Family education and support for families at psychosocial risk in Europe: Evidence from a survey of international experts

First published online: 11 October 2018There is overwhelming consensus among policy makers, academics, and professionals about the need to support families in their childrearing tasks. Consequently, European countries have been encouraged to develop family support interventions aimed at guaranteeing children's rights, targeting particularly those children in situations of psychosocial risk. While a certain amount of evidence exists regarding how family support is generally delivered in certain European countries, with a particular focus on parenting initiatives, this paper aims to take existing evidence one step further by providing an updated review focusing on two core components of the Council of Europe's Recommendation on Positive Parenting: families at psychosocial risk as the target population, and family education and support initiatives as the delivery format. The scope of the study was therefore broad, in both geographical and conceptual terms. An online survey was conducted with experts from 19 European countries to gather information regarding how they perceive family education and support initiatives for families at psychosocial risk. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed by computing frequencies/percentages and by following a thematic synthesis method, respectively. The results revealed both similarities and disparities as regards provider profiles, intervention characteristics, and quality standards. Practical implications are discussed, such as the need to diversify initiatives for at‐risk families in accordance with the tenets of progressive universalism, the ongoing need for an evidence‐based, pluralistic approach to programmes, and the skills and qualifications required in the family support workforce. This study constitutes a first step towards building a common family support framework at a European level, which would encompass family support and parenting policies aimed at families at psychosocial risk.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España EDU2013‐41441‐

Improving child development from family preservation services: How can we explain change in families participating in parent education and support programs?

Desde el convencimiento de que las intervenciones familiares constituyen una herramienta valiosa para promover el desarrollo infantil, están aumentando las propuestas legales e institucionales a favor de desarrollar programas de formación y apoyo familiar; es decir, propuestas de intervención psicoeducativa con padres y madres dirigidas a promover la parentalidad positiva. Entre los criterios que permiten discriminar la calidad de estos programas se encuentra el disponer de un cuerpo teórico fundamentado que explique cómo mejoran las familias gracias a la intervención. En este artículo se pretende llevar a cabo una revisión del cambio conseguido con los programas de formación y apoyo familiar desarrollados en el ámbito de la preservación familiar, es decir, en situaciones de riesgo psicosocial. Además, en este trabajo se reflexiona acerca de las implicaciones de un modelo comprehensivo de cambio y se describen las características metodológicas que deben cumplir los programas de formación y apoyo familiar en el ámbito de la preservación familiar en base a los supuestos descritosLegal and institutional proposals enhancing family education and support programs are increasing, based on relevance of family interventions in order to promote child development. This is psychoeducative interventions for parents aimed at improving positive parenting are nowadays increasing. A solid theoretical approach explaining change in families after intervention is a quality criterion for family education and support programs. In this paper a theoretical model for explaining family change in family education and support programs is presented specifically concerning family preservation services interventions, this is, concerning at-risk situations. Also consequences for program design are discussed, and methodological characteristics of family education and support programs in family preservation services following these theoretical models are described

Instagram como herramienta de comunicación en el sector de la belleza. Estudio comparativo de las cuentas Benefit USA y Benefit España.

La gran variedad de posibilidades que ofrece Internet a las marcas para que estas establezcan contacto con sus clientes ha generado importantes cambios en el ámbito de la comunicación y la publicidad. El éxito de las redes sociales a nivel global ha obligado a las marcas a integrarse en ese mundo para interactuar con su público objetivo y estar al día de todas las tendencias. Entre todas las redes sociales, Instagram protagoniza uno de los casos con más éxito, gracias en gran medida a su facilidad de uso y su carácter mayormente visual, además de la posibilidad que ofrece de hacer publicidad de manera no intrusiva. Este proyecto tiene como finalidad analizar la utilidad de Instagram como herramienta de comunicación publicitaria, concretamente en el sector de la belleza. Además, se ha realizado un estudio comparativo entre dos perfiles de una misma marca, Benefit, pero en ámbitos de actuación diferentes, Estados Unidos y España, con el fin de establecer diferencias en los niveles de conocimiento de esta red social como herramienta publicitaria. Para ello se ha realizado un análisis del contenido publicado por ambas cuentas, además del calculo del engagement generado en ambos casos, presentando una visión actual del uso de Instagram como medio de comunicación publicitaria en ambos países.The wide variety of possibilities offered by the Internet to brands so they can establish contact with their customers has generated important changes in the field of communication and advertising. The success of social networks worldwide has forced brands to integrate themselves in that world in order to interact with their target audience and be up to date with the actual trends. Among all social networks, Instagram is one of the most successful cases, mainly thanks to its ease of use and its mostly visual nature, in addition to the possibility of advertising in a non-intrusive way. The purpose of this project is to analyze the utility of Instagram as an advertising communication tool, specifically in the beauty sector. In addition, a comparative study was carried out between two profiles of the same brand, Benefit, but in different fields of activity, the United States and Spain, in order to establish differences in the levels of knowledge of this social network as an advertising tool. To this end, an analysis of the content published by both accounts was made, in addition to the calculation of the engagement generated in both cases, showing a current vision of the use of Instagram as a way of advertising communication in both countries.Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Publicidad y Relaciones Pública

The role of psychosocial stress on a family-based treatment for adolescents with problematic behaviors

The stressful life events experienced by adolescents with problematic behaviors, should be considered for implementing effective interventions. This study aimed to examine the adjustment of adolescents with problematic behaviors, and to assess the effectiveness of a family-based treatment, namely Scene-Based Psychodramatic Family Therapy (SB-PFT), according to different stress profiles. Ten SB-PFT sessions, over 17 trials were implemented. Stressful life events and adolescent adjustment were evaluated at pretest and posttest, for the SB-PFT participants (n = 104 adolescents) and a control group (n = 106). The adolescents were categorized into three profiles depending on the nature of the stressors: family stress profile, individual and family stress profile, and low stress profile. The individual and family stress group showed worse adjustment. Effectiveness analyses revealed improvements in SB-PFT participants’ emotional intelligence, but not in anger and hostility. Furthermore, adolescents with low and family-related stress profiles showed enhancements in parent attachment. In conclusion, interventions involving adolescents with problematic behaviors must be tailored to the stressful life events experienced. Specific treatments should be used alongside SB-PFT, when adolescents are met with individual-related stress. Nevertheless, SB-PFT seemed to promote emotional intelligence and parent attachment, particularly in adolescents with problematic behaviors that experienced only family stressors.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad EDU2013-41441-PMinisterio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes FPU Program-311

Evaluation of the Implementation of Two School-based Drug Prevention Programmes in Andalusia: Dino and Prevenir para Vivir

Este artículo presenta la evaluación de la implementación de los programas de prevención de drogodependencia Dino y Prevenir para Vivir, ampliamente utilizados en el sistema educativo andaluz. El desconocimiento por parte de la Administración educativa de las características y condiciones de la aplicación de ambos programas en Andalucía, junto a la necesidad de conocer si estos programas se ajustan a los indicadores de eficacia de este tipo de intervenciones, hacen de este estudio una interesante investigación educativa. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 250 centros educativos encargados de la implementación del programa Dino y por 192 centros del programa Prevenir para Vivir. Los participantes en el estudio completaron un cuestionario ad hoc que evaluaba las características de implementación de ambos programas así como el grado de satisfacción con los mismos. Los resultados pusieron de manifiesto que los programas estaban siendo desarrollados mayoritariamente por los profesores de los centros, quienes mostraron un nivel de satisfacción medio-alto con ellos. Según la revisión empírica realizada, podríamos decir que esta aplicación presenta aspectos tanto positivos como negativos. Como aspectos fuertes, destacan la existencia en la mayoría de los centros de una planificación coordinada previa a la realización del programa, su aplicación en horario de fácil acceso para el alumnado y el desarrollo de temas relacionados con habilidades para la vida cotidiana. Como puntos débiles, podemos señalar la falta de una evaluación previa a la implementación, la escasa formación específica de los responsables de la aplicación del programa y la baja implicación de las familias. En suma, el estudio aporta datos significativos acerca de cuáles son los aspectos de la implementación de los programas Dino y Prevenir para Vivir que deben ser promovidos por parte de la Administración pública o de los propios centros educativos para mejorar su eficacia.This article focuses on the evaluation of two school-based drug prevention programs, Dino and Prevenir para Vivir, both of which are widely applied in Andalusian schools. The scientific interest of this study may be traced to (1) the need to find indicators of the effectiveness of these programmes and (2) the lack of information about the application conditions and application characteristics of both Andalusian programmes. The study sample consisted of 250 schools running the Dino programme and 192 schools applying the Prevenir para Vivir programme. Study participants filled in an ad hoc questionnaire assessing different characteristics of programme application and their degree of satisfaction with the programmes. The results showed that the programmes were applied primarily by teachers, who reported a high-to-middle satisfaction level. In the light of empirical review, implementation presented both positive and negative aspects. The strengths were that, in most schools, there was coordinated planning prior to programme application, the programmes were applied at times when students had easy access and contents related to daily life skills were included. The weaknesses, on the other hand, were a lack of process evaluation before implementation, a lack of specific training for the people in charge of programme implementation and low family involvement during programme application. To summarize, this study provides important data about the specific aspects of implementation that government agencies or schools themselves could address to improve the effectiveness of Dino and Prevenir para Vivir

Effectiveness of structural-strategic family therapy in the treatment of adolescents with mental health problems and their families

Mental health problems during adolescence constitute a major public health concern today for both families and stakeholders. Accordingly, different family-based interventions have emerged as an effective treatment for adolescents with certain disorders. Specifically, there is evidence of the effectiveness of concrete approaches of systemic family therapy on the symptoms of adolescents and family functioning in general. However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of other relevant approaches, such as structural and strategic family therapy, incorporating parent–child or parental dyadic measurement. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a structural–strategic family therapy with adolescents involved in mental health services and their families. For this purpose, 41 parents and adolescents who participated in this treatment were interviewed at pre-test and post-test, providing information on adolescent behavior problems, parental sense of competence, parental practices, parenting alliance, and family functioning. Regardless of participants’ gender, adolescents exhibited fewer internalizing and externalizing problems after the treatment. Parents reported higher family cohesion, higher satisfaction and perceived efficacy as a parent, and healthier parental practices (less authoritarian and permissive practices, as well as more authoritative ones). An interaction effect between parenting alliance and gender was found, with more favorable results for the mothers. In conclusion, this paper provides evidence of the usefulness of structural–strategic family therapy for improving family, dyadic, and individual facets in families with adolescents exhibiting mental health problems

Adult learning processes in non-formal education contexts

La compresión de los procesos de aprendizaje durante la adultez requiere considerar tanto el contexto de aprendizaje como las características personales de los aprendices. En este marco, el estudio que se describe en este artículo explora los procesos de aprendizaje adulto en contextos no formales siguiendo el modelo de Kolb (1984), a la vez que se analiza su variabilidad en función de diferentes características personales de los participantes. Los resultados obtenidos confirmaron la existencia de una importante variabilidad en las formas de aprender de los adultos participantes en la investigación, y mostraron que algunas características personales como las condiciones socio-laborales y la trayectoria personal de riesgo guardaban relación con las diferencias observadas. El papel de estas características personales, así como de otras variables relacionadas con los adultos como aprendices, es discutido, a la vez que se destacan importantes implicaciones metodológicas a tener en cuenta cuando se planifican experiencias educativas no formales con personas adultas.It is necessary to evaluate the learning conte xt and individual characteristics of learners to understand the adult learning process. In this study , adult learning processes at non-formal situations according to Kolb ́s model (1984) are described, considering its variability according to individual characteristics. Variability in adult learning processes was found, with socio -laboral conditions and risk trajectories playing a relevant role. These results are discussed, and methodological implications for planning adult learning experiences are highlighted

Factorial structure of PSOC (Parental Sense of Competence) scale with a sample of mothers from family preservation services

En este artículo se examina la estructura factorial de la escala Parental Sense of Competence (PSOC, Johnston & Mash, 1989) con una muestra de madres usuarias de dispositivos públicos de protección social por razones de preservación familiar. Los resultados confirman parcialmente la estructura original en dos subescalas, pero ponen de manifiesto la conveniencia, con este tipo de población, de realizar algunas adaptaciones. En concreto, en este trabajo proponemos una versión reducida de 10 ítems con dos subescalas: la percepción de eficacia como progenitor y la controlabilidad en la tarea educativa.Factorial structure of the Parental Sense of Competence scale (PSOC, Johnston & Mash, 1989) is examined in this article, with a sample of mothers from family preservation services. Data analyses confirm the original two-subscale structure, but also suggest some adaptations with this population. Specifically, a 10-item shorter version is proposed in this paper, composed of efficacy and controllability subscales concerning competence as a parent

The DSM-5 Limited Prosocial Emotions subtype of Conduct Disorder in incarcerated male and female juvenile delinquents

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relevance of the DSM-5's Conduct Disorder new Limited Prosocial Emotions (CD LPE) specifier in incarcerated juvenile delinquents. A sample of 201 males and 98 females from the Juvenile Detention Centers managed by the Portuguese Ministry of Justice diagnosed with Conduct Disorder (CD) was used. Results showed that male juvenile delinquents with the CD LPE specifier scored higher on callous-unemotional traits (CU), general psychopathic traits, psychopathy taxon membership, self-reported delinquency, and crime seriousness, and lower on prosocial behavior and social desirability, while female juvenile delinquents with the CD LPE specifier scored higher on callous-unemotional traits (CU) and general psychopathic traits, and lower on prosocial behavior. Significant associations for both genders were found between the CD LPE specifier and age of crime onset and first problems with the law

Incarcerated youths with high or low callous–unemotional traits: A comparison controlling for age of crime onset

The aim of this study was to analyze the relevance of callous–unemotional (CU) traits in incarcerated juvenile delinquents. A sample of 160 incarcerated male youths was used. Results showed that youths with high CU traits had an earlier age of crime onset and of trouble with the law, and also had higher levels of conduct disorder. When controlling for age of crime onset, youths with high CU traits showed higher levels of general psychopathic traits and of psychopathy taxon membership as well as lower levels of prosocial behavior, but no differences were found for selfreported delinquency, crime seriousness, impulsivity-conduct problems, and general conduct problems. Also, no significant associations of CU traits with self-reported delinquency and crime seriousness were found when controlling for age of crime onset. Future studies of CU traits should take into account the specific importance of age of onset.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT