Browsing by Subject "Child mental health"
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Item An initial examination of interpersonal family therapy for children with depression and/or anxiety(Texas Tech University, 2004-05) Eskridge, Laura KurtasThe present study evaluated the effectiveness of Interpersonal Family Therapy with two pre-adolescent children (aged 8 to 9 years) using a replicated, single-subject time series design. One participant reported elevated symptoms of depression and average symptoms of anxiety at pre-treatment while the second participant met DSM-IV (APA, 1994) diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Prior to treatment, and at two-month intervals throughout treatment, participants and their families completed measures designed to assess psychological symptomatology, cognitive functioning, interpersonal functioning, adaptive behavior, and family functioning. Participants and their families also completed idiographic measures semi-weekly prior to, during, and following treatment. Bi-monthly measures were completed throughout treatment and 2, 4, and 6 months post-treatment. Clinically reliable change was observed post-treatment on child-rated nomothetic measures of depression, anxiety, and competence for both participants. Parent-rated measures also exhibited clinically reliable change for some measures of child and parent symptoms. Two IFT components, the Cognitive Functioning Component and the Family Functioning Component appeared to exert positive effects on measures assessing their targeted construct. The Cognitive Functioning Component and the Interpersonal Functioning Component, moreover, appeared to exert positive effects on constructs not targeted by the components, respectively. A few measures, either in a lagged or concurrent relationship, predicted symptom scores for both participants. Specifically, for one participant, family issues predicted child generalized anxiety, as rated by both the participant and his grandmother. For the second participant, ratings of social skills and thinking errors were important predictors of child anxiety. Results have implications for treatment and treatment outcome researchItem Examining the mediating role of family processes in the relationship between family income and mental health outcomes among young children involved in the child welfare system(2012-08) Berger Cardoso, Jodi; Padilla, Yolanda C.The negative relationship between economic hardship, child maltreatment, and child development in young children is well-documented. However, few studies have examined the mechanisms underlying the link between family economic hardship and child mental health outcomes in the context of child maltreatment. In this study, the family stress model is used to understand how family economic hardship affects child mental health. In this model, the effects of economic hardship on child mental health are indirect through their influence on family processes. Family processes are aspects of family life and are characterized by parental psychological functioning and parenting behavior. Because unhealthy family processes, which often lead to maltreatment, are associated with poor outcomes in the development of children, this framework can link developmental research and theory to an analysis of child maltreatment. The current study analyzes data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being-II, a survey of families in the child welfare system. The sample included children ages 18 months to 11 years and their parent (or caregivers). The results indicated that family income, a measure of economic hardship, was significantly associated with mental health problems in children involved in the child welfare system, but not in the way it was expected. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed no significant direct or indirect paths from family income to child mental health, but showed that family income affected other mechanisms contributing to poor child mental health. Lower family income was associated with greater parental depressive symptoms, alcohol use, drug use, and physical abuse. In line with the family stress model, the relationship between parental depression and child mental health was partially mediated through physical abuse. Similarly, physical abuse fully mediated the relationship between parental alcohol use and child mental health. However, neglect did not mediate the relationship between family processes and child mental health. Contrary to the study hypothesis, family processes did not mediate the relationship between family income and child mental health. Rather, family processes predicted poor child mental health. In particular, physical abuse was an important vehicle through which parental functioning translated to poor mental health outcomes in children.Item Familial religious involvement and children's mental health outcome(2008-05) Vaaler, Margaret Lommen, 1977-; Ellison, Christopher G., 1960-; Musick, Marc A.These three studies use two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households to investigate the influence of parents’ religious commitment and involvement on children’s internalizing and externalizing problems over time. In addition, the analyses will examine of different forms of family instability and parenting practices mediates this relationship. Furthermore, does parental religiosity moderate the relationship between instability and children’s mental health problems? The first study shows that children whose parents are both religiously unaffiliated, exhibit elevated internalizing problems compared to children from mixed-faith households. Evangelical Protestant affiliation moderated the relationship between parents’ frequent arguments and internalizing problems. In addition, children whose mothers are more theologically conservative than the fathers show elevated levels of internalizing problems. In addition, theological dissimilarity (mothers more conservative) plays a moderating role between frequent arguments and internalizing problems. The second study shows that children from religiously homogamous households, exhibit lower than average externalizing problems. In addition, fathers’ religious involvement protects their children from externalizing problems, even when accounting for various forms of family instability and parenting practices. Furthermore, children whose mothers are more theologically conservative than fathers, show elevated levels of some externalizing problems. Structural equation modeling analyses show that parents’ socioeconomic status is related to parental religious dissimilarity, parental divorce and parental praise of children. When mothers are more theologically conservative than fathers, these couples are at higher likelihood of frequent parental arguments. As a consequence, their children are at an elevated likelihood of difficulty concentrating, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems. Frequency of parental arguments is also positively related to divorce. If high conflict marriages end, children are at a reduced likelihood of externalizing problems. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.Item The effects of parental involvement for children who are diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders(Texas Tech University, 2003-12) DeSoto, Jo BethCurrent literature regarding children with emotional and behavioral disorders contains vast amounts of information. Existing research focuses on triggering mechanisms for such disabilities, possible intervention tactics for addressing in-school issues, home environments as influencing factors, and parenting skills of those parents whose children misbehave. The process of involving family members in the educational and behavior management programs for students with emotional and behavioral disorders has received limited exploration. This study, therefore, focused on the process of training parents and students to deal effectively with behavioral outbursts at school and at home. Pretest data provided foundational knowledge of student behavior prior to the implementation of the intervention. The training process occurred over a ten-week period, with hourly sessions scheduled weekly. At the conclusion of the intervention process, a posttest evaluation was completed. The goal of this study was to evaluate student behavior, measure any and all changes that occurred during this process, and establish any possible correlations that may have existed between pre- and posttest scores. Pre-intervention checklists were completed by all parent and student participants during the first session to establish a baseline knowledge regarding student behaviors of concern. The Learning and Behavior Problem Checklist (Wunderlich, 1993) was used as an assessment tool. All of the checklists were scored manually and the information stored on the computer for easy access during future reference. Codes were assigned for each participant to maintain confidentiality throughout the study. Following the initial evaluation, the training process began. The Truthought Corrective Thinking Process (Yochelson, 1999) provided the materials utilized in each lesson. Participants attended ten, one-hour training sessions designed to teach and implement this behavior management program. Any changes in behavior noted throughout the study were recorded so that the researcher could examine underlying behavioral patterns that may surface. When the ten-week training program was completed, all participants completed a second LBPC (Wunderlich, 1993). The purpose in collecting post-intervention data was to measure change. These checklists were scored and recorded in the same manner as the pretest data. Finally, a correlational comparison was completed between pre- and posttest data to reveal any patterns of behavioral changes that may have resulted.