Parental positive meaning-making when caregiving for children with asthma

Providing informal care to children/adolescents with chronic conditions has been associated with high levels of caregiving burden and impaired quality of life (QoL); however, parents can also experience uplifts which, by facilitating the attribution of positive meanings to caregiving, may contribute to better adaptation outcomes. The present study aimed at examining the direct and indirect links, via positive reframing as a coping strategy, between caregiving uplifts and quality of life (QoL) of parents who have a child/adolescent with asthma, as well as the invariance of the mediation model across children’s age groups and asthma severity levels. A total of 180 parents of children/adolescents aged 8-18 reported their experience of caregiving uplifts (Revised Burden Measure), the use of positive reframing coping (Brief Cope) and their QoL (WHOQOL-Bref). Structural equation modeling showed a good fit for the mediation model (χ2/df=1.74, CFI=.95, RMSEA=.06), which explained 14% of the variability of parents’ QoL. The caregiving uplifts were positively associated with positive reframing coping (β=.19, p=.02), which in turn was positively associated with QoL (β=.36, p<.01). No direct effect of uplifts on parents’ QoL was found, but the indirect effect via positive reframing coping was statistically significant (β=.07, BC95%CI=.01/.14). Multi-group analyses demonstrated the strong structural invariance of the model across age groups (Δχ2=.89, p=.35) and asthma severity levels (Δχ2=1.91, p=.17). These results suggest that psychological interventions focused on recognizing and valuing caregiving uplifts and on positive reappraisal of the stressful situation may support more adaptive coping processes and improve parents’ QoL

Avaliação da qualidade de vida em crianças e adolescentes com asma: Validação semântica e estudo piloto do DISABKIDS – Módulo para a Asma

A qualidade de vida tem surgido na literatura como um importante indicador de saúde. A elevada prevalência da asma na população pediátrica portuguesa torna particularmente relevante a avaliação da qualidade de vida relacionada com a saúde nesta condição. Objectivos. (1) Descrever o processo de desenvolvimento das versões Portuguesas do DISABKIDS- Módulo para a Asma; (2) avaliar a importância e compreensibilidade dos seus itens e adequação da escala de resposta (validação semântica); e (3) examinar as suas propriedades psicométricas (estudo-piloto). Metodologia. A amostra, recolhida nos HUC, Hospital Pediátrico (Coimbra) e HSA (Leiria), foi constituída por 36 crianças (8-12 anos) e adolescentes (13-18 anos) com asma, e seus pais/ cuidadores familiares. O protocolo incluiu as versões Portuguesas (auto e hetero-relato) do DISABKIDS- Módulo para a Asma e questionários DISABKIDS de validação semântica. A gravidade da asma foi avaliada pelos médicos responsáveis. Resultados. A validação semântica do DISABKIDS- Módulo para a Asma certificou a compreensibilidade, importância e adequação dos itens. O estudo exploratório indicou boa consistência interna [.88 (auto-relato)/ .85 (hetero-relato)]. Os domínios do questionário apresentaram correlações fortes entre si e com a pontuação global (rs entre .79 e .97). O questionário apresentou ainda poder discriminante entre níveis de gravidade da asma, grupos etários e sexo das crianças/ adolescentes. O acordo entre auto e hetero-relatos foi fraco a moderado (ICCs entre .20 e .50). Conclusões. A disponibilização deste questionário para a população Portuguesa terá implicações para a investigação, clínica e políticas de saúde, possibilitando a melhoria da QdVrS das crianças/ adolescentes com asma

Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion in Adolescents: Two Forms of Self-Relating and Their Implications forPsychopathology and Treatment

Different ways of relating to oneself are linked with distinctive mental health outcomes: shame and self-criticism underpin a variety of psychological disorders, while self-compassion stands as a resource or protective factor related to psychological well-being, resilience and positive development. Despite the fact that compassion-based interventions have flourished over the last decade, holding promising results for adult populations, the integration of compassion in adolescent psychotherapy remains scarcely discussed. The present paper endorses an evolutionary model of human development and psychopathology for outlining our basic affect regulation systems, describing their functioning and development in the context of adolescence. The role of shame and self-criticism as transdiagnostic features is discussed for different forms of adolescent psychopathology, and the process of promoting self-compassion is summarized under specific compassion-based therapeutic models

Exploring the link between maternal attachment-related anxiety and avoidance and mindful parenting: The mediating role of self-compassion

Mindful parenting has been described as a set of parental practices or skills that seek to enhance moment-to-moment awareness in the parent-child relationship. Although it has been suggested that adopting a mindful approach in parenting may foster positive parent-child relationships and promote the psychological functioning of children and parents, little is known about the factors that may be associated with this parental skill. In this study, we aimed to examine whether attachment-related anxiety and avoidance were associated with mindful parenting through self-compassion

Understanding quality of life in children with asthma and their parents: Family resources and challenges

The present research investigated the links between caregiver burden, family environment, and quality of life in 97 pairs of children with asthma and one of their parents (the primary family caregiver). Using structured equation modelling, within-participant analyses showed that family environment was positively linked to quality of life for both children and parents respectively. Across-participant analyses demonstrated that parents’ positive perceptions of family environment were associated with parents’ and children’s improved quality of life. In addition, parents’ perceptions of family environment mediated the link between caregiver burden and parents’ and children’s quality of life. Implications for intervention with families are discussed in light of this study’s important results