523 research outputs found
The needs of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA): a qualitative study
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the unmet needs and experiences of mothers of ASD children in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This study employed telephone interviews with eight Saudi mothers raising a child with autism. Questions from a researcher-developed interview guide elicited responses about challenges and unmet needs. Results indicated that the majority of respondents felt they had low to no knowledge of ASD prior to and after their child's diagnosis. Six themes were identified: i) Mothersā identification of their lack of information about their children with ASD, ii) Motherās perceptions about their mental and physical well-being, iii) Mothersā recognition of their constant challenges raising children with ASD,iv) Suggestions to increase public awareness about ASD, v) Mothersā identification of their training needs, and vi) Mothersā perceptions of their childrenās educational needs . Respondents insisted that cultural issues such as lack of transportation and fathersā involvement did add to their burden. This study recommended that professionals and academics in KSA should take into consideration the unmet needs of mothers of ASD children when designing interventions and services for children with ASD to ensure they are tailored to the cultural context and needs of mothers
Are parenting interventions effective in improving parental functioning in parents of children with ASD?: a meta-analysis
This meta-analysis (M-A) evaluated the effectiveness of parenting interventions on parental functioning in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Electronic searches of Pub Med, Psyc INFO, and Web of Knowledge databases identified controlled and pre to post trials evaluating the effectiveness of parenting interventions on parental functioning, Eleven studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in this M-A. A random effect M-A estimated pooled standard mean difference (SMD) for parenting interventions on measures of stress, sense of competence, parenting practices, depression and anxiety. Analyses revealed medium but significant effects of interventions on parentsā stress pre-post intervention. This effect remained medium and significant when controlled studies were analysed and also following sensitivity analyses removing non-randomised trials. Moreover, the analyses showed a large and significant effect of interventions on parental sense of competence pre-post intervention. The effect decreased to medium and significant for sense of competence when controlled studies were analysed and remained medium and significant after sensitivity analyses removing non-randomised trials
The effectiveness of a psychoeducation intervention delivered via WhatsApp for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a randomized controlled trial
BackgroundMothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report high levels of stress and lower levels of well-being than parents of typically developing children. Current interventions for ASD typically focus on working with the child rather than delivering strategies to help support parents.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducation intervention developed to support mothers of children with ASD in Saudi Arabia.MethodSixty-two mothers (23ā52 years) of children (26ā78 months) were recruited to a multisite randomized controlled trials of the intervention. The intervention consisted of one face-to-face session (60 min) and four virtual sessions (30 min each) delivered using WhatsApp. Parenting stress was the primary outcome, with secondary outcomes focusing on maternal depression, anxiety, and happiness, and child behaviour problems and ASD symptoms. Data were collected at baseline T1, immediately postintervention T2 and 8-week follow-up T3.ResultsOne-way analysis of covariance was used at T2 and T3 with T1 scores entered as a covariate. Improvements were found at T2 for stress (F = 234.34, p = .00, and d = ā1.52) and depression (F = 195.70, p = .00, and d = ā2.14) but not anxiety, and these results were maintained at T3. Changes in child behaviour problems were limited to improvements in hyperactivity at T2 (F = 133.66, p = .00, and d = ā1.54). Although changes in stress and depression were statistically significant, change to clinically normal levels was limited to depression. None of the participants had recovered after the intervention (Parent Stress Index Short Form stress scores), whereas 23 mothers (71.87%) in the intervention group had recovered at T2 and 22 (68.75%) at T3 (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression scores).ConclusionThis intervention with WhatsApp support is beneficial but may need to be augmented with other forms of support for mothers of children with ASD including more condensed sessions on stress and interventions targeting anxiety
Are parenting interventions effective in improving parental functioning in parents of children with ASD?: a meta-analysis
This meta-analysis (M-A) evaluated the effectiveness of parenting interventions on parental functioning in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Electronic searches of Pub Med, Psyc INFO, and Web of Knowledge databases identified controlled and pre to post trials evaluating the effectiveness of parenting interventions on parental functioning, Eleven studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in this M-A. A random effect M-A estimated pooled standard mean difference (SMD) for parenting interventions on measures of stress, sense of competence, parenting practices, depression and anxiety. Analyses revealed medium but significant effects of interventions on parentsā stress pre-post intervention. This effect remained medium and significant when controlled studies were analysed and also following sensitivity analyses removing non-randomised trials. Moreover, the analyses showed a large and significant effect of interventions on parental sense of competence pre-post intervention. The effect decreased to medium and significant for sense of competence when controlled studies were analysed and remained medium and significant after sensitivity analyses removing non-randomised trials
Vertically migrating Isoxys and the early Cambrian biological pump.
The biological pump is crucial for transporting nutrients fixed by surface-dwelling primary producers to demersal animal communities. Indeed, the establishment of an efficient biological pump was likely a key factor enabling the diversification of animals over 500 Myr ago during the Cambrian explosion. The modern biological pump operates through two main vectors: the passive sinking of aggregates of organic matter, and the active vertical migration of animals. The coevolution of eukaryotes and sinking aggregates is well understood for the Proterozoic and Cambrian; however, little attention has been paid to the establishment of the vertical migration of animals. Here we investigate the morphological variation and hydrodynamic performance of the Cambrian euarthropod Isoxys. We combine elliptical Fourier analysis of carapace shape with computational fluid dynamics simulations to demonstrate that Isoxys species likely occupied a variety of niches in Cambrian oceans, including vertical migrants, providing the first quantitative evidence that some Cambrian animals were adapted for vertical movement in the water column. Vertical migration was one of several early Cambrian metazoan innovations that led to the biological pump taking on a modern-style architecture over 500 Myr ago
The effectiveness of a psychoeducation intervention delivered via WhatsApp for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a randomized controlled trial
Background
Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report high levels of stress and lower levels of well-being than parents of typically developing children. Current interventions for ASD typically focus on working with the child rather than delivering strategies to help support parents.
Objective
To evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducation intervention developed to support mothers of children with ASD in Saudi Arabia.
Method
Sixty-two mothers (23ā52 years) of children (26ā78 months) were recruited to a multisite randomized controlled trials of the intervention. The intervention consisted of one face-to-face session (60 min) and four virtual sessions (30 min each) delivered using WhatsApp. Parenting stress was the primary outcome, with secondary outcomes focusing on maternal depression, anxiety, and happiness, and child behaviour problems and ASD symptoms. Data were collected at baseline T1, immediately postintervention T2 and 8-week follow-up T3.
Results
One-way analysis of covariance was used at T2 and T3 with T1 scores entered as a covariate. Improvements were found at T2 for stress (F = 234.34, p = .00, and d = ā1.52) and depression (F = 195.70, p = .00, and d = ā2.14) but not anxiety, and these results were maintained at T3. Changes in child behaviour problems were limited to improvements in hyperactivity at T2 (F = 133.66, p = .00, and d = ā1.54). Although changes in stress and depression were statistically significant, change to clinically normal levels was limited to depression. None of the participants had recovered after the intervention (Parent Stress Index Short Form stress scores), whereas 23 mothers (71.87%) in the intervention group had recovered at T2 and 22 (68.75%) at T3 (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression scores).
Conclusion
This intervention with WhatsApp support is beneficial but may need to be augmented with other forms of support for mothers of children with ASD including more condensed sessions on stress and interventions targeting anxiety
The needs of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA): a qualitative study
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the unmet needs and experiences of mothers of ASD children in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This study employed telephone interviews with eight Saudi mothers raising a child with autism. Questions from a researcher-developed interview guide elicited responses about challenges and unmet needs. Results indicated that the majority of respondents felt they had low to no knowledge of ASD prior to and after their child's diagnosis. Six themes were identified: i) Mothersā identification of their lack of information about their children with ASD, ii) Motherās perceptions about their mental and physical well-being, iii) Mothersā recognition of their constant challenges raising children with ASD,iv) Suggestions to increase public awareness about ASD, v) Mothersā identification of their training needs, and vi) Mothersā perceptions of their childrenās educational needs . Respondents insisted that cultural issues such as lack of transportation and fathersā involvement did add to their burden. This study recommended that professionals and academics in KSA should take into consideration the unmet needs of mothers of ASD children when designing interventions and services for children with ASD to ensure they are tailored to the cultural context and needs of mothers
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Activated Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages Eradicate Alzheimer's-Related AĪ²42 Oligomers and Protect Synapses.
Impaired synaptic integrity and function due to accumulation of amyloid Ī²-protein (AĪ²42) oligomers is thought to be a major contributor to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the exact role of AĪ²42 oligomers in synaptotoxicity and the ability of peripheral innate immune cells to rescue synapses remain poorly understood due to the metastable nature of oligomers. Here, we utilized photo-induced cross-linking to stabilize pure oligomers and study their effects vs. fibrils on synapses and protection by AĪ²-phagocytic macrophages. We found that cortical neurons were more susceptible to AĪ²42 oligomers than fibrils, triggering additional neuritic arborization retraction, functional alterations (hyperactivity and spike waveform), and loss of VGluT1- and PSD95-excitatory synapses. Co-culturing neurons with bone marrow-derived macrophages protected synapses against AĪ²42 fibrils; moreover, immune activation with glatiramer acetate (GA) conferred further protection against oligomers. Mechanisms involved increased AĪ²42 removal by macrophages, amplified by GA stimulation: fibrils were largely cleared through intracellular CD36/EEA1+-early endosomal proteolysis, while oligomers were primarily removed via extracellular/MMP-9 enzymatic degradation. In vivo studies in GA-immunized or CD115+-monocyte-grafted APPSWE/PS1ĪE9-transgenic mice followed by pre- and postsynaptic analyses of entorhinal cortex and hippocampal substructures corroborated our in vitro findings of macrophage-mediated synaptic preservation. Together, our data demonstrate that activated macrophages effectively clear AĪ²42 oligomers and rescue VGluT1/PSD95 synapses, providing rationale for harnessing macrophages to treat AD
A qualitative process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial of a parenting intervention in community (school) settings for children at risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Background: Interventions for parents of children experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties can help to improve their childrenās health, educational and social outcomes. However, the desirability and acceptability of screening and offering such interventions for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-type problems are currently unclear. This article is a qualitative process evaluation of a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial (Trial registration: ISRCTN87634685; reported elsewhere) to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a school-based parenting intervention programme for parents and teachers of children with high levels of ADHD symptoms.
Methods: Parents (n = 22) and teaching staff (n = 29) took part in semi-structured group or individual interviews, either by telephone or face-to-face, following the main trial. Interviews were digitally-recorded, transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic analysis.
Results: The parenting intervention was acceptable to parents and teachers, and they were enthusiastic about the need for parenting groups in the school environment and stressed the importance of parent-school collaboration. Parents generally stated a preference for universal recruitment approaches to such programmes whilst teachers described the need to target specific parents. Most parents who took part in the parenting intervention described it favourably and many saw benefits, at least in the short-term. Parents differed in their preferred group size, with some desiring one-to-one sessions and others favouring a larger group. Non-attending parents reported barriers to attendance such as fear of attending in a group, previous use of the programme, work and other commitments. Suggestions to improve the programme included: clearer communication; offering booster sessions; and greater collaboration with teachers.
Conclusions: It is feasible to deliver parenting intervention programmes within or near schools. The intervention was acceptable to the majority of parents, thus retention was high, but recruitment was difficult and reaching the parents with the most need was challenging. The findings of the process evaluation identified greater benefits to families than were apparent in the main trial. Recommendations identified by parents and teaching staff may be used to inform service delivery and future research to enhance recruitment to parenting interventions in the school environmen
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