use, few young adults enter treatment. Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), a support programme for concerned significant others of people with substance use disorders, has proved efficacious in promoting treatment entry. The aim of the current trial was to compare the efficacy of CRAFT with an active control for parents of young adults (aged 18-24 years) with hazardous substance use. DESIGN: This was a randomized controlled superiority trial comparing CRAFT (n = 58) with an active control group receiving manualized counselling (n = 55), with outcome assessments at 6, 12 and 24 weeks (primary end-point). A sequential design with a stopping rule was added post recruitment commencement. SETTING: The study took place in two outpatient clinics for young adults in Stockholm, Sweden, and subsequently via video-conference due to COVID-19. PARTICIPANTS: Between October 2018 and May 2021, 113 participants (92% female) who were parents of young adults (87% male) were recruited. Recruitment was discontinued when 70% of the planned sample had been recruited, following an interim analysis of the primary outcome showing no difference between conditions. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Participants were randomized (ratio 1 : 1) to eight manual-based individual CRAFT sessions or five individual manual-based counselling sessions + one voluntary psychoeducative group session, delivered over maximum 14 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was the rate of young adult entry in substance use treatment during the trial period (24 weeks). FINDINGS: At the 24 weeks follow-up, 19 (33%) of CRAFT participants and 17 (31%) of counselling participants had reported young adult treatment entry, with no difference between conditions (odds ratio CRAFT versus counselling 0.84, 95% confidence interval = 0.35; 1.99, P = 0.700). Both conditions reported clinically relevant reductions in young adult substance use, but no change in participants' levels of depression, anxiety or stress. CONCLUSIONS: This trial showed no statistically significant evidence that Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), a support programme for concerned significant others of people with substance use disorders, is more efficacious than manual-based counselling regarding treatment entry for young adults.

Criteria for discharge of preterm infants from Canadian neonatal intensive care units.

Initial discharge from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to home is a crucial milestone that impacts preterm infants, their families, and NICUs. Standardized discharge programs individualized for family needs can ensure a safe transfer of care to parents, decrease the length of stay and hospital costs, and improve parents' satisfaction. To assess the degree of variability in the current discharge criteria of preterm infants less than 34 weeks' gestation among Canadian NICUs, explore different institution-specific guidelines and degree of adherence to the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) guidelines. A clinical representative of each of the 117 level 2-4 Canadian NICUs was contacted via email to participate in an anonymous survey link regarding the discharge criteria of preterm infants. Responders from ninety-eight NICUs (84%), representing all Canadian provinces, completed the survey. Most were nurse practitioners (43%) and neonatologists (31%) with > 5 years of experience (87%). Level 3 and 4 NICUs represented 63% of responses. Units varied widely in many discharge criteria and in their adherence to CPS guidelines. Most of the units (81%) lack written discharge guidelines; 60% do not have a dedicated discharge coordinator, and 45% do not have a post-discharge clinic. Only 25% routinely teach parents CPR and only half of the surveyed units provide parental support programs.   Conclusion: There is a significant heterogeneity in discharge practices of preterm infants among Canadian NICUs. This survey provides a basis for benchmarking and knowledge sharing. What is Known: • Discharging preterm infants from the NICU impacts preterm infants, their families, and NICUs. • All efforts should ensure a safe transfer of care to parents, decrease the length of stay, better utilize resources, and improve parents' satisfaction. What is New: • The discharge criteria of preterm infants vary widely among NICUs. • This survey provides benchmark information and exposes the need to better standardize discharge practices and the subsequent support for infants and parents.

What Fosters School Connectedness? The Roles of Classroom Interactions and Parental Support.

Although research has identified the impact of school connectedness on a variety of outcomes for adolescents, much less work has focused on identifying its precursors. This study examined the relative influences of classroom interactions and parental support on elements of school connectedness among a sample of 4838 students (Mage = 15.84, SD = 0.29; 49.1% female) in the United States from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 data. The results showed that three domains of classroom interactions (i.e., classroom management, instructional support, and emotional support) and parental support played unique roles in predicting school connectedness (i.e., teacher support and school belonging). Specifically, classroom management positively predicted both teacher support and school belonging; instructional support, especially directed instruction, positively predicted teacher support; emotional support was unrelated to teacher support and school belonging. Parental support positively predicted school belonging, but not teacher support. Overall, these findings highlight the roles of both teachers and parents in providing developmentally appropriate support to facilitate school connectedness.

Responsive parental support buffers the link between chronic stress and cardiometabolic risk among adolescents.

Youth exposed to chronic stress exhibit increased cardiometabolic risk which parental social support may attenuate. Notably, theories emphasize that support should be delivered responsively for it to exert buffering effects, but this has not been thoroughly tested empirically. This study examined whether timing of support is an important but unrecognized element of responsiveness during adolescence in buffering the link between chronic stress and cardiometabolic risk. Participants were 242 adolescents aged 15 years (63 % female, 38 % Black). Adolescents completed assessments of chronic stress (Life Stress Interview), and trained personnel collected anthropometric measures and blood samples to assess cardiometabolic risk (reflected in low-grade inflammation and metabolic syndrome). Adolescents also completed an eight-day diary assessment to report daily stressor exposure and parental support. Using the diary data, responsiveness of parental support was operationalized as the within-individual difference in parental support received on stressor (vs. non-stressor) days, such that increased parental support on stressor days reflected more timely support. Results suggest that responsive parental support buffered the link between chronic stress and cardiovascular risk. Specifically, chronic stress was associated with greater risk only when parental support was not temporally aligned with stress exposure, but this association was not observed among adolescents who received timely parental support. These findings shed light on why parental support may not always exert buffering effects during adolescence, highlighting the importance of taking a developmental approach to understanding protective effects.